Cover Story
7 Nights: The ‘Seven Days’ Guide to Vermont Restaurants and Bars (2017-18)
Twenty years ago, few foodies had uttered the phrase “farm to table.” Now, nary a restaurant opens without working those three little words into its tagline. For some, the expression conjures visions of overwrought dishes: beet-brined beef cheeks, anyone? But in Vermont, “farm to table” is more than a catchphrase; it’s a vibrant complement to…
Obituary: Kathryn Mary DeVarney
Kathryn Mary DeVarney, 89, surrounded by her loving family, died peacefully at the University of Vermont Medical Center on March 8, 2018. Kathryn was born in Burlington on November 16, 1928. She married Reginald Edward DeVarney of Winooski, on May 23, 1951 at the Cathedral of Immaculate Conception. Together they raised a family of 5…
Obituary: Donald Danis
Donald Danis, loved by all who knew him, loving husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. Donald was born in Fall River Massachusetts but most recently lived in Fairfax, Vermont for the past 28 years. Donald was 89 years old and passed away at home on February 11, 2018 surrounded by his family. In the Spring…
Obituary: Hedi S. Ballantyne
Hedi S. Ballantyne passed away in Montpelier on January 27, 2018 after a short illness. She was born in Vienna, Austria on September 4, 1927 to Dr. Richard Stoehr and Marie (Eitler) Stoehr. Her early years of music and childhood were disrupted by war, as her father escaped to America, her brother to Scandinavia, and…
Obituary: Margaret R. Draper
Fairfield – Margaret R. Draper, 91, passed away December 29, 2017, at King’s Daughters Home in St. Albans, with her family at her side. She was born in Enosburg Falls, Vermont on August 18, 1926, the daughter of the late Benjamin and Jessie (Prouty Davis) Blaisdell. On August 13, 1946, Margaret married Donald A. Draper…
Obituary: Gladys Mae Clark Menkens
St. Albans – Gladys Mae Clark Menkens, 88, died on December 28, 2017, after a brief illness. A lifelong resident of St. Albans, she was the daughter of the late Merritt and Lillian (Raine) Clark. For many years, Mrs. Menkens was a teacher of second grade at the St. Albans City Elementary School, a career…
Obituary: Roger Larry Root
St. Albans – Roger Larry Root, 83, passed away on Thursday, December 28, 2017, at The Villa in St. Albans. Roger was born on March 30, 1934, in St. Albans, the son of Eugene V. and Lillian (Guyette) Root. He was a graduate of St. Mary’s Academy and BFA in St. Albans and served in…
Obituary: Doris M. Blanchard
St. Albans – Doris M. Blanchard a resident of this community and former resident of Winooski passed away peacefully, Tuesday, December 27th, 2017, at the Franklin County Rehab Center. Born on August 4th, 1924, in Winooski, she was the daughter of the late Frank and Angeline (Forgette) Bissonnette. Doris was 93 years old. On May…
Obituary: Katherine Marie Hotchkiss
Katherine Marie Hotchkiss 10/8/54 -12/25/2017 Grand Isle – Katherine passed away due to complications from cancer late Christmas night. Katherine was born in Waterbury, CT to Russell and Rose Overton. Kathy is survived by her 3 children, 13 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren; Paul Hotchkiss and his wife, Crystal, and their children, Jade (Chris), Star and…
Obituary: Florence “Flo” Hilliker Paquette
St. Albans – On December 27th, 2017, Florence “Flo” Melinda Hilliker Paquette left this world for a better place, surrounded by her loving family. Flo was born on April 2nd, 1939, the daughter of George E. Hilliker and Doris (Rogers) Hilliker. She married Deforest Dean Paquette on October 6th, 1957. Flo was very active in…
Creative Cuisine Reigns at Misery Loves Co. in Winooski
One look at Misery Loves Co.’s menu suggests you’re in for a memorable meal. Scrawled on a chalkboard above the open kitchen, each plate is a story of the season. Last summer, there was chilled asparagus soup with yogurt dashi and a spoonful of trout roe. Last fall? Three-squash salad with heirloom apples, toasted pumpkin…
Cai’s Dim Sum Delivers Dumplings and More in Brattleboro
A sign outside a sprawling gray Victorian in West Brattleboro reads “CX Silver Gallery.” Below that: “Dim Sum.” Inside, Cai Xi (pronounced “tsai-shee”) and Adam Silver, a quirky pair of empty nesters, serve dim sum in their first-floor art gallery. By far the most authentic Sichuan-style Chinese food in Vermont, it’s available most days — with…
Bennington’s Bakkerij Krijnen Crafts Classic Dutch Pastries
Some say that you eat with your eyes first — but it’s the deep, sweet smell of butter and browning sugar that beckons customers into Bakkerij Krijnen. In the semi-open kitchen, Hans Krijnen crafts the homemade breads and pastries he learned to make as a young baker in Holland. “I always wanted to be a…
Smokin’ Butt’s BBQ Brings the Smoke at 14th Star Brewing in St. Albans
14th Star Brewing Co. began as a battlefield dream. While serving a yearlong tour in the Afghanistan desert’s Andar District in 2010, avid homebrewer Steve Gagner bounced ideas around with the men in his company. With their encouragement, he researched commercial brewing and envisaged a business plan. After returning home to St. Albans, Gagner and…
With Chef-Owned Parson’s Corner, Barton Embraces New American Diner Updates
In the shadow of the Barton United Church is a 150-year-old parsonage. Once home to a Unitarian minister, its Bible-browsing days are over. Now its breakfast is what’s divine. Starting at 5 a.m. daily — except on Tuesday, when the diner is closed — Parson’s Corner chef-owner Dave Rath griddles up chrome classics for a…
Après Anything in Stowe, Dig Into Burgers, Beers and Small Plates at Doc Ponds
In an 1876 Vermont court case entitled The State of Vermont vs. One Keg of Lager Beer, one Dr. Pond testified in defense of lager. He helped convince the court that the beer was nutritious and — at a mere 4.6 percent alcohol — could be consumed in mass quantities without drunkenness. It was patently…
Garden-Fresh Fare at West Fairlee’s Middlebrook Restaurant & Market
Few stumble upon Middlebrook Restaurant & Market. Along a back road deep in the hills of Orange County, the place is way off the beaten path. But the locals and summer residents who populate the lake houses and camps around Lake Fairlee know where to find it — the restaurant is their spot for celebrations…
New Takes on French Classics at Burlington’s Bistro de Margot
The restaurant as we know it was invented in France, and, for a long time, going out to dinner in America meant eating French food. Even when more varied spots later sprung up, visiting a fancy restaurant still meant ordering aubergines grillées instead of grilled eggplant. Some places went so far as to rebrand the…
Find More Than Java at Rutland’s Speakeasy Café
“Lids, sugar, honey — everything you need is right behind you,” said Bridget Scott, passing a luxuriously frothed cappuccino across the counter. “I like to hit the top with a little cinnamon before I cap it,” she added with a smile. Just two years after getting into the coffee business, Scott opened doors to downtown…
Love and Fresh Fruit at Bristol’s Lu•lu Ice Cream Bar
Laura and Martha Mack worked their first restaurant shifts as toddlers. In the farm-to-table kitchen of Mary’s Restaurant at the Inn at Baldwin Creek, chef-owner Doug Mack hitched his daughters to a carrier pack on his back as he worked the line. The sisters grew up in the heat of that kitchen, sampling the various…
In Brookfield, Ariel’s Serves Seasonal Fare With Global Inflections
From Brookfield’s famous floating bridge, Sunset Lake reflects gently distorted maple trees, the docks that dot its perimeter and an old red barn with a missing windowpane. Here chef Lee Duberman and sommelier Richard Fink operate Ariel’s Restaurant out of the sprawling farmhouse they share with their sons, Simon and Noah. Given the rural setting,…
At Wilaiwan Kitchen in Montpelier, Authentic Thai Kicks Up the Spice
On a subzero winter’s day, a crowd gathered on the sidewalk outside 34 State Street in Montpelier. A young woman, underdressed in a skirt without tights, crossed her arms and legs, folding her body inward for warmth. Others tucked their noses into coat collars to keep Old Man Frost at bay. Together, they shuffled slowly…
Find Cozy Comforts and a Swingin’ Salad Bar at Waitsfield’s Home Plate
Waitsfielders flock to Home Plate for the same reason they go to a Mad River Valley Little League game. At this breakfast and dinner spot tucked away off Route 100, there’s a good chance they’ll run into a family friend, a childhood babysitter, their kids’ coach — or all of the above. Owners Ashley and Matt Woods and Don…
