Barnard Inn Restaurant

Rt. 12, Barnard, VT 05031, 802-234-9961, www.barnardinn.com

On our first night in Vermont we took our innkeeper's suggestion and headed to the Barnard Inn for dinner. The more formal dining room was full so we booked a table in their casual tavern room. It was a bit noisy but had a rustic charm and most of the diners appeared to be local..a good sign :)
Service was slow and a bit too carefree for a couple of New Yorkers like us. Particularly since the prices were in line with any Manhattan restaurant. But it was a chilly evening and we were warm in the cozy room and looking forward to a good dinner.

An appetizer of Cesar salad was good but average. The duck liver pate', however, was billed as homemade but left us in some doubt. It was also so heavily perfumed with truffle oil that it was difficult to discern any other flavor. An entree of beef stew was hearty and well made with tasty side of sweet potato mash. Poor service aside, the food overall was pretty good but not worth the expensive price.

Furthermore, the proprietors apparently own a large male German Shepard who roams the property freely. We're currently raising a puppy and therefore, feel an affinity with dog owners so we didn't mind when the Shepard walked through the dining room and into the kitchen. We did mind, however, when we ran into him again in the pitch black parking lot after dinner where he barked and howled at customers and then relieved himself on their cars. Uh...no...we won't be coming back...and we'll send you the car wash bill.