Everyone knows about Mr. Ups and Two Brothers. Those are the two main places to eat in town, and they are both phenomenal. However, there are a couple restaurants that are less known in or near town that are good in different ways. One is right in Middlebury, no more than a 30 second walk from Two Brothers itself. It is located down Frog’s Hollow, which is the turn right by Forth ‘N Goal and across from the movie theater. It is called Storm Cafe, and for lack of a better term, is great.
I went for the first time my junior year, and was very impressed. It is not your normal restaurant. Granted, it is a cafe, but it is just a different place. I have always said that if I had a restaurant of my own, my menu would feature six dishes, all the best of the best. No menu like the 99 or Applebee’s where there are 150 choices and you can never choose what to eat or what is really good. Storm Cafe is in the same mold (as is the next restaurant I am going to discuss). The Storm menu features probably 8 or so entrees with a couple additional appetizers. You don’t have to ask the waiter or waitress “Is this good?” because you know it is. It is a great atmosphere as well, right on the water. It is a little pricey, but definitely worth it. The chicken dish is phenomenal. And the green beans were the best I’ve ever had. I don’t even like green beans, and I still thought they were delicious.
The next place is a little further away, not right in the middle of town. Black Sheep is probably a 20 minute drive away off of route 7. When I went, i was so confused. I had heard rave reviews and was very excited to try it. Vergennes is a quaint little town, and Black Sheep is even quainter (if that is a word). You walk in, and it is very dark and surprisingly small. The menu, again, is very limited. Many of the options were food that was very foreign to me, including duck. I was quickly wondering why this place was so great. I ordered the chicken (seeing a theme here) and hoped for the best. When they bring the meal out, they bring a bowl of mashed potatoes and a heaping portion of french fries with three different dipping sauces. The food was fantastic! The chicken was great, the mashed potatoes were great, and the fries and all three dipping sauces were great. The dinner was great, and I’m sorry I ever doubted it. These two little restaurants are hidden gems in the Middlebury area, and I would highly recommend them to anyone looking for a good meal somewhere out of the norm.
Black Sheep is great! I have only been there a few times because generally I am too lazy to drive all the way over there when Middlebury has so many great restaurants, but it definitely is worth it. My parents and I go to Storm Cafe a lot when they visit, and I agree that everything on that menu is delicious–I’d say it falls under the category of upscale comfort food, which can never go wrong. Two other ones a lot of people don’t think of are Tourterelle and Waybury Inn, both of which are a short drive and really amazing.
I just recently tried storm cafe and also got the chicken. It was great. I wish it was a little cheaper and I would go more often. I am definitely going to try Black Sheep now, and my parents love duck, maybe I can get them to take me.