So, to continue my trip down memory lane of the Vermont vacation we just took, I need to tell you about Red Brick Cucina in Poultney, Vermont. When I was a little girl, a trip into Poultney was high excitement, but I have to tell you, I am not totally sure why. We were usually along for the ride with our grandpa for a visit to the bank, which along with the hardware store and the IGA supermarket made up most of Poultney -- that and Green Mountain College, which sits at the end of Poultney's main street.
Well friends, the IGA is long-gone, but Green Mountain College is still there, along with the bank and a store that sells lots of stuff that says "Poultney, Vermont" on it..and now there is Red Brick Cucina. We've now eaten there quite a few times over the past few years, and I have to tell you, this is a place that could hold its own in New York City, never mind in south-central Vermont. It is just outstanding, and is one of our favorite restaurants anywhere. Obviously the food is amazing...but in addition to that, all of their ingredients come from a 50 mile radius, starting with their own garden. And since they are smack in the middle of Vermont farm country, that 50 mile radius is a pretty great one. So you can imagine how fresh and delicious everything is. The menu is creative and varied, and on top of everything, the people there could not be nicer, starting with Wendy Jackson, one of the owners, who as far as I could tell checks in on everyone who eats there several times during their meal, and remembers you when you come back.
We went to the Red Brick twice during our vacation, and while everything was as wonderful as it ever is, the second night I had a tagliatelle bolognese that was so good I deliberately ate it as SLOWLY as possible to make it last. Beef, pork, chunks of carrot, tomatoes, all wrapped around thick ribbons of tagliatelle pasta. I've had a lot of bolognese sauce before, but this one...it was special. I knew I would never be able to quite replicate it, but I gave it my best shot with the bolognese recipe by Marcella Hazan. It's another long, lazy one -- you cook the meat in milk, then in white wine, then in chopped tomatoes for a total of about 4 hours. Great for a Sunday when the aroma fills your kitchen and draws everyone in like a magnet. Including the dog, who camped out by the stovetop for the entire time...and then only got kibble in the end. Sometimes it is tough being a dog.
Here is a link to the Red Brick. Go there as soon as you can!
Red Brick Cucina
And here is a link to Marcella Hazan's bolognese sauce. I followed it pretty closely, but used a mix of ground beef, pork and veal for the meat, and added about 1/4 pound of chopped pancetta with it. I also used about half the pasta she calls for, but we like our pasta with a lot of sauce. If you really can't make it to Poultney, Vermont, it's the next best thing.
Marcella Hazan's Tagliatelle Bolognese
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