Jenny N.'s Profile

Boomerang reminds me a bit of  the Buffalo Exchange chain of resale shops. The store offers a good mix of new, never worn fashions, as well as contemporary consignment pieces (mid-range labels like J. Crew, Gap, Abercrombie, Ann Taylor were well represented), and an excellent selection of vintage as well.

It was helpful that the vintage pieces were tagged with the decade and noted if the item was a) gently worn or b) brand new with tags.  I found quite a few gems, including a heavy woolen nurse's cape from the 1940s and a cream-colored Michael Kors dress with gold hardware. I also coveted a red leather jacket from the 1940s that came with a number of interchangeable equestrian badges but it looked a lot better on the rack than on me...sad, but I'm sure it will find a good home :)

Prices were generally reasonable except for a few pieces here and there. The shoe selection was just OK, but I did spy a few nice handbags! Just one more reason for me to come back to Brattleboro soon...

Forty Putney Road is quite probably the cutest B&B in VT and it's run by the sweetest young innkeepers! Tim & Amy are a married 30-something couple who quit their 9-5 jobs to pursue their dream of running an inn. Inspiring, right? They (and their friends Timberly and Doug, who were inn-sitting on the first night of our arrival) were such friendly and accommodating hosts--we couldn't have asked for better hospitality.

We stayed in the cozy Maple Room, located in the carriage house, and it had just the right touch of old school charm (gas fireplace, old school fan, leather armchair), plus luxury amenities (jacuzzi tub, mini fridge w/complimentary snacks and drinks, plush bathrobes and flat screen TV with DVD player) that I wouldn't have expected at a typical B&B.

As for breakfast--don't sleep in because you won't want to miss the 2-course gourmet meal that Amy lovingly prepares each morning! During our stay, we enjoyed homemade granola and spiced apple yogurt parfait, spinach and goat cheese quiche, chocolate chip muffins, feta and tomato frittata, and blueberry bundt cakes....all delicious.

In addition, the inn offers a beer tasting featuring local brews every Saturday ($30/couple for B&B guests). This is seriously a "must do" if you are in town or staying at the inn. It was the most fun we've ever had at any tasting and the local cheese & cracker selection was outstanding. There is also a gorgeous pool table in the main house, which the boyfriend took advantage of. WiFi access throughout the inn was really convenient as well. We also appreciated the fact that the inn had a library of books and DVDs available for borrowing in case guests need another source of recreation.

Last but not least, we loved being within a 10-minute walk from downtown Brattleboro. I honestly cannot think of one thing that would've made our stay more enjoyable. Five stars hands down!

Twice Upon a Time, there was a city girl who traveled to the country for a little R&R and stumbled upon a veritable treasure trove of vintage dresses, party frocks and ladylike accoutrements...There were mink stoles to flaunt, demure hats and gloves to don, and chic handbags to carry. Lace, chiffon, tulle, wool and everything in between!

From the tiniest waist to ladies' size 8 (or greater), there was an astonishing selection from decades of old. The prices were generally fair, although there were a few stained pieces here and there... Pick and choose wisely, as the shop offers a 10% discount for cash and carry! (Plastic is accepted, but not with a discount).

This tale does end happily as the city girl ended up with an armload of dresses as well as a few eyecatching knick-knacks...Success!

The Montague Book Mill is not easy to find (best to get directions from their website--not your GPS), but if you do happen to wind your way up there, you'll no doubt agree that it's best that this place stays well hidden to preserve its natural charm. It encapsulates New England romance at its best--an old mill painted red overlooking a scenic river, housing a great selection of new and gently used books, a cafe and a gourmet restaurant.

It's frequented by brainy locals and students looking for a cozy spot to study, read, and channel  inspiration. There are two floors with plenty of nooks, armchairs and sofas on which you may situate yourself and while away the day... If you get hungry, just mosey over to the Lady Killigrew Cafe next door for refreshment. There's also a large outdoor deck that's connected to The Night Kitchen (the aforementioned gourmet restaurant) with a few tables and chairs if you prefer to do your contemplating outdoors, overlooking the river and woods. Really peaceful and I imagine it's picturesque year-round with each change of the season.

With the weather turning chilly, my face needed some serious TLC so I booked myself for the 60 min. ultimate hydration facial at Spa Christine. Having never been to the spa before, I didn't expect it to be quite so far across town! But despite arriving a few minutes late for my appointment, I received a warm greeting from the owner and an offer to hang up my coat. How nice!

My esthetician, Elizabeth, was also very professional. I felt quite relaxed as she smoothed all kinds of lotions and potions over my face while giving advice on what kinds of cleansers would work best for my skin type. There was no hard sell of the product she used, which I appreciated. In between mask applications, Elizabeth went to work on loosening the tension from my neck, shoulders and arms with a firm massage. She also offered to do a brow trim to make my eyebrows a little more neat.

It was an hour well spent, and my skin definitely felt re-hydrated after my treatment. I only wish Spa Christine wasn't located so far from my home! Otherwise, I'd probably be stopping in more often--if not for some pampering, then to browse in the sizable retail area that offers cute accessories, candles, trinkets, etc. Oh, and do check for the monthly spa specials on their website!

Craigie on Main is absolutely charming--like French countryside meets Southern hospitality. I loved the little piggy touches of decor and the open kitchen space. We came for Sunday brunch and had a lovely meal that included highlights like THE best corned beef hash and homemade donut with confiture de lait (aka caramel sauce).

The boy had the $29 prix fixe course, which was a good deal considering that it includes coffee/tea, starter, your choice of entree and dessert. We share the homemade donut as starter and it was incredible--crisp, sugared outside with a soft, cake-y inside.  Topped with a sweet caramel sauce, this was like warm bites of HEAVEN.

The boy's entree was the corned beef hash. It was really rich with great meat and potatoes flavor enhanced by a farm fresh egg and a judicious amount of creamy hollandaise sauce. I had the sausages with biscuits and gravy and while it was good, I thought it was lacking a certain richness. The biscuit was slightly tough and--dare I say it?--perhaps could've used a touch more butter. The sausages were great though.

We ended our meal with delicate profiteroles filled with calamintha (a mint-like herb) ice cream, covered in bittersweet chocolate sauce. Soooo good. The pastry was supremely light and crisp. Profiteroles are usually not my favorite dessert, but the combination of the herbed ice cream and perfect pastry shell made them stand out.

And on a note unrelated to the delicious food, I admire Craigie on Main for being a family-run business operating on a core set of principles that allows them to be a successful and responsible member of the community. In our checkbook, I saw that they outlined these principles in detail and explained their passion for local and seasonal ingredients. I think it only adds to their charm. We walked out feeling full and pleasantly satisfied, vowing to return for dinner on another occasion!

Kimball Farm is not your average farm. In fact, it's not a farm at all. This is a veritable New England style tourist destination. But actually, quite a charming one at that. Way better than Six Flags, but just as family-friendly and they don't charge you arm-and-a-leg admission! Where else can you find balloon rides, bumper boats, arcade games, mini golf, batting cages, farm animals, fried foods and ice cream all in one spot? It's like kiddie heaven. Amazingly, Kimball's wasn't mobbed when we visited in the late afternooon even though it was a perfect fall weekend. It was also quite clean (again, surprising!).

Our first stop was the grill, because I was starving. I ordered a half pint of clam strips (you can also get bellies) and they were hands down the best clam strips I'd ever had. The batter was really crisp and not too oily. Nom, nom, nom. The boy had the scallop roll plate and that was equally delicious, served with a side of fries and cole slaw.

After stuffing our faces, we stopped to pet the goats. They were quite fat and waddled amusingly, but I digress... I really wanted to try the bumper boats, but it was a tad too chilly, so we settled on mini golf instead ($11/person). There are actually 2 courses to play on and they are quite nicely done--impressive landscaping with waterfalls, bridges, and even a mine "cave"! Even though I'm a terrible golfer, I had fun putting my way through the 18 holes.

More fun ahead...the arcade had lots of old school and new school games suitable for both kids and those who are just young at heart. Skee ball, air hockey, trivia, shoot 'em up, racing, etc. The good thing is that you don't need a pocketful of quarters to play because this arcade has swipe slots for a "debit card" that you can refill with cash. This also means that you can save your points on the card :) Smart.

After all that play, we were ready for dessert! Now I'd heard of Kimball Farm's legendary ice cream but I was NOT prepared for the giant portions....$4 for a "small" cup that was at least 3 large scoops of ice cream! What a deal, but I dare not imagine what the "large" would look like.... The immense selection of homemade flavors made it tough to choose too but the ones we tasted were all delicious. There were also seasonal specialties like apple crisp a la mode. Now I know why the goats were fat. We waddled away happily but swore off ice cream for the foreseeable future (or at least until our next trip to Kimball's).

Nashoba Valley is a beautiful winery but sadly, not the best spot for apple-picking. Or perhaps we just arrived too late in the season, as the orchards were nearly picked clean of apples and the ones that were left were clustered way up high, requiring the use of a pole picker (which costs an extra $1 per half hour*). We paid $20 for a 1/2 bushel bag (it's $15 for a peck) to share amongst 4 people, and headed into the orchards only to be disappointed by the selection--mostly Red Delicious, which aren't really all that tasty in my opinion. Boooo :( We should've checked the picking conditions online...

After we filled our bag with a random assortment of odds and ends apples, we headed inside the winery for a taste of the fruit wines ($4 for 5 samples, plus a wine glass to take home). There are 2 bars set up for tastings and multiple registers, but the inside of the winery was completely mobbed. There weren't enough sales associates to handle the crowd and the lines for both tours/tastings and registers were confusing and snaked around the store. There was also a line for the restrooms...oy. Note to self: don't come on a holiday weekend.

As for the tasting, it was fun but slightly overwhelming with all the choices of wines, spirits and beers. There must have been well over 25 different types! We ended up purchasing 2 bottles and then high-tailed it out of there to escape the crowd.

Next time, I will plan ahead and pack a picnic to enjoy on the expansive lawn with a bottle of their fantastic wine! It's a scenic spot and worth the 45 min. drive from Boston, but just plan to go early in the day/season if you prefer a more relaxed trip.

*Note: I was told by the business owner that the pole picker usage fee was lowered from $5/hr to $1 per half hour, so I've updated my review. Also, the fee was instituted to prevent customers from misusing/losing the poles, which makes sense.

I'm no bowling fanatic, but I liked Kings. Being brand new, it's clean and shiny. As far as pricing, it was decent--$5.50 per game and $3.50 for shoe rental--before 6 pm. They charge more in the evening, and if you don't get there early on the weekend or if you arrive during peak hours, you could face a rather long wait.

The lanes were slick and outfitted with fancy screens showing animated graphics and what looked like "America's Funniest Home Videos" outtakes. Yes, kind of cheesy but I can imagine that it does a good job of entertaining the children. It seems pretty family friendly during the day, but as others have mentioned, security cards everybody at the door.

Overall, I think it's a nice bowling alley, but it'd be even better if they had a billiards room. There is a back room/waiting area with shuffleboard, a few arcade games, and a kiddie bowling lane. I probably would not eat here, but they do have a full service bar/dining area and the waitstaff also comes around to your lane to take orders.

Wabi Dumplings must be a newcomer to the P-town scene as I'm surprised it hasn't been reviewed yet on Yelp! We came in to check out the Asian fusion menu and encountered super friendly staff.

The lobster fried rice had my name all over it, but unfortunately, I was too full from lunch to partake...I settled for the Wabi iced tea instead and it was very refreshing (green tea, cranberry juice and a splash of sparkling water, garnished with mint)!  I liked the whole menu concept (organic, local ingredients) and the wine/sake bar on the side. They even had Kung Fu Girl riesling! Charming patio seating was available just outside, but the restaurant space itself was more like a takeout counter.  I am coming back for the lobster fried rice next time!