I love under-the-radar restaurants, especially ones with no good reason for being under-the-radar. Junction, located at the Essex Resort & Spa in Essex, Vermont, is one of these unique eateries. Lucky for us, the interactive restaurant is within a few miles drive of where we live. Over the years, the Essex Resort & Spa has become a favorite stop of ours, whether to visit the spa, enjoy a leisurely weekend brunch, or dine in the Tavern for a mid-week burger and beer at the bar. Junction, however, is a special dining experience unlike many others in Vermont… And it doesn’t carry the awareness it deserves.

The Essex Resort & Spa is grounded in education. The Resort often hosts cooking classes with celebrity chefs, cookbook authors, and other esteemed guests. In fact, Cook Academy on site hosts cooking classes every single day of the week. No matter the dining experience you’re looking for, from a grab-and-go sweet treat from their Lobby Cafe, to pub fare in The Tavern, to high-end cuisine at Junction, the Essex Resort & Spa delivers on its culinary focus.

Junction at the Essex Resort & Spa

Junction is a fine-dining destination in Vermont with an interactive and educational focus. The AAA Four Diamond and Wine Spectator award certified restaurant features seasonal menus with many of the vegetables and herbs coming from the Resort’s own gardens. The decor inside is classic, yet modern Vermont, with a worn wooden wall, accented by an oversized gas fireplace highlighting the wall. It’s luxurious but not pretentious, exactly like the cuisine and overall experience at Junction.

Our meal at Junction started with taking a seat among the eight or so seats overlooking the open kitchen. These are, by far, the best seats in the intimate, interactive restaurant. I love being able to watch the chefs call out orders to one another and interact with waitstaff. From where we were sitting, we could observe a chef delicately plate an amuse bouche, while also preparing to fire four filets or plate a duck breast entree. Having worked in a number of restaurants, I find the energy of a kitchen contagious. There’s a distinct rhythm, almost a dance-like sequence, to high-performing kitchen staff working in unison.

While we overlooked, someone was on the grill firing main courses, while someone else was using culinary tweezers to delicately place microgreens as a garnish on a first course. Yet another chef was getting artistic with the presentation of the dessert course. Having this personal engagement and interaction with the culinary team is also an easy way to see what dishes you should order. The chefs are eager to provide recommendations, answer questions, and educate you on their techniques. Or, you can simply sit back and take in the unique culinary journey.

Dining at Junction at the Essex Resort & Spa

For our recent visit, we enjoyed a vegetarian dish Winter Squash Fritters, made with zucchini, acorn squash and harissa aioli. Whenever I see Chicken Liver Pate on a menu, I need to try it. This board with red wine onions, pickled grapes, and grilled country bread was one of the best I’ve had. The pate was not too gamey and utterly creamy. We were also tempted by the Clams and Sausage dish, with homemade apple and fennel sauce and country bed, as well as the Crispy Calamari, with shallots, garlic, lemon, and tarragon aioli. Everything we saw the kitchen put out was stunning prepared and looked delicious.

For our entrees, I enjoyed the pan-seared scallops with sweet corn polenta, snow peas and rosemary brown butter. Nick opted for the filet mignon, which was the popular dish of the night, with crispy fingerling potatoes, baby carrots, and bernaise sauce. Both were outstanding and even better getting to watch the full preparation before us. We are also tempted by the Housemade Pappardelle, with broccoli rabe, spicy housemade chorizo and ricotta, as well as the Seared Duck Breast with celeriac puree, black cherry chutney and snow peas.

For dessert, we enjoyed a housemade chocolate bar and a prosciutto panna cotta… The perfect finish to a perfect meal. We can’t wait to bring family and visitors to our home to Junction for a unique evening out with stellar food in a relaxed, educational atmosphere.

Reservations are highly recommended at Junction.

• Off-season Hours: Wednesday – Sunday, 5:30 – 9:30 PM
• Peak-season Hours: Daily, 5:30-9:30 PM

Junction at the Essex Resort & Spa

70 Essex Way Essex, VT 05452

802-878-1100

*We received a complimentary dinner at Junction. All opinions are our own.