It's Vermont Restaurant Week

Vermont Restaurant Week is April 25 - May 4. It's a time to celebrate the food culture of Vermont and our wonderful dining places, especially those that feature food and beverages that are locally produced.

We like to go to some familiar and favorite restaurants and also venture out to try new places we may not have been before. Each participating restaurant has a special menu for the week.

Tonight we went to Shanty on the Shore in Burlington. It's a favorite place because of the great views of Lake Champlain. This restaurant features fish.

For one price, we chose from a menu of appetizers, entrees, and desserts. When I heard "lobster," there was no doubt what I would choose!

We started with cole slaw and rolls. The came the P.E.I. mussels (that's Prince Edward Island). I expected just a few, but we each received a huge bowl of mussels in broth with lemons, tomato, and spinach.

Then came the entree!

Cracking the shell is always a challenge for me. Oh, but the lobster was so sweet and good, dipped in melted butter. What a treat! It was served with a baked potato and sour cream.

To top it off came dessert - banana cream pie for Geo, and key lime pie for me. Melt-in-your-mouth creamy and good.

I asked Geo what he thought about our meal, and he said, "Excellent." I agree. Definitely, a "10."

Supercool Glass

With the construction of the Pizzagalli Center, the Shelburne Museum in Vermont is now open year-round. On exhibit in the new building, besides New Blooms nail art, is Supercool Glass. It's a fascinating display of glass objects and artwork from the 19th Century through contemporary times. What I really enjoyed seeing is the beauty of the glass enhanced by reflections of light.

These everyday objects are completely encrusted with chips of glass.

  Here's a closeup look:

"Mirror, mirror, on the wall..."

In the center of the room is a huge glass chess set.


Contrasting with the colored glass is an arrangement of clear glassware with their very prominent shadows.

It was rather unusual seeing a skull on display. The colors are striking.

I loved the windows, and kept going back to look through them. It was fun seeing the distortion of images on the other side.

This amazing exhibit will continue until June 8, 2014.