Eggs Benedict for Breakfast, Maple Meringues for Dessert at Chef’s Corner in Williston 

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• Matthew Thorsen
• Chef's Corner in Willston

There aren't too many neighborhood eateries left at Taft Corners in Williston, the big-box capital of Vermont. With its ever-changing chalkboard menu of specials, Chef's Corner bears little resemblance to a "chain." But like one, it's open seven days a week, for breakfast and lunch.

Loyal customers, from young families to snowy-haired retirees, line up at the counter to order Belgian waffles, ham-studded quiche or wedges of hearty tourtière, a flaky-crusted French-Canadian pork pie served with tangy cider ketchup. Plus, there are colorful concoctions in the deli case, dished up by the pound. On a given day, take-out types might be tempted by endive leaves stuffed with curried shrimp, roasted-corn salad with bacon or verdant asparagus spears drizzled in dressing.

Sweets await, too: maple meringues, myriad cookies, and fancier French pastries with pastry cream, rose-colored raspberry mousse or lemon curd.

click to enlarge

• Matthew Thorsen
• Chef's Corner in Willston

Neighbors sit elbow to elbow in the yellow-and-coral sponge-painted dining room. Through an arched picture window, the chef-owners and their young charges can be seen moving briskly around the kitchen. Water and coffee service is DIY, but if you order a mimosa or a pot of hot tea — which arrives with a complimentary sugar cookie — one of the junior staffers will deliver it. The same goes for your order.

On any given Sunday, Chef's Corner might be cooking up four types of eggs Benedict, ranging from classic smoked salmon on homemade brioche to a German sausage-and-sauerkraut version. Regardless of the fixings, the runny-yolked eggs will be slathered in creamy hollandaise sauce with just the right amount of lemon tang.

You won't find that at Denny's.

This article was originally published in 7 Nights: The Seven Days Guide to Vermont Restaurants & Bars in April 2010.