38 Main Street, Winooski, 802-497-0289

There may be eight Vietnamese restaurants in the Burlington area, but I still get excited each time a new one opens. I'm always eager to discover new dishes, and I am also perpetually searching for the perfect pho. The one at Pho Pasteur may not be the ideal, but it is a keeper.

The lacquered bowls are pretty at cozy and clean Pho Pasteur, in the space that used to house 38 Main Street Pub. However, the soup is not one of the more attractive ones I've seen. 

Don't let its slightly bare appearance fool you. The broth packs a flavor wallop. The base is richly beefy, but the sweet, meaty notes fade in the face of a strongly aromatic mix of spices. 

As the soup approaches, the cinnamon and cloves are so dominant that it almost smells like hot cider is on the horizon. Anise provides a nice licorice twist. The beef in the bowl arrives still raw in places, but cooks to a delicious brown at the table. The basil, bean sprouts, lime and jalapeño's on the side are fresh and tasty. All-around, one of the best.

I was delighted to see several dishes I had never tried before, such as a rice dish with Korean short ribs. The mound of grain came with an ample side of nước cham, a wonderfully balanced rendition of the tangy fish-sauce-based condiment that accompanies many Vietnamese dishes. The beef was crisp and lightly charred on the outside, with an interior of sweet and gingery meat and molten fat. The carrots, cucumbers and cilantro on the plate were perfectly fresh, even though it was Sunday evening, not exactly produce prime time.

The stir fried beef with lemongrass and crushed chili peppers is a far cry from the sweet and sour flavors common in the majority of this area's Vietnamese dishes. Bright lemongrass and earthy pepper combine in a surprisingly comforting way. The whole was flavorful enough that I ate the vermicelli without giving it a nước cham bath.

The best part? There are still lots of things I want to try. For example, several unique spring rolls including ones filled with chicken or charbroiled pork meat balls (one of my favorite things). And I have to save room for an avocado smoothie. Luckily, I live nearby!

84 North Main Street, St. Albans 802-527-0669

Sometimes I wish I were a restaurant consultant instead of a reviewer. Every once in a while, I have a dinner that makes me want to grab the restaurateur by the shoulders and talk some sense into him. That was how I felt at the Blue Acorn. Nothing was inept — in fact, many things were good — but the restaurant is in need of some hand-holding.

The spellings on the menu were the first hint that something was slightly amiss. Poutine was written as "pouitini." One drink, composed of amaretto, Frangelico and Chambord, is called "Your Nuts." I assume the owners intended to assert that the drinker is crazy, but accidentally made a reference to the old dingly-danglies instead. A proofreader was clearly in order.

I ordered the apple-stuffed chicken (right), which came with a choice of two sides for $15. When I asked for risotto, I was told it had been discontinued. 

Given the name of the entrée, I expected to receive a roulade. What I got instead was two nicely seasoned but small chicken tenderloins with a pile of apple slices placed between them. I feel pretty solid on the definition of "stuffed," and this was not it. The chicken also appeared to be missing the advertised maple glaze. 

147 North Winooski Avenue, Burlington 489-5268

I recently wrote about my obsession with Chicken Charlie's. Lately, I have craved rotisserie chicken the way pregnant ladies jones for pickles and ice cream. Luckily, the North End Rotisserie opened Labor Day weekend.

It was difficult for me to drive by all week on my way to work and not stop in. I felt like the empty chicken suit waving customers in at the door was calling to me specifically. On Saturday, I finally had time for dinner at the new spot.

The bright space is filled with poultry-themed knick knacks. If you're one of those people who find chickens and their beady little eyes creepy, you will be thoroughly frightened here. 

I ordered at the counter and was served immediately. Food might be kept warm and served cafeteria-style, but it is fresh. A giant chalkboard on one wall lists the ever-changing sides, which number nearly twenty. Most entrées come with two of them. Despite that, nothing is more than ten dollars. 

I took the opportunity to try three such meals, and even with drinks, my total was less than thirty dollars.

I started with half of a rotisserie chicken ($9.49). Unfortunately, the bird had come out of a hot box, and its skin was crêpe-y and not at all crisp. The sweet glaze with which it was coated was pleasant, but I was disappointed by the lack of crunch. This is likely a growing pain, and I hope when the cooks do learn to keep the skin crisp, they are still able to produce as tender and juicy a breast as they did on Saturday.

Choosing sides was difficult, but mashed potatoes are always a must. Here, they were wonderfully clumpy, though also creamy, and tasted as much of garlic as of potato. A portion of stuffing was smooth and herbaceous. 

The options I chose to accompany my meatloaf ($8.99) — which was moist and seasoned with pleasantly smoky chipotle peppers — were less conventional. I went crazy for the orzo salad. Its dominant flavors were fresh basil and tangy feta —just my style. I was less excited about the "creamy, cheesy spinach." Though it, too, had chunks of feta, it was reminiscent of spanakopita filling, and not particularly creamy. Next time, I look forward to trying watermelon salad or baked mac 'n' cheese.

The night's greatest success was the individual-sized chicken pot pie ($4.99). it was very small, but was bolstered with a big chunk of cornbread, as are all the meals at North End Rotisserie. I have long fetishized the cornbread I got from Boston Chicken (now known as Boston Market) as a kid. These individual loaves looked and tasted exactly the same, though they were made from more coarsely ground cornmeal, and were not quite as moist as my childhood favorite.

But back to the pie: It was perfection. The big chunks of chicken were well-seasoned, the veggies (carrots, peas and celery) fresh. The sauce was creamy and flavorful with a home-y touch that I can't quite place. Maybe it was love? Either way, I'll be back for another one soon. And to try some berry bread pudding.

3 Southerberry Drive, Milton 893-3313

I miss diners. Real diners. Greek diners. I'm from the New York area, and our Vermont burger shacks, run by folks with French or English last names, just don't cut it when I'm truly in the mood for a diner experience. I missed the shiny, silver buildings that I was used to, as well. The metal monoliths have always colored my memories of grabbing a great breakfast or plate of pastitsio at one of my hometown favorites. That is, until I stepped into the Apollo Diner's gleaming embrace this weekend.

You don't expect to see a giant, metallic building in Milton, which makes the first sight of the pink and blue-edged box even more exciting. Inside, the first thing you see is a dessert case filled with huge pies, also as it should be. I was home.

Our server had to be the youngest woman I've ever seen in a diner waitress dress, but the restaurant is new and I suppose she'll age into it eventually. Though my beloved pastitsio (according to my mother, the first solid food I ever ate, and still one of my favorites) is only available occasionally as a special, there is always moussaka. To cast a wider Greek net, I ordered a combination plate.

I was particularly excited to try the sizable square of spanakopita on my huge plate. It looked so buttery, so light. Unfortunately, it was also powdery, likely the result of a pile-up of flour on the brush used to apply the butter to the phyllo wrapping the spinach pie. The inside could have used a bit more flavor, but I greatly appreciated the big chunks of feta that added a nice, salty tang.