Plateau Magazine June-July 2023

an office and storage space, and I kind of
freaked out,” Vos remembers. “There wasn’t
even water back there. I didn’t know how
we would build a kitchen in that space.”
But build it they did, and Vos oversaw a
total transformation of the front to what
is now evocative of an early 20th century
tavern–long, copper-topped bar, tin ceiling,
wood floors and walls covered with
torn sheets of brown paper and shellacked.
“She is responsible for how this whole place
looks, from the bar and dining room to the
bathrooms,” boasts Aydelotte.
Vos says she approaches every day in the
kitchen like Iron Chef. “I like doing what I
(Above:) A brisket and short rib patty served on a brioche bun with fermented black garlic, housepickled
green tomato, gruyere cheese and confit tomato. (Left:) Octopus Ceviche. Tender tendrils of
twice-braised octopus nestled on bibb lettuce, strewn with buttery avocado, blood orange segments,
pickled shallot and a touch of citrus dressing; Focaccia of the day. Big crusty hunks of bread studded with
whatever Chef Vos finds tasty—in this case butternut squash, cranberries and pumpkin seeds—perfectly
salted and served with miso butter, olive tapenade or chutney; Peanut butter cup cheesecake jar.
call ethnic fusion. I’m happy with all genres
as long as I can impact a lot of flavor.”
While pondering the menu, order the focaccia
of the day to share; big crusty hunks
of bread studded with whatever strikes Vos
as tasty—recently butternut squash, cranberries
and pumpkin seeds—and a perfectly
salted top, served with balls of miso butter
and olive tapenade, or maybe a chutney.
Traditionalist diners can expect to be
challenged a bit by Vos’s twist on conventional
items like the lemongrass chicken
sandwich, topped with that confit tomato
(kudos for not using off season tomatoes)
and spicy chili aioli; a marinated flank
steak sandwich; wedge salad with smoked
bacon marmalade rather than bacon bits.
Vos eschews the predictable vegetarian
portobello mushroom sandwich and instead
roasts jackfruit with house barbecue
sauce, meaty enough to convince Aydelotte
it was pork. The arugula salad with a
fan of red wine-poached pear, medallions
of dried fig, candied walnuts, two balls of
burrata and a balsamic glaze is a standout,
but come summer produce, it will be one of
many dishes that change out seasonally.
Vos sources heavily from local farmers,
forages for mushrooms and greens, and
tends a home garden from which items
will make their way to the Tavern kitchen.
The bio-degradable palm leaf bowls and
plates–the lack of space for a dishwasher
precludes the use of china–are a compatible
canvas for her ambitious artistry and
pristine execution.
Culinary adventurists will be delighted
to dig into her passion for bright, clean
Asian products, which also lend themselves
to beautiful presentations, vibrant
with color, lovely in their refinement. The
prettiest is a glistening round of pink tuna
tartar set atop pickled cucumber slices,
topped with a tangle of bright green seaweed
salad and orange masago, beside a
swoosh of pale green avocado puree sprinkled
with delicate spring flowers.
Tuna tataki is crusted with black sesame
seeds, briefly seared on the flattop, sliced
and served with rounds of watermelon radish,
seaweed salad, wasabi aioli and ramekin
of ponzu. Her red Thai curry chicken is
the word-of-mouth hit of the menu and she
makes oodles of it weekly to meet demand.
My vote for most creatively realized dish
goes to the octopus ceviche—tender tendrils
of twice-braised octopus nestled on bibb lettuce,
strewn with buttery avocado, blood
orange segments, pickled shallot and just
before serving, a touch of citrus dressing.
Vos provides dried fruits, flowers and bitters
for the bartenders, who in turn have
developed a delectable repertoire of sublime
craft cocktails and thoughtful mocktails.
Aydelotte and Vos modestly credit the
near immediate success of Highlands Tavern
to its location across the street from
Old Edwards Inn. But it’s their shared
expression of hospitality and Vos’s undeniable
talent in the kitchen that earn their
restaurant a place on Highlands’ dining
out map for locals and visitors alike. P
June/July 2023 | 105