On Sunday June 13th we’ll be bringing the spirit of Provence to the Barn at the Intervale and serving up big, spicy bowls of boillabaisse and washing it down with piles of juicy, ice-cold rose.

The spirit of this event was born over the winter when we were thinking spring and brainstorming with our pals from Dedalus Wine Shop. We wanted to craft an event that would celebrate all the things that we love – food, wine, and gathering with friends.

We were inspired by the spirit of Provence, where food, wine, and community are intimately connected in a relaxed, non-fussy way. Bouillabaisse is a staple in Provence, a legendary seafood stew that is beautiful in it’s simplicity. Fresh seafood, spicy broth, and crusty baguette – need we say more!

Well how about a little rose to wash everything down? The crew at Dedalus will be serving up piles of crisp, juicy rose – a perfect compliment to the spice of the bouillabaisse and one of our favorite wines for summer sipping.

Of course it wouldn’t be a party without music and dancing! Our good friends Tyler Bolles and Brett Hughes are bringing their band the Wrecking Ball to keep the event lively.

We’re hoping you will be able to join us for an evening of eating, drinking, and merriment at the Barn at the Intervale. Zip over to bash.winwinapps.com to pick up your tickets ($40/person)

aaron’s nettle soup

• 1/2 pound nettles, picked from stem (gloves may help if you are sensitive)
• 2 onion diced
• 1/4 pound ramps whites minced, greens whole
• 2 sticks celery
• 1 shallot minced
• 2 potatoes peeled and diced
• 2 qts vegetable stock or water
• sea salt
• ground pepper
• creme fraiche (if desired)
• extra virgin olive oil
• lemon

In large saucepan sweat onion, celery, shallot and ramps (whites) in olive oil.  We are looking for translucence, not browning, the longer you cook, the more flavor will develop. Moderately low heat is your friend at this point!  When the veg is soft add potatoes, and cover with vegetable stock. Increase heat  and cook until potatoes are tender.

Add the nettles, ramp greens and season with salt and pepper. At this point we are looking for high heat to cook the nettles and
ramps as quickly as possible.  The idea is to have a bright green soup.

Remove the soup form the pot and puree the vegetables in a blender or food processor. Strain the puree into a container that is sitting in an ice
bath, the faster the soup cools, the more vibrant the color will be. Chill the soup thoroughly.

When ready to eat, gently heat soup, we do not want to boil as this point because it may cause the soup to discolor, adjust seasoning as necessary, finish
with a squeeze of lemon to brighten soup, and creme fraiche if desired.

(in the picture above charred ramps and trout roe are used as a garnish)

mother’s day brunch

sunday may 9th – 11am – 3pm

Celebrate mom with us! We’re offering a beautiful brunch menu full of spring treasures and bluebird brunch favorites (including chicken & waffles). We’re happy to accept reservations so give us a ring! 802-540-1786

bluebird mother’s day brunch menu

to start:

basket of bluebird pastries

first course (choice of)

greens & herbs salad

fruit plate

bluebird charcuterie

second course (choice of)

poached farm eggs, house smoked ham, brown butter hollandaise

fried chicken & waffles with honey butter

double burger, boucher blue cheese, frites

spring vegetable frittata

brioche french toast, rhubarb compote

$25/guest

*an a la carter children’s menu will also be available.

It’s going to be a laid back event – a time to hang with friends, chill at the bar, and enjoy the races. We’ll be off and running at 3pm and the cost is $20 (includes a mint julep and southern inspired bites) More mint juleps and other fine cocktails, beer, and wine will be available at the bar!

THURSDAY MAY 20TH – 7pm

At Bluebird Tavern we’re always on the lookout for wines that tell a story, wines that have a strong sense of place, and we love to highlight emerging wine regions that offer great value.

We’re all big fans of wines from the Rhone. It’s a region whose wines display a strong sense of terroir and winemakers who share their passion for the grape with every bottle. For this dinner we’ve selected wines from Rhone’s “Unsung Heroes” – hidden gems crafted by winemakers who are on the cutting edge of wine production and whose bottles may not be found on too many wine lists or wine cellars. What excites us most about this dinner is that wines from the Rhone display a strong affinity for food. In the Rhone the landscape, wine, and food are all deeply linked and intertwined. Think wild herbs, lavender, lamb, and sausage, paired with earthy wines that pull all of the tastes and flavors together.

Our aim for the dinner is to create a farmhouse atmosphere with long tables decked out with wild herbs. The meal will be served “family style,” this way you’ll be able to pass, share, and engage with other diners in a convivial, communal setting. Aaron is busy at work crafting a menu that will pair perfectly with the wines and also celebrate the spirit of the Rhone. We’ll have the five course menu posted on the Bluebird blog in the next few days. If you would like to attend please shoot me a note or give us a ring at 802-540-1786 – the cost is $105/Rhone enthusiastic (inclusive of tax & gratuity).

bluebird tavern hosts a pasta class at healthy living

This past Saturday Nate & Aaron hosted Pasta 101 at the Healthy Living Learning Center (South Burlington, VT). It was a fun morning that started with the basics of pasta dough, then moved into rolling and shaping and finished off with a couple of delicious sauces. If you haven’t taken a class at Healthy Living take a peek at their upcoming schedule – they have some amazing offerings!

Here is Aaron’s Recipe for Lamb Sausage Ragu that he prepared for the class:

garganelli with lamb sausage and mint ragu

(serves 4)

• 1/2 pound garganelli or penne (rusichella d’abruzzo is a great brand)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 pound merguez sausage (available in Burlington at Healthy Living) or other lamb sausage
• 1/2 cup diced pancetta
• 1/4 cup diced carrot
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 ripe tomatoes, diced
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 2 ounces white wine
• 1 tablespoon mint, thinly sliced
• sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup parmesan (garnish)

Prepare pasta as directed on package, cook until al dente, toss with a dash of olive oil and set aside.

Set a large skillet over medium heat add the sausage and pancetta and cook until the fat has render and meat begins to brown. Add the onion, carrot, and garlic and slowly cook until the vegetables soften. Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping anything sticking to the bottom to retain all of the flavors. Add the tomatoes and cook until the ragu begins to thicken (about 20 minutes). Season to taste with sea salt, fresh ground pepper.

If you zipped in the door of the Bluebird Tavern kitchen there is a good chance that you’d catch a glimpse of one of our cooks rolling out beautiful hand crafted pasta. It’s quite fun to watch the pasta dough transform into a variety of shapes and sizes. Most recently our sous chef Nate has been creating garganelli, a hand rolled pasta that is similar in shape to penne.

Click to read more…

phoebe, laura & aaron taking a break

the double burger

terrine nibbles

frites!

deviled eggs on the board

the butcher board

the butcher board & cheese board

bluebird tavern vermont

This week all of the temporary work lights came down and our electrician Liam zipped around the building installing the amazing fixtures created by our friends at Conant Metal & Light.

The entry light has a bit of heft to it and it was a tricky install – luckily Liam and Tyler were able to wrestle it up there without any mishaps (I participated in my usual way by standing nearby and taking photos – very helpful).

These custom sconces are all over the building and they let off this beautiful glow against the walls.

We’re trying to take it easy with the bluebird theme but we could not resist adding another cute little bird to the lamp at the host desk.

And here’s a shot of Liam installing the pendants in what we are now calling the “Blue Room.”

Thanks for taking a look at our new lights!

~ Sue

Yesterday we took down the temporary work lights in the bar area and replaced them with these awesome wine bottle pendants made by our friends at Conant Metal & Light. While the work lights were functional (and kind of cool if you like that industrial sheik look) they let off an eerie glow that made things not so pretty. With the new pendants dropped in and recessed lighting provided by our electrician Liam it’s actually starting to feel like a restaurant.

In the picture below you can also see our new copper bar top crafted by our friend Alistair from Metal Design – more information on the bar design will be coming soon!

It’s been quite a bit of fun working with Steve Conant and his crew from the Pine St shop! Judging from the pictures Steve sent over it looks like they’ve been having a bit of fun with this project as well – especially the rooftop wine drinking party where our bar pendants were born.

The best part about working with Steve and his staff has been the creative force that they bring. Basically if we can dream it they can build it, making the whole design process more fun and exciting. Below is a shot of Steve in his shop working on the wine bottle:

We’ve got some more cool things coming from Steve! Here’s a sneak preview…

Also coming soon I’ve got an update on our general manager and chef hires! Thanks for stopping by the site – Cheers!

It’s been a busy couple of weeks at the Bluebird Tavern and the renovation project is rolling right along. If you have driven by lately you may have noticed that the buildings got a new look!

Pro-tech painters moved extremely quickly and had the whole exterior paint job done in one day – it was amazing to watch. Now on task for the weekend is cleaning up the landscaping up front and tackling weeds that are invading the parking lot.

Projects on the inside are moving along as well. One of the biggest new additions was the cabinetry behind the bar, a snazzy mirror, and beer tap system. We’ve also nearly completed things that you don’t see, an electrical re-wire, mechanical upgrades, and equipment installation.

I think that’s it for now! Next week I will be introducing you to our recent hires, showing off our copper bar top, and (hopefully) dazzling you with pictures of our completed function space.

Have a great holiday weekend!!

Sue

It’s been an exciting few weeks at the Bluebird Tavern and the building is quickly transforming into something special. One of the biggest changes has been the addition of a new roof, which has already made a big difference in the buildings aesthetic. Our contractor D.G. Morin also began taking quotes from painters this week, so we will be saying a fond farewell to the turquoise and pink trim shortly.

The interior is shaping up as well. Above is an action shot of Jeff, our carpenter who has been working diligently to create a great foundation for the bar. The bar top is out at a local metalworkers shop waiting to be wrapped in copper – we think it will be a pretty classy look.

Here’s a shot of Liam from Electrical Power Services, who has remained very patient throughout the process and has been able to deal with me changing my mind quite frequently – Thanks, Liam!

One of the more exciting days was when Charlie from Stan & Sons pulled up his tractor trailer in the driveway and dropped off our refurbished kitchen equipment. He’s got quite a crew who was able to unload the rig in a couple of hours.

Up next on the horizon is the completion of the function space (which is coming along nicely), the installation of new exterior windows, a bit of a backyard cleanup, and some other fun projects that should keep us very busy through May.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out our site!

~ Sue