Monday, June 29, 2009

Brunch at Simon Pearce


This weekend, we took a short trip to Vermont for a triathlon that D and a couple of his friends did. On the way back, we stopped for brunch at Simon Pearce, which you may already know is renowned for its blown glass and handmade pottery. It's a retail store and a great restaurant. The retail store sells beautiful items that are all hand-made, but very pricey! One wine glass, for example, runs for about $60.



As you can sort-of read above, the restaurant uses dinnerware, stemware, and flatware that they design and produce. They are also known for utilizing local sources of foods. They also recycle their cooking oil by using it to fuel the chef's car! Their food scraps are donated as chicken feed, and their to-go containers are biodegradable. What I think is really cool is they utilize hydroelectric energy from the waterfall below to power up the glass furnace, as well as electricity for the store and restaurant.


The menu was just lovely, I had difficulty choosing what I wanted!!


Here is an example of their hand-made products they use in the restaurant. Isn't this bread plate beautiful?


Here is a hand-made glass centerpiece... beautiful.


They served us their famous brown bread, along with their freshly whipped sweet butter! Oh, delicious.


We got some house-made granola with yogurt and strawberries. What I loved about this is you can see the vanilla bean specks in the yogurt! It was a great way to start the meal.


We got the creme brulee french toast to share at the table, which was amazing, delicious, scrumptious! More more more! It was so incredibly delicious, there truly are few words to describe.


I ordered the poached Atlantic salmon hash with fried eggs and a creamy dill sauce. It was delightful!


And, check out the vibrant yellow yolk! It was such a dark rich yellow color, and it tasted as good as it looked.


D got the special - ham, red pepper, and asparagus quiche. It had such a nice crusty cheesy crust on top, and the eggs were fluffy and perfect. The greens were fresh and crisp, but a little bit over-dressed. Regardless, it was delicious.


After feeling horribly stuffed after our awesome brunch, we went downstairs to see the glass-blowers do their handywork. It was amazing to see how incredibly talented these folks are, watching them make a piece of stemware right before our eyes. It is truly a dying art, but thankfully places like Simon Pearce are keeping it alive.


Here is a pottery demonstration... very "Ghost"-esque.


If you're ever in Vermont, you must stop by Simon Pearce! You will pick up some amazingly well-crafted blown glass and pottery items, have a fantastic meal that is environmentally conscious, and witness the craft of glassblowing and pottery. A fantastic experience I won't soon forget.

24 comments:

  1. Hi Christina. Thanks for visiting and for sharing such great photographs! Please come again soon.

    Melissa
    The Pontilists (Simon Pearce)

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  2. That is awesome! I wish I lived nearby. The color of the yolks reminds me of the ones we get from a farmer friend.

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  3. dude! the creamy dill sauce on the egg looked awesome! man... it mustve been a hecka good brunch yo! :)

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  4. Gorgeous pictures, as usual, Ms. Kim!

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  5. I nned to move within driving distance of New England immediately. Creme brulee French toast???? Swoon! The eggs - I tried to grab them off the page and they wouldn't cooperate. Gorgeous photos!

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  6. Wow, what an environmentally responsible restaurant!!! And I'm hearing that locally grown produce actually tastes significantly better! We don't have enough of those kinds of restaurants in DC~ :( What a great find!!

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  7. OMG this place looks fabulous! I might need to take a day trip and check it out!

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  8. Looks like a wonderful place to visit!

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  9. That glass centerpiece is exquisite. I would love to visit... hmm... we are off to Montreal this weekend and Vermont is not very far says my husband...

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  10. Look at that marvelous french toast. It looks beautiful

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  11. oh my god...brunch is my fav meal! I LOVE the color of that creamy dill sauce! Awesome!

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  12. What a fun trip and oh my, I am drooling over your meal!

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  13. Isn't it special to decorate the table with that glass center piece!
    I think I would also order the asparagus quiche too for the lunch.

    Angie's Recipes

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  14. Congrats on your nursing degree, it is a very rewarding career! I have only been an RN a little over a year. Thanks for commenting on my blog, I can't wait to explore yours!

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  15. Wow, that place does look cool!

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  16. What an awesome brunch! I would have been all over the sweet butter and D's quiche - so fluffy!

    $60 for a wine glass? I was lucky to score two Riedel wine glasses at a church rummage sale last week for $5!

    Have a great 4th!

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  17. Too long no post, Christina! hee hee...hope you're fine!

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  18. That is some fancy yogurt if you can see the vanilla bean specks! Lovely! and that frittata looks delicious, yummy brunch!

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  19. Sounds like you had a great time. Looks like a good brunch!

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  20. Everything looks delicious, but I totally want that french toast!

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  21. Wow, everything look so good...yummie! Thanks for sharing the pictures.

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  22. This looks like quite a feast! I am definitely bookmarking this recipe and if I ever do go to Vermont, this is exactly where I"m going!

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  23. What a gorgeous meal. Creme brulee French toast - wow. And the salmon hash looks terrific too. But then again, I might have to have a bite of quiche. What a fun trip.

    I wouldn't trust myself with a $60 wine glass to wash. When I worked at Saks Fifth Avenue my going away present was eight Bacarrat crystal champagnes. I was always afraid to use them. I'm such a klutz.

    Nice to be home after our holiday the past two weeks without internet access. I've missed my friends.
    Sam

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