The Times Ink! - July, 2003
Dine Around Richmond: The Kitchen Table Bistro
by Bill Haddock
Steve and Lara Atkins opened the doors of their new restaurant, The Kitchen Table Bistro, at the end of February and have added a touch of elegance to dining out in Richmond. The restaurant occupies the charming 200-year-old Thomas Chittenden building, where Chequers used to be, at the intersection of Route 2, River Road and I-89. The new establishment has been receiving excellent reviews from Richmond residents. The Atkinses, who live upstairs in the building with their eighteen-month-old son, Gabe, are delighted with the response they have gotten from the community.
"We are doing well," says Steve Atkins. "It started out quietly, but it has really picked up over the weeks we've been open. It's been better than we could possibly have expected, so far. People seem to be spreading the word." Steve, the principal chef, is a tall red head with a quietly pleasant sense of humor. He seems to think a bit before he answers questions.
Atkins was born in Virginia into an IBM family. He moved to Vermont when his father was transferred to the Essex Junction plant. He entered second grade in Shelburne and continues on through to graduation at Champlain Valley Union High School. "Vermont is definitely my hone," says Atkins. "I went to Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, and worked toward and undergraduate degree in biology. I helped pay for my college by working at several restaurants during summers. I realized half way through my senior year that I'd made the wrong choice for a career direction. I wanted to be a chef. After graduation i worked for Cafe Espresso in Williston. In August of 1995, I began the two-year training at the New England Culinary Institute (NECI). And that's where I met Lara, who entered NECI at the same time."
The pair went to California's Napa Valley for their NECT internship, and the kind of learning they both were doing there felt even more vital and exciting than NECI. So they both decided to forgo the second year of the training. "We have nothing but good feelings for the NECI program" says Lara Atkins. "We just realized that our learning curve was better actually doing the job in California."
Lara Atkins is a pretty blond with an easy smile and a ready laugh. A few minutes of conversation reveal the soft and gentle dialect that betrays her background - she grew up in Tennessee.
Lara received her undergraduate degree in premed at Vanderbilt. "After school I had plans to pursue a career in medicine and went to work in the medical school at Vandy to learn something about the profession, in a 'hands on' fashion. What I learned was it's not for me. It just wasn't any fun, no humor, no laughter, all business. So I quit. I applied for a job at a restaurant that was a short walk down the street from my apartment, mostly because it was close. The woman who owned it gave me a real break and hired me as a prep cook. I loved the food and the environment. Restaurant people are really very interesting, fun people to spend your time with. Even though I'd had no training as a cook, as a child it felt like a natural place for me. As a family we ate out a lot when I was a kid. It was always a celebration of life for me."
Lara came to Vermont for NECI. She knew when she crossed the state line that this was where she's supposed to be.
The couple's preference for the sensuous is quite evident at The Kitchen Table. The senses are subtly stimulated by the understated decor, Hubbarton Forge light fixtures and walls painted a mild green, hung with artful black and white photographs of local scenes. The floors, newly replaced or refurbished, emit a warm glow. The new wooden chairs are quite comfortable for sitting for a leisurely dinner. The food is excellent, and beautifully presented. The colorful desserts are marvellous.
The one-page a-la-carte menu, a model of simplicity, features "small plates", "large plates", and "sweet plates." The small plates - hors d'oevres, salad, soup and light meals - start at $6. The large plates are dinners including salmon, lamb, steak, pork, and chicken and a veggy plate. The prices vary from $13-$18. The sweet plates are, of course, the desserts, and are the responsibility of Lara, the pastry chef. They have beckoning names like "Tahitian Vanilla Creme Brulee," and "Molten Chocolate Cake with Cherry-Vanilla Ice Cream."
The staff at the restaurant consists of the two chefs, three other kitchen staff, two waitspersons and a dining room manager Steven Foux, who also attended NECI.
The Kitchen Table Bistro is open evenings Tuesday through Saturday. There is a full bar and an extensive wine list. Reservations are recommended: 434-8686.