Cover Story
7 Nights: The ‘Seven Days’ Guide to Vermont Restaurants and Bars (2019-20)
Vermont is known for its natural beauty: The state’s rolling agricultural landscape, historic villages and rugged mountain backbone are all postcard-perfect. But living here isn’t for sissies. Even in the summer, there’s wood to split — and that bountiful backyard garden isn’t going to weed itself. To thrive in the Green Mountains requires hard work,…
For Lobster Rolls on the Lake, Head to North Hero’s Steamship Pier Bar & Grill
Early 20th-century guests to the North Hero House would often arrive by steamship. Today, the summer inn on the edge of Lake Champlain still draws guests by land and lake: They come to the aptly named Steamship Pier Bar & Grill to drink frozen cocktails and eat lobster rolls, ahi tuna burgers, pulled pork sandwiches…
Dig Into Drunken Noodles and Other Bangkok Faves at Dusit Thai in Newport
It’s hard to imagine a place more different from the steamy, bustling Thai capital of Bangkok than the quiet northern Vermont community of Newport, on the breezy shores of Lake Memphremagog. But the two locales happily collide in the cuisine at Dusit Thai, which includes fragrant basil- and lemongrass-scented curries and noodles. Dusit Thai Cuisine…
Cilantro Restaurant Brings Mexican Street Tacos to Southwestern Vermont
When Cassidy Warren started out in the restaurant business in his Illinois hometown, he often had coworkers who hailed from Mexico. “The staff meals they cooked were great,” Warren recalls, referring to the group meal served to employees before a shift. “They’d take the scraps from the kitchen and always turn them into something delicious.”…
Every Night Is Pasta Night at Mama’s Hand Made Italian in Ludlow
In 2005, Rogan Lechthaler landed on Outside magazine’s short list of people who “make a living, chase their dreams and leave the world a better place.” At the time, he was sous chef at Warren’s luxurious Pitcher Inn, where his schedule allowed for morning powder runs and hosting charity pig roasts. Today, Rogan and his…
There’s Serious Buzz Around the Middle Eastern Mezze at Burlington’s Honey Road
Burlington’s Honey Road restaurant is named for an ancient trade route in Kars, Turkey, where the women took over beekeeping and related agricultural activities when townsmen went to war. Prophetically, there’s been a buzz about the place since it opened in 2017. The woman-owned eatery has been up for more prestigious James Beard Awards than…
Samurai Soul Food Is a Sure Shot for a Fun Time in Fairlee
Visitors to super-rural Fairlee will find an unusual welcoming committee at Samurai Soul Food: a blond mannequin with a belted restaurant T-shirt barely covering her plastic lady parts — and a fat black cat named Richard, who purrs and slinks figure-eights around her ankles. Samurai Soul Food 176 Route 5, Fairlee, VT 802-331-1041 website Inside…
Sweet Simone’s Bakes Up Cakes, Croissants and ‘Happy Moments’ in Richmond
During wedding season, Lisa Curtis might bake as many as 100 ornate layer cakes, conjuring rustic-chic birch bark or gilded art-deco glamour from frosting and flowers. But Vermonters need not wait for a special occasion to sample the goods from Curtis’ kitchen. At Sweet Simone’s, the self-trained baker turns out pretty pastries on a daily…
Bristol’s Village Creeme Stand Is an Iconic Stop for Soft-Serve
A hot summer day in Bristol screams for two things: a brisk dip in the tumbling waters of Bartlett Falls, followed by ice cream at the sole spot in town that advertises, “No shirt, no shoes, no problem.” It’s the Village Creeme Stand — and if you’re accustomed to another spelling of Vermont’s word for…
Sip a CBD Cocktail and Namaste a While at Waterbury’s Zenbarn
“Eat. Drink. Be.” That’s the motto of Waterbury’s Zenbarn, where you can dig into brisket in the dining room, sip a CBD cocktail at the bar and practice yoga in the loft. Founded in the fall of 2016 by brothers Ari and Noah Fishman, Zenbarn brings together cuisine, creativity and community in a century-old dairy…
Find Kimchi and Kale Pesto at Pittsfield’s Old-Timey Original General Store
For generations, Vermont’s general stores have supplied not only basic provisions — hammers, milk, flannel shirts — but also community gathering places. In Pittsfield, that tradition continues at the Original General Store, a handsome white-clapboard building that beckons locals and travelers to pull off scenic Route 100 and gather for locavore comfort food. Original General Store…
Babes Bar in Bethel Serves Everything From Martinis to Mario Kart
Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name. If you live in Bethel, chances are that place is Babes Bar. Babes Bar 221 Main St., Bethel, VT 802-234-1144 website Since it opened in a historic former train depot at the center of town in June 2018, Babes has become Bethel’s go-to watering hole.…
Lagers Transport Vermonters to the Old Country at Stowe’s Von Trapp Brewing
At Trapp Family Lodge, the hills are alive with … heritage. As anyone who’s watched The Sound of Music knows, the singing von Trapp family had to flee their native Austria in 1938 — but they soon found a taste of home in the scenic mountains of Stowe. All these years later, all it takes…
Nourishing Food, Seasonal Flair at Kismet in Montpelier
Picture a blustery October’s eve: The wind sends leaves skittering across the sidewalk and cuts through a too-light coat to chill you to the bone. Soup weather, some might say. On nights like these, diners appreciate that Kismet’s menus are tightly attuned to the season. In late fall, the Montpelier restaurant’s plates are calibrated to…
