New Chef Refreshes Menu at Waterbury's Reservoir Restaurant & Taproom 

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• Wild salmon bowl at the Reservoir

Chef Max Vogel, who has led the kitchen at Waterbury's Reservoir Restaurant & Taproom for about seven months, just launched a new menu. The restaurant, which is co-owned by Mark Frier and Phil Platt, is known for solid bar food, its in-house Big Tree Brewing beers and an extensive tap list worthy of its hometown, which is often dubbed "Waterbeer-y" for its constant flow of beer tourists.

Frier, 42, said the new food offerings represent an effort to "change things up" and shake the "stigma" of being pigeonholed as a destination for just wings and burgers. The restaurant's front bar also received a remodel, he noted.

"We're bringing in more flavors, exciting ingredients, and trying to bring in more foodies," Frier said. "Everything is from scratch."

The Reservoir has specifically expanded gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan options. A gluten-free, dairy-free wild salmon bowl, for instance, comes with brown rice, arugula, cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, avocado, edamame, roasted sweet potatoes, honey-sumac dressing and everything bagel spice.

The Reservoir's signature local-beef burgers have become smash burgers, with old favorites, such as the Bacon & Bleu, and new options including the Whiskey Maple BBQ topped with caramelized onions, smoked provolone, shaved steak and crispy onions.

In 2009, Frier bought what was then Waterbury Wings and turned it into the Reservoir. He and former business partner Chad Fry, who died in 2022, went on to open the Bench and the now-closed Tres Amigos, both in Stowe.

Vogel, 32, is a Maryland native who came to Vermont to attend the now-shuttered New England Culinary Institute. At the Reservoir, he works closely with sous chef Jacob Stowell. Vogel previously cooked at a number of Stowe restaurants, such as Harrison's Restaurant and the Club at Spruce Peak, and worked for Frier and Fry at the Bench and Tres Amigos. 

In Frier's words, it was a "lucky moment" when Vogel showed interest in stepping up to become the Reservoir's chef.