Our House Bistro

 by Ruby LaBrusciano-Carris 

            The revitalization of Winooski has been wonderful not only for the town, but also our palates. It is impossible not to wander down Winooski’s Main Street these days without stopping in for a bite to eat—from Tiny Thai, to the Mule Bar, and everything in-between, I can assure that you are unlikely to be disappointed in Winooski these days. I might sound particularly gushing about it this morning, but only because last night I made it to yet another of Winooski’s wonderful new restaurants. If you haven’t been yet, put Our House Bistro on the list for the next time you go out looking for a culinary adventure that’s not too far from home.

At Our House, the theme of the cuisine is, what they like to call, ‘Twisted Comfort Food’, a phrase, which could not more aptly describe the heartwarming food that fills the menus. Nobody will walk away unhappy from Our House, because if you’re the kind of person that likes to stick to what you know, you’ll be sure to find it in their comfort food, but if you like to explore artistic and adventurous palates, there are more than a few “twists” to tickle your fancies. Nothing on this menu looks too scary—just meatloaf, chicken pot pie, macaroni and cheese and some flatbreads. But, surprisingly enough, each dish is handcrafted with lots of local and adventurous ingredients, blending flavors that are, at once, both unexpected and incredibly familiar, to create an incredible taste which you will not be soon to forget.

The true specialty of Our House is their macaroni and cheese, which, despite sounding mundane and overdone, is actually a spectacular melee of flavor, culture, and creativity that will probably bypass almost any other dish of macaroni and cheese that you’ve ever had. With at least ten or twenty different varieties of the dish to choose from too, there has got to be one that will sound appetizing. If it is not the Thai-style Peanut Butter and Jelly Mac n’ Cheese, then perhaps it is the Mediterranean, or even the BBQ. For a fancier taste try the Shrimp Scampi Mac, or the famed Lobster Mac. For a more classic version, try the Super Cheesy Mac, or the scrumptious sounding Breakfast Mac. Whatever you choose, I guarantee that you can’t go wrong.

I chose the Reuben Mac, which was perfectly situated between a culinary stretch and a stick-to-what-you-know kind of night. Starting with the apple-cabbage slaw on top, I could tell that we had chosen the right restaurant tonight. If I hadn’t already been sold on the retro-chic vibe and cozy but cool atmosphere, I was certainly sold as a dug into the Swiss cheese and corned beef and cabbage infused macaroni and cheese below. It may have been a little pricier than I would normally go for, but it was really and truly worth every single bite. And I was even able to walk away with a full box of leftovers! Can’t wait to dive back into that Twisted Reuben Mac tonight!

Now that its getting warmer it is not too crazy to wander over to Winooski, just past Trinity Campus, it might be time that you make the trip over the river to find Our House Bistro right on 36 Main Street in the center of town. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did!