Harrison's Restaurant & Bar
After years of reviewing restaurants, I get nervous when I discover that I'm going to be eating in a basement, on the most touristy strip in town, from a menu that jumps so many continents and styles of cooking you'd guess no kitchen staff could actually get anything right. But Harrison's defies expectations. A family affair, run by long-time Stowe Restauranteur Kathy Kneale and her son Andrew, it's cute and cozy, with lots of wood paneling, twinkly lights, and a porch for fine-weather (and non-cellar) dining. And every forkful is downright scrumptious. That's true for whether you go for the perfectly roasted apple cider chicken, which tips its hat to Vermont products with luscious Cabot cheddar sauce coating the bottom of the plate; or go sorta Mexican with the excellent smoked duck quesadillas (again with local cheddar, this time studded with jalapenos). Other standouts on the menu include the Japanese-esque ginger-blueberry ahi tuna, served raw with a sauce that has a hint of maple syrup (sounds weird, but its lovely); the manly prime rib sandwich, with sour cream horseradish sauce, and yes, cheddar; or the rustic Italian shrimp scampi which come with a side of ravioli stuffed with Vermont goat cheese (are you seeing a pattern here?). The desserts, made daily by the kitchen, also make good use of cheese and local berries (in season) and shouldn't be skipped. I have to knock off one star for the noise level, which can be high; and the seating, which can be hard. One other warning: This restaurant has many fans beyond me, and it's not large, so you'll want to get reservations well in advance of showing up, or you may not be able to get a seat.
After years of reviewing restaurants, I get nervous when I discover that I'm going to be eating in a basement, on the most touristy strip in town, from a menu that jumps so many continents and styles of cooking you'd guess no kitchen staff could actually get anything right. But Harrison's defies expectations. A family affair, run by long-time Stowe Restauranteur Kathy Kneale and her son Andrew, it's cute and cozy, with lots of wood paneling, twinkly lights, and a porch for fine-weather (and non-cellar) dining. And every forkful is downright scrumptious. That's true for whether you go for the perfectly roasted apple cider chicken, which tips its hat to Vermont products with luscious Cabot cheddar sauce coating the bottom of the plate; or go sorta Mexican with the excellent smoked duck quesadillas (again with local cheddar, this time studded with jalapenos). Other standouts on the menu include the Japanese-esque ginger-blueberry ahi tuna, served raw with a sauce that has a hint of maple syrup (sounds weird, but its lovely); the manly prime rib sandwich, with sour cream horseradish sauce, and yes, cheddar; or the rustic Italian shrimp scampi which come with a side of ravioli stuffed with Vermont goat cheese (are you seeing a pattern here?). The desserts, made daily by the kitchen, also make good use of cheese and local berries (in season) and shouldn't be skipped. I have to knock off one star for the noise level, which can be high; and the seating, which can be hard. One other warning: This restaurant has many fans beyond me, and it's not large, so you'll want to get reservations well in advance of showing up, or you may not be able to get a seat.
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