The Dinner House at Runaway Manor — Restaurant in Glover

I took my mom and aunt to parsons for lunch today. I had not been there in around 3 years. I use to love the place. We order Chicken & Waffles. the chicken was great but the waffles were thin and dry. We left most of the waffles on the plate. The gravy they served with them was pretty good. We had it on the side. We each had iced tea it was bitter and it was the smallest glass of tea I have ever been served. The prices were bad. The small tea was $2.50 each and they charged $16.00 each for the chicken and waffles. I have attached 2 pictures to show what the plate looked like. The staff was great. We decided we would not be going back. I am sad. I used to bring my gram to parson every week before she died.

I reviewed the parson restaurant yesterday because they served cardboard waffles with their chicken and waffles. They were dry and very thin. The owner replied that I should be ashamed of my review. Everything in my review is the truth. Unlike her attack on me. I am not from Georgia. I was born in Newport Vermont. I live at Brownington Pond in Derby. I told the waiter that I had visited the original restaurant that served Chicken & Waffles in Marietta Ga and tried to go back there every time I was in Marietta. Having a brown gravy with maple syrup over the top would not have helped the terrible waffles. I have put her response below.

“ We are so happy you came in..chicken was great..staff was great .gravy pretty good..very nice..service great...iced tea was brewed this morning..no bitterness .never heard of that before with iced tea..please don't come back..I heard your from Georgia..well next time order it like it is in the menu..no on the side stuff and see how the dish is supposed to be served..your the the customer that we do want..great this and great that .but leave a 2 star review..you should be ashamed of yourself..I am very sorry for your grandmother's death ...we are working on the waffles .thank you “

Instead of her being ashamed of serving cardboard waffles, what they refer to as fluffy waffles she has attacked me. She said that she is working on the waffles. Maybe she should work on them before she charges customers $16.00 for them. You need to stay clear of this place. The owner does not know what she is doing and has no respect for her customers. There are other great places to eat...

Let me start with the good. The food was probably the best tasting and most creative we've been served in the NEK. On the strength of that we'll be back.

We had neither seen nor heard of this place prior to stopping in on a busy Saturday night. We had actually driven over to Parker Pie from Long Pond and only noticed the restaurant driving through Barton, because a family was dining on the front porch. We arrived at a packed Parker Pie and were told the wait to get a pizza was 1 1/2 hours, we had our dog with us so we needed outdoor seating and a faster turn around for our food. We googled Parson's, called and were told there was an open table outdoors which was perfect for us so we headed back to Barton.

The menu was a pleasant surprise - a long list of appetizers and more importantly entrees rather than the standard burgers and sandwiches on offer for dinner at other places.

Now the bad. I understand staff issues in restaurants everywhere are making things very difficult, but perhaps some warning to potential patrons? One of our favorite places in Craftsbury, the Blackbird Bistro, had posted on Instagram that evening they were understaffed and would be limiting the availability of tables and also the scope of their menu as a result. Maybe Parsons is just slow food but whatever the reason it took so long for our entrees to be served - about 45 minutes from when the appetizers came out- it ruined the evening for us. During that time there was no communication from the waitstaff, inquiries as to whether we needed more drinks or anything for that matter other than water refills. We just sat on the porch waiting with an antsy dog. There seemed to be plenty of servers for such a small place so I assume the issue was in the kitchen.

Anyway we hope this experience was not business as usual and we'll give the Parson's Dinner House another chance perhaps...

Instead of jumping right in & writing a review I've taken some time to think more about the quiet elegance of Parson's Dinner House & the delicious, delightful dinner I enjoyed with my friends.

The restaurant in Barton is a gem; the owners gracious, warm & welcoming. The extraordinary skills & craft of executive chef Steve Vazzano & pastry chef Maria Hill combine to make Parson's Dinner House a favorite-- if not my new favorite.

I started with the Tricolore salad: fresh, crisp Belgium endive & radicchio; tender, perfectly spicy baby arugula; fresh mozzarella-- light & melt-in-your-mouth; sourdough croutons & parmesan that is nutty, fruity & compliments rather than overpowers the roast garlic vinaigrette dressing.

I also relished the panko-crusted lump crab cake with a dijon mustard sauce.

My entrée was a Bolognese: mezze rigatoni, classic meat sauce, fresh basil, toasted garlic & shaved pecorino. The rigatoni was al dente, the meat flavorful & moist, & fresh ground pepper topped it off.

There are many very good restaurants in Vermont but the Saturday evening meal at Parson's was the best I've eaten in the 22 years I've lived in Vermont. It rivals Hen of the Wood--- but steers clear of the trappings of the tony facade of class & status.

Oh! And the cheese cake!! My friends & I shared a slice & hell, that dessert is well worth the calories!!

Compliments & many thanks to chefs Maria & Steve-- & to the terrific...