Sawmill Bar and Table

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Property Rooted in Two Centuries of Vermont History

The land beneath Sawmill Bar & Table has been working hard since 1796, when William Cragg built West Dover's first sawmill on the site. Over the following two centuries it became a working farm, then a celebrated country inn — Vermont's only member of the Relais & Châteaux chain, with a wine cellar of over 20,000 bottles and guests including Oprah Winfrey and Paul Newman. In 2019, the Levesque family and partners restored the property under the name Farm Road Estate, bringing exposed-beam ceilings, hardwood floors, and a modern farmhouse atmosphere back to life. Sawmill Bar & Table is the culinary heart of that estate.

The Kitchen Behind the Menu

Executive Chef Christopher Lauinger came to Vermont by way of Long Island, where his first position was at a three-star New York Times-rated restaurant. He worked up to sous chef before heading north to the Woodstock Inn and Resort, where a decade of kitchen leadership sharpened his focus on handmade products and local agriculture. At Sawmill, he describes his philosophy simply: "Our menu is constantly evolving to take advantage of the freshest seasonal ingredients, mixing classical recipes with a Vermont twist." Alongside him, General Manager Steven O'Hern brings experience from Twin Farms, Blackberry Farm in Tennessee, and the Hermitage Inn — a front-of-house pedigree that matches the kitchen's ambition.

What's on the Table

The menu is organized around what the Green Mountains and the estate's own garden offer at any given moment, which means every visit is likely to differ from the last. Small plates lean into Vermont's larder: Baby Beet Carpaccio with jalapeño-cucumber yogurt and pistachio crumble, Crispy Duck Strips with blueberry sauce, and PEI Mussels steamed in hard cider and mustard crème. House-rolled gnocchi arrives with estate-cured bacon, local mushrooms, and ramp crème. Larger plates include Pan Seared Scallops over creamed corn cheddar grits with ramp chimichurri, Lamb Bolognese on house cavatelli pasta, and a Grilled New York Strip with romesco and red wine jus.

The wine program earned a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2023 — a fitting nod to a property with wine in its bones. The list spans Provence rosés and Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs alongside Vermont craft beers and seasonal cocktails built around local blueberry, organic lavender, and Vermont maple syrup.

The Atmosphere

The room carries the same modern farmhouse character as the estate around it — cozy and warm, the restaurant's own words for it, and accurate ones. Farm-to-table American cooking is the through-line: honest ingredients, classical technique, and a setting in the Green Mountains that gives both chef and guest something to talk about. For a property that has reinvented itself more than once in 200 years, Sawmill Bar & Table feels like the version it was always building toward.