The Local Flavor

Author: Jack Lysohir

Looking for a classy dining alternative to the cumbersome menu of "Fire and Ice?" Then travel north on Rt. 7 for just a minute to the favorite bunking place of many Middlebury College parents, The Swift House Inn. Although the Inn itself is a relatively new entity - founded in the early 1980s - the buildings it comprises are rich with local history. The Inn is made up of the former estate of the late Samuel Swift (1792-1875), a prominent Middlebury resident who built the first house in 1814.

Today the Inn offers rooms and small houses for those wishing to stay for a night, a week or even an entire season. One of the great amenities of the Swift House Inn is its highly-acclaimed kitchen, open both to hotel patrons and the general public. The restaurant has a main dining room and also offers two private rooms, which may be rented out for groups of eight or more. These private rooms offer all the luxuries and comfortable domestic qualities of a dining room in a great house - a fireplace, book-lined shelves and warm decorations.

The Swift House's reputation in central Vermont is nearly unparalleled. The kitchen staff even offers a culinary school at different points throughout the year. The menu, while not lengthy, is varied. To start, the Vermont chevre and caramelized mushroom ravioli is a great choice. The artichoke fritters are another good choice - these tempura-battered long stem artichokes are fried in a delicious roasted garlic aioli. The Swift House also makes good on an Italian favorite with its smoky bruschetta. The delicious mozzarella from nearby Maplebrook Farm is at once fresh and light and the natural yellow peppers and baby spinach add delicious, fresh and local flavor Swift House is dedicated to local foods as a member of "Vermont Fresh Network" and the "Slow Food Movement".

The entrees, all priced at $18, varied in quality. The Maple Leaf Farm's roasted duck breast is a great choice. This tender duck breast is roasted to perfection with crispy skin outside and a soft, tasty inside. The pan seared sea scallops are another good choice. Although not seared to perfection, they are served atop a creamy Yukon gold potato gratin that offers a poignant flavor that tickles the palate. The hand-cut Black Angus Strip Steak - almost a sure thing in Vermont - did not deliver on its promise. The steak was not a fine cut with much fat and still over cooked, even at the recommended medium-rare. The grilled lamb top round, also hand cut, did not please either.

To complete the prix fixe dinner of $28, one can add a desert to the appetizer and entrée. The desert menu is a treasure trove of Vermont dairy bliss. The New York style blackberry swirl cheesecake is a must, even if one doesn't like cheesecake, blackberry or New York. For chocolate lovers, the peanut butter moulton chocolate cake is great.

The service at the Swift House was very good. The staff truly takes pride in the restaurants tradition of superior meals. The feeling of the Swift House is at once one of comfort and coziness. While waiting to be seated, one can sit on a comfy couch and look out at great, full windows at a picture of beautiful, timeless Vermont. There is no rush while eating at Swift House, because the Inn's mixture of dark and light and its cozy New England ambience invites you to stay. Although the entire menu was not spectacular, Swift House's prix fixe dinner is unparalleled in Middlebury.