Mi Casa Opens in Stowe; Fiddlehead Festival in Southern Vermont 

Since Mi Casa Kitchen & Bar opened last Thursday at 128 Main Street in Stowe, the $11.95 chorizo burger has been the runaway hit, say owners Paul and Laura Biron. The house sausage is topped with Chihuahua cheese, chile de árbol mayonnaise, avocado and a fried egg, and served with cassava fries.

The couple's 184-year-old Butler House building was previously home to Frida's Taqueria and Grill. What was formerly a gift shop called Gizmo's at the front of the building is now an elegantly appointed overflow area for Mi Casa, where guests can enjoy drinks while they wait for dinner.

Chef Scott Hostetter, who cooks alongside the Birons' daughter, Zoe, calls the menu "regional Mexican with a Vermont flair." That means unconventional dishes such as a duck-confit taco served with cider-braised cabbage, apples and tamarind-beet purée.

Dietician-nutritionist Laura Biron points out that most of the menu qualifies as "low-gluten" — the correct term for a non-gluten-free kitchen that serves gluten-free items. Translation? There are Mexican eats for all diets.

This weekend, May 24 and 25, the Mount Snow Valley Chamber of Commerce would like to add a little fiddle to your Memorial Day lineup. The first annual Vermont Fiddlehead Festival is a two-day, family-friendly affair celebrating Vermont's distinctive spring green and its vibrant musical heritage. "We've been looking to do a spring festival," says MSVCC festival organizer Adam Grinold. "The fiddlehead fern is a real Vermont delicacy. And it's a great name — you can have a lot of fun with a fiddlehead fest."

The event will commence on Saturday in West Dover with face painting, crafts, kids' activities and vendors. Among the wares offered by local food artisans will be Crowley Cheese, pickles and relishes from Lyman's Specialties, Eden Ice Cider, and cookies from Douglas Sweets. Riddle away the afternoon with a "Fiddle Frenzy" featuring Cajun, zydeco and New England-style tunes from Vermont stringers, followed by a block party on Sunday in Wilmington village. More info at vermontfiddleheadfestival.com.

The original print version of this article was headlined "Crumbs"