The Gleanery

Was in the area for a weekend and had a chance to try this place due to Unilocal review. The food was delicious.
To start off, the bread and lemon/​line butter was different but very good. Wished the hostess/​waitress came around asking if we wanted more. We ordered a pot of tea and was never ask for a refill nor if we want anything else to drink.
Had the Lamb dish and it was one of the best lamb dish I have ever had. The sauce was perfect. Just wasn’t a fan of the beets (very dried) and kale salad that goes with it. The Empanadas was good also.
Overall great food but poor services.

Several years after eating here I still check to see that it’s still open, hoping that I’ll pass through the area on I-​91 again sometime soon. This is an ideal restaurant for a detour on a trip through this part of New England. As I recall it the food and the atmosphere were like a distillation of its environment, or at least the tourist’s idealized notion of its environment. In either case I’m not complaining– there’s a reason I spent hours in a car to be in this part of the country– to enjoy places like this set on little village greens, with columnated porches, wood-​beamed rooms lighted with milk glass pendants, etc. One may continue to argue that it’s as much a contrivance as any similarly-​decorated place in Brooklyn claiming farm-​to-​table food and I invite him or her to read Jean Beaudrillard or Dona Brown. It doesn’t matter when the food was so good. I had an omelette with coarse ground pepper, cheese, young greens and crispy, cubed root vegetables for a perfectly-​composed, early spring lunch on the porch. It may have been the best omelette I’ve ever had in my life, and being in such a lovely environment was as much an ingredient as any in the food.

Road trip treasure! Great service.
Local to local food. Great teas. I’m a fan of rooibos, and theirs was great. Everything is made in house. Table bread was a fantastic brioche.
We were both in the mood for burgers. My wife got the lamb, I got the beef. Freshly baked brioche buns, so legit.
I would detour just to visit this place again.

Great vegetable based meal with local ingredients and the sweetest staff this side of the Mason Dixon.

My friends and I had dinner here tonight. It was WONDERFUL! You’re in for a treat! The food was inventive, different… even the butter was pleasantly spiced to spread on the homemade challah. The flavor combinations were unique and so delicious! I had the burger… Best burger I’ve ever had! My friend had the lamb, it was tender and juicy, served with homemade pasta and grilled to perfection. The flatbread with grilled veggies was delicious and the husk tomatoes were a special touch with their bursts of sweetness.

I brought my kids (two teens) to dinner here a few weeks ago on Sunday for «family style dinner». While it was a limited menu, there was something for everyone and the availability of seconds on any of the dishes– including dessert!- made for a delicious and filling meal, even for my 15 year old eating machine. The atmosphere is warm and relaxing and while it might make for a romantic date night experience, it is also very comfortable and casual. There is no liquor license presently (I was told they are working on that) but I was able to bring my own beer. Our server Cory was excellent– fun and enthusiastic– and Liz, the owner is the consummate host. We had a blast and my kids have already requested we go back.

We chose this restaurant based on the positive Unilocal reviews, mouth-​watering photos, and convenient location. When we arrived, we learned that since it’s Sunday, dinner would be served family style. We were a little disappointed that we wouldn’t be able to try any of those mouth-​watering dishes we saw online, but we decided to give it a shot.
The waitress told us it was byob so we could run across the street and buy something if we wanted. We happened to have some beer in the car so my fiancé ran out and grabbed a can which we shared. I asked the waitress for a couple glasses which she fetched. I noticed on the literature left at the table, that they have a «corking fee» for uncorking wine, pouring wine, or providing frozen beer glasses. I thought this was annoying, but was glad to have cold glasses since the can had been in the car since we left Waterbury 3 hours before and wasn’t really cold anymore. However, the glasses arrived at room temperature. I didn’t say anything though because I figured that meant at least we weren’t being charged the «corking fee.»
We had a decent salad and great dinner. The chicken was actually shockingly good. The dessert was an odd combination of very thin slices of a rich, delicious, flourless chocolate cake; a small dollop of sour cream; and a few very small mango slices. Overall, we all enjoyed the food and the ambiance very much and decided that we wanted to come back.
Then the bill came. It may sound silly that something like this left such a bad taste in our mouths, but it did. My fiancé and I each were charged a $ 3.50 «corking fee» for the privilege of using their *unchilled* glasses to split a can of beer. We spent $ 7 to be allowed to share a can of beer!!!
I’m sorry, but that’s ridiculous. Over the course of the meal, I went from wanting to tell all my friends in Vermont to eat there to not wanting to go back again.

Tonight was our first dinner at The Gleanery, and it will not be our last. We went for Sunday dinner, which is a prix fixe dinner served family style. Normally, I like to choose what I’m going to eat, but the food at The Gleanery was truly superb and I would not hesitate to have any dish they served. The dinner consisted of salad; a main course of lamb and chicken with crisp vegetables, potato and parsnips; a delicious desert. We brought our own wine and they served it for a nominal uncorking fee. The setting was lovely and the service was great. Can’t wait to go back.

I often think Americans have too large portion sizes, so I was happy to see a small plate set on our table. Then the waitress told us we were supposed to share it. Absolutely ridiculous. When we asked for some more, all we got was another small plate of noodles without sauce or meatballs.
However, what small amount of food we did get was excellently seasoned and delicious.
Thats what I would say if the meal wasnt 62 $ and later gave us food poisoning. If you value your health or your sanity, do not go here.

The room is very nice, particularly with the fire. Despite reviews, the wait staff was nice enough. The Portlandia comment applies, but was expected. The prices however, do not match the food. The food was not only under seasoned, but sometimes undercooked (including RAW potatoes). It does not matter if the food is local, organic, biodynamic, or über-​sustainable if it does not taste good.
Will not go back, there are multiple better places (and cheaper!) in the area.

Like many reviewers, I wanted to like the Gleanery. It is a lovely restaurant in a beautiful scenic place, perfect place, really. Our waitress was not aloof, very pleasant although I started to think of that Portlandia restaurant episode, but that’s just me, never mind. We spent $ 94 for two appetizers two entrees and a dessert we shared. My husband had the burger which was nicely presented but 2or 3 potatoes on a board? I had the risotto which was just ok, under seasoned but I get they want the local vegetables to shine through. It had a poached egg on top that was rubbery and flavorless. The dessert was outrageously bad. Rubarb bread pudding with ice cream was dry, hard, cold and where was the Rubarb? bread pudding is so hard to get wrong. If they can get the food to be a little tastier and less focus on the uppity «More local than thou» attitude, The Gleanery could be a wonderful restaurant.

I am from San Francisco where food is EVERYTHING! Travelling across country can be tricky as I am always concerned about finding good food. When we arrived in Putney to check out a local school for our daughter I was so excited to find the Gleanery that I practically kissed the floor. Lis was so welcoming and helped us to feel comfortable in her home town.
Aside from a wonderful warm and inviting aesthetic that the owners have created the food was amazing. I dream about the food there and look forward to a meal or two when coming to visit.
The concept of supporting the farmers and creating amazing meals with what they can’t sell is enough to make me want to support them but it is really a no brainer as the food is scrumptious and beautifully presented to boot!
The challah they make and sell at the café is the best ever!

I just had dinner at The Gleanery. It is delicious. Fresh, clean, unique food. Beautiful warm, peaceful ambience. I can’t recommend it enough.

Delicious and a great value. Serves creative local food in an attractive dining room. BYOB. Worth a trip into Putney for dinner if you are driving on I-​91. It’s fairly close to the interstate.
I can’t describe how great the food is. It is really excellent.

I love this place! The ambiance, the menu, the food. I went with the beet salad and seared tuna. Both were perfect.
I will definitely be back when I visit Vermont again!

This new «slow food joint» serving locally sourced food is one of the best new restaurants in the Monadnock region. The chef hails from California originally and this is reflected in the food which simply prepared and presented with an emphasis on flavor. Some of the wonderful dishes I have enjoyed on my two visits (so far) were a whole cooked Branzini and pan seared cumin chicken with curry rice and string beans — note menu varies based on availability. The desserts, in particular the blueberry cheesecake, are also very good. The room is beautiful with a shaker style simplicity including exposed beams, a large fireplace and beautiful wooden tables and simple, elegant flowers and candles. No alcohol is served but you may bring your own wine or beer. Just off exit 4 on 91, I highly recommend this restaurant and hope it thrives as it is a welcome addition to the area.

Delicious! Local sourced and fresh food. When there is thought and care put into the preparation you can taste it. Pickled veg was a great start. Bean stew was loaded with flavor and slow cooked. Final dish was black pepper gnocchi. Home made but I think small size made them slightly dry. But rest of dish was appetizing and great tastebwith roasted veg and parm.

We live in the area, and wanted to try this new restaurant that was funded initially through a Kickstarter and CSA-​type of share investment. The Gleanery is a cooperative restaurant, with a community-​themed palate to offer back in return.
We brought out daughter with us, in order to treat her to a new and sophisticated restaurant in the area, with a rising reputation for fantastic food, and we weren’t disappointed.
Candles flicker on the soft wood tables, all locally-​made with sustainably-​sourced materials; every piece of art, and each stone cup, or plate, were all lovingly crafted from artisans in the vicinity. The Shaker-​like feel of the place even has a long center table with which to share your meal upon, whike sitting next to people you don’t know. There are also many private tables.
The artwork on the walls is by Putney, Vermont photographer, Lynne Weinstein. These works are subtle and beautiful in their large format photographic plates – each photo reveals the intricacies of the natural world – with close-​ups of clusters of apples, or ripened grape vines on the verge of decay.
The the floor-​to-​ceiling brick fireplace was lit and crackling, displaying a softer light that danced around the room. It is easy to imagine a real tavern from the days of the stagecoach and the weary travelers huddled around a common table… The building itself is called The Tavern, the name of this wonderful restaurant, The Gleanery.
Taken from the name for gleaning the fields after the harvest, it speaks to the local food provided by the southern Vermont farms it sources from – within each menu is a calligraphed list of each artist’s name, and the farms where most all the food comes from.
The integrity with which the ambiance has been created is carried through with the superb menu and the food served. For a starter, we tried the arugula salad with traces of fresh, perfectly-​cooked beets, and tiny croutons along with bits of goat cheese; we also sampled the grilled polenta, with strips of melted cave-​aged goat cheese from Vermont Shepherd literally down the road, and tossed raw egg yolk.
For our main course, we opened our bottles of Shipyard ale, and Liz Ehrenberg, one of the founders, brought us glasses and chatted amiably about the place, and its history.
For our main courses, my husband had the beef tenderloin, which was a served extremely rare to his delight. The dish was served in a deeper-​than-​plate ceramic dish and smeared with delectable gravy and a lightly-​tossed arugula salad complimenting the rich main dish.
Our daughter remarked on how fresh everything tasted; indeed when her dish of quail was presented she was a bit taken aback at the tiny birds splayed on the plate being so small and obviously from the wild!
Her dish was served with the two small quail hens herb-​crusted, delicately seasoned, and baked to perfection. The chef, Ismail Samad, also prepares the main dish to accentuate the vegetables and accoutrements with a reverence to the importance being divided among the food groups, thereby giving less emphasis to the traditional main course of meat being front and center. The quail dish had a medley of sautéed onions and red peppers and roasted sweet potatoes cut into half dollar sizes and cooked to perfection.
I decided to try the «Chef’s Whim,» and I have to admit I was nervous – I have a restricted diet and am gluten-​free. Maura said not to worry, and she would relay that to the chef. I also told her to tell Ismail that I rarely ate red meat, but if it was locally raised with no antibiotics, I would don my «flexitarian» hat and be willing to try. I was not disappointed! My dish was a medley of strip steak, from slightly rare to medium, flavorful and not tough at all – a tarragon sauce was an incredible bit of spice on the side of the plate, artfully displayed; the lightly tossed arugula salad was the perfect compliment.
For dessert, my husband and daughter split a crème brûlée flavored with Earl Gray tea. Since I don’t eat anything with sugar, I was content with my peppermint tea and honey, served in the local potter’s mug and the honey was made at a local apiary as well.
The price for the three of us was really quite reasonable, considering the world-​class food we were served. Since The Gleanery is a BYOB restaurant, you can save a lot of money by carrying in your alcoholic beverages.
The fact that another co-​owner, Alice James, preserves and cans local fruits and veggies that are a bit past their prime, is the perfect compliment for their dishes: pickles and jellies made from the gleaning of the harvest, thereby supporting the farms even more by purchasing slightly over-​ripened goods that they cannot sell commercially.
I would recommend this restaurant to everyone, and while we can only afford to go for special occasions, it is going to be the place we support and enjoy.

Wow. Went here last night. It’s really beautiful inside, with exposed beams, a fire in the fireplace, wood tables of all different sizes and black and white photos of food in all it’s glory. The menus are single sheets of paper, very simple and easy to read.
Inside, there are several 2-​top tables, some 4-​tops, a 6 – 8 top, and one long table down the middle that could fit a large group, although last night it was being seated family style.
We stopped across the street and bought a bottle of wine. The waitress provided wine glasses and an opener. There were 4 of us and we spent $ 13 on wine; what a great deal.
Now the food. I’m gonna wow again. They bring out fresh bread with a garlic olive oil and a homemade butter. Our butter turned out to be a jalapeño, hibiscus and lime. We ordered the charcuterie, which had housemade breasola (amazing), duck proscuitto, lambs head cheese, rabbit pâté, roasted grapes, and one other meat thing that I forget. This came with 2 kinds of bread and a dollop of strong mustard.
On to entrees. I was tempted to order the «Chef’s Whim,» which the waitress informed me is always creative, and there was nothing else that she could say about it, because it was different every time. I had already committed to sharing two dishes, so I skipped it for now. Turns out, my goat cheese and walnut mushroom ravioli was amazing. Maybe 7 or 8 homemade raviolis, with an (amazing) walnut balsamic sauce and some roasted fennel slices. To top it off, a poached duck egg. I should have licked the plate. I shared in the hanger steak, with a potato hash (yummy), and some kind of sliced veggies, maybe pickled (?). My step-​mom loved her quail and cassoulet so much that she declined trying any of our food, and also declined sharing hers. The food is just that good.
Dessert and coffee. Chocolate on chocolate, vanilla and something delicious crème brûlée. Everybody got an individually made coffee or tea. The man who dropped off the coffee explained where it came from.
Everybody was super nice, very professional and provided just the right level of service. Nothing took forever or wasn’t done correctly the first time. It was truly an amazing dining experience, I wish there were six stars on Unilocal

We had the most amazing food at the Gleanery tonight! We were headed up to northern Vermont and happened to stumble upon this gem. The food was nothing short of spectacular, the lamb cooked to perfection served with some sort of handmade pasta that was to die for. The dessert was a trio of decadent delicacies that were not only beautifully presented but delicious too. The waitress told us that the food is all locally sourced, which I always like supporting.
If you’re in the Putney area, exit 4 off of interstate 91, make sure you stop, it will be we’ll worth it! I know I’ll be back :)