Oh my gosh! To say that Foxville Restaurant’s menu is extensive would most certainly be a terrible understatement! Take a look at the vast collection of breakfast fare, which include titles like Arabian Night Delight. . . “two thin crepes folded over a pleasing combination of strawberries and sliced peaches…” But it’s the “topped with gobs of whipped cream.” that made my mouth water. Gobs? All Professional Menu Creators should be this free with their descriptions. Read on through the crepe section and you’ll see that your crepes can come strawberried, cherried or blueberried, in addition Arabian Knighted. Although after talking to Foxville owner Jorge Guerrero, I’d be willing to bet you could simply ask and your crepes would be made with any and all ingredients you request. For Jorge has a passion for making his customers happy. “If anything – anything at all – is not perfect, we’ll make it right,” Jorge said as I spoke with him over a superb cup of Foxville’s coffee. (Superior is its name and this coffee lives up to it!)
Did I mention that the aforementioned menu travels to the four corners of the world and favors no particular culture? Breakfast can take you overseas with a Greek or Gyro Omelette, French Toast, Belgian Waffle or Spanish Omelette. Or visit within the sea to shining sea tasting Southern Style Biscuits and Gravy, a Western Omelette, or New York Strip and Eggs.
But although it’s served all day, breakfast is not the only repast to be explored at Foxville. Far from it! The Foxville crew is as talented at creating an all-American T-bone as it is a Greek Spinach Pie. Your sandwich could be, well. . . sandwiched between the buttery-est croissant or French bread. Or perhaps pile your ingredients in a pocket called Pita. Try the Roast of the Town . . . slices of roast beef with that famous Trio of Sauté, peppers, onions and mushrooms, then top this one with Mozzarella. Then there’s the Diamond Jim featuring ham, turkey and Swiss. My personal favorite is the Gyro Plate: beef and lamb with feta cheese, Greek olives. . . etc. And, sometimes it’s the etceteras, I enjoy the most!
During my conversation with Jorge, at first I thought his motivation as a restaurateur lay in preparing excellent meals, as he described in mouthwatering detail, the daily specials he’s been creating since taking over Foxville Restaurant in January. He described how they roast the chicken for the Swiss Enchiladas in a special oven that uses steam to maintain meats’ juices. . . then they hand-shred the chicken. .. cook fresh – always fresh -- tomatillos specially for the homemade salsa, using a light hand when adding jalapenos so it isn’t too spicy, but offers just a tiny bit of heat -- here his eyes crinkle up as he mentally tastes his unique creation. "Tomatillos are a little sweet, but their flavor is different, enhanced because of the peppers," he explains. Then he demonstrates on the table in front of him how the chicken is rolled in a tortilla, salsa’d generously, covered with Swiss cheese and baked until the Swiss melts invitingly over the whole dish. Shredded lettuce and onions top it off. Mmmm. For the record, tomatillos are the small round pale green or yellow fruit of a Mexican ground-cherry. In the expert hands of the Foxville cooks, they take center stage in this homemade salsa.
Jorge went on to describe another of his creations, the Italian Combo, which mingles Ravioli, Spaghetti and Mostoccoli beneath your choice of Marinara or Meat Sauce. "Some people like marinara better," Jorge says softly with a smile and a shrug. And, it was right then that I realized that Jorge Guerrero’s greatest passion isn’t formulating new combinations for special recipes and it isn’t his insistence on using only fresh ingredients for his made-from-scratch creations. It isn’t even his very apparent and open love for his wife, Eugenia, and their four children. Although he speaks enthusiastically about all these things, Jorge’s greatest passion is people and making them feel welcome.
"This is not a place to just sit and eat," he says. "I want people to feel at home. So, I talk to them, ask them how they are and share a joke." And, he succeeds at making his customers feel welcome. From the delight on Jorge’s face when he sees a customer come through the door to the final good-bye, you can see that he genuinely enjoys the variety of people he sees every day. And, it’s obvious that the feeling is mutual, as customers return often and greet him by name.
I asked cook Hector Macias, to name some of the dishes that went on the Daily Specials menu. He laughed, “There are so many!” And began a litany: Stuffed Peppers, Beef Stew, Tenderloin Tips, Polish Sausage and Sauerkraut. . . There are around ten each day! That would be ten for lunch and ten more for dinner. You won’t be going home hungry from Foxville, no matter what your tastes! Variety abounds.
You’ll also want to consider Foxville for your next gathering of family and friends. Groups of up to 50 people are welcomed for birthdays, anniversaries, or wedding rehearsal dinners. And, yes, you can have a cocktail or a glass of wine or beer with your Foxville meal.
Oh. And the name Foxville? According to a reliable source (the Burlington Historical Society website) it was Burlington’s name before it became Burlington. "In 1837 Moses Smith was appointed postmaster of the settlement, then called Foxville. The name was changed to Burlington on July 15, 1839."
Open seven days a week, you’ll find Foxville Restaurant at 141 North Pine Street in Burlington. . . . where there’s always something new and fresh on the menu. . . where you’ll always feel welcome.
