334 Cornelia Street, Plattsburgh, NY, 518-561-8301

My earliest memory is eating tandoori chicken back in New York. On Facebook, I list Indian buffets as my religion. Needless to say, living in Northern Vermont has been difficult for me.

I learned early on to stay away from the bland, greasy Indian food in the area and wait until I was in Montréal or New York to indulge. Recently, I started hearing good things about a closer option — Karma in Plattsburgh. Could I be just a ferry trip away from nirvana?

Karma was in a strip mall across from a KFC. This was the first good sign. Humble location? You must be doing something right to stay open.

4109 Shelburne Road, Shelburne, 802-985-4912

There are now plenty of places to get a locally farmed burger. However, most of those restaurants have a certain level of formality and prices to go with it. It's hard to find a local patty with all the fixings for less than twelve dollars. Burlington's The Chubby Muffin has one, but the tiny café is only open for breakfast and lunch. Enter Archie's Grill, an ultra-casual, quick service resto with the motto "A fresh approach to fast food."

Just like at a fast food spot, diners order their meals at the counter. From there, they can take their meal home or wait to bring it to one of the tables lit by blue blown-glass lamps. In an attempt to keep things as local as possible, I eschewed the Hebrew National hot dogs and chicken of anonymous origin in favor of a Laplatte River Angus Farm burger and Misty Knoll Farm turkey burger.

The turkey burger appeared on a section of the menu titled "Veggie Heads." The meat was really more like a sausage than a conventional patty, combined with a mix of feta cheese, red onion, basil and organic carrots. I found the crunch of the inarguably fresh vegetables a tad distracting. And I prefer the texture of my burger to be more uniform. The roasted red peppers on top were more my speed — soft with a fine edge of char. Chipotle aioli (identified on the menu as "chipotle aioli sause") lent the burger a mildly spicy, earthy flavor and a much-needed hint of fat. I asked for a side salad to accompany the already healthy burger. I ate it with a biodegradable fork — flatware, cups and plates are all recyclable at Archie's.

66 Pearl Street, Essex Junction 802-879-9669

It's no secret that we live in a culture of irony. Everyone knows that entertainment has become little more than a wink and a nudge these days. Just turn on the Cartoon Network. Fewer pundits have addressed irony in food.

Oh, it's there. Thousands of websites are devoted to it. Cake Wrecks blogs embarrassing birthday and bachelorette pastries every day. This Is Why You're Fat tweets peeks at excessive culinary creations several times a day.

 This outlook is helpful with a job like mine. It's better to be amused than angry at quirky service or food that is just plain weird. My visit to Grand Buffet last night was a powerful exercise in ironic eating. World, let me introduce you to "hot dog fried chicken" (right).

35 C Green Street, Vergennes 802-877-2555

The aftershocks of the first Vermont Restaurant Week are still radiating through my dining card. Ever since I received Bar Antidote's Restaurant Week menu back in April, I've been wanting to eat there. How could I not when smoked duck and maple-white-chocolate bread pudding were involved?

I finally found the time to head to Vergennes for a taste this week. I'm a hole-in-the-wall eater. I usually don't notice décor, but at Antidote, even I couldn't help but be impressed.  A mix of old-fashioned medical paraphernalia (yes, there are phrenology heads) and local art, along with green mood lighting, give the restaurant a big-city feel without sacrificing the good old Vermont comfort of padded booths. Extra points for showing "Jeopardy!" in the bar.

1355 Williston Road, South Burlington, 802-658-1838

Usually I'm the one telling my co-workers about great restaurant deals. Not this time. I'm giving credit for this particular discovery to Robyn Birgisson, an account executive here at Seven Days.

A few months ago, I tried the Rotisserie for the first time. The place's forty-year history and old school Burlingtonian-clubhouse feel drew me in. The bacon-wrapped filet I tried was very satisfying, too. But when I told Robyn about my meal, she looked at me like I was an idiot. Then she explained the wonders of the Rotisserie steak sandwich. Eight ounces of prime rib or New York strip over bread, with gravy on the side, all for less than $14. Brilliant. Why drop more than $20 for a steak, when I could get almost the same amount of meat for so much less?