It’s got a bar atmosphere with restaurant sensibilities. It’s a cocktail aficionado’s dream and a creative diner’s delight. It has great happy hour deals and a respectable late-night menu. It’s The Archer!
On the bar side of things, the Archer’s cocktail program offers strong savory notes. They aren’t afraid to infuse gin with goat cheese or garnish a cocktail with Manchego—and it works, along with balancing additions of vegetal and herbal notes to many of their creations. With regard to the menu, we were happy to see that the chef Paul Farmer and his team know their way around quite a few vegetables as well as proteins, with truly unique preparations and a throughline of unctuous flavor.
Every day until 6 p.m., order from a selection of classic drinks and snacks from $5 to $12. We recommend the dirty martini, made with Murrell’s Row mignonette gin from Georgia, and the crispy fried Japanese eggplant, a uniquely delicious and generously portioned dish served with whipped buttermilk, a citrusy herb sauce, and local microgreens from Ghost Grow.
Another standout small plate is the “okranomiyaki,” an absolutely unmissable dish that marries an okra johnny cake with the savory Japanese pancake for a match made in heaven, served on a bed of tomato molasses and topped with pickled mushrooms, housemade Kewpie-style mayo, and more microgreens—this particular evening, spring onion shoots.
For mains, order the squash alla vodka, a fusion of butternut squash, Kashmiri chili, and rigatoni, but be prepared: The staff will recommend you order it with an accompaniment of the braised short rib, and we agree that this is the correct choice.
Go all out and get the Archer Burger as well, smothered in parmesan cream and “fancy sauce,” a zesty creation you will also want to dip your fries in, ketchup be damned. You can also have this reasonably priced burger for an even more reasonable $15 off the late-night menu, with or without a cocktail of your choice for an additional $10—we consider that an irresistible deal. We recommend the delicious Black Sheep made with goat cheese-washed gin, blackberry, grapefruit, thyme, and lemon. It’s balanced perfection. Or try the Magic Dance, with bourbon, Spanish brandy, apple, sage, lemon, and egg white. Bread pudding for dessert is nonnegotiable, inspired by director of operations Chris Higgins-Johnson’s grandmother’s society cookbook (think Charleston Receipts but for Vermont): If you’re not a fan of the often-soggy texture of bread pudding, you’ll like this firmer version that comes in two pieces with a bourbon caramel and whipped cream that will have you licking the plate. You will not leave hungry, but you’ll definitely want to come back for more.
