Need fav's for 4 day Vermont trip this weekend

[oliver_selwyn]

Hello, thanks in advance or your kind advice.

My wife and I are first time peepers coming up from NYC, Thursday. While we eat everything, we particularly enjoy quality (locally sourced) ingredients and unpretentious service. New England specialties are a plus. We prefer really good food to white tablecloth dining (that said it's hard to argue with a really good meal anywhere!) We need both lunch and dinner recomendations for all cities below (or nearby). Please mention if it is a lunch or dinner rec and the address if you have it. We prefer to spend less versus more, but a costly meal won't kill us. Oh, bonus points for a nice view/good atmosphere.

Middlebury - where we are staying
Manchester
Woodstock
Montpelier
Burlington

Cheers, Oliver

[Noank Native]

I recommend Simon Pierce in Queechee (10 min from Woodstock). You can watch glass being blown downstairs, buy gorgeous glass and pottery, and the dining room is beautiful as well as having really good food. It's a special place.

[Tupelohoney44]

When you are in woodstock, make a trip about 15 minutes north on 12 to Barnard.. The Barnard Inn is amazing, no res. but worth the wait in the tavern. Or go for the dining room, it's expensive, but worth it. This couple can cook and the drinks are perfect (thanks christine!).

[katiepie]

I live in Burlington and second all of biggirlco's recommendations. My favorite restaurant in town is Trattoria Delia. Although it's pricey, Shelburne Farms is incredibly beautiful this time of year, and would be well worth every leaf-peeping penny. You would need to make reservations for either of these restaurants NOW. I would also add:

Magnolia for breakfast or lunch (an innovative menu with fresh, local ingredients) http://www.7nvt.com/7n/listing.htm?establishment_id=759

The Green Room for appetizers and drinks: http://www.greenroomvt.com/

Also, when in the Woodstock/Queeche area, Simon Pierce is the place to go for lunch.

Have fun!

[ericd74]

If at all possible, seek out Mary's at Baldwin Creek (in Bristol, I believe) about 20 minutes north of Middlebury. Mary's is a charming VT inn that emphasizes locally sourced ingredients. It is often lauded as one of VT's finest restaurants. I was up there a few weeks back and had a wonderful meal. It's on the pricier side for VT, but well worth it and certainly below NYC prices.

http://www.innatbaldwincreek.com/

In Middlebury itself (hometown of my alma mater - Go Panthers!), Swift House Inn has excellent food, from what I recall. On the cheap end for lunch, you can grab a sandwich at Noonies in the Marble Works (a very short walk from downtown over a bridge spanning Otter Creek and a waterfall) and eat at one of the tables overlooking said Creek. I'm not sure if it is still around, but Rosies restaurant, a 5 minute drive south on Rt. 7 from Middlebury used to have a good diner-style breakfast if that's your thing. I recall the Fosters 4x4 (pancakes, eggs, and bacon) revived me after many a late night.

Enjoy - it's a beautiful part of New England.

[Talida VT]

I agree with you - Mary's a great reastaurant as is Swift House - always on my top of the list for Addison County restaurants (I live in Middlebury and work at the College). I always go to Rosie's when I want a "homestyle" meal and Mr. Up's has great food also.

[biggirlco]

For the Burlington recs-
If you want a "Vermont" setting and don't mind serious $$$ do The Inn at Shelburne Farms for dinner (good use of seasonal/local ingredients too) or hit them for Sunday Brunch.... much less money.

For true Burlington, by that I mean in town,
Trattoria Delia-northern italian
L'Amante-not traditional but italian styled
A Single Pebble-traditional,not no.1, Chinese

but if you're coming from NYC you might want to stick to the quainter little spots of Vt., not the louder "city" spots.

With all of these places you want to make a reservation for dinner ASAP, everyone comes to town in the next 3 weeks and all the restaurants, even the nasty ones get booked.

In Montpelier try the Black Door Bistro for dinner, travel up to Morse Farm.... right outside of town, to get a Maple Creemee, then travel through Calais backroads to have your Foliage, ahh isn't Vermont beautiful, what the hell do people do here in the winter drive.

Have fun.

[Morganna]

Sarducci's is another good Montpelier spot.

[signothetimes53]

If you are staying in Middlebury, please promise that you will drive 10 miles north to Vergennes to eat at Christophe's On The Green. Exquisite French cooking, by a genuine French family. It also has an atmosphere that reminds me of eating in a superior restaurant in Burgundy.

http://www.christophesonthegreen.com/

There are a few great, truly great restaurants in Vermont, and this is one of them.

[greenstate]

Woodstock/Quechee Recs:

Pane Y Salute - Dinner - wonderful regional Italian food and wine
Mountain Creamery - Lunch - delicious home cooked diner-type food
Allechante - Lunch - high end deli/caterer/bakery
Quechee Inn - Dinner - quaint New England setting, great food
Simon Pearce - Lunch - great meals, unusaul setting, VERY busy, worth the wait

[Talida VT]

I'm sorry to disagree with you. I took my husband to Christophe's for our anniversary and I was a little disappointed. We go out a lot in different styles of dining places so we've been to other french high class restaurants, but -at least for us- wasn't the best experience. I've heard lots of great reviews and that's why we went, but starting with the waitress that forgot to bring us the bread, with the out of... on the menu (it was a meat - replaced with a seafood entree) and the food not that special. It wasn't bad, just not wat I expected. We'll definetely not go there again.

[dukegirl]

Come to the Manchester Farmers' Market on Thursday, 3-6pm at the Rec Center, on Route 30 north, just a few miles from Manchester Center.

Also try the Depot 62 cafe on Rt. 11/30 in Manchester. It's a restaurant inside a furniture store and everything is cooked in a brick oven. Middle eastern fare, pizzas and great homemade baklava. I'm fairly certain they are open for lunch as well as dinner.

[Andy]

Oliver-

I have been up here for 3 months..You are in a great foodie area...
IN Middlebury,the STORM CAFE is FABULOUS...tiny-you will need a reservation for dinner- Their Pasta with Shrimp and scallops is enough for an army...TO DIE FOR.
Dessert- Banana Cream Pie is awesome.
The Storm Cafe
3 Mill Street
Middlebury, VT 05753
Ph: 802-388-1063

For lunch in Middlebury- Two Brothers Tavern-
Great Sanwich on panini with Turkey and thick bacon- too much for one person
In case u think I am a light eater and petite- I am just the opposite- lol
This is the BEST sandwich to share..

Two Brothers Tavern
86 Main St
Middlebury, VT 05753
Ph: 802-388-0002

In Ferrisburg, THE MOST incredible place is on RT,7 20 min N of Middlebury-called the Starry Nite Cafe;
Starry Night Café
5371 Route 7, Ferrisburgh 877-6316

We found it on the way home from the burlington airport:
Appetizer- Ravioli stuffed with Goat cheese and basil/tomato sauce
Dinner- Tagine ( a sort of Mid East Cioppino/Boulabaisse) filled with tilapia,shrimp,mussles,scallops with fennel and leek over couscous in a broth- THIS was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!

Hubs has the Pork Loin with Cheddar Grits,Spinach , and Plum Chutney

Dessert was the choc/hazelnut tort with homemade cointreau ice cream.

In Manchester there are a few places:
My favorite is the PERFECT WIFE ( the restaurant NOT the tavern- 2 different menus).Ask for a room in the greenhouse-
Service was good- food was OUTRAGEOUSLY good- their Corn clam chowder made Legal seafood clam chowder taste like store bought...The breads are terrific esp the corn breads. Steaks were terrific there ,as was the prime ribs.I had a seafood dish but the menu changes with seasons and I was there in July.

For Mexican ( actually Southwestern food) there is Candelaras on RT 7 as you come into town ( from the North) on the right side. Ambience is great-Food is different...Ask for the Habanero sauce on the side with the chips as their 2 sauces are not hot enuf for me...Have had lunch there- the Mango Wrap is delicious..filled with pulled pork,black beans, and rice- with sweet potatoe fries.
The Grande Burrito is good- you get to pick your meat and sauces..I go with the Adobe chicken ( as they say it is spicier- but it is NOT spicey) and I go with their smokin hot sauce- which is just a smokey red sauce- again not hot.
This place is good for both lunch and dinner but I like it for lunch the best.

For lunch in Woodstock Vt:
We went to Bentleys on Main St
Quaint ambience..
I had :
The Savannah
Sliced Chicken with toasted Almonds, Mango Chutney, Smoked Gouda Cheese & Mesclun Greens served on grilled Peasant Bread. Excellent sandwich.

That's all I can help u with but the dinner places are ALL excellent that I told you about.