The other day I came across a post of a girl asking for recommendations of places to go on her first time in Burlington, Vermont. It really got me thinking about how much I truly love where I live. Ryan and I have lived in a few different places since we started dating. When we first moved in together we had a cute two bedroom apartment in the heart of Stowe, a “luxury ski town” of sorts. While I loved living there, the ski town aspect of it made it hard for me to find a job that didn’t require me to work EVERY weekend and holiday.
We ended up moving down to Bomoseen, Vermont to a cottage on 18 acres of land. Initially, we had only planned to stay for the summer and spend time on the lake with friends, but that quickly changed and we ended up staying for a year. We had a ton of space for Oscar to run around and when we got Chauncey back for him to have a nice, big duck house and swimming area. When Chauncey passed away we both really couldn’t see ourselves staying there. Ryan never really wanted to live in the city, but one day before a show at Nectar’s we were walking around and saw an APARTMENTS AVAILABLE sign. We called the number, set up an appointment for the next day and basically signed a lease right away.
Anyways …. when I saw the girl’s post saying how she had never even been to Vermont it made me really excited to recommend some cool places to her. Not only is Burlington amazing, but there are also a ton of really cool places to visit in the more rural surrounding areas.
Part One:
EAT AND DRINK
1. Hen of the Wood
55 Cherry Street
Source: Peter Cirilli
My absolute favorite restaurant in Burlington is Hen of the Wood. Disclaimer: it is on the more pricey end - but I definitely think that it is worth every penny. Ryan and I will eat here for birthdays, when my parents come to town, or special occasions like celebrating our two great friends’ pregnancy announcement a few weeks ago! They always have superior quality food, beautiful plating and a fun atmosphere (you’ll frequently hear Grateful dead playing through the speakers!). If you don’t feel like splurging you can always sit at the bar and enjoy dollar oysters with a delicious homemade habanero infused mignonette during happy hour!
2. The Farmhouse Tap & Grill
160 Bank Street
Source: The Farmhouse Tap & Grill
The Farmhouse Tap & Grill is a VERY close second for places that we love to eat. They have an expansive craft beer menu featuring local breweries and source their food from a variety of Vermont farmers and producers. You can totally tell how fresh the veggies, meats, and cheeses are so we love to order a bunch of everything and share plates! We recently went with friends and discovered the cool parlor downstairs if you're looking for a comfy place to sit by the fire, drink wine and have some appetizers.
3. Citizen Cider
316 Pine Street #114
Sources: Citizen Cider, Eater Montreal
People love the craft beer in Vermont and often wait in line for a taste - some even drive hours from neighboring states! But, in case you need a break after hitting all of the local breweries, I’d highly recommend hanging at Citizen Cider. When my sister and a few friends came to visit we had a great time sampling the different ciders from the taproom and munching on some tasty apps.
4. Foam Brewers
112 Lake Street
Source: Foam Brewers
If I had to pick one brewery to hit up on your trip to Burlington I’d have to say Foam, especially if you’re here in the summer when they open up their patio area with beautiful views of Lake Champlain. They have a rotating selection of beers, but my favorite are the Double IPAs Pavement and Built to Spill. You can also check out some live music a few nights a week!
Have you tried any of these places? Or have any recommendations for somewhere I should check out? Leave me a comment!
PLUS ... Check back later in the week for Part Two: Live Music Venues!
xoxo. Alexandra
