This time of year I always find myself wondering why we choose to live in Burlington. It's cold out there; very cold, and it seems to snow every day. That's fine for skiers and boarders, but for me, well, at the bottom of the slopes, right next to the parking lot, there is a lodge, with a fire place and a nice selection of single malt scotch; why would I want to go up to the top and risk life and limb just to end up at the place I started; the place I really want to be?

Then we'll decide to go out for dinner or a glass (okay, bottle, or two) of wine, and I think about choices available to us, and I'm amazed at the number of choices we have in such a small town. What amazes me more is that when I talk to other people who appreciate decadence, they have often never heard of our favorite places.

We're going to try to remedy that by reviewing local restaurants and bars. Whenever we go out we'll post a review here. If you have a favorite secret spot that deserves a little attention, let us know and we'll go their and post a review.

Until then, if you're looking for a good political discussion (of the liberal persuasion) and some excellent hand-crafted beer, we recommend you stop by for our local chapter meeting of Drinking Liberally. They meet at 8:00 every Thursday night at American Flatbread, on St. Paul Street, across from City Hall Park, in Burlington. The bartenders know their beers well, so tell them what you like and they'll set you up.

Epicurus