by Carla Occaso
Tulsi Tea Room Transforms
The Tulsi Tea Room at 34 Elm Street will be seeing some changes. This is because owner Solenne Thompson is going to nursing school! “The tea room is reducing the hours and reducing our space, we are just going to be pop-up food. The herb shop has moved into the front room,” Thompson told The Bridge by phone.
They will still offer falafel on Monday, home delivery foods and special orders.
Iris Gage, owner of the herb shop within the Tulsi Tea Room, is going to create more of a wellness center, Thompson said. She will host classes, readings and serve custom blended herbal tea.
Check out the website for days and hours http://www.tulsitearoom.com/.
Honey Child, Down Home Re-Opens For Business
Y’all been hankering for cheese grits, catfish or fried chicken at Down Home Restaurant on the corner of Langdon and Main Streets? Well, fear not. They reopened for the first full day on August 15, after a few weeks of renovating, adding a new chef and creating extended hours.
They had closed temporarily on July 23 and covered the windows with brown paper. But the paper is gone and soup’s on. Mary Alice Proffitt, owner of Down Home, told The Bridge by phone August 15 that renovations primarily allowed her to “fix some issues,” that included having a crowded kitchen space. They added a walk-in refrigerator and also built bakery and prep rooms.
Other innovations include the addition of an Italian-made espresso machine “so we can do all the delicious coffee drinks (such as latte and cappuccino).” Coffee maestro is Robert Hunt of Bohemian Bakery (open Sundays only) in East Calais. Proffitt said she is pleased to offer coffee drinks that locals love in Montpelier at the restaurant seven days a week.
Also new to the menu will be milkshakes, smoothies and a really good burger. And, featured menu items will be pulled pork, ribs and hand-sliced bacon with homemade Eastern Carolina barbecue sauce.
But the biggest and most notable change at Down Home is a new chef — Christian Young — who has been working in Georgia and South Carolina. Young cooked with Jimmy Kennedy of River Run for 15 years and has lots of experience. “He is bringing some real talent when it comes to meat, but we still have vegetarian options,” Proffitt said.
Young is also helping to bring the portion sizes up and prices down. Young is laying the groundwork to shorten the time between when a customer orders and their meal is served. “He is hoping to help us get tickets out faster so our lunch crowd can make it back to work,” Proffit said. “There’s a lot of good things happening.”
Hours have been extended to from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Proffitt went on to note the timing of these changes. “We are doing this in preparation for our first birthday at the end of September, in which we are planning to add dinner.”
(This story originally appeared on The Bridge’s social media outlets)
Charlie-O’s Celebrates 40 Years
Happy birthday to our favorite dive bar — Charlie-O’s World Famous at 70 Main St. celebrated turning the big 4 – 0 Saturday, August 13, with a big showing of motorcycle-riding customers, music and an outdoor beer garden. The bar, owned by Jeff and Jesse Jacobs, opened its doors in 1976.
Zutano’s Closing Downtown Shop to Relocate Operations; Business Is Booming
A popular and innovative Montpelier children’s clothing store is closing.
After 18 years just off of the corner of State and Main Streets, Zutano’s is closing its Main Street children’s clothing shop.
The answering machine message says, “Thank you for calling and for your many years of continued support. We are currently holding a sale every weekend though the end of September 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday.”
They are not open at all Monday through Thursday.
According to a message on Facebook messaging, the company is moving some operations to Massachusetts and “sadly will not have time to keep the store going at this point. The business is expanding — the brand will continue and our website will still be online for your Zutano needs!” The message came from someone who identified herself as Lydia, a manager.
Painted Pear Moves Out of Storefront
If you walk along State Street, you will notice the shop space previously containing the Painted Pear is now empty. The home decorating, accessories and gift shop announced on their Facebook page they will no longer have a storefront and instead will offer their wares online only.
The store closed its doors on July 30, according to its Facebook page (Paintedpearvt), which states “It is with a sad heart that I have made the decision to close the shop on State Street. This year has been a wonderful experience; meeting folks from Montpelier and beyond, learning about small business and finding mentors among the community, and discovering and displaying artists and their wares … I plan on moving the rest (of the inventory) to my home and on-line at www.paintedpearvt.com.”
