Seven Days: Vermont's Independent Voice

(Published in 7 Nights 2005-06)

The elegant Kitchen Table Bistro is a bit of a misnomer. And the fact that the Richmond restaurant used to be a bar-food joint doesn't simplify the PR challenge. Fact is, Lara and Steve Atkins have transformed the Route 2 farmhouse formerly known as Chequers into a fine-dining establishment with black-clad waiters, white linen table cloths and a menu featuring local seasonal meats, cheeses and produce.

Come in winter for braised LaPlatte River Angus short ribs with roasted garlic and celery root. In spring, fiddleheads and local wild mushrooms pop up in soups, salads and entrées. Summer brings fresh flavors from the garden — field lettuces, tomatoes, corn, melon. Despite his surname, chef and co-owner Steve Atkins has nothing against carbohydrates. "My version of the Atkins Diet is a big old Boyden Farms steak with French fries and tarragon aioli." Wife Lara is the pastry chef.

With its awesome wine list and haute-country ambiance, The Kitchen Table is a dining destination for food fans from Stowe, Burlington and Charlotte. But it's clear from the way customers greet each other on a Saturday night that some are also neighbors. Steve envisioned such a "family" when he and Lara dropped out of the New England Culinary Institute to start the restaurant. The couple lives in an apartment upstairs. "We wanted it to feel like you were coming into our home to have a great meal," says Steve. Years after
Chequers checked out, nobody is asking for nachos anymore.

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