Cask & Kiln Kitchen

*Review is for the upstairs bar*

This is the third time we've been to the Cask & Kiln and just as before, we were impressed! We walked into the restaurant shortly after 8pm and were told by the hosts that the upstairs was crowded. We decided to go up and try anyway. A hostess greeted us immediately and told us that if we wanted to eat there were only chairs on a raised bar along the wall. Fortunately for us just as we walked over to the table three spots opened up at the bar.

As soon as we arrived at the bar, Alyssa - a kick-ass bartender with fresh recipient and innovative concoctions - asked us what we'd like to drink. The drinks took longer to receive than we would have liked but that's because the bartender was the only one making the drinks - she had no other help. She rolled with the order and was able to chat with us as she did her thing. She was a delight! Her cocktails were amazing - five stars for her!!

We ordered burgers and the chicken sandwich. Wait time for the food to arrive was an acceptable fifteen minutes or so. The chicken sandwich was crispy, and topped with a nice slaw. The burger is quintessential Vermont. Sharp cheddar, maple aioli, farm-fresh egg. Delicious. The fries with the sandwiches were delicious. Small and salty.

Overall we had a great time at Cask & Kiln. We hope to try the full dinner service on the main level someday soon. We just would have appreciated an additional bartender to take the burden off of Alyssa and for quicker service.

My third visit to Cast & Kiln. I highly recommend it, however, I was somewhat disappointed with a few aspects of the meal. Most significantly, my lamb rack was served cold. The staff bent over backwards to rectify with new, hot rack, but I'm sure we can all relate how awkward it is to send back your first dish and sit and wait while everyone else has their meal and is mostly done by the time your get your plate back. Kind of a bummer. They comped me a glass of wine while I waited. In any event, the food was good as always and I intend to return, which the floor manager was happy to hear.

The VT state itself is not a hospitable state. Extremely strict drink drive law, neighbor reporting speeding vehicle law, no liability for horse riding injuring or death law, no substitution rule in restaurants, indifferent attitude and etc.

We came in this restaurant since it had a comparably high review online. There were two sections which were the chamber room(Main room) and the lounge. I wore shorts and T-shirts since I don't bring suits with me when visit towns like this. The concierge was in a suit and apparently did not like our outfit. He indicated we could choose either the bar or the lounge upstairs. I did not really mind, because his behavior was understandable. This review provides information for whoever is reading it.

After we came upstairs, our server were polite and professional. The watermelon flavor drink I had was strong which was perfect.

However, the food was kind of slow.

The flatbread used small pepperoni which was more juicy and delicious than normal pepperoni. The dough was baked nicely so that the margins were crispy.

The steak was also outstanding. I loved the special ginger sauce. Don't forget to try their side dish corn.

So my friend and I came here not really knowing what to expect but it's definitely a more formal dining experience. The staff does a really great job of taking care of you and we had a new guy, Cooper, who was excellent! At least on Friday and Saturday this place is busy so it's best to make a reservation. Luckily, we were able to get in and sit at the bar.

We got the chicken for two which was SO GOOD. The skin was so crispy but the chicken was tender on the inside. Honestly some of the best chicken I've ever had. We got a side of mac and cheese and carrots and those were delicious as well. Props to whoever is making this food! The seasoning was amazing.

We also got a side of the giant popovers which I highly recommend! Of course, we got drinks (Miss Cathy and some wine) and the chocolate torte. It was all amazing.

I wish they did a better job of explaining how the upstairs and downstairs is different but that's my only complaint! We wanted those pretzels with cheese but I assume that was an upstairs item as the downstairs is more "fancy".

Update 11/1/19

Tonight, tried it again.

A huge fight broke out in kitchen. Police stormed the place, sheriff came followed by Deerfield Valley Ambulance.

Another 'memorable' experience!



Cask and Kiln, why do I come back?

Haven't been in awhile... thought I'd give it one more try.

The most 'exciting' restaurant experience I've ever had. A huge fight broke out in the kitchen -- Wilmington police swarmed the place, sheriff was called in followed by Deerfield Valley Ambulance.

Needless to say, the diners jaws dropped - and not after seeing the prices.

Can't make this stuff up!

I so wanted to love this place. I really did. After reading a number of incredibly disparate reviews on Yelp I booked a table for my partner's and my anniversary dinner last Friday night. The main issues most reviewers had were: Tiny portions of food and stratospheric prices. We experienced the same.
The interior of the downstairs dining room was truly lovely. Gorgeous even.
Food- in our experience a total miss.
I had the scallops appetizer of roasted scallops in a lovely sauce. This was very good but for $23 I only got TWO sea scallops which I ate in tiny bites to savor every morsel.
They were delicious but not for this price.
I also ordered the mac and cheese as a side. This was a huge DISAPPOINTMENT: decent enough of a portion for $8 but this dish had no cheesy creaminess that I was expecting. It really amounted to elbow maccaroni in some butter with breadcrumbs on top. I really encourage Cask and Kiln to explore better options for this dish. My partner had the Salmon which looked to be overcooked and was really very small: a piece of fish barely the size of your fist and no more than 1 inch thick, thinner in some areas. He ate it because he was hungry and not as picky as I am. I would have sent it back. I had a glass of wine while he drank water. Our meal topped $100. We were glad to go home to some leftover bakery blueberry pie and ice cream. He even had two portions.
I don't think my partner will be willing to try Cask & Kiln again although I would come here for a glass of wine at the bar to take in the ambience.

Great place. Thankfully a creative and thoughtful menu can endure. Drinks are delicious and refreshing
Waitstaff is respectful and accommodating

Terrible service that is unacceptable considering the price point of this restaurant. We had to wait almost 30 minutes to be seated at a table that we were told was available and only needed to be set up. We frequently checked in with the hostess about this table, and she repeatedly told us it'd be ready soon (which was not true). Once we were seated, we weren't even given menus and it took another 15-20 minutes for a server to come. Luckily we took a paper copy of the menu from the hostess while we were waiting for a table, so we were able to order. The food also took ~20 minutes to arrive. It was such a frustrating and inefficient dining experience not being able to talk to our server and ask about menus/food/etc.

The food was great (not the Mac and cheese though) but I would not come here again due to the horrendous service and the high price.

This was a bit disappointing. It's expensive, and two of the three dishes we ordered were mediocre. At the price point, everything needed to be excellent, and it fell short.
Upsides: great waiter; nice wine; decent ambience (eat upstairs... cooler than downstairs). Bottom line: I cannot recommend this place.

The venison entree I had last Saturday was a top 5 ever dish--just perfect balance of well cooked venison that feel off the bone, parsnip puree, some mushrooms and nice sauce. And my daughter went in for the marrow in the bone!

I also am not a fan of pumpkin but went for that since my daughter couldnt decide between that and the chocolate cake. The chocolate cake was delicious but super dense. The pumpkin cheese was great! the crunch from some crumbled crust and then crystallized ginger was inspired. really a great dessert

The bar is as good as one will find outside a major city. I had the smoked cocktail which was very well done but you can tell observing the bar how good they are.

The service was great and I am sad it will be a little while until I get back since we dont normally ski at Mount Snow