Belted Cow Bistro Review

      We have eaten here a couple of times and always enjoyed the food. But the pricing made this a special occasion place only. So when I read that they were introducing a comfort food menu at a value price, I was very excited. I called on Friday to see if the new menu was in place and was told not yet but they were introducing a couple of items every week to see how the response would be. For this particular weekend, the two new items would be a hot chicken sandwich and meatball stroganoff, YUMMY. So we made plans to visit on that Saturday with sis and bro-in-law.

      NOW, before we go any further, I must admit when I was told about the new value menu, I did not ask what constituted value pricing, so shame on me. We arrived just after 5 PM and were the first ones seated. This may be the most beautiful restaurant in Northern Vermont. Gorgeous interior colors, beautiful woodwork, a great communal table (that unfortunately will disappear from what I hear), The bad, a tiny bar, and a really poor location, (from our gorgeous table, we looked out the window at a gas station and the 5 corners traffic).

      As the chef (and co-owner) was walking through, I asked about his recent win at the Jack Daniels championships. He was rather disappointed, as the win was for the grilling category not the barbeque, but for me still a great honor to bring back to little ole Vermont. I had noticed on facebook he was experimenting with things back in the kitchen and asked if he had any chicken skin skewers left and he happily sent out a plate full. YUMMY crispy, fatty goodness. The guys loved them, the ladies not so much.

      We ordered drinks, beer for the guys, martini for the wife , Kris went with a ginger ale. The wine and beer list is well thought out but small. I tried a "porkslap" beer and it was very good. No draft beers here just cans and the dreaded TEN dollar martinis. C'mon people, really 10 dollars for a martini in Vermont ? WHY ?? I make martinis for the ladies most every weekend and I know there is never more than $3. in ingredients in each one. MAYBE $4.00 at the absolute most and I only use high quality liquors. Nothing burns me more than seeing $9 and $10 drinks on a menu here in Vermont, I know, I know, overhead, staff, rent , etc., etc. but still its a ripoff. OK enough ranting back to our meal.

      We each ordered, 3 specials and one chicken dinner for Kris. And the first surprise, the new "value" menu was priced at $14.pp per plate. The guys ordered the hot chicken sandwich and Wife order the meatball stroganoff. Kris's chicken dinner, on the other hand, was $23.00, making our meals a bargain. I had high hopes it would be the biggest, best chicken sandwich ever and I could rave about the value. UMMM, not so much.  Don't get me wrong the food was incredible, the gravy perfect, but the portion was SMALL. Wife liked hers but said the meatballs were a bit bland. Kris was happy with her meal but again not the pricing, it was a good piece of chicken but not $23 good. And that in effect says it all, good food but the value is still missing.

On a scale of 1 to 5;

Food,                Quality means much more to us than quantity.
Beer and Wine,  Based on selection and pricing

Service,             Speaks for itself
Ambiance,          Does the look fit the food and pricing

 Price,                And finally does the pricing equal the results we had.

Food,                     4.0  Very good flavors, though the meatballs were a bit bland
Beer and Wine,    3.0  Nice wine selections, list is small but well thought out, by the glass selection is poor, beer seems to be an afterthought and yet it goes so well with barbeque??.
Service,                 3.0  Efficient but certainly not friendly, owners are really nice though.

Ambiance,             4.0  Beautiful interior , just don't look out the windows.
Price,                     3.0  VERY pricey, and while the new "value" items cut the price down, they do so at the expense of serving size. Still most definitely a special occasion place

Overall                  3.40  I have to admire the owners trying to reinvent themselves in this trying economy. BUT dropping your prices and also dropping the serving size so dramatically is not going to work. At the sizes we were served they need to be more in the $10.price range. Will we go back? Maybe, but I would have to hear from others that they are offering the "value" in value pricing.