Maple's Moment (See Michael's on the Hill, Waterbury Center, after the break)

From the Wall Street Journal
FOOD & DRINK | MARCH 12, 2011

From scrambled eggs to side salads, a guide to all the marvelous places the golden syrup can go.

F. Martin Ramin for The Wall Street Journal, Food Styling by Karen Evans

Thanks to the historic lashings of snow that hit the Northeast this winter, we're poised, pancakes stacked, for what's likely to be a banner year in maple production. Icy nights and warmer days are essential to a good syrup season—the end-of-winter rhythm of freeze and thaw coaxes sap from the trees for as long as they can resist the urge to bud, usually four to six weeks. Last year overheated prematurely, leaving some producers with a maple bust. But it's been a snowy season, and chances are good that the sugar bush (as tapping areas are cheerily called) will stay chilled and the sweet sap will flow.

With a glut of nature's most bewitching sweetener headed our way, it's high time to break maple out of its brunch hour rut. Under that sticky toffee veneer are layers of smoke and tannin that play just as well at dinner or cocktail hour. In search of a few unexpected ways to use the spoils, we turned to chefs across the Northeast.

—Kristen Miglore

Read more »

Watering Holes: The Alchemist Pub and Brewery (Outside Magazine)

The Alchemist, in Waterbury, Vermont is the only eatery (and brewpub) in Waterbury, Vermont that my wife and I frequent! Here's an excerpt from the The Guide: Watering Holes in the July 2010 issue of Outside Magazine.

The Alchemist Pub and Brewery
Waterbury, Vermont
"Yes, it's always remarkably jamming, and, yes, they have the requisite gluten-free beer on tap. But this isn't your run-of-the-mill upscale gastropub: The beer (award-winning-Light-weight pilsner) is so good and the food (sweet potato fries with herb sour cream) so local and fresh that, after a day of skiing or mountain-biking at nearby Stowe Mountain Resort, we'll happily wait in line with the local neo-hippies, greennecks, or whatever they're calling themselves these days."

Go: 23 South Main Street, Waterbury, VT 05676
If you're lost: 802.244.4120

Congratulations to Chris Francis of Stowe!

Stowe, VT (April 9, 2009) On Wednesday, April 7th Chris Francis, owner of Ye Olde England Inn, was named the 2010 Vermont Travel Person of the Year at the Vermont Travel Industry Conference held at the Stoweflake Mountain Resort and Spa in Stowe, Vermont.

Francis began his career in the travel industry the summer of 1983, when he purchased the Ye Olde England Inn while on vacation with his wife Lynn. They had traveled to the states from England to catch the Americas Cup Races in Newport, Rhode Island. After, Chris and Lynn made their way up to Stowe, Vermont. It was during this visit that Chris decided he would like to own an inn and pub there, was interested in the lodging property San Souci and made an offer using his credit card. On the way back to England, he was notified that the offer was accepted and on November 4th, 1983 the Ye Olde England Inn officially opened.

Francis’ devotion and dedication to both Stowe and Vermont has kept him actively involved in the community. He has been on the board of the Stowe Area Association for 25 years and its president for 8 of those years. Francis is also the force behind many of Stowe’s car shows including The British Invasion. This event attracts hundreds of British cars and thousands of visitors to Stowe and to the state of Vermont each summer. Francis is known for his wit, negotiating skills and peacemaking and most importantly his strong advocacy for Vermont and the town of Stowe. 



The Vermont Travel Person of the Year exemplifies an ongoing dedication to what makes Vermont such a special place to visit. The award is presented to an individual who contributes significantly to Vermont’s travel and tourism Industry.

Source: Stowe Area Association

Personal Note: Ye Olde England Inn: Best and biggest beer selection you've ever seen, and great pub food!

36 Hours in Stowe (NYT)

Ski Guide 2010

by Lionel Beehner, New York Times, December 13, 2009

"WHEN people envision the idyllic Vermont ski town — soaring church steeple, covered bridges, no chain stores in sight - they envision Stowe. It is the grande dame of Gree Mountain ski resorts, with a Main Street that is as folksy as a yellowed New England postcard, which makes it all the more shocking that the ski resort is owned by AIG, the insurance behemoth bailed out by the government."

Read the rest of the story here.

Don't go looking for the Brew Trail (in the article, see: Saturday, 4 pm, #8 A Secret Trail,) though, you won't find it. It is the Bruce Trail — while it's accessible from the top of the Quad, just off the beginning of the Toll Road, it is beyond the Resort's boundaries; it's not patrolled. If you go, have a cell phone with you.

Taste Test: Santos Cocina Latina (via SevenDays)

This, just in, from Suzanne Podhaizer at Seven Days. According to her, once the word gets out, you'll be needing to make your reservation: 802-253-3110

Read the complete story here.

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Santos Cocina Latina

311 Mountain Road, Stowe

Arcadia Diner, South Burlington

My wife and I are collectors of Diner experiences. We finally had lunch at the Arcadia Diner in South Burlington yesterday. What a find -- from the almost completely original Worcester dining car to the old-fashioned waitress uniform to one of the best burgers & fries in a long time, the Arcadia is a gem. 7 Nights details here.

Próximamente: un nuevo restaurante en Stowe!

Coming soon: a new restaurant in Stowe!

Santos Cocina Latina

Miguel Garcia Lopez and his wife, Maria Elena Jimenez, having moved permanently to their Vermont vacation home from San Juan, Puerto Rico, are preparing to open Santos in the next few weeks.

The following is taken, in part, from a Seven Days article back in May, when Santos was still under construction. It's set to open in the next few weeks:

They've built an energy-efficient building on the Mountain Road on the former site of fancy French eatery Mes Amis. Garcia Lopez and Jimenez will begin dishing up Latin American cuisine — including fare from their native Puerto Rico and dishes from Cuba, Peru and Argentina — at their new restaurant, Santos Cocina Latina.

According to Garcia Lopez, the mix of casual and upscale eats will include “typical fritters, empanadas, mofongo — a mashed plantain dish — and roasted chicken.” His famous ceviche will show up on the menu, as will whole barbecued pigs.

The chef — who is also a serious outdoor enthusiast — says the 75-seat restaurant will accommodate everyone from skiers looking to swig specialty rum to serious diners who come to sample the chef’s tasting menu in the private dining room. Garcia Lopez, a Culinary Institute of America graduate, notes that pairing food with wine is his “specialty.”

The pair will get help from Giovanni Ventura and his future wife Idemar Aldrey, both culinary-school-trained chefs moving from Puerto Rico to work at the restaurant. As if opening the place weren’t complicated enough, Garcia Lopez is planning to manufacture a line of specialty products, including hot sauce, adobo rubs and cookies. “They’ll be showcased in the restaurant,” he notes. “We’re trying to be as natural as possible, without the crazy [ingredients] they put in most bottled stuff.”

In a novel twist, the exotic cuisine will also be localvore, save for a handful of imported tropical ingredients. “We always believed … if you use local, fresh-as-possible food from your area, that quality is going to show up in your final product,” Garcia Lopez says. In fact, he claims, the “eat local” ethos is part of the reason he and Jimenez opted to open their eatery in the Green Mountains.

“The fresh produce plus the beauty of nature were some of the reasons we decided to come to Stowe and be part of the culinary movement in Vermont,” he says. Another reason: “We see a lot of opportunity of showcasing Latin food, since there’s not much available in the state.”

Frida's is Here!

Cinco de Mayo -- This evening, Frida's, the long awaited new Stowe restaurant will have its soft opening for friends and family, and those who just happen to pop in! The official opening is tomorrow. I now have a menu, and will append items from it to this posting later today. I arrived this morning, just as the new sign was going up:

Then I ducked inside to say hi to Josh Bard (l) and Jack Pickett (r). Wait 'till you see this place!

Co-owners Josh Bard + Jack Pickett

A selection of menu items (1 from each category) :

• side dishes: Ensalada de repollo (cabbage slaw)
• desserts: Torta tres leches (cake with three milks)
• appetizers: Queso flameado (flame broiled Chihauhua cheese with fire roasted poblano chiles and grilled onions
• salads: Nopales con lechugas estacionales (fresh cacus paddles with seasonal greens, Jerez sherry vinegar and extra virgin olive oil)
• tacos: Pescado (crisp fried Atlantic cod with cabbage slaw and a roased jalapeno shallot sauce)
• small plates: Relleno (poblano pepper fire roasted and stuffed with mushrooms, spinach and Hoja Santo goat cheese with sauce ranchera
• large plates: Pato ahumado con mole (lightly smoked duck breast with rich mole sauce

Frida's is Coming, part 2 — Stowe Patrol Scoops the Story!

Sources close to the restauranteurs told me today that Frida's now has its Health Department and Liquor licenses. The taqueria & grill has been busy rehearsing and practicing on family and friends. I'm hearing yums...

Frida's could be welcoming guests as soon as this coming Tuesday, May 5th — can you say Cinco de Mayo? I may even have a menu to share with you in a few hours. See you at Frida's!

10:18 p.m. - Sorry, no menu.... yet.

Sign Says IHOP, but Syrup Says Vermont (NYT)

By Katie Zezima, New York Times, April 21, 2009

SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. — For years, diners at the International House of Pancakes nationwide have slathered their pancakes, waffles and French toast in a variety of flavored syrups, like fluorescent strawberry and “old-fashioned,” the chain’s artificially-flavored take on maple syrup.

The label “old-fashioned” was bound to raise red flags for many Vermonters, who will tell you it is neither old-fashioned nor maple syrup (corn syrup does not come from trees).

So when the land of piping-hot pancakes and fresh maple syrup became the 50th state to welcome an IHOP last month, the franchise owners sought permission to depart from the chain’s standard fare. The IHOP here is the only one of about 1,400 in the United States, Canada and Mexico to serve real maple syrup.

“You can’t open up a Vermont pancake shop without Vermont maple syrup,” said Sam Handy Jr., who is the restaurant’s general manager and whose family owns the franchise. Read the complete article here.
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When you're ready for the “real thing,” I can help you make the lifestyle change you may have only dreamed about. Whether for permanent relocation, or for your vacation or second home, when the time is right, I'll help you find the ideal Vermont home.

Stowe Realty, one of the top local-area vacation-rental agencies, is a one-stop shop for Stowe, Vermont residential, vacation, or commercial real estate and rental information. If I can help, write or call me at 802.730.4343

Frida's is coming!

At long last, a sign that Frida's is coming! In today's Stowe Reporter there is a Frida's Job Fair ad for "employment in all categories of the Restaurant business," scheduled for Saturday, March 14th, at its soon-to-be new home in the Butler Building on Main Street. Now I don't expect that you're looking for a job, but we've been waiting for Frida's Taqueria & Grill for a long time. Here's the skinny from a Reporter article back in December.

"The centerpiece of [the] remodeled brick building will be Frida's Taqueria and Grill -- a new 80-plus-seat restaurant and bar with a Southwestern flair. Jack Pickett, an acclaimed chef and a food columnist for the Stowe Reporter, will team up with fellow chef Joshua Bard to operate the restaurant, which will serve a wide range of Mexican-inspired dishes -- from tacos to fish, burgers, steaks, fresh veggies and more." [Stowe Reporter, December 8, 2008] Register or login to read the entire article here.

Josh's dad is my neighbor; he hinted at an April 1st opening date. Stay tuned for more...

Foodie Road Trip to Vermont (Daily Candy)

You’re a New Englander, so you either love the cold or appreciate a solid apres-ski. Make an escape to snowy Vermont where mountain fun is now rivaled by a stellar locavore dining scene.

Stowe Mountain Resort
The mountain got a new lodge; check it out over a pint of Wolaver’s organic pale ale at Great Room Bar & Grill , then trudge over to Solstice at the Stowe Mountain Lodge for a locally focused meal from chef Sean Buchanan, who sources his beef, cheese, and butter from Vermont farms. Or head down the hill for a fresh-brewed pint at The Alchemist in Waterbury followed by a bite from the ever-changing, local menu at Hen of the Wood. (Daily Candy Boston)

Dazzling Fare Heats up Backwoods Vermont (NYT)

Restaurants in the north-central part of the state are defining themselves by using as many local ingredients as they can, even in winter.

Take a look at this New York Times article, by Mark Bittman, in today's paper. By all accounts, Hen of the Wood is absolutely one of the best restaurants in the area. And, if you're driving to Stowe, it's just a few minutes off the I-89 exit 10 ramps in Waterbury. I'm embarrassed that my wife and I haven't yet been!

MMSP Evening Class

The annual Mt. Mansfield Ski Patrol (MMSP) refresher was held this past weekend. It's a weekend-long training fest: a state-of-the-resort presentation by its CEO, Robert McEleney, a presentation by the resort's VP of Mountain Operations, lift evacuation practice, medical practical stations, lectures and demonstrations.

It's also when we get our skis/snowboards, bindings, and boots checked and certified for the soon-to-start season -- proposed Stowe Mountain Resort 2008-2009 opening is November 22nd.

Every year, the Cactus Café on the Mountain Road hosts an 'evening class' for MMSP on Saturday night of refresher weekend. The patrol really appreciates the ongoing Cactus support. If you haven't been yet, try it next visit!