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The Publyk House: Fine Neighborhood Fare and a Superb Salad Bar

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A very American sign!

I experienced my first visit to The Publyk House back in the simpler times of the spring of 2018. My husband and I were visiting Bennington at the time, staying at the lovely Harwood Hill Motel while trying to find an apartment to rent for our upcoming move that summer. We decided to try this restaurant due the proximity to the motel, and we were both quite glad we did.

There is a cozy and inviting atmosphere at the Publyk House. The entrance is carpeted, the bathrooms are clean and spacious, and candles are present on each of the tables. In the winter, they set up the fireplace, which I appreciated greatly when we ate here to celebrate my January birthday in 2019. Outdoor seating with pleasant mountain views is available when the weather allows. It is one of the larger restaurants in Bennington, but it is also popular, so reservations are recommended, especially on weekends and Fridays. The prices for entrees range between $20.00 and $35.00, making it one of the more expensive options in the area. The Publyk House is open 7 days a week during dinner hours, 5:00 – 8:00 PM Monday through Saturday and 4:00 – 8:00 PM on Sunday.

Most entrees at The Publyk House come with access to their salad bar, and we have been continually impressed by the offerings of their salad bar since the first visit. In addition to the usual salad ingredients (lettuce, tomato, etc.), they also offer hard boiled eggs, roasted red peppers, several kinds of pasta salad, and an assortment of crunchy toppings including slivered almonds. At the time, the only downside to the offerings here was the potential to easily fill up ahead of one’s meal. I believe the restaurant did discontinue the salad bar for a time during the pandemic, though it was open the last two times we visited, during this past summer of 2021. My husband and I have different salad bar strategies here: he usually piles what appears to be every topping on top of his lettuce base, while I like to split my salad bar plate into halves, one with a simple salad of lettuce, tomato, peppers, and dressing and the other with whatever pasta salads they are offering. Both strategies can be delicious, but both can also lead to a meal that’s potentially way too filling.

  • Salad bar fun!
  • Lobster mac and cheese.
  • A very enticing dessert menu.

Another special feature of the Publyk House is a honey wheat bread loaf served with whipped maple butter, offered as a complimentary starter for all meals. It’s a crumbly bread that can make quite a mess (or at least it can when I eat it…), but it’s also quite tasty and freshly baked; the butter is a great mix of creamy, savory, and sweet.

The dining room menu has a wide variety of appetizers and entrees to choose from, as does the tavern menu. There are also daily specials in all categories, which is always a plus, and special menus available during holidays like Thanksgiving. I’m not super into steaks or meats, but I sure do love carbs and seafood, so some of my favorite dishes at the Publyk House have been the buttermilk calamari appetizer, the lobster mac and cheese (pictured above), and the stone kitchen pasta. The last two times I’ve visited the Publyk House, I have been pregnant (I am 8 months pregnant while writing this), so I was not able to try any of the amazing looking drinks on their cocktail lists, but I definitely made a note of some to try in the future; the caramel apple mule and the key lime pie martini sound particularly interesting to me.

Awesome way to end a meal: brownies, fudge, and ice cream.

Though I could not partake in all of the beverages during pregnancy, there was certainly nothing stopping me from having desserts (in fact, cravings were encouraging this to happen a whole lot more than usual). There was a special s’mores brownie dessert that totally made my meal recently, and over the summer I was delighted to split a Reese’s peanut butter pie slice with family members who were visiting; it tasted just like a peanut butter cup in pie form. I also have a distinct memory of enjoying a special, homemade cinnamon ice cream during that time went here for my winter birthday in 2019. The establishment has certainly left a positive impression on this dessert-appreciator.

The Publyk House is a lovely restaurant that provides tasty food and a pleasant atmosphere. Though it is on the expensive side, the inclusion of the salad bar and the excellent bread and butter makes everything feel like more of a value. The only issue is the crowds, though of course that is an issue most restaurants would like to have! I would recommend this restaurant to any individual or family; just make sure you either go at a quiet time or have a reservation.

Freshly Vermont rating: five out of five stars. ★★★★★

Fuji: Fine Small Town Fusion

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The extravagantly delicious Bennington Roll at Fuji

Back in New York City, all kinds of dining experiences were available everywhere. It was a given that even within my relatively smaller neighborhood of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, that one could find a delicious Asian food-related establishment on any block on 3rd or 5th avenue; you could get Hibachi, Chinese, Thai, Japanese, and so on, by walking less than a mile from wherever you might reside.

Things are very different, food-wise, in small town Vermont. While there are many great restaurants here in Bennington (as well as in relatively nearby towns such as Manchester and Brattleboro) , Asian establishments are few and far between. Luckily, one of these rarities happens to be Fuji Hibachi & Asian Bistro, a restaurant with a most excellent ratio of taste to pricing and a great variety of delicious options.

I had only heard of this place’s existence because of my coworkers – many of them have taken advantage of the amazing lunch special during a professional learning day and I still need to try this myself – you can get a combination of 2 or 3 rolls, sushi, sashimi, a bento box, or some kind of Thai noodle, with many of these options available for under $10. After hearing only good things, of course my husband and I had to try it for ourselves.

  • Ginger dressing of the gods!
  • An okay Pad Thai.
  • Mochi madness.

During my first visit to Fuji this past August, I went all out: I ordered a plum wine (if there’s wine with the name of a fruit preceding it on a menu, I’m pretty much sold every time), a salad with the most perfectly flavored ginger dressing, pad thai, and a vanilla mochi. Both my husband and myself were highly impressed by the ginger dressing – nothing ginger-related has ever compared for him. As for the pad thai, I was less than impressed. I ordered the shrimp type and while there was a sizable amount of actual shrimps in the dish, the flavor was weirdly sweet. It tasted like there was a thin veneer of sugar over everything and the noodles were a bit gummy. I had a few bites of my husband’s extravagant sushi platter and knew I had made a mistake; his meal was fantastic. I did get over my jealousy when the main courses were done and I indulged myself with vanilla mochi. The plating was beautiful, with ribbons of chocolate sauce embellishing the preciously sweet creation on the plate. It was an A+ dessert, would definitely consume again! Overall, I was pleased with the experience but made it a point that I’d avoid the Thai foods and focus on sushi the next time.

Good news – there has been a next time! My husband and I returned in early November – we were out and about and he needed to eat something quickly due to a health condition when, what luck, we happened to be right near Fuji. This time I kept it simpler. I forgot about my goal to avoid the Thai foods and ordered the chicken satay as a starter – fortunately, this was great, with a really rich peanut sauce. Then I finally got my sushi, in roll form. My mouth is still watering thinking about the Bennington Roll, one of the Chef’s Special Rolls, which contains salmon, eel, crab, avocado, cream cheese, spicy mayo, and caviar on top. The amount of savory items all crammed into one little circle of rice doesn’t sound like it should work so well, but it absolutely does. Every bite is an adventure.

Though I’ve only been two times, I’ve been generally impressed with the food at Fuji. The service is decent and there’s an efficiency with how the food is prepared and delivered. It’s generally not crowded and there’s a great variety of food to choose from. You can enjoy a wine or beer with your meal and if you have more than a half hour to grab your lunch on a general weekday (as I surely wish I did) , you can get a great deal. As long as you avoid the pad thai, you’re golden.

Freshly Vermont rating: four out of five stars. ★★★★☆