Barnard Inn and Max's Tavern

Yes, once again it has been too long since my last post, so it's time to make up for some lost time.
To begin, last night I had the pleasant experience of enjoying a meal with an old/new acquaintance at Max's Tavern at the Barnard Inn. This was a first-time visit for me, and I was very impressed with all aspects of the evening: the ideal company, the friendly waitstaff, the liveliness and conviviality of the locale, and of course the tasty "eclectic"-ness of the food and drink menus.
Fortunately my company had the right sense to make a reservation, as the relatively small tavern was filled with the lively chatter of locals and out-of-towners alike. Although audibly this made for increased effort to be heard on our parts, I tend to find a full dining room to have both a positive effect on atmosphere as well as a positive sign on what lies ahead. We were seated at our table and given two, two-sided menus consisting of the house-made drinks, the specials of the day, the more standard dishes, and the after-dinner temptations and other beverages. We first endeavored to sort out our drink wishes. Because we had originally planned to do a little cocktail hour boat excursion, which, thanks to a passing downpour, was postponed, we each decided on a mojito. I opted for one flavored with mango and "T" went with the traditional, but both were made with fresh, probably home-grown mint. We also had the choice of several different raspberry-infused cocktails thanks to the local harvest.
Turning towards our food menus, there was certainly a variety from which to choose, including a special duck breast dish with whipped potatoes a pulled pork sandwich with melted VT cheese and chipotle mayo, and their "Famous Chicken 'Wienerschnitzel'". Being a local himself, "T" had an advantage of being familiar with the selection, and highly recommended the schnitzel, which I was happy to select while he went with the pork sandwich. The downpour inspired him to start with the tomato bisque and although I tend to favor a dessert over a starter, I felt a basket of house-baked focaccia might round out my meal. Little did I know that the basket would be brimming with the bread that had a nice crispy exterior as well as a soft interior and was the perfect medium for the house-made pesto with which it came. "T's" soup arrived piping hot with a layer of melted Cabot Vermont Sharp Cheddar Cheese. He was gracious enough to allow me a taste, and suggested my bread as the utensil. The soup was unctuously creamy and had just the right tomato-y sweetness. I had just the time to savor the flavors of the soup lingering in my mouth before our waitress brought us our very substantial entrees. The pulled pork sandwich was more a mound of saucy shredded pork meat sitting between soft buns. The chipotle mayo came on the side along with a pile - that was taller than the sandwich mind you - of sweet potato fries. I would have been jealous had I not had my own dish in front of me loaded with two pieces of tenderized, crisply breaded chicken breast and smothered in a sauce of melted butter, capers, and onion. Though this is not an entirely traditional way to serve schnitzel, what dish isn't enhanced by a rich pool of butter perfectly accented with an occasional burst of tangy-ness from a pickled caper. The garnish included smooth and creamy whipped potatoes, and an edamame bean salad - definitely eclectic, but definitely tasty. After only getting through about half of our main courses, I had to ask the dessert question, was "T" a dessert-person or not??? With his yes came the doggy bags and the dessert menus. With my partiality to British-inspired puddings I scanned straight to the "Warm Dark & White Chocolate Bread Pudding w/Butter Pecan Ice Cream, Caramel & Chocolate Sauce" and "T" went with the raspberries and cream. I didn't manage a bite of the local raspberries sandwich between layers of freshly whipped cream, I took "T's" polishing of the dish as testament to its greatness. Meanwhile my bread pudding was a thoroughly satisfying rendition of the mouthwatering classic, having a crispy, just-fried exterior, and a custard-y rich interior. My one preference would have been for a less densely-packed pudding, but that certainly did not detract from my eating the whole thing and wanting to lick the plate, and let's be real, had I been in a less public setting I probably would have! Thank you Max's Tavern and "T" for an ideal Vermont evening.