Usually if I’m in the mood for a bite and a drink I’ll grab a Sicilian slice from Ramunto’s and bring home a few casuals from the always reliable Middlebury Discount Beverage just next door. With the world’s best food/beverage combination within the convenient vicinity of campus, I initially thought that a 40-minute drive north for pizza and beer was a little much. What reason do I have for putting on a clean shirt and filling my gas tank when I can stay in my sweats and be back on my couch with a slice and some suds in 10 minutes?
Shelburne’s new Flatbread Factory and Taproom may just be that reason.
As we all know, there comes a time when we all need to get out, to free ourselves from Middlebury’s tired pizza circuit. We’ve all reached that point when Neil and Otto’s or Ross meatlover’s pizza just doesn’t cut it anymore. The Flatbread Factory’s closest competition is located right here in Middlebury, but even American Flatbread loses its appeal and we all turn to greener pastures.
Heeding that siren song, I set out for Shelburne. I took the opportunity of this review to meet up with some hometown friends who go to school in Burlington. Located just minutes from downtown Burlington, the Flatbread Factory is just as much of a reason to get some friends together and head to Vermont’s greatest city as would be going to your favorite Church Street restaurant or “tobacco” shop.
The Flatbread Factory, which opened just a week ago, is located on Route 7 north, about 45 minutes from campus. Brian Sharfman, who co-owns the Flatbread Factory with his wife Lauren, boasts of his restaurant’s easy access and ample parking, which he prefers to any busy, hectic stop in Burlington.
“We’re like more of your neighborhood pub for local families,” Sharfman said. “There are a lot of nicer, white-tablecloth restaurants in the Burlington area — we’re going for fun and accessible.”
Already, the Flatbread Factory has proven to be a go-to destination, as Sharfman had to make some last-minute hires just to hold over the sizeable tide of first-weekend customers.
Entering the restaurant, its immediate appeal could not be more evident. The Flatbread Factory feels somewhat like an old-time cigar lounge with its dark decor, plaid carpet and vintage advertisements on the walls. The kitchen opens into the dining room and you can see your meals being prepared, lending the ambience of something between a small-time pizza joint and your standard sit-down dining experience.
If you’re looking to stay a while, you can enjoy a game — a few thrilling Olympic ice dancing performances in my case — on one of their three flat-screen televisions, one of which is 10 feet long and surrounded by overstuffed chairs and a cozy leather couch. If you happen to be bringing your kids, there is a children’s play room set off from the dining area, complete with its own television and impressive selection of Dora the Explorer and Spongebob DVDs.
As with any restaurant though, atmosphere can only go so far and the food must speak for itself. The Flatbread Factory’s menu will have no trouble impressing in this department. In addition to having a solid wine list and around 10 beers on tap — mainly Magic Hat, located just across Route 7, and McNeil’s, a Brattleboro-based gem — you can choose from an array of gourmet appetizers and flatbread pizzas.
We went with the Mango Tango nachos to start with and a buffalo chicken pizza for the main course. Absorbed by the television, the pints and the conversation, we nearly forgot we had ordered food. That is, until we were presented with the biggest tray of nachos I’ve seen north of the Mason-Dixon. Freshly made with mounds of gooey cheese, chicken and mango salsa, the Mango Tango nacho dish was actually bigger than the pizza and a meal in itself. Stuffed as we were, we still couldn’t resist the buffalo chicken pizza, which was topped with just the right amount of hot sauce and crumbled bleu cheese. As we digested and downed a few after-dinner Switchbacks, we were entertained by Olympic feats, reggae and Mr. Sharfman’s vision for Shelburne’s newest hot spot.
So if you’re like me, and you sense the faint rumblings of wanderlust and you just need to get out of Middlebury for a while, try the Flatbread Factory. Sit down with some friends, enjoy some local brews and chicken nachos and watch the Olympian Johnny Weir dominate in all his elegant, fox fur-fueled skating glory. The food alone is worth the trip and will surely leave you satisfied should you decide to finally venture all the way to that downtown tobacco shop.
The Localvore: The Flatbread Factory and Taproom
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