Now that it's Winter Carnival time in Stowe, a great place to enjoy the excitement is the Rusty Nail Bar and Grill. If you haven't been there, or have gone only for the entertainment, you should know that it is a must for the food created by Chef Matt Reeve. We went recently for dinner with friends and were more than pleased by the extensive menu and intriguing, delicious items.

We had never been there before and were amazed at the space inside, which is divided into several areas. Ken Walters, the General Manager, greeted us and took us to a table in the dining room. From the window, we could see the Ice Bar, created by a company called Ice Works. It contains over 20 tons of ice which is formed into a 25-foot bar and furniture! For example, there are tall ice tables, a two-person ice throne and more. It actually encloses an 800-square foot area with 8-foot tall walls. Even if you don't go for dinner, you MUST see this!

Vanessa, our server, brought us the extensive menus and wine list. We were amazed at the selections on both and realized that it would take us a while to decide about what to order. We did order drinks and then perused the menu. After much discussion, we chose a perfect Tomato Mozzarella Salad with hothouse tomatoes, greens, pesto and balsamic drizzle; Famous Zucchini Fries-hot and crispy and a real treat; Seasoned Fried Calamari tossed with fresh herbs and tangy pepperoncini with a roasted red pepper marinade-a house specialty and one of the best calamari dishes that we had ever tasted. The Baked Bruschetta al Fresco-topped with Roma tomatoes, red onion, garlic, fresh herbs and aged Asiago cheese was gorgeous and truly delicious. Each serving was quite large and we shared a salad called Howard's Wedge (named for Howard Awand, a dear friend of Ken's). This was a wedge of excellent crisp, cool lettuce, bits of freshly-cooked bacon and a fabulous Blue Cheese dressing. We also had a bowl of freshly-made Clam Chowder that we felt could have won First Prize on Cape Cod. WARNING: Portions are rather large, so sharing is a good idea. We suddenly realized that we had ordered too much food, but the items were so good, that we could not resist.

Our main courses were a Pan Seared Pork Tenderloin that was tender and delicious. A sweet-onion-apple chutney (the recipe is included in this article) was very tasty and the Red Bliss potato accompaniment was very good, as was the veggie mixture that came with it. St Louis Style Pork Ribs, slow-cooked with a homemade Jack Daniel's barbecue sauce were gorgeous, richly-glazed and perfect. Homemade cole slaw and hand-cut fries were the accompaniments. The Shrimp Scampi contained huge shrimp (unlike that in most restaurants) and were served in a creamy, garlic white wine sauce over perfect pasta. Our fourth entree was Portabella Parmesan: a fresh Portabella mushroom cap, lightly breaded and served over fettuccine with a homemade marinara sauce, melted mozzarella and fresh Asiago cheeses. Each entree was amazingly good. Now we truly knew that the Rusty Nail is much more than a bar and music venue-it is, indeed, a restaurant.

Portions are large and perfectly cooked. And, the prices are very good, indeed. Most appetizers are in the $7 range and entrees range from $14.50 to $16.50, with steaks in the $18 to $23 range. Know also that the Rusty Nail has a Grille Menu with half-pound burgers in several styles, from classic to BBQ-Bacon, to Blackened with Bleu Cheese, Cajun and California style and Vegetarian, all in the $8-$9 range, and each comes with fries and pickle. Or zucchini fries can be substituted for the potatoes.

Desserts are wonderful! They offer a Triple Chocolate Truffle Cake, rich and wonderful; an excellent Tiramisu, terrific Kentucky Bourbon Pecan Pie, a perfect Key Lime pie, true New York Cheesecake and several ice creams. The ice cream is $3.75 and the others are $5.50 each-portions are large!

The Rusty Nail Bar and Grille is located at 1190 Mountain Road in Stowe. They are open for lunch and dinner. Reservations are not necessary, but are a very good idea. Call 253-6245.

Yesterday was the beginning of the Stowe Winter Carnival, an exciting time in Stowe, with ice carvings, ski races, great music and more. One event happening at the Rusty Nail will take place on Friday, January 20 at 4 pm. Earlier that day the Super-G Schuss Race will take place. At 4, at The Rusty Nail, Biddle Duke will give out the awards and show film of the event. The Rusty Nail has a website: www.rustynailbar.com, on which you can find all the times and dates for the musical groups that will be playing and events that are forthcoming.