A Single Pebble turns out Asian delicacies from the other side of the world and still ranks number one in Chittenden County for "best place to have dinner if they're paying." They could wok around the clock and still have to turn people away. Last summer, Vermont magazine put chef-owner Steve Bogart on its cover and proclaimed the Pebble "the best restaurant in the great, green state of Vermont."
The Best Restaurant in Vermont I thought of calling this category the Best Dish with Worst Name. I thought of Best Asian or Best Chinese. But in the end, my taste buds demanded the full truth: the best restaurant in the great, green state of Vermont is A Single Pebble, in Burlington (133-35 Bank Street, 865-5200). It's greatest dishes are the Dry Fried Green Beans (that's the one with the worst name), Spicy Three River Soup, Sweet & Pungent Walnuts, and the incredible Mock Eel, a long mushroom slice of heaven.
If that were all, it would be enough. But there's more. The hostess seats you, on time and with a smile. The waitress knows the dishes, knows the wines, knows the ingredients. The restaurant looks good, smells better. The gestalt is welcoming, delightful.
Go. Taste. Eat. Bring friends. You'll be glad you did. And you'll be amazed to learn that the best chef and best Asian/Chinese chef in Vermont is a white guy from Worcester. Steve Bogart, take a bow.
Above Left: Vermont Magazine, July/August 2004 Cover
Above Right: Steve Bogart works at "the mouth of the dragon," where he fire-finishes many of the dishes at A Single Pebble (Burlington), Vermont's Best Restaurant. Photo: Paul O. Boisvert
Extract from "Food Favourites - Great Eating in Vermont" by Jules Older, Vermont Magazine, July/August 2004.
"In another life, chef Steve Bogart must have been Chinese... For 25 years, Bogart has given the land of milk and maple something not available between Boston and Montreal: authentic Chinese banquet food."
Bogart and sous chef Martin Smith at A Single Pebble in Berlin.
Steve Bogart, a master of Chinese cuisine, near the pagoda he built at his home in the hills of Worcester.
"The reservation was made more than a week in advance as it was so widely popular.... These were some seasoned diners used to NYC restaurants and we were blown away at how terrific our meal was. We just kept eating and eating in amazement."
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