Blue Heron Restaurant — Restaurant in Sunderland

We received a gift card from a friend for this place, otherwise wouldn’t have ever known about this hidden gem! We decided to go for my birthday. We could only get a reservation online for 7:30pm, but decided we would head early and grab a drink at the bar while we waited for our table, but there was no need to wait. They got us in earlier than expected so we were able to sit right down.

If you’re looking for “farm to table” dining, add this to the list! We are forever looking for new places just like this because we loath Corporate America dining! We want a “home cooked meal” when we go out. With real ingredients, made to order and from the heart. Not pulled from a freezer and microwaved or deep fried quickly. The menu has a list of all the farms they get the foods from, many are from Vermont where some of the greatest cheeses in the area come from.

This restaurant did not disappoint. The hardest part was deciding what to get because they had so many great options.

To our surprise they do burgers on Thursday nights. Of course we had to try one because they make their own brioche buns and the beef comes from a butcher in Northfield. Oh! And, they make their own ketchup (presumably the 3 other sauces they have for the fries) and hand cut their own fries. It was an no brainer. Also, we got the mussels, the pumpkin bisque, compost salad, mashed potatoes and ricotta & honey on ciabatta. Quite the smorgasbord and was more than enough to share. The only dish we did not care for was the mashed potatoes. They were flavorless and it’s the type of restaurant that doesn’t put S&P on the table (because they’re flavoring everything enough for you so you shouldn’t need it) but the potatoes could have used some…..thing. They were homemade, smooth and buttery; all the things they should be but something was missing?

It was a little tricky figuring out where to enter the restaurant or park because they had parking in the front and the back. If you park in the back there’s a door on the right, near outdoor seating that looks like you “shouldn’t” go into it because it’s dark inside. Luckily there was a sign on it that said they closed at 8pm, so we took a chance and opened it and saw it’s a foyer for entering the restaurant. There are a few very well lit stairs to walk up to get to the dining area and bar, maybe 5-6.

Our server was awesome. Very knowledgeable on the menu and ingredients as well as able to tell us the specials without reading or looking at anything which lead us to believe he knew what he was doing. He was attentive without hovering and he replaced silverware and dishes before we even had to ask. Good service is so hard to come by these days so we really appreciate that and made sure we expressed our gratitude!

I’m starving writing this review I can’t wait to go back and try the...

We had our wedding at the Blue Heron on June 24th, 2017. The entire experience, from ceremony to cake cutting, was amazing, not only from our perspective but from all of our guests perspectives as well. The décor, food, and drinks were indelible and exceeded our expectations. However, what really differentiated the Blue Heron for us was the staff. Shannon and her team (Dana, Dalila, Gabe, Bella & Ben was the bartender. Catering Chef Dave and Bobby(catering cook)) worked tirelessly all day until fairly late in the evening in order to turn our vision into reality. The staff was professional, attentive, efficient, and genuinely warm to us and every single one of our guests. Shannon even made sure that there was a staff member who could communicate in Spanish with the bride’s family.

As far as the planning, we worked primarily with Shannon on the itinerary, floor layout, menu, and decorations. Shannon also brought Chef Dave in on several occasions to help us optimize the menu. Shannon did a superb job coordinating everything and working with us. Looking back on the experience now, what really impresses us was that Shannon listened and understood what we wanted for our wedding and then was able to use her experience to guide us in an unobtrusive manner. There was an instance where external influences caused us to deviate from our vision and Shannon was there to make sure we stuck to what we wanted. The end result was an experience that embodied our vision to the fullest extent.

The food was spectacular! Reason #1 to have a wedding at the Blue Heron and (like always) it didn’t disappoint! Everything from the bacon wrapped dates, salmon crostini and strawberry caprese to the main dishes was beyond what we had anticipated. Everyone’s dietary needs where met. We highly recommend the Blue Heron for your wedding.

Thanks for making our wedding night...

On the whole this is a lovely restaurant set in the old town hall. However, there are aspects of the cuisine that need improvement in order assign a five star rating in my view. The reception with Nick (owner) and service from Megan were first rate. The owner came outside and took our photo as we were entering- welcoming and supportive especially for customers with limited mobility. For potential ADA customers in wheelchairs access would be difficult at best with a combination of curbs, stairs and low light levels.

The menu offers bites, starter plates, main dishes and desserts centred around the restaurant’s relationships with local suppliers. This concept has great potential with discerning customers. I especially enjoyed the summer fruits dessert (highly recommended) with stand out blackberries and other fresh local fruit served atop a corn waffle with fruit reduction and delicate use of whipped cream.

However, the food we ate was over salted especially the fish dishes, starter olives and Brussel sprouts. I had a lovely ahi tuna; very nicely done (not overcooked) but the kitchen would do well to reduce the use of salt across the board.

Ambiance including internal decorating, artwork and lighting are superb and work very well in the large main dining room.

My wine was a made with a blend of California grapes - I understand it was Raymond Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. It was a single glass which I drank slowly during the meal. Nicely balanced and brilliantly fruity. I mentioned that I was more familiar with French wines than Californians but I didn’t understand the server’s description at first. At these prices your customers deserve better responses to reasonable non-expert questions, if not a sommelier.

All in all I recommend Blue Heron for diners who take the time to enjoy the social experience of a well prepared meal served in a...