Roots the Restaurant — Restaurant in Rutland City

Roots Rutland: it's NOT BAD! Like so many other places whose reputation surpasses their quality, Roots is a tale of two cities.

On the one hand, the service is VERY NICE. The waiters are extremely knowledgeable. They can detail each ingredient as they guide you through you ordering a meal. They can, and do, recite the farm and the distance from which they sourced, say, the daily spinach on-demand. The more time you spend in the restaurant, the more you appreciate how kind, how patient, how attentive the staff are. How comfortable they make you feel, how kingly and at home in little Rutland.

The food as well is NOT BAD. The braised pork appetizer I ordered, for example, was VERY NICE. It broke to the touch, and its flakes had the crunch of a soft, fresh bread. Well warmed, with a slightly smoky taste, the pork had the delightful tenderness of an Indonesian rendang lamb softened in a slow-cooked curry. The accompanying pepper was fresh and strong. The sliced vegetables, sweetened by the dark accompanying sauce made this dish stand-out for us. The other courses tried - an emu sandwich, a beef burger - caused little to cry foul about. The arugula was fresh, the portion sizes for the price were extremely generous, and the course highlights, though unexceptional and undecorated, filled my tummy up just fine.

Where I left disappointed, unfortunately, was with my first basic appetizer order of bread roll and butter. Vermont is a state known for its milk and its cows. It stands to reason that some of the most interesting artisanal butter in the country is produced here. But this appetizer was worse than uninspired - it was BAD. While warmed, the days old roll, once cool, was hardened and stale and sour. Thin blocks of uninspired Cabot butter, some infused with a lemon twist, all straight from the fridge and so impossible to smear and spread, accompanied the roll. Unfortunately, no butter after-taste did. You expect more ingenuity in butter pairing from a farm-to-table restaurant in a state lush with options. You sure expect more than a stale roll with supermarket butter when the normally free combination is listed a chargeable appetizer item on the menu.

Why do people go to farm to table restaurants? For many reasons, but to access the best and freshest food above all. Roots would be wise to get back to its Roots and remember that as it navigates the contours of profitability, filling its house with local repeats, and delivering on its value...

I would drive 100 miles for a meal at Roots. Almost every dish was quite simply the best food we have had in a very long time, maybe ever. The mushroom sauce with the polenta appetizer was a standout, as was the mouthwatering salmon, and the scrumptious pork. I really can't recommend this place more highly. Be sure you have a reservation!

UPDATE: Review 2 years later in the new location: The new site is much bigger and classier (less down-home), but with more seating. The food, however, was a touch less exciting than the first visit: One of our party has Celiac and depended on the GF listing on the menu and ended up with a wicked stomach ache due to contamination, so be sure to be extra clear with you needs in this respect. Another member had dairy allergies and the staff was accommodating. The 5 star dishes this trip were: entrees: sweet potato hash; scallops, calamari appetizer (just right spiciness and breading) ; cast iron cod (nice combo of spicy and sweet, plenty of sauce and nice crunch from the coconut) and chicken. 4 star: Vt pork belly appetizer (sauce didn't match the fattiness of the pork); salmon cakes (tasted like breakfast sausage and served with insufficient sauce); I have to give the duck a 2 star as the sweet sauce did little to improve the rather bland meat -- which was very tender and incredibly lean. To their credit, they did not charge us...

Been in 4 times first time was great last three timea were sub par. Last time I went in it was slow we had the bartender as our server. Although the restaurant itself appeared slow the bartender herself was very busy making drinks for the other tables. As a server and a bartender for many years I can relate and sympathize. Unfortunately for that reason it took a very very long time to receive any service at all. Eventually we ordered special martinis that w93rd very good. I ordered the special which happened to be a steak dish my date ordered the rissoto which is what I really wanted but the server convinced me other wise.. We ordered the flat bread for an appetizer it took a while but was exceptional. We waited a total of two hours to receive our main courses. When they got there the steak was cold along with the potatoes and everything on my plate. My dates rissoto was piping hot and delicious! Rissoto is an art and can sometimes take a long time to cook properly so I think my food sat in a window getting cold while the rissoto cooked to perfection. By this time it had been just over two hours I couldn't wait any longer I was so hungry. My girlfriend loves it and tries to get me to go but I can't, I've givin roots too many chances and its let me down. I much...