Mad River Valley, Vermont recs?

[sockii]

The significant other and I will be spending the week in the Warren/Waitsfield area for a painting workshop next month. After a long day sniffing turpentine, hunched over in front of our easels, I know we're going to want to find some good places to eat...so can anyone steer us in the right direction?

Any kind of cuisine is good, especially with a week to sample around. Places with a good wine list and/or styles unique to the area especially sought. Any suggestions?

[liamdc]

I lived in Vermont for years until 2001--although my folks still live in the Burlington area--and heard good things about the Common Man Restaurant in Warren. I've never eaten there however.

Here is its web site: http://www.commonmanrestaurant.com

The Mist Grill north on Route 100 in Waterbury might be worth considering as well. More here: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=67590&

[Scargo]

I'm no expert either for this area, but I am a skier and have been collecting comments for when I go there next. Here is my list:

In Warren:

Pitcher Inn Best/closest?Rated one of the best restaurants for wine lovers-Wine Spectator

The Common Man the common man - after the Pitcher Inn, the next best upscale spot in the area?

Outside Warren:

The Millcroft Inn - on hwy 17 - outstanding food with Indian twists - always good - nice wine list

Mary's - at Inn at Baldwin Creek, 1868 North Route 116 Bristol, VT - fabulous

Single Pebble (in Barre, East of Waitsfield-perhaps a 25 mile drive-you have to go up and around to get to it)

Cafe Provence-a somewhat new restaurant in Brandon (even further-30-35 miles S-SW). Owned by Chef Barral, one of the founders of the New England Culinary Institute. "I haven't been there yet but I trust Barral."

Many have websites....though I only linked one of them.

Please reply back with what your experience was like!

[blackcat]

Uhmm just a heads up....The Mist Grill closed recenty.

If you are going to be in town over a Friday or Sat. night you might want to check out American Flatbread. If you do go, put your name in early.

blackcat

[johnnyd]

Whatever happened to that burger joint/bar on the road to Stark Mountain by the end of German Flats rd? Best damn burger and best atmosphere around.

[rcianci]

Also, Single Pebble is now in Burlington at 133-35 Bank St.

[pkeibel]

If you're in Warren, the best bet is to head over the Appalachian Gap (Route 17) west toward Vergennes. Before Bristol is Mary's at Baldwin Creek and in Bristol there is the Buffalo Cafe which I have been told has some local microbrews. In Vergennes you can try Christophe's on the Green of Black Sheep Bistro. North on Route 7 there is Rolands. And then travel to Burlington. My favorites would be Opaline for french, L'Amnte for Italian, Single Pebble for Chinese and Roques for Mexican

Staying this side of the mountains, there is the Pitcher Inn, go north on Route 100 and east to Montpelier, either Sarduccis or in Barre the Farmer's Diner which has diner food but all organic and grown locally. West to Waterbury/Stowe Michael's on the Hill or up to Stowe for a variety of things. Trapp Family Lodge for the ambience more than the food.

[liamdc]

If you're in Warren, the best bet is to head over the Appalachian Gap (Route 17) west toward Vergennes. Before Bristol is Mary's at Baldwin Creek and in Bristol there is the Buffalo Cafe which I have been told has some local microbrews. In Vergennes you can try Christophe's on the Green of Black Sheep Bistro. North on Route 7 there is Rolands. And then travel to Burlington.  My favorites would be Opaline for french, L'Amnte for Italian, Single Pebble for Chinese and Roques for Mexican

Staying this side of the mountains, there is the Pitcher Inn, go north on Route 100 and east to Montpelier, either Sarduccis or in Barre the Farmer's Diner which has diner food but all organic and grown locally. West to Waterbury/Stowe Michael's on the Hill or up to Stowe for a variety of things. Trapp Family Lodge for the ambience more than the food.

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As a former Vermonter, I'd second the Mary's at Baldwin Creek and Sarducci's recommendations. However, I'd caution driving over the mountains during the winter in inclement weather. Better to stick to Route 100 and the I-89 corridor at those times.

[liamdc]

Also, please, please, don't overlook The Kitchen Table Bistro in Richmond--roughly between Waterbury and Burlington--just off I-89, Exit 11. For my money, it is cooking up some of the best food in the Burlington area right now.

Here are some other Burlington/Montpelier/northern Vermont threads that may be useful:

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=67521&

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showtopic=52025&

[Fred]

I'll add a plug for my uncle's restaurant in Waitsfield called The Den. laid back, locals, great food.

[sockii]

Well, I'm back from my week in Vermont, had some great food, sorry to say I didn't get to try half the places I wanted to though I enjoyed most of what I did sample! It was a little tricky to get around as we were in studio until 7-8pm most nights, and most places in the Warren/Waitsfield area didn't stay open past 9 save the pub/bar places. We were also restricted in our choices as many nights folks in the class wanted to go out for group dinners and keep things on the cheaper side. Which meant no Pitcher Inn or other fancier inn-places I wanted to try, alas (though they probably wouldn't have wanted us to come staggering in covered in oil paint and raggy painting clothes anyway...)

What probably ended up being everyone's favorite place was Egan's Big World Pub. In fact we ended up there three times for dinner as it was right down the way from the studio and open fairly late. Yummy wood-grilled dishes--the best I had was a salmon dish with a red pepper aoili sauce, while one person in our group declared their steak with gorgonzola butter the best steak she'd ever had. The lamb chops with orzo was nice as well. Decent wines by the glass, too.

Another night the entire group went to the Hideaway Inn, where several folks raved over the stuffed meatloaf. I went for seafood stew which was decent, came with lots of great garlicy bread, and all of it was surprisingly good for what looked like a simple country bar.

We were right around the corner from The Den, where I ended up alone with the boyfriend one night. Service was a little spotty (a problem we seemed to encounter at a lot of places, actually--we'd get seated without issue and then forgotten about for quite a time before getting to even place a drink order). Decent enough bar-food, though my steak was a little on the tough side and not as good as at Egan's across the way.

Probably our happiest find of the trip was Michael's Good To Go in Waitsfield, a little hole-in-the-wall tropical themed place that ended up being our preferred lunch spot every day. Fabulous Mexican/Thai/California/Vermont fare, if that makes any sense at all. One day I had their Stonecutter's Salad of fresh organic greens covered with delicious fresh BBQ pork. The next it was black bean and tofu chilaquiles; another it was fish tacos and corn & shrimp stew. Absolutely delicious I miss those lunches already!

I'm not a big pizza eater but one night the majority voted to go to Bongiorno's (sp?). The menu is basic Italian fare plus subs and pizzas. I stuck with salad and an adequate if uninspiring minestrone; tried some of the other dishes and it seemed like okay Italian for the middle of Vermont, but nothing I would go out of my way for again (though I'll confess I'm an Italian food snob as I cook it so much at home.)

Our hotel (the Great Lion Riverside Inn) provided breakfast everyday, except for once when the owner's wife was in labor! That morning we tried Easy Street Cafe, which makes humongous, yummy egg wraps and served excellent coffee (can I just comment on how wonderful it was to not see a single Starbucks the entire week? I came home stocked up on Green Mountain Coffee and was well-caffeinated the entire trip) Their lunch/dinner menu looked like fun so if we go back for the workshop next year we'll have to give them another try.

All in all it was a great trip, and a great week's worth of good food. Our car was seriously stocked up on the trip home, full of coffee, maple syrup, jams and spreads and wine and everything else we could take back with us. Hopefully next time we'll be able to try some of the other places in the area.

Edited October 11, 2005 by sockii (log)