Sabbatikos

We found ourselves in Brattleboro, Vermont, for the memorial of jazz legend Jay Clayton, mother of a close friend of ours, Dejha Colantuono, at the Vermont Jazz Center.

We had driven from Boston earlier that day and had only had a single lobster roll (our first) from Luke’s Lobster. It was buttery, rich and delicious. And while Luke’s is sustainably caught, it wasn’t enough to sustain us for the day.

After we checked in at the historic and aging Latches Hotel we set out to find more food. We wandered around this quaint New England town and found ourselves at the end of a road at a little bar with a line out the door, Kipling’s Tavern.

Nestled in the heart of town, Kipling’s Tavern is the local’s heartbeat. From the moment we stepped into the tiny tavern, we were greeted with a cozy, inviting atmosphere. The rustic decor, low ceilings, vintage photographs and charming antiques lights, set the stage for a memorable dinner. While there was a line out the door, we didn’t wait long. There were only two of us so the waitress asked a few regulars to consolidate their seats at the bar and placed us next to them. We were in!

It was clear that the new owners take pride in crafting a delicious, vibrant, and rotating menu of the rich flavors of Vermont. Using locally sourced ingredients, each dish represented the region’s bountiful produce and artisanal products, from local beers and ciders to the food specials. We had a delicious local heirloom tomatoes and burrata caprese salad and ate our Kip’s Burger and excellent crisp onion rings so fast we forgot to get a picture.

We noticed the regular’s next to us were having these pink shots. “What are those?” We asked. “Timmy’s Shot. Off-menu locals-shot from the old original bar. Secret recipe, nobody knows what’s in them. The new owners were finally able to convince the previous owners to give up the secret so long as they left it unchanged”. So, we ordered a few, and on the advice of these regulars we also got the snickerdoodle salted-caramel gelato sandwich. Bliss.

The next evening, after the transcendently moving jazz memorial tribute performance for Jay Clayton at the Vermont Jazz Center, a group of us headed back to Kipling’s for dinner. As soon as we walked in the owners greeted us, “Welcome back”. We had a wait for a table, but the team at Kipling’s somehow made room for the eight of us in a four-person booth. We toasted Jay with a round of Timmy’s shots, followed by good stories, good laughs, good food and good drink. Cheers to you, Jay!

Whether you’re a Brattleboro local or just passing through, a visit to Kipling’s is a must. Gather your friends, family, or loved ones, and head to Kipling’s for exceptional food, a welcoming atmosphere, and a vibrant community spirit. It was the perfect place for us to gather to honor and celebrate the memory of our good friend, Jay.