Press & Reviews

Tourterelle: A delectable taste of France, just 30 minutes south - March 24, 2010, from the Shelburne News

Chili Foodfest - March 3, 2010: Various Addison County restaurants and local volunteer organizations, as well as other groups from outside the county, participated in the second annual Winter Carnival and Chili Festival in downtown Middlebury last weekend. Here, an employee of Tourterelle Restaurant serves up a cup of sensational chili to a hungry customer. Tourterelle was one of the chili winners at this year's event.

From CollegeConfidential.com - January 29, 2010: "Not right in town but worth the short drive for a great dinner is Tourterelle ( French Country Restaurant | Middlebury Inns | VT Organic Restaurant ). We had an absolutely delightful dinner there over fall family weekend and will definitely plan on going back." --Modadunn

From the Champlain Business Journal - January New Businesses: Tourterelle, January 14, 2010

Tourterelle Listed Number One on Seven Day's For the Love of Lists: My favorite Vermont Twitter feeds you may not have heard of yet - December 29, 2009
The microblogging social-media service Twitter has been around since 2006, but this was the year we finally learned how to use it. As the online editor, I’ve been spending a lot of time on Twitter, following Vermonters and sharing links to our content on the web. The ones below have fewer than 250 followers, so far.

1. @TourterelleVT (74 followers) Lots of businesses and restaurants are tweeting, but not many of them are located in small towns like New Haven, Vt. I’ve gotten a couple of good news tips from Tourterelle’s Twitter feed, and I enjoy the person-on-the-ground weather reports from Addison County.

Seven Days' People's Palates: 2009 Edition, 7 Nights readers weigh in on where to eat. Tourterelle Receives 5 Stars - December 29, 2009

From Chowhound.com: December 31, 2009 on a thread "Great Restaurants for New Year's Eve in Vermont"
I found the food [at Tourterelle] inventive and engaging, the service warm and professional, and the atmosphere elegant but not stuffy. I've consistently found Starry Night to be the kind of place that doesn't live up to its hype...seems to try to hard with fancy combinations that don't always work, and I've never felt a warm or friendly vibe there.

From Yelp: November 27, 2009
Many in the area will remember this location as having been the former Roland's Place, but Tourterelle is a welcome successor. The new owners have made significant improvements to both menu and venue. Most striking is the renovation of the bar and adjacent dining room, though one appreciates the slightly more open layouts of the other dining rooms as well. Worth trying are the escargots -- the best I've had. New restaurants don't open every day in Addison Country, and this is one that I hope stays around.--Jamie S.

The Localvore: Tourterelle, Middlebury College's The Campus, November 4, 2009.

New Food Haven in New Haven: Tourterelle for French Dining, Shelburne News, October 25, 2009.

From Chowhound.com:
We LOVE Tourterelle. Outstanding food and service. (Bouillabaisse is fabulous.) Flourless chocolate cake, Vermont cheese, amazing crepes, and several outstanding wines offered by the glass. Surprisingly exciting bar scene, with people of all ages. This place is a real Vermont star. Worth the drive from anywhere nearby.—mvi, October 23, 2009.

From Seven Days' readers:

Former San Franciscans Find Nirvana in New Haven
We just returned from a spontaneous dinner at the new restaurant Tourterelle in New Haven (just north of Middlebury). As folks who often lament the lack of delicious, reasonably priced food in or close to Middlebury, we were ECSTATIC to discover this gem. From the pear salad appetizer to the last sip of coffee, we came away EXTREMELY satisfied. The duck melted in your mouth and the hamburger & frites was one of the best we've had (we've sampled many!) Love the waitstaff and atmosphere - elegant but not stuffy. The co-owner Christine was just delightful - she was genuine and warm. We can't wait to try brunch! Bon appetit!—FoodeeVT, October 23, 2009.

One of the best restaurants in Vermont
The dinner we had last night at Tourterelle was fantastic! The restaurant is beautifully remodeled, the service was excellent, and the food was absolutely delicious. We had a wide variety of the menu at our table and everyone LOVED their meal. The escargot was a big highlight and the Tourterelle salad of arugula,pecans, artichokes, and cranberries was a beautiful start to the meal. I had the Bouillabaisse and would order it again in a heartbeat. I just wish I had more room to try to so many of the other dishes on the menu; it just means we will have to go back again- soon! The menu is very reasonably priced, Christine and Bill are very welcoming and warm and this is a gem of a restaurant that you should not miss.—KimC. September 26, 2009.

Holy Awesome
The restaurant came highly recommended and did not disappoint. Rarely does an establishment give one a true dining experience, but Tourterelle manages to do so with an understated grace. The steak was delicious and the chef was not afraid to cook medium rare as medium rare instead of borderline medium, which is a guaranteed way to earn my respect. I have recommended this restaurant to many friends and do the same to anyone reading this. Look forward to returning back this fall.—Jeffpoo, September 22, 2009.

Best Brunch I've Ever Had
I absolutely loved my experience at Tourterelle. My husband and I don't get to go out for brunch often and when we decided to treat ourselves we certainly made an excellent choice. I had dined at this location when it was owned by the previous owners, and I must say that the transformation of the interior was superb. The beautiful fireplace and hardwood floors were wonderful. I enjoyed the starter of carrot muffins served in a cute metal bucket (very Vermont like). My husband and I tried the mussels with a garlic/tomato sauce (my first experience) and I found that they are something I would enjoy many more times. I highly recommend the French Toast, with the pecans and fresh bananas and strawberries and just the right amount of Vermont maple syrup was to die for. You receive more than enough to fill your appetite with both of us needing to bring home some of our meal. The service was outstanding from both the waitress (who frequently stopped by to refill my husband's coffee, which of course he loved) and from the owner, Christine who greeted us so warmly and stopped at our table to see that all was well during our meal. This is definitely a place that we will frequent on many occasions.—FoodloverinVT, September 22, 2009.

A Wonderful Restaurant
My boyfriend and I wanted a special night out and Tourterelle certainly delivered! The restaurant's ambiance and menu is totally different than anything else in Addison County. I definitely recommend the crepes and salad. I can't wait to go back and try other things on the menu. The service was excellent and I appreciated that co-owner Christine stopped by our table to make sure we were enjoying the food.—EatingmywaythruVT, September 20, 2009.