Euro Corner Closed? August First Open?

Euro Corner - Burlington Vermont (closed)

I have sad news sopressata fans, it looks like Euro Corner is closed. It looks like you can purchase sopressata at the associated Euro Market.

I moped my way next door to August First a new bakery / cafe / deli. In the above picture it’s on the left.

I chose the curried chicken salad sandwich:

August First - Curried Chicken Salad Sandwich

The baguette was great, crispy and chewy, without feeling like a jaw muscle workout. The chicken salad was good, August first appears to use the whole chicken instead of just the breast so the texture is a bit different that you might be accustomed to. The slightly tart cranberries are a nice counterpoint to the curry. The balsamic vinegar salad dressing was awesome, nice emulsion, and very fresh tasting. ~$9.00 with tax.

It’s definitely worth checking out, and they’re in a nice space.

August first appears to be hitting the social media with updates, kudos for that effort.

Hopefully they’ll add sopressata to the menu.

Blue Plate Ceramic Cafe – Double Espresso & Brownie

Blue Plate Ceramic Cafe - Burlington Vermont

My close second choice for espresso is the Blue Plate Ceramic Cafe on College St in Burlington Vermont. The main business is a pay to paint your own pottery studio / cafe, the espresso here is an undiscovered secret, until now!

Blue Plate Ceramic Cafe - Double Shot

As far as caffeine content, this espresso is the winner, also the crema is plentiful. This Blue Plate Ceramic Cafe potion is a little more bitter than Speeder & Earl’s shot, but this may be related to the strength.

The espresso is a little pricey at $2.55 (leading to its relegation to second choice), however the quality is excellent and the $/caffeine ratio is also good. Early coffee drinkers be warned, BPCC doesn’t open before 8am and is closed on Tuesdays.

Blue Plate Ceramic Cafe - Brownie

Crispy micro top layer is a sign of a good brownie.

Blue Plate Ceramic Cafe - Brownie (bottom)

This brownie also has milk-chocolate chips interspersed in the moist fudge-y interior, Finally the pan-touching edge is chewy but not crispy.

Could this be simply brownie mix with chocolate chips stuff in it, baked correctly? Yes. Is this delicious? Yes.  Brownies are one of those odd ball foods, where a mix will often times produce a superior version than a from scratch rendition. Either way, real or boxed, these brownies are good. I think it’s $1.75 for these choco-blocks.

Martone’s Market and Cafe – “Billy” Sandwich

Martone’s is a little deli, “market and cafe” at the 5 corners in Essex Vermont.

Martone’s Market and Cafe – Essex Vermont

Besides subs, Martone’s also has a nice selection of steaks; I think I’ll be picking some up once the snow melts to throw on the grill.

Martone’s – Billy Sandwich – (half, front)

I like egg salad, something that I don’t bother to make for myself for some reason. Anyway, someone named “Billy” has similar taste to me, I ordered his namesake sandwich Egg salad and bacon, it kind of like being indecisive if you want breakfast or lunch, so you settle for a sandwich with breakfast elements. The egg salad yummy, green onions, and chunks of egg. The bacon is SO crispy, a nice contrast to the smooth egg salad. Finally I added sprouts and tomato to the freshly baked wheat bread. 

Take note:  If this is your first time at Martone’s I would recommend ordering a small sandwich, unless you would like some leftovers. Martone’s is notorious for their piled-high sandwiches. Here is the back side of my half sandwich:

Martone’s – Billy Sandwich – (half, back)

The half Billy was $7.25 with tax, I’ll be back to when I need my egg-salad fix.

Jazzman’s Cafe @ Champlain College – “Ham and Brie Sandwich”, “Potato and Bacon Soup”, “Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookie”

I was on Champlain College‘s beautiful campus today, so I decided to get some lunch there.

William R. Hauke Family Campus Center – Champlain College

From Maple Street in Burlington Vermont, Jazzman’s Cafe is  just through the pictured door. Jazzman’s cafe is actually a chain, and is only one of Champlain’s dining options. Previously in the same location there was a student run cafe, which I actually prefer, but Jazzman’s has surprisingly decent food for a chain.

Jazzman’s Cafe – Ham and Brie Sandwich

The counter person popped the sandwich in a panini press with good results. The brie was warm and gooey, the ham was good quality, and the Dijon mustard was an excellent choice. This is a ham and cheese with a french accent.

Jazzman’s Cafe – Potato Bacon Soup (cup)

I was waffling on getting this soup, as I already had pork in my sandwich, but the cook up-sold me into a cup of this soup. The soup was nice and thick, there were chunks of potatoes, carrots, celery, and small bits of bacon. The soup appropriately hearty on this chilly day, but could have used a little more bacon.

Jazzman’s Cafe – Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie

A few great things about this cookie:

1. Tons of peanut butter flavor – A good peanut butter cookie will likely be crispy on at least the outside. This is probably due to the peanut oil in the peanut butter, this cookie managed to stay soft in the middle.
2. Peanuts!– I actually prefer some chopped peanuts inside the dough, but the result was fine.
3. Dark chocolate in the icing – milk chocolate would have pushed this cookie into the “too sweet” range, just like “peanut butter” cookies, that don’t have enough peanut butter in them. The chocolate chips were also dark, or maybe semi-sweet.

I think the soup was $2.50, the cookie $1.50, and the sandwich $5 (everything was under $10 with tax), Jazzman’s Cafe is an inexpensive lunch option.