Thanksgiving

Local Thanks: As the holiday season approaches, we pause to offer thanks to the many members of this community who make Claire's possible.  We are fortunate to have new farms and producers, like Peace of Earth Farm, Hatch Brook Gardens, East View Farm and Citizen Cider, who bring new products every week.  Our old friends at Pete's Greens, Riverside Farm, Winding Brook Farm, Snug Valley and Hazendale remind us of the importance of maintaining valued relationships.  As we continue to strive to  keep 70 cents of every food dollar within 15 miles, we thank all of our supporters for helping us keep on supporting the Hardwick community.  We will be closed this Thursday so our staff can spend the day with friends and family, and we wish you a happy day with your family and loved ones.  We are open as usual on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and throughout the coming week except Wednesday.

Shop LOCAL:  Between Black Friday at the box stores and Cyber Monday online, stop by our local merchants.  Friday, Saturday or Sunday, buy a gift card or bring in a receipt from one of our locally-owned retailers when you dine with us, and enter into a drawing for dinner on New Year's Eve.

At the Bar: We thank you with bar specials Friday, Saturday as well as Sunday and Monday. Enjoy a $3.00 pint of Wolaver's Oatmeal Stout, a $4.75 glass of Boyden Valley Seyval Blanc or Big Barn Red. The Cranberry Crush, with Vermont Cranberry Company juice, spiced rum and ginger ale, is offered for $6.  Every Monday enjoy a pint of Switchback with Grilled Cheese for $8.50.

Around the Galaxy: On December 1st, Galaxy will be honored to celebrate 24 years as your community bookstore! Come between 11 and 1 to meet Natalie Kinsey-Warnock and buy her new book True Colors, and enjoy specials and special treats all day. Read more about it here. On Thursday, November 29th, Galaxy joins Sterling College in welcoming Nancy Marie Brown for a discussion of her new book Song of the Vikings. Come to the Sterling Barn Lounge at 6:30 to hear more about Vikings.

Music Notes: We will be closed this Thursday, November 22nd for Thanksgiving.  Join us next Thursday, November 29 at 7:00 for Jen Corkins!

Local Events: Caledonia Spirits and Winery will host an Open House this Saturday, November 24 from 10am-5pm.  See where Barr Hill Gin, Vodka and Elderberry Cordial are made, and taste their spirits and wine with local cheese.  Start your holiday shopping early and enter to win door prizes! For more information, call 472-8000 or email tanya@caledoniaspirits.com.

Reminders: We are now closed on Wednesdays. We are open daily after 2:30 for coffee, bar service, and baked goods, and free WiFi, with dinner reservations available from 5-9, Sundays from 5-8. We serve our special Blunch menu Sundays from 11-2. We appreciate it when you use cash or a check - credit card companies charge us a fee that really adds up. Thanks to many of you we have been able to significantly reduce those fees.

Click on the image above to get a closer look!

Cauliflower Crisp

Local Food: A crisp isn't just for dessert!  Steven makes a savory crisp with cauliflower from Hatchbrook Gardens, roasted to bring out their earthy and nutty flavor.  Macoun apples from Burtt's Apple Orchard in Cabot are sautéed to add a bit of sweetness next to Steven's bacon, made from Snug Valley Farm pork belly.  Whole grain mustard crema made with Hill Farmstead Brewery Society & Solitude #5 and Sweet Rowen milk adds a bit of spice and creaminess to complement the earthy flavors of the crisp. Steven tops the dish with crunchy breadcrumbs and bakes it until brown and the flavors have combined.  The cauliflower crisp is a warm and cozy way to start your dinner.

At the Bar: Remember our Sunday and Monday drink specials. Sunday, November 18th we offer a $2.50 pint of Rock Art Midnight Madness, a $4 glass of Boyden Valley Seyval Blanc or Big Barn Red. Our Maple Manhattan, with whiskey, maple syrup and Urban Moonshine Organic Bitters, is offered for $5. Monday enjoy a pint of Switchback with Grilled Cheese for $8.50.

Around the Galaxy: On Friday come to your bookstore to celebrate My Bookstore: Writers Celebrate Their Favorite Places to Browse, Read, and Shop, a new collection of essays from writers across the country in celebration of their favorite bookstores. Howard Frank Mosher will be at Galaxy to introduce his essay about The Galaxy Bookshop!

Music Notes: Spider Roulette join us this Thursday, November 15th at 7:00.  They'll play something for everyone, from blues to folk, jazz to country, and maybe even an Irish waltz!

Local Events: Share your poetry and stories at the Jeudevine Library at the Tellebration on Thursday, November 15th at 7:00. Are you a writer? A poet? A storyteller? Come to the library to tell your story (true or traditional) or read your poetry or other work and join in with the national storytelling celebration started in 1989.  Each participant will get ten minutes.  The first ten to arrive and sign up to be Tellers will get a Tellabration slot.  Light refreshments will be served.  Call the library at 472-5948 for more information.

There is still time to support Highfields Center for Composting's campaign to fund their compost heat recovery research system.  Donate until November 18th!

Reminders: We are now closed on Wednesdays.

We are open daily after 2:30 for coffee, bar service, and baked goods, and free WiFi, with dinner reservations available from 5-9, Sundays from 5-8. We serve our special Blunch menu Sundays from 11-2. We appreciate it when you use cash or a check - credit card companies charge us a fee that really adds up. Thanks to many of you we have been able to significantly reduce those fees.

As American as Mom and Apple Pie

Local Votes: Election Day is here, and while we get to put the campaigns behind us, it also reminds us of our duty as citizens and our right to a voice in self government. On Tuesday, vote with your mother in mind, and come to Claire's after the polls close or after the talk at The Galaxy Bookshop, watch the results over a special cocktail, and enjoy a slice of apple gingerbread upside down cake.  Celebrate your victory or drown your sorrows among friends.  We'll have a whole cocktail menu dedicated to the election and drink specials that parody the campaign, like a Cayman Island Account with rum, ginger beer, and Domaine de Canton, or a Job Creator, with Citizen Cider Unified Press, Elderflower Rum and Elderberry Cordial, either for $6 each.

At the Bar: Remember our Sunday and Monday drink specials. Sunday, November 11th we offer a $2.50 pint of Otter Creek Stovepipe Porter, a $4 glass of Boyden Valley Seyval Blanc or Big Barn Red. The Vermont Toddy, with Dunc's Mill Maple Rum, Domaine de Canton and Earl Grey tea, is offered for $5. Monday enjoy a pint of Switchback with Grilled Cheese for $8.50.

Around the Galaxy: This Election Night at 7PM, exercise democracy at The Galaxy Bookshop with Greg Pahl, energy expert and author of Power From the People: How to Organize, Finance, and Launch Local Energy Projects. Using examples from around the nation and the world, Pahl explores how power is being moved into the hands of communities through distributed energy programs and energy-efficiency measures. Put Friday, November 16th on your calendar to celebrate the release of My Bookstore, a new collection of essays from writers across the country in celebration of their favorite bookstores. Howard Frank Mosher will be at Galaxy to introduce his essay about The Galaxy Bookshop!

Music Notes: Flat Top Trio join us Thursday, November 8 at 7:00 with their bluegrassin' honky tonkin' music. With a sound deeply rooted in the spirit of real country and bluegrass music based around the heartbeat of a flat top guitar, the Trio projects a sound that is unique and timeless.

Local Events: Second Saturdays Contra Dance is this Saturday, November 10th at the Caledonia Grange #9 on Church Street in East Hardwick. Calling is by Hannah Otten, with live music by American Toad.  The evening begins with a potluck supper at 5:30, followed by dancing at 6:30.

There is still time to support Highfields Center for Composting's campaign to fund their compost heat recovery research system. The project will only be funded if the $40,000 goal is reached by November 18th, so donate now!

Reminders: We are now closed on Wednesdays.

We are open daily after 2:30 for coffee, bar service, and baked goods, and free WiFi, with dinner reservations available from 5-9, Sundays from 5-8. We serve our special Blunch menu Sundays from 11-2. We appreciate it when you use cash or a check - credit card companies charge us a fee that really adds up. Thanks to many of you we have been able to significantly reduce those fees.

Click on the image above to get a closer look!