Tip Top Cafe * * * *

Have you ever collected anything -had a prized collection that you valued above all else? Maybe you have such a collection now. I don't so much anymore but I had one when I was a kid. I collected bottle caps; all sorts of bottle caps. I kept them in big, 5 gallon buckets. Most were rusted, bent or half destroyed in some way or another but a few...just a few... were pristine. I mean like new...no scratches, no rust, not even bent (this was before the days of twist-offs). Every once and awhile I would pour them out and search for those perfect caps...those little gems that stood out from all the rest.

Well, I don't collect bottle caps now but I am still in search of something special...special restaurants that break that monotonous, over done, clichéd, food chain blah that seem to prevail in today's restaurant scene. Well I found one. A little gem named the Tip Top Cafe located in White River Junction, Vermont!

I won't dwell on the atmosphere much because that is not what makes the Tip Top so special. Its comfortable and clean with very nice wait staff. The dining atmosphere was pleasant with candle lit tables and a sort of jazzy mood music playing in the back ground. Nothing really spectacular but nothing that detracted from what really made the Tip Top special...the food.

The Tip Top website (http://www.tiptopcafevt.com/) describes its menu as American Bistro. I am not really clear what that means but they describe it as “ fun flavorful but simple plates". That works for me. The menu was very simple and almost spartan compared to some of today's large, novel-like menus. With that said, it featured a nice selection of eclectic dishes that screamed “hand picked by the chef”. No frozen, cook-by-number dishes here! One special note however...chicken finger and "pizza only" lovers need not apply. This means kids and finicky band members cuz they don't do 'em!

For starters I decided to order a glass of Pinot Noir. I like Pinot and really do not follow any red vs. white formula when ordering. I follow one rule. If you like red or white wine with your meal...get it and don't sweat it. Which brings me to a small critique; the Tip Top could do better on its wine list. Like the menu, the wine list was very spartan. I would have liked a larger selection. They also did not have my favored Frangelica at the end of the meal so it is definitely an area needing improvement.

In addition to the wine, I ordered the Pumpkin and Parmesan Risotto Cake with bacon balsamic reduction topped with a baby arugala salad . It sounds like a mouth full but let me tell you...it was wonderful. I had never had a risotto cake before but I have had “regular” risotto and can tell you it was wonderfully done – The risotto was creamy but still had enough bite to give the cake some body. The flavor was nutty and had a slightly sweet touch to it. What really made it special, however, was the bacon/balsamic reduction. Anything with bacon (pig candy) in my book, has got to be good but this stuff was simply outstanding. I have asked for the recipe to this dish and Eric Scott, owner of the Tip Top, has been kind enough to share it with me. Look for me to post it, if I decide to share it, in the near future.

I chose the Eggplant Parmesan with Spaghetti Squash Pesto as my main course. I really kind of expected regular ol' Eggplant Parm...a bed of deep fried eggplant covered in sauce with pasta (in this case spaghetti squash) on the side. Instead I was treated to an almost architectural affair. The presentation was a tower or layer cake with the pesto squash layered at the base, then followed by the lightly pan seared eggplant and finally topped with the same arugala salad as found on the risotto cake. They kind of went overboard on the arugala I think but it was still good. I guess if something works you just go with it. Anyway, the entire tower was topped with some sort of tomato reduction...not sauce mind you- it was more like a very concentrated dried tomato vinaigrette. In my opinion, the most important moment of a meal is when you take that first bite. That's the time when you decide if you like the food well enough to keep eating it. Sure, you may try it again, maybe even a third time but your mind is made up with that first taste. Let's just say it "had me at hello".

If cooked right, eggplant should not be bitter and should have a soft bite to it. This eggplant was not bitter and was tender throughout. It was very well done. I can't say I tasted the eggplant that much but then again eggplant is kinda like tofu...it tastes like what every is around it. In this case, that would be the spaghetti squash pesto. The squash was really the star of the show with creamy Parmesan and aromatic basil and garlic (OK, its called pesto) infused throughout. Rather than being an afterthought, the squash really made the dish! I found myself unwilling to even look up as I took bite after bite. It completely occupied my attention...even my trusty Blackberry phone had to take a back seat!

Finally, after my glutinous fury had ended, I put down my knife and fork and slowly looked up and guess what...I was actually happier after eating my meal than I was before I started. I wasn't just full. I felt the joy and the satisfaction of a great meal that can only come with dinning and not just eating. Now that is saying something!

You know, looking back I remember how I used to thoroughly enjoy looking for that pristine bottle cap hidden in those buckets of dingy, bent up, ugly clones. Once I found it, I would throw all the others back and put it my pocket so I could come back to it later. Well, I think I will put this one in my pocket! I highly recommend the Tip Top Cafe and give it 4 out of 5 stars. * * * *