Rock-Not-So-Well VT

I never blog about places I don't like... until now. I was attracted to Rockwell VT when first reading a brief write-up about in the LA Times. Rockwell VT is a new neighborhood spot and everything about it was alluring - I can walk there, and they have interesting specialty cocktails, a gorgeous outdoor setting, and food. I was so excited to try the Rockwell I was ready to fall in love.

My first cocktail was The Autumn. Not so much. More like a tropical summer. Overly sweet raspberry "puree", basil and lime. Palatable, but nothing special.

The Gemini - I'm not a fan of infused liqour and here was a perfect example of why: the mandarin blossom infused vodka used for this cocktail dominated the entire flavor composition of this drink. I could taste orange and nothing else.

The Addison was my favorite of the cocktails because it was the one that was not overly sweet. Gin, cucumbers, dill and lemon - I enjoyed it.

My friend spotted this can of Kern's behind the bar! For such a nice place, touting a cocktail list like they do, you would think they would use fresh ingredients. Disappointing. One would also think $13 would get you a drink in a glass. Not so - Rockwell serves all of their overpriced drinks in plastic cups.

The menu sounded great - or so I thought. We ordered their flatbread, which was actually a pizza. It was basic and uninteresting. We also ordered the Kobe sliders with a blue cheese fondue. The brioche bun was delicate, the meat dry, and it was generally unimpressive, especially for the price.

I want to love you Rockwell, I do, but you didn't live up to the hype. To be fair, this is a new bar. There are many kinks to work out like inadequate seating and flighty service. Hopefully, the next time I visit there will be improvements to it all.

"One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well" -Virgina Woolfe. Love well, sleep well and most importantly dine well pretty much sums up my four day birthday extravaganza this month. R planned a birthday full of fun, friends, and lots of food.

Day 1: (pre-pre bday bash)

We all adorned our finest and tackiest Hawaiian shirts (mine was courtesy of Good Will) and prepared for a night of overflowing tropical cocktail fun. To kick start our festivites we enjoyed a hawaiian pizza. It was doughy, sweet, and created a good base for our drinks. Off to Tiki Ti's!

Tiki Ti's is small, vibrant and bursting with energy. And it happens to be around the corner from where we live. Owned and operated by three generations of men it upholds its authenticity. Hawaiian license plates ardorn the walls and neon tropical paraphenlia line the bar. The drink menu seems to go on for days. According to the website the Ray's Mistake is the most popular drink. It wasn't as fruity as a lot of the other drinks but just as strong. I skipped the most popular and opted for a Blue Hawaiian. Having seen my grandma drink one in my childhood when visiting Hawaii I have for years wondered what this magical blue creation was. The Blue Hawaiian pictured below is a giant glass of fruity, refreshing, rum filled happiness, at least that is what I remember of it. I also tried the Chi Chi's and those were by far my favorite drink of the night. Go get yourself a Chi Chi or two they are appropriately milky, creamy, coconuty goodness!