and through tiny villages punctuated by white steepled
churches.
Since it’s a long road, I’m going to concentrate in this
post on a small stretch that’s located just over the mountain from where I live
in Bristol. This segment, in what’s known as the Mad River Valley, also happens
to have a lot of foodie appeal. The
Valley is home to about 6,000 local residents, but is visited each year by more
than a half a million tourists who come to ski, hike, and enjoy what the area has to
offer. Good food is part of its appeal, bolstered by its agricultural roots and
a thriving local food movement.
The Valley’s main town of Waitsfield, with a population of
just over 1700, was voted the Best Ski Town in the East by Outside Magazine. It’s also the site of one of my favorite farmers
markets in the state. Opening day was this past Saturday, so Chris and I drove
over to hear some music and get breakfast. But first, at the top of the
mountain pass, we paused to take in the view. Spring is just unfolding high up in the Green
Mountains, and we were treated to a stunning vista painted in countless shades
of green.
Once we saw a moose standing placidly in that pond. We
waited a bit on this morning, but no wildlife appeared. So we rolled down the back side of the mountain into
the Valley, past Mad River Glen “Ski it if you can” and Sugarbush, whose lifts
are now silent although we could still see some remnants of snow on the highest
trails.
The market was just gearing up as we strolled through it, stopping
to say hello to some of our neighbors from Bristol, New Leaf Organics and
Martin Studios, who sell their produce and pottery here, and to try a cheese
sample or two.
After we bought a few items to bring home, we mulled over
what to get for breakfast. Well, I mulled it over since Chris didn’t hesitate once
he spotted Open Hearth Pizza’s Wood-Fired Oven.
The thin, perfectly charred crust and quality toppings were
tempting, and I am not at all averse to pizza for breakfast, but this morning I
wanted something different. I decided to try a yummy bacon and caramelized
onion scone from a new bakery in Waitsfield called Sweet Simone’s.
This bakery recently opened up in an historic building
located on Bridge Street, which was flooded by the Mad River during Hurricane
Irene. The destruction devastated the town and surrounding area, but today,
thanks to the hard work and dedication of many Vermonters, it’s been
revitalized. Miraculously, the Great Eddy Covered Bridge, which dates back to
1833 and is a stone’s throw from the bakery, survived.
Like many Vermonters, I have a fondness for our covered
bridges and for this one in particular since my daughters used to love to run
across it when they were little. We often ventured over to Waitsfield when they
were younger to hike or ski, or to have dinner at American Flatbread at Lareau
Farm—what I consider to be ground zero for the
local food movement in Vermont.
Back in the mid-80s, founder and visionary George Schenk
began creating his philosophically-driven flatbreads over wood in an outdoor
oven; today it has expanded to three other locales in Vermont, one in Manhattan,
and countless spin-offs. You can even buy frozen American Flatbreads in grocery
stores throughout the country, and they’re pretty good for frozen food
(although not as good as they used to be since that part of the business moved
out of state). Nothing beats the real thing, though, fresh from the wood-fired oven and
brimming with local toppings, like house-made maple-fennel sausage, roasted beets,
wild ramps, and fresh mozzarella.
We’ve enjoyed many a meal at the Waitsfield, Middlebury, and
Burlington restaurants (and savored the leftovers for breakfast, as in the
above photo).
Warren, the next village over, is a similar size but feels
much smaller. It has less commercial activity in its “downtown,” which is
dominated by two main businesses: The Warren Store and The Pitcher Inn. The
Warren Store
is one those extravagant (as opposed to utilitarian) Vermont country stores whose shelves are lined with artisanal products and whose deli/bakery turns out excellent fare. Lunch on the deck overlooking the creek is one of the best kept secrets in the area.
is one those extravagant (as opposed to utilitarian) Vermont country stores whose shelves are lined with artisanal products and whose deli/bakery turns out excellent fare. Lunch on the deck overlooking the creek is one of the best kept secrets in the area.
Across the street sits The Pitcher Inn, a Relais & Chateaux
property. A meal here will cost you quite a bit more than a deli lunch, but the
dining experience is right up there with the best I’ve had in Vermont. Their
elegant menu features local ingredients prepared sumptuously and with great
care.
This pristine village is (in)famous for its annual 4th of July parade, a rollicking,
century-old event with highly politicized floats and characters abounding. It
is quintessentially Vermont and its motto, “Celebrating
independence, Vermont-style,” captures the spirit of the day.
We almost took the back way home, a dirt road that snakes
over the mountain from Warren, but it could still be considered “mud season” up
at the Lincoln Gap and we didn’t want to risk getting stuck. Besides, it was
almost lunchtime and we had a hankering for a Mad Taco back in Waitsfield.
Although this taqueria is housed in a nondescript shopping center, The Mad Taco itself is far from nondescript. The makeshift smoker out in front is a
good indicator of the innovation at the heart of this operation.
Their smoked meats couldn’t be tastier, especially when
topped with interesting ingredients like their house-made kimchi and one of
their dozen or so homemade hot sauces (ranked on a scale of 1 to 10 for heat).
As the heavily tattooed server gushed about their kimchi, I was reminded of one
of the things I love most about Vermont—our passion for good food runs deep and
broad.
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