The Local Flavor

Author: Thomas Brush

Before I came to Middlebury College for my first year, my high school history teacher, a Middlebury alum, told me to "get to Storm CafÈ, it's the best restaurant in the whole world." Having spent a good deal of my Feb semester in European capitals, I thought little of my professor's assertion when I first set foot in the restaurant on the banks of Otter Creek. But to his credit, Storm CafÈ has been my favorite dining experience in Middlebury for the last three years.
While Storm CafÈ has been through more than one set of owners, the restaurant has always been true to its roots - delicious, innovative American cuisines with all the trappings of local farms and gardens. Storm serves lunch and dinner daily from Tuesday to Saturday.
The lunch menu consists of soups, Storm's famous salads and unique, delectable sandwiches. The Roasted Garlic and Potato Soup is the best in Vermont. The Harvest Panini is a great sandwich option and more than a step above any Proctor concoction. The panini boasts sliced honey-peppered Turkey breast and smoked gouda cheese along with roasted root vegetables and caramelized onions stuffed onto ciabatta bread with an apple-cranberry chutney warmed in a panini grille. The Astoria is an equally incredible sandwich, apple-wood smoked chicken sausage pan seared with Granny Smith apples, featuring red onion, gorgonzola and baby arugula on toasted baguette with a whole-grain mustard spiked walnut-sage aioli. Wow.
The dinner menu contains the same soup and salad selections, but also includes some other choice appetizers. Prince Edward island mussels steamed in a cacophony of flavors - white wine, chili broth, ginger, garlic, cilantro - are wonderful. Storm's trademark "smashed potatoes" aren't your average Thanksgiving fare - these have carmelized onions, roasted garlic, bacon and vermont chevre.
Storm's entrees are strong, but almost always too big. The Penne Carbonara is a perennial favorite and is absolutely delicious, filled with far more exciting flavors than a traditional Italian Penne, however the serving is good for two. The savory Red Chili Rubbed N.Y. Strip Steak is usually a great cut and cooked well, but here (and also in the Moroccan Braised Lamb Shank) Storm confuses the flavor, especially on the sides, with roasted pumpkin and three onion chutney in a wild turkey bourbon spiked apple puree - a little too much going on for a nice cut of steak.
The Storm desserts are to die for, but avoid death and split them. The Creme BrulÈe is the size of a regular dish and the Snickers Sundae is a foot high.
Storm is one of the best spots for lunch in Middlebury. And as for an evening meal, Storm is unbeatable in Middlebury. The intimate setting with small candles and red hues on the walls makes it a favorite for coeds. A full meal at Storm including something from their decent wine selection and their variety of local Vermont brews may get expensive, but it'll probably be worth it.

****1/2 (4.5 out of 5 stars)
Phone: 802-388-1063
Reservations Recommended