Best restaurant between Burlington VT and Boston

[rramoni]

My husband and I will be driving from Burlington VT back to Boston (where we live) next weekend, and we need help finding a great restaurant anywhere in-between. Can be cheap or expensive, as long as it is GOOD! Many thanks for your help!

[qianning]

Simon Pearce in Quechee

[BratleFoodie]

Just watch out with Pearce -- they close mid-afternoon, so if you are delayed and starving at three, you could be out of luck -- check the schedule. It is a very lovely location. Not a lot of vegetarian food however, so if that is an issue check the menu.

Happy travels!

[BratleFoodie]

Yama, West Lebanon. I've been once and liked it. There are some posts here somewhere... Not too far from the interstate. Good timing for a break right about then.

[abc23]

I second the ideas above, although I don't think of Black Door as upscale fine dining, but it is tasty. I would strongly recommend the Kitchen Table Bistro right off the RIchmond exit just outside of Burlington. Not cheap but fantastic.

[Morganna]

Well, if it's not upscale fine dining, then they need to revisit their prices. I am only reporting what others have said about it and what the menu looks like to me. :) Keeping in mind that "upscale" is relative, not a constant. :) What is Upscale in Montpelier would not necessarily be so in Portland or Boston. :)

[rcianci]

I have to agree. Black Door is just ok American Bistro food and yes, for what they are serving they do need to re-think their prices. In Montpelier, I think you can do better at Ariel's Riverside Cafe.

[Morganna]

I keep forgetting this has opened. I've not tried it yet, but we ate once at Ariel's in Brookfield for an anniversary and I liked it a lot. :) Still, the prices are off putting, so I have to wait. :)

I'm gonna try Ed's Barrrbq again on Thursday, they have dinner hours now. :)

[rcianci]

If you check their website vs. Black Door's, I think you'll find the prices comparable. IMHO the cooking skills are higher at Ariel's Riverside, which translates to better value for money in my book. I'm curious about Ed's myself. Got to try them soon.

[andytee]

done that drive before, and the best food is on either end of it.

there is a decent diner in white river junction where i had taken to stopping. don't know the name, sorry. good burgers, sweet potato fries, think we had a nice breakfast there once too. nothing special to recommend it as a chowhound stop, but it's in the right place to break up the drive, easy to get to from the highway (not far from the exit), and decent food. it became a pretty regular stop for us on that boston-burlington drive.

montpelier has some good spots, but it's close enough to burlington that you might as well eat there.

[rramoni]

Thanks for the suggestion -- it is a big help!

[Morganna]

Just posted this on another thread:

Waterbury:
The Alchemist for great brews (so I'm hearing), and ok pub food
Hen of the Woods for a great dining experience
Ocha Thai for what is reported to be good, fairly authentic Thai

Montpelier:
The Black Door, upscale fine dining
Sarduccis, really good, fresh Italian food, wood-fired oven pizza
Restaurant Pheobe, another upscale fine dining experience
Royal Orchid, another good Thai place, owned by the same folks as Ocha Thai
Coffee Corner, solid breakfast and lunch, with some fancier specials (chef on staff)

Middlesex (between Waterbury and Montpelier):
Red Hen Bakery and Nutty Steph's granola and chocolate shop

[hdb]

I think the place in WRJ you're referring to is Tip Top Cafe. I had lunch there a few weeks ago. It has an eclectic atmosphere with good food.

[andytee]

i think you are right. not too far from the exit, before you get all the way into town? if so, that's it. i can't say i've ever missed their food, but if i were driving by and it was lunchtime, i'd gladly go again.

[NGurber]

I think you might be talking about Crossroads diner. The tip top cafe doesn't have burgers:( great food but no burgers, Crossroads does a nice diner style Breakfast, lunch and dinner. but it is diner food.

[andytee]

ok, crossroads sounds right. it was definitely diner food, but with attention to detail. breakfast oats were real, irish-style, and slow cooked. burger was if a higher grade of beef (i'm remembering american kobe, but not sure) and came with sweet potato fries. so, yeah, definitely diner style, but, close to the road, in the right location, open all the time, and like i said, the food was good. definitely a step above your average diner both in menu range and in food quality.

[andytee]

tip top cafe looks good - http://www.tiptopcafevt.com/864999.html
i've driven by before but did not stop because it looked crowded at the time and i was not up for the wait.

ended up at crossroads and never looked back. i'd be inclined to give tip top a try, but i've moved to western MA so WRJ is no longer along my burlington route.