A Serving of Satisfaction
March 23, 2006

Are you tired of eating in restaurants that serve 2 tablespoons of vegetables and call it a salad, or mark up the wine 3-4 times what it sells for in shops? Mac & cheese for $11? Pleeese- it takes the fun out of eating out!

But now, you CAN get satisfaction. Drop into Williston village on any Thursday, Friday or Saturday evening and you'll find fabulous food satisfaction. The menu is rock-star quality served in a casual but cool setting. Say good-bye to a big tab by bringing along your own beer or wine, and make the evening an intimate dinner for two, a girl's night out, or a family affair.

The Old Brick Cafés menu is sophisticated and sumptuous. Chefs Darrell Sawyer and Hunter Pritchett are masters at combining premium ingredients with new twists on the classics. Flat Iron Steak, a traditional café standard, is reinvigorated with rosemary smashed new potatoes and grilled broccolini. The dish is slathered in a cream sauce made with Highgate's blue cheese "Gore Dawn Zola." It is outrageously good and the portion is generous enough for dining partners to poach samples.

I was thrilled by a dish featuring pan seared scallops and a creamy mascarpone cheese risotto perfumed with sage. It was nestled in a slice of acorn squash and topped with a fresh bloom of baby watercress. This inspired combination had it all: delicate protein, creamy decadence, and refreshing greens for a foil. The Laplatte River Short Ribs braised in a Syrah wine served with a winter vegetable tian, roasted banana fingerling potatoes, and a red wine demi-glace and pomegranate reduction will blow you away. The meat absolutely melts in your mouth. The short ribs fly off the menu, so dine early if this is your kind of a meal.

For diners who prefer small plates, there are plenty of starters to make a
meal.

The Blood Orange & Gold Beet salad is the best beet salad I've eaten all
winter.

It is a generous portion of beets, watercress, avocado and creamy goat cheese laced with a blood orange-citrus vinaigrette. Couple that, or a Caesar salad, with a Grilled Flatbread Pizza, a Winter Bruschetta or Pan Seared Salmon Cakes and you'll be full- but hopefully not too full to sample a caramelized Apple Tarte Tatins or the ultimate Molten Chocolate soufflé.

The entire menu is a creative culinary adventure with plenty of variety for vegetarians and fish lovers. One recent special was a roasted trout stuffed with prawns in a Marsala cream sauce. Yikes! It was bold and delicious, and, like all the food, a superb meal at a good value. Owner David Herskowitz and his staff know how to please their customers. The father of two youngsters, David has paid extra attention to the yummy children's menu featuring burgers, mashed potatoes, and grilled cheese. So, make a plan for some real satisfaction Williston, we've got a hit on our hands!

Kim Dannies is a graduate of La Varenne Cooking School in France. She lives in Williston, VT with her husband, Jeff, and three college–aged daughters who come and go. ©2008