In Hardwick When it Sizzles

Local Food: As summer heats up, so does the grill, and the juicy, flavorful and tender leg of lamb from Winding Brook Farm in Morrisville sizzles. Steven provides the classic complement to the uniquely mild flavor of the lamb with mint from his own garden, mixed with sage and walnut to create a twist on pesto. Creamy polenta from Butterworks Farm accompanies the lamb, as well as a warm slaw of Napa cabbage, turnip, radish and garlic scape, all from Craftsbury, to accompany your portion from the succulent leg of lamb.

At the Bar: As the holiday weekend approaches, remember our drink specials every Sunday and Monday. For Sunday, July 3, we offer a $2.50 pint of Wolaver's Wildflower Wheat, a $4 glass of East Shore Vineyard Traminette or Lincoln Peak Marquette. Our Cilantro Margarita features Milagro 100% agave tequila, cilantro from Riverside Farm, lime juice and a splash of Cointreau, specially priced at $5. Enjoy a cocktail before or after you watch the fireworks in Greensboro at the Four Corners Ball Field beginning at dusk.

Beginning July 6, we will be open seven days a week for the months of July and August

Around the Galaxy: On Tuesday Edward Hoagland comes to Galaxy to discuss and sign Sex and the River Styx. The essays in his latest book explore themes of aging, love, and sex in deeply personal, often surprising ways. Hoagland's prose shines with the energy and intelligence that has characterized his work for decades and the wisdom of a man whose curiosity about the world has given him, and us, a lifetime of stories. Come hear for yourself, and celebrate the man John Updike called "the best essayist of my generation" on Tuesday at 7.

Music Notes: Singer/Songwriters Don & Jenn join us Thursday, June 30 at 7:30. The duo features guitar and vocals, and perform jazz and folk inspired originals and covers.

Local Events: Circus Smirkus kicks off their 2011 Big Top Tour in Greensboro on Sunday, July 3 with two shows at 1:00 and 6:00. The theme this year is "Frontpage Follies: Big Top Big News!" performed by a company of talented Circus Troupers, ages 10-18.

Reminders: We are open daily after 2:30 for coffee and espresso drinks, 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. Claire's is closed this Wednesday. We appreciate it when you use cash or a check- credit card companies charge us a fee that really adds up.

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Berry Berry Good

Local Food: Celebrate the summer solstice with the first strawberries of the season, arriving from Pete's Greens to sweeten things up a bit. After we blend the berries, they are added to an exciting new arrival - Dunc's Mill Maple Flavored Rum. Handcrafted by Duncan Holaday at Vermont's oldest distillery, the rum adds a sweet hint of maple flavor to our strawberry daiquiri. Also available at the bar is Dunc's Mill Elderflower Flavor Rum, which blends Vermont elderberry blossoms with essence from Austrian Elder and Caribbean cane. The Elderflower Flavor Rum is perfect served straight or over ice. You will also find strawberries on our dessert menu, in the upside down cake with rhubarb and in Steven's soufflé glacé, or frozen souffle. Either one offers the perfect finish to your meal on a hot summer evening, or an enjoyable afternoon snack as you surf the web with our free WiFi.

At the Bar:Remember our drink specials every Sunday and Monday. For Sunday, June 26, our specials are a $2.50 pint of Switchback, a $4 glass of Santa Julia Pinot Grigio or their Cabernet Sauvignon. Our Dark & Stormy features Gosling's Black Seal Rum, Green Mountain Organic Maple Liqueur handcrafted in Vermont, Domaine de Canton Ginger liqueur and ginger beer, specially priced at $5.

Around the Galaxy: On Tuesday at 7, beloved storyteller Willem Lange and Caldecott medalist Mary Azarian visit Galaxy to promote their new book, A Dream of Dragons: A Saga in Verse. And mark your calendars for June 28th when Edward Hoagland comes to Galaxy with his new book Sex and the River Styx. Events are free and open to all.

Music Notes: Lesley Grant and Stepstone join us this Thursday at 7:30. The new trio featuring Mark Struhsacker, Carrie Cook and Lesley Grant blend country, folk and bluegrass music with sweet harmonies and a mix of traditional and original songs.

Local Events: Take the confusion out of composting with gardening consultant Carol Schminke at the Hardwick Community Gardens on Saturday, June 25 at 10:00. Contact Heather at the Center for an Agricultural Economy to register at 472-5840 or heather@hardwickagriculture.org

Reminders: We are open daily after 2:30 for coffee and espresso drinks, 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. Claire's is closed every Wednesday. We appreciate it when you use cash or a check- credit card companies charge us a fee that really adds up.

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The Trout is Smokin' on Father's Day

Local Food: What better way to honor your hard working dad than joining us in celebrating all the hard working father farmers and artisans in and around Hardwick? Start your Father's Day at Blunch or relax over dinner with trout raised by Curtis Sjolander, his wife Joan, and their three children just over Stannard Mountain at Mountain Foot Farm. Steven smokes the trout in house with applewood chips pruned from Champlain Orchards. To balance the smoky flavor of the fish, Steven composes a salad that combines aptly named Flashy Trout lettuce from Eastview Farm with bright and peppery arugula and delicate golden endive. The refreshing crunch of cucumbers and a bite of heat from radishes are complemented by pink rhubarb brought to us by Leslie White and already pickled in house. The salad is topped with ramp and cucumber crème fraîche for a cool finish.

On Father's Day, our famous hearty Blunch is available from 11 am until 2 pm, and stop by anytime between 5 and 8 for dinner.

At the Bar: Remember our drink specials every Sunday and Monday. For Father's Day, our specials are a $3 pint from Hill Farmstead Brewery, a $5 glass of Boyden Valley Big Barn Red or their Seyval Blanc from Cambridge, VT. Our popular Bayley Hazen Bluetini, features Green Mountain Organic Gin, handcrafted in Vermont, and imported cured olives stuffed with Bayley Hazen blue cheese from the dads at Jasper Hill, specially priced at $5.

Around the Galaxy: On Tuesday at 7 Galaxy welcomes back Barre author Jennifer McMahon. She will read from her latest novel Don't Breathe A Word.

Music Notes: Bluegrass trio Freddy & The Weeds join us Thursday, June 16 at 7:30. Their non-traditional jams mixed with old favorites are not to be missed!

Local Events: Graduation is upon us. Congratulations to all our local achievers, their parents, and in particular, our own Zach and Paige!

Reminders: We are open daily after 2:30 for coffee and espresso drinks, 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. Claire's is closed every Wednesday. We appreciate it when you use cash or a check- credit card companies charge us a fee that really adds up.

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Summer School!

Local Food and Drink: With wine, everyone understands its importance. And more recently, we've learned how it works with food on the plate. But can you taste "place" in a cocktail? Find out the relationship between quality, ingenuity, and community in building a cocktail at our first Cocktail Class, in session at our bar one Friday each month from 4-5 pm starting this week on June 10. Our bartenders will take you through the nature of a particular spirit, how different distillers produce remarkably different attributes, and how best to mix a variety of flavors with the crisp produce of a Vermont summer, crafting fresh, surprising, and complex cocktails - sometimes with a kick. There's no admission and nothing you're required to buy. But if you'd like, you can enjoy one of the cocktails with a flight which samples the featured spirit for $15.

This Friday, June 10, we'll be working with our best Vodkas, from the smooth flavors of Vermont to the pungent and dry sensibility of one of the best made from potatoes in Poland. Our bartenders will take you through a NEK variation of the Lemon Drop, made with very tart rhubarb juice. We call it a Rhubarb Drop (pictured above with its key components). You'll also learn how to mix a classic martini as well as the dirty version, our Honeycomb, and a few new concoctions.

Around the Galaxy: The books have finally arrived and we are ready and excited to welcome Ben Hewitt and all of you to the world premiere of Making Supper Safe: One Man's Quest to Learn the Truth About Food Safety. Join us Tuesday at 7 for Ben's insights - from small scale to the bigger picture - about an issue that is all too often in the headlines, including right now.

Music Notes: If you missed Flat Top Trio last month, Thursday, June 9 at 7:30 is your chance. With a sound deeply rooted in the spirit of their country heroes and heartbeat of a flat top guitar, the Trio personifies a sound that is both unique and timeless. The Flat Top Trio has been delighting audiences around Northern Vermont performing their original songs and a range of covers from John Prine to Merle Haggard.

Local Events: The 2nd Annual Hardwick Historic House Fair is this Sunday, June 12 at the Hardwick Town House on Church Street from 11-4. This is a free event featuring information booths on subjects including researching your property, identifying architectural styles, historic house paint colors and old varieties of flowers for the historic garden. Preservation tradespeople with expertise is framing, masonry, windows, moldings and blacksmithing will demonstrate their work and answer questions.

Kismet in Montpelier needs our help. They are continuing to struggle with the aftermath of the flood in Montpelier over Memorial Day weekend. After losing thousands of dollars worth of equipment, inventory and revenue, Kismet is not giving up and is seeking donations. Please give what you can, including words of encouragement.

Reminders: 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. Claire's is closed every Wednesday. We appreciate it when you use cash or a check- credit card companies charge us a fee that really adds up.

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Rhubarb Upside Down Cake

Local Food: At Claire's, we have a special fondess for rhubarb, with its unique tart flavor and hint of Vermont frugality. Every year at Spring Festival, the abundance of rhubarb reminds us of the first week we were open, and the friends and neighbors who dropped off bags full of the first "fruit" of the year. While Steven likes to feature rhubarb with savory chutneys and other dinner plates, this week, he turns the pink produce upside down in his upside down cake. After making a rich caramel sauce, Steven adds tangy rhubarb, much of it coming from Pete's Greens (but bring some by if you have extra!). The moist cake is made with cornmeal from Butterworks Farm. Frozen blueberries from Shirley's Produce provide the base for the sauce, drizzled over the cake, with thick whipped cream on top. Look for more rhubarb, in savory dishes, across the dinner menu, and at the bar in cocktails like the Rhubarb Bellini.

With Spring Festival we mark our third year in business and we celebrate all of you who have given so much to make Claire's what it is. Investors, subscribers, lenders, customers - we salute all of you. For those of you who are CSR supporters, your new cards will be at Claire's for you to pick up at you next visit. Thank you all.

Around the Galaxy: Get ready for another World Premiere on Tuesday, June 7th when Ben Hewitt debuts Making Supper Safe: One Man's Quest to Learn About Food Safety. Get an idea about the book here, and call Galaxy at 472-5533 to reserve your copy now. Ben's first book, The Town That Food Saved, is Galaxy's all time bestseller, and will be out in paperback at the same time. Make a dinner reservation at Claire's before or after the event.

Music Notes: Bohemian Blues Quartet bring you gypsy jazz this Thursday, June 2 at 7:30. Bring your dancing shoes and celebrate the music styling of Django Reinhardt.

Local Events: The Children's Parade of East Hardwick is this Saturday, June 4 at 11:00. Registration begins at 10:30 at Hardwick Chiropractic on Route 16. Awards are given in many categories including best costume and decoration for pets, wagons and bikes.

Reminders: 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. Claire's is closed every Wednesday. We appreciate it when you use cash or a check- credit card companies charge us a fee that really adds up.

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Spring Festival

With severe thunder storms taking a break this morning, Hardwick lined up to watch the Spring Festival parade and to commemorate Memorial Day. We thought you'd enjoy a few images of our view of the contingents.

Spring Festival Cocktail

Local Food: Just like the menu from our kitchen, you'll find new concoctions from our bar that highlight Vermont wines, beers, and spirits. We build our cocktails from the bounty of foraged and cultivated ingredients, including cucumbers, berries, melons, hot peppers, and ramps. Our version of a dirty martini uses house-pickled ramps that Steven prepared with cider vinegar and his own mixture of herbs and spices, including bay leaves, peppercorns, star anise and chile flakes. After canning, the ramps absorb the flavors as they are pickled. At the bar, we take a bit of the pickling juice and shake it with your choice of vodka. From traditional Polish style to Vermont's own, we look for distillers who value their ingredients and respect the many hands that provide and shape the ingredients into the final product. We call this cocktail a Ramptini, and it is the perfect concoction for Luksusowa vodka, distilled since the end of World War II in Western Poland from local artesian well-water and potatoes grown only along that country’s Baltic coast. Or try your cocktail with one of the fine Vermont vodkas we carry - the pickled ramps would be well served by the hints of smoke you can taste in Vermont Gold, distilled from 100% maple sap.

The Ramptini is served ice cold and with a pickled ramp garnish.

Around the Galaxy: Aspiring writers, poets, dreamers, amateurs & pros, come to Galaxy on May 24th when Galaxy hosts open mic night, beginning at 7. And save June 7th for the World Premiere of Ben Hewitt's new book Making Supper Safe. Take a look here and then call Claire's to make your reservation for before or after the event at Galaxy. Ben's first book, The Town That Food Saved, will be out in paperback at the same time.

Music Notes: Bluegrass band Gold Town returns Thursday, May 26 at 7:30. Support Vermont music and enjoy their original and traditional tunes.

Local Events: The 61st Annual Hardwick Kiwanis Spring Festival is this Saturday, May 28. Don't miss the parade, craft fair, games and more. The Sustainable Living and Agricultural Fair begins at 11:00 at Atkins Field as part of Spring Fest-look for the petting zoo, many vendors, and honor local living, a sustainable future and our agricultural heritage.

Memorial Day weekend also marks Claire's third anniversary. We are so thankful for everyone who provides our ingredients, for our outstanding staff, and to all of you who have brought your talents, expertise, wallets, appetites and feedback to make Claire's what it is. Come by and say "hi" before the parade, or join us for dinner or a cocktail to watch the fireworks! We have a great view of both from our big picture windows.

Vermont's Annual Open Studio Weekend is this weekend, May 28 and 29. Visit local artists at their studios Saturday and Sunday, and learn about their work and each artist's process. Bring in a receipt for a purchase from a local artist over Open Studio Weekend, and we'll buy you a dessert!

Spring Bonanza 2011 is Friday, May 27 at the Hardwick Town House from 7:00-11:00. Celebrate life, music and the groove. Admission is $10 to see Evan Crandell & Pals and the Collin Craig Blues Trio.

Reminders: 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. Claire's is closed every Wednesday. We appreciate it when you use cash or a check- credit card companies charge us a fee that really adds up.

Click on the image above to get a closer look!