Smokejacks Offers Traditional Fare with 'Bold' Flair

Author: Matthew Christ

"Bold American Food," the slogan of Smokejacks, a restaurant in Burlington, Vt., was scrawled across its business card in shiny silver letters. Bold and silver are definitely enduring themes in this funky restaurant on Church Street that, for the past five years, has been a very popular destination for brunch, lunch and dinner.

The interior is an experience in itself. It is hip and trendy without being garish or gaudy, and I felt like the decorating scheme reflected a modern idea of what is classy. For example, the traditional bar, carved out of a deep mahogany, harmonizes with the silver, almost art deco ceiling. Because of its small size, the restaurant has a very intimate feel. The walls are covered in art done in different media by local artists. Our table was surrounded by tasteful oil paintings, which my dining partner and I discussed over brunch. The art rotates monthly, creating a very dynamic, vibrant atmosphere. Hanging from the ceiling are pieces of stained glass in the shape of different drinks, and the wooden chairs, which mostly complement the bar in their simplicity, are offset by the occasional bright, funky chair that has been painted and decorated.

We sat in a sunny corner and turned our attention to admiring the menu, which was attractively presented on a thin tin backing. I was immediately struck by the variety of the menu. We had driven up to Burlington for Sunday brunch, and the choices ranged from traditional sausage, eggs and bacon to ginger-vanilla pancakes or huevos rancheros. I was also pleasantly surprised by the prices: every dish was under $9, even the eggs benedict with smoked salmon. The huevos rancheros were absolutely delicious — two fried eggs over black beans with red and green chile sauces, a soft tortilla and sour cream. The eggs benedict was outstanding as well — the smoked salmon and the herb bread were terrific and unique touches to the classic breakfast. The eggs were all poached perfectly so that the yolk ran into the hollandaise sauce when the white was punctured.

If my last name was Zagat, I would say that Smokejacks offers traditional fare with a flair. Apparently the perfect complement to a Smokejacks' breakfast or brunch is one of their Bold Bloody Mary's, but unfortunately we didn't get to sample one.

The wine list is astoundingly large — the brunch menu was accompanied by three full pages of wines and drinks, and I can only imagine how great a dinner date would be at Smokejacks. Ask any European and they'll tell you a meal is not complete without cheese — Smokejacks has this covered. They have a cheese list with 15 different cheeses (many from Vermont) and accompanying descriptions.

The lunch menu follows the same pattern: delicious and unique meals at a reasonable price with every dish under $10.

Choices range from burgers to a slow-roasted duck salad. Other dishes include sweet chile glazed shrimp pasta and barbecued pulled pork quesadilla.

The dinner menu is dominated by smaller dishes, which could serve either as an appetizer or a light dinner. The yellow fin tuna with caviar looks particularly interesting, as does the salad of local organic greens with local blue cheese and a citrus vinaigrette. The main courses offer some of the most gourmet food you will find within an hour of Middlebury. Choices include lamb, salmon, duck, shrimp and Angus strip steak, all prepared in a unique manner.

They only have one soup on their menu, a somewhat personal disapointment. The spicy sweet potato soup with chipotle chiles and green onion was very good but the restaurant could do better by expanding its soup offerings.

The dessert menu (offered at any meal — even brunch) not only has classic favorites such as cheesecake, root beer floats and brownie sundaes, but also a chocolate and coconut crème brulée and pineapple upside-down cake with ginger-buttermilk sherbet.

This dessert was a delicious gathering of different tastes, which complement each other despite sounding somewhat contradictory.

The service is friendly and efficient. Meals were discussed, recommended and served in a timely fashion. They even accommodated the nosy questions of two reporters and gave us copies of all their menus.

The staff of Smokejacks is overwhelmingly female. The owner, bartender, head chef and most of the servers are women, which is noticeable, but doesn't seem unusual or unbalanced.

Needless to say, the unique atmosphere and delicious food attract a large crowd.

The restaurant is very popular on weekends and reservations are necessary. There is usually only standing room at the bar. Large crowds provide a challenge for servers because they have to navigate the small packed dining room and bring large trays of food from the basement kitchen.

For your first trip to Smokejacks, I highly recommend a Sunday brunch. On those depressing days filled with work and apprehension over the long week ahead, a nice leisurely trip off campus for a stylish meal is sure to please. The prices are affordable, and if you go late, around 1:30 or 2 p.m., the crowds are much smaller than at other times. Smokejacks, with its sophisticated yet casual feel and unique, delicious menu, is a restaurant definitely worth the drive.