One of the best restaurant experiences I’ve had so far in my short time as a Vermont resident was at a place I discovered completely by accident. I had to go to Brattleboro to pick up some materials for the girls on my Girls on the Run team. Since it takes a whole hour or more to drive there from our place, I brought my husband and puppy along in the hopes of having a day full of adventures and hikes in a beautiful area. My hopes came to fruition, which was unusually lucky, as this was the beginning of April and a snowstorm was just as likely as the gorgeous, sunny day we had to enjoy.
When our morning hiking was done, all three of us were ravenous. We checked out a few establishments that we had seen listed as “dog-friendly” online – nope! Eventually, the situation became dire enough that we were asking random people on the street for suggestions about where we could eat with our darling corgi Fiddle. The Marina had our back.
Even though it was not technically the “season” (Vermont is pretty sleepy from November through April), they allowed us to sit in the corner of their outdoor section with our handsome little boy on his leash by us. (This was Fiddle’s first restaurant experience and he loved basking in the glory of all the fans his cuteness drew to him, including the waitstaff.) The outdoor seating had a lovely view of the water and felt so relaxing after we had been hiking and exhausting our muscles for hours. The restaurant was reasonably full and many other couples and families were enjoying their food out on the deck during the first genuinely warm day of the year.
Aside from the delightful ambiance, the food was amazing! I started with a glass of Prosecco, which was the perfect amount of refreshing – it tasted like spring was truly arriving after my first full Vermont winter! My husband ordered a swordfish sandwich and was quite excited about its freshness. As a seafood fan, I decided to try something completely new in this genre of food and ordered the “lobster and scallop pie”. It was divine – in fact, I am pretty sure I was literally exclaiming “this is divine!” while tasting it. The Marina did not skimp on the amount of shellfish included in the least, and it was so indulgent and buttery in the best of ways. Speaking of indulgence, since everything was so amazing, my husband and I didn’t hesitate for a moment in our decision to split blueberry pie (a la mode) for dessert. (I’m pretty sure Fiddle got a fair taste of that whipped cream, too.) Another truly divine choice! We left with delighted palates and full bellies.
Overall, the whole experience at the Marina – including service, environment, value, and taste – was fantastic.
Freshly Vermont rating: five out of five stars! ★★★★★