Food

From Mexican to greasy spoons to farm-to-table fine dining, restaurants in the state of Vermont to travel like a local.

Hired Hand Brewing Co - Vermont Brewery

Hired Hand Brewing Co, Vergennes, Vermont

Over my years living in Middlebury, I spent many evenings enjoying a burger and a beer in the basement bar and restaurant known as Bar Antidote just up the road in Vergennes. It’s, by far, one of the best restaurants in Addison County. Bar Antidote’s has frequent live music and […]

Mad Taco Essex

Mad Taco Comes to Essex

When I lived in Middlebury, taking the winding road up the App Gap with the sole destination of The Mad Taco in Waitsfield was a favorite (and frequent) road trip of mine. Over the years, I’ve developed nothing short of a love affair with the Mad Taco. I […]

Special Occasion Restaurants in Vermont

Best Vermont Restaurants for Special Occasions

One of my favorite Facebook messages to receive is this: “Erin, it’s our {enter special occasion here}. We need your recommendation for the best Vermont restaurants to celebrate!” This happens frequently. I always throw out ideas for my favorite Vermont restaurants for special occasions across the state. Some […]

Scout Coffee Shop in Vermont

Best Coffee Shops in Burlington, Vermont

Someone asked me yesterday which I prefer: Dunkin’ Donuts or Starbucks. My answer? Neither. In Vermont—specifically the Burlington area—we have so many options for locally roasted coffee that I never find myself dropping by a coffee chain for a caffeine fix. When it comes to coffee, I don’t […]

Best Vermont Cheese

Vermont’s Cheese Trail: The Best Cheese in Vermont

You know you have a problem when one of the vegetable bins in your fridge is dedicated to Vermont cheese: aged cheddar, extra sharp cheddar, kid-approved mild cheddar, vintage cheddar, alpine cheddar… cheese slices, cheese shreds, cheese snackers. You get the point. See, I have what some might think is a […]

Simon Pearce Restaurant, Valentine's Day in Vermont

Where to Celebrate Valentine’s Day in Vermont?

Recommendations for Celebrating Valentine’s Day in Vermont Oh, Valentine’s Day. Whether you’re in the love-it or hate-it category for Valentine’s Day, consider going beyond the chocolate, flowers, and material things this year. Instead, experience something new together and make a lasting memory with your significant other. (Although really, a box […]

Nomad Coffee, Essex, Junction

Nomad Coffee, Essex, Vermont

The Cutest Coffee Truck: Nomad Coffee I’m a sucker for good coffee (the stronger and darker the better). Carrier Roasting Co., Capitol Grounds, Brio Coffee Works, Vermont Artisan Coffee & Tea and, of course, the many makers of cold-brew coffee are a few of my ever-evolving favorites in Vermont right now. So, […]

Dorset Inn, Dorset Vermont

The Dorset Inn, Dorset, Vermont

When traveling south on Route 30 from Middlebury to Dorset for a mid-week getaway in the quaint New England town, I found myself winding through tiny towns and around lakes, past artisan galleries, general stores, and more barns and silos than I could count. Within a few miles of […]

Bouillabaise - Bleu Northeast Seafood

Bleu Northeast Seafood, Burlington, Vermont

When I was in college at Middlebury, I spent my summers on Campobello Island, an eight-mile by three-mile island on the Bay of Fundy that also is home to FDR’s 34-room summer “cottage”. It’s really rural and makes Middlebury—and most Vermont towns—look like a thriving metropolis. There are no traffic lights for 75 […]

Best Creemees in Vermont - Village Creeme Stand

The Best Creemees in Vermont

You say soft serve, Vermonters say creemees. But nothing says it’s summer in Vermont more than your first creemee of the season. Whether you opt for the traditional vanilla-and-chocolate twist or a maple creemee, or a harder-to-find coffee, orange creamsicle or black raspberry flavor, creemees are a stable of a […]

The Lake House Pub & Grille on Bomoseen

The Lake House Pub & Grille, Bomoseen, Vermont

I remember the first time I stepped inside the Lake House Pub & Grille, located on Route 30 overlooking Lake Bomoseen. I was meeting a friend from Killington nearly 10 years ago, and I fell hard for the little hole in the wall with stunning views of the lake, which […]

275 Main, Pitcher Inn, Best Restaurants in Vermont

The Best Vermont Restaurants You’ve Never Heard Of

There is no shortage of excellent restaurants in Vermont. I’m not talking just farm-to-table, splurge-worthy restaurants either. From divey taco shops (looking at you, Mad Taco) to wood-fired burger joints (hello, Worthy Burger) to beer bars with the best nachos you’ll ever eat (I’m coming for you, Blackback Pub), […]

Cold Brewtus

Cold Brew Coffee Makes a Splash in Vermont

I’m one of those people for whom coffee is a sacred morning ritual. It’s not necessarily about the caffeine—although who doesn’t like an extra pep in their step—but rather the act of sipping down with a piping hot coffee before starting the day. With so many good coffee producers […]

Vermont Top Chefs - Five Questions

5 Questions with Vermont’s Top Chefs

Between high school and college, I took on my first hospitality job at a Relais & Châteaux property in Darby, Montana: Triple Creek Ranch. I was fortunate to learn the ins and outs of fine dining from a chef who set the staff aside before service every day […]

Visit the Mad River Valley, Waitsfield, Vermont

Visit Vermont: The Mad River Valley

If I had to choose one town to live in for the rest of my life, I would pick Waitsfield, Vermont, every time. When I hit the peak of the Appalachian Gap and start making my way down into the Mad River Valley, I get a giddy “welcome home” feeling even though […]