May Day — Restaurant in Burlington

Adding to this review because we ate here again last night (5/4/24) and it was as fabulous as the first time. I told Matthew that I used to drive four hours to Burlington to visit my son, but now I drive four hours just so I can eat here!! It's that good. There is NOTHING on this menu that is not mind-blowingly fantastic. The simplicity of the greens and herbs salad is confounding. How the chef makes such a seemingly simple salad one of the most delicious salads I've ever eaten in my life is beyond me. We literally inhaled this. And the mushroom tartine should never, ever be taken off the menu. The cod was amazing, my son loved the farro. I cannot say enough good things about this place. It was our servers first night waiting tables on her own and she did a slam dunk job. As before, not hovering, but knew just when to approach and ask. She was delightful. Kudos to all who work here. Oh - and to the bartenders as well. The drinks are beyond yummy. Thanks again, we will definitely be back.

Review #1 -My son and I ate here Easter night. It was FABULOUS! It had a very cool vibe and the people working there were outstanding, so friendly. Our server, forgot her name (SORRY), was terrific. Great suggestions, attentive but not overly so. The owner Matt was just as nice. Introduced himself, wanted to know how everything was, and thanked us for stopping in. But most importantly - the food and drink. WOW. We were both starving and hadn't eaten all day,so we shared many small plates.....bread, the Basket of French Fries - Melt-em-down, the ham plate, chilled beets and mushroom tartine. All terrific, but we both said the mushroom tartine was our favorite. We ordered potato gnocchi and arctic char for our dinners. Amazing. For the amount of food we ordered, we weren't stuffed, as the portions were just the right size. The arctic char had a maple beurre blanc sauce that was out of this world, so good, I used a spoon to make sure I got every drop! We shared a smallish scoop of pistachio ice cream layered with chocolate chards - just the right size for a sweet bite after dinner. All in all, one of the best restaurants I've been to in while, anywhere, but definitely the best in Burlington. Oh, and the cocktails......divine! Thank you! Can't wait...

Cocktails were great, the staff were very friendly and attentive, and you could have a mini disco ball hunt if you look around enough.

Now for the food. I do wish there were a few more entrée options, as for a dinner location, you’re limited to 3 sandwich and 3 entrée options outside of starters and salads. Elements of the different options are repeated throughout, probably to reflect local and in-season produce. Pork milanese, porchetta, and May Day beef patty melt were yummy with generous portions. House focaccia was just… bread.

My main issues are the naming of dishes and the pricing.

I understand there’s maybe some asian fusion going on here but how can you put “not a banh mi” on there which, yeah it’s definitely not a banh mi, then put “yakisoba” below and use wide noodles and sauce flavors reflective of South East Asian flavors and definitely not yakisoba? Why did it taste more like a sriracha-based sauce than the description on the menu? Why was there a LIME on the yakisoba? What’s the point of even using/referencing those dish names if they’re not indicative at all of the actual dish? It’s like calling something mac and cheese, using cheese-filled tortellini, and smothering it in red sauce - NOT a mac and cheese. PLEASE reconsider your naming conventions - maybe after the person who created the dish rather than being wildly off.

While the “yakisoba” with the added pork ($3 for a generous portion, and it was prepared very well) was good, without the pork I don’t think I could justify essentially a noodle and sauce dish for $20. For the wide noodles, shreds of napa, slices of mushroom, kewpie, and furikake, the price really didn’t add up for the base dish.

If you’re looking for some interesting dishes and fun, casual atmosphere for a meetup and drinks, this is a good place to try. If you’re looking for authenticity according to dish names, you’re better off at a...

I don’t go out to eat much, partially because its hard to justify a spending on a meal that’s just ok — but may day was well worth it.

my father and i dined here on a Wednesday a few weeks ago. the food, atmosphere, and service were great.

the menu changes with what’s in season — theres always something new to try. chef does a good job at highlighting the fresh ingredients in each dish.

the zucchini dish we got was vibrant, and i love how there was this garlic oil theme going on all throughout.

the peach and tomato panzanella was juicy and ripe. the fried seeded bread gave a crunchy and nutty balance to the dish.

the swordfish was seared properly, and the corn bisque it was served over was great for fry dipping.

the fries didnt make my stomach hurt — i can’t remember the last time i ate fried food but i avoid it because it messes with my digestion. they clearly keep the oil clean.

for beverages: they have house-crafted cocktails ranging from martini-style to spritzes, so they have something for everyone. they also have a good wine list, both by the glass and bottle.

lastly, if you’re there on dog night, order on when you order your drinks. we got the street corn dog.

you should go here. they’ll take care of you, and if you love local food, you’ll...