North American Road Trip: Part 2 - Discovering Stowe & Artisan Food in Vermont.
- by Chrissy Hamlin
- Oct 28, 2013
- 12 min read
The journey from Boston to Stowe in our fantastic hired convertible Mustang took around five and a half hours - with a few rest stops for coffee and petrol on the way. We only took one wrong turn on the highway and quickly realized our mistake - adding another 20 minutes on to the total journey time as we had to double back on ourselves. The road signs on the Highway are quite easy to read and with a map you can plot your course and navigate with ease on the American roads.
As we headed into the the state of Vermont, the scenery kept changing for the better. Stowe is an all year round holiday resort - in Winter it is bathed in white snow, in the Spring and Summer it is vibrantly green and in the fall it looks absolutley beautiful with deep Autumnal colours covering the trees. Vermont's blend of farmland, mountains and picturesque villages like Stowe, make it one of America's most appealing states to visit.
Waterbury, on the interstate highway 10 miles south, is the gateway to Stowe. Its attractions include Ben & Jerry's world-renowned ice cream factory. Stowe is nestled in a cozy valley where the West Branch River flows into the Little River and mountains rise to the sky in all directions. The town's reputation as one of America's classiest Eastern mountain resorts continues to draw all kinds of discerning visitors from Boston, New York and far beyond. There are plenty of inns, lodges and eateries in the roads leading up to the stunning Smuggler's Notch area - which is a narrow rock-walled pass through the Green Mountains, just below Mt Mansfield, the highest point in Vermont.
WATCH OUR OWN VISITOR VIDEO FEATURING STOWE AND THE MOUNTAIN LODGE
Foodies love it here as much as the adrenaline junkies and winter sports fanatics. Many small farmers have made Vermont a culinary paradise for fresh produce, and this is further complemented by it being home to America's biggest collection of craft brewers. It is interesting to note that Vermont is also the only American State without a McDonald's in its capital city.
We stayed at Stowe Mountain Lodge - a superb luxury resort with plenty to offer any visitor. As well as a fantastic spa and outdoor pool area, there is a golf course, horse riding, and plenty of stunning walks that can be taken in the surrounding areas.
The Lodge opened in June 2008, and was built in the new "Vermont-Alpine" style. There are six storeys and each room has been custom-designed as a respite from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, with warm tones, plush furnishings and soothing amenities. Ours had a small kitchenette, with a hob, a microwave, a fridge and a mini dishwasher - so we could have the option to cook our own meals if we wanted. All rooms are framed by oversized windows and outdoor balconies, allowing guests to take full advantage of the remarkable mountain landscape of Mt. Mansfield and Spruce Peak.
The interior design of the Lodge emphasizes the fresh and contemporary take on natural beauty. Guests can experience a mélange of old and new, rustic and romantic. Interchanging natural Vermont woods and stone and, birch bark columns provide a simplistic backdrop to lively, contemporary folk art pieces.
OFFICIAL PROMO VIDEO FOR STOWE MOUNTAIN LODGE
OFFICIAL PROMO VIDEO FOR STOWE MOUNTAIN LODGE IN THE FALL
Things to Do at Stowe Mountain Lodge
The Lodge can provide a whole number of tours and activities for you - just ask the concierge what is available. The video's below will give you a great idea of everything that's on offer.
LOCAL FOOD AND FURNITURE MAKING
WINTER DOG SLEDDING AND ARTISAN BEER AT THE CROP RESTAURANT
FALL WINE TOUR & SPA TREATMENTS
A STUNNING WORLD CLASS GOLF COURSE & AMMENTIES
If you drive down the road a little you'll come to Gentle Giant's Sleigh and Carriage Rides where you can take a look at the beautiful horses, watch the blacksmith fit a new horseshoe, and book yourself up a picturesque and leisurly a ride through the woodland and surrounding countryside. It's open all year round and
Eating and Drinking
Stowe Mountain Lodge has it's own fine dinning restaurant called Solstice, where the food is both refined and casual; where it becomes not just a meal, but an experience. The ingredients come from the surrounding area, are exceptionally fresh, natural, and in many cases, organic. Each course is crafted for your benefit, and you walk away not just full, but utterly satiated. Solstice is an artisan-inspired signature restaurant where diners are invited to experience an ever changing menu.
Vermont is New England's most celebrated location for farm fresh produce, heirloom grains and local craftsmanship. Stowe Mountain Lodge has partnered with local Vermont farmers, cheesemakers, and other talented artisans, as well as small farm advocacy groups such as the Vermont Fresh Network, to create a dining experience that is unique to the area, both on the plate and throughout the restaurant environment. Guests will experience a connection to the land of Vermont through dishes that focus on freshness, simplicity and seasonal flavors.
With furniture hand-carved by Vermont-based artistic woodworkers Parker Nicholls and Charles Shackleton, and custom pottery pieces designed by Miranda Thomas; an open kitchen; and unsurpassed views of Spruce Peak Mountain at any time of day, Solstice offers a true feast for all the senses.
Watch the videos below to see how the food goes from farm to Fork. Meet the Executive Chef Josh Berry and the Artisan food producers themselves, and see just what goes into growing and making the deleicious food that ends up on your plate.
1. THE MAPLE SUGAR MAKER
2. THE CHEESE MAKER
3. THE BAKER
4. THE FARMERS MARKET
AND FINALLY.... JOSH BERRY COOKS A DINNER FOR ALL THE FOOD PRODUCERS
RECOMMENDED RESTAURANTS IN STOWE & OTHER GREAT 'FOODIE' PLACES TO VISIT IN VERMONT
If you fancy eating out one evening and do not want to travel too far from the Lodge, you can always go and find a warm welcome at Gracie's which is a short drive down the road. They have a HUGE selection of dishes on the menu - and it's all freshly prepared, homecooked food and casual dinning, with a canine theme.
Owners, Sue and Archie, decided to name the restaurant Gracie’s after their loveable new shelter rescue dog. Gracie was a Yellow Lab Air dale mix from the south Burlington humane society. The name stuck and the restaurant took off.
Right from the start Gracie’s was committed to producing as much of their menu as possible themselves. All the breads, rolls and desserts were made on premise. This led to the introduction of Gracie’s “Doggie Bag”. A penny candy bag painted on the inside with white chocolate, frozen and filled with chocolate mint mousse. When ordered the paper bag is peeled off and the chocolate sack is served over double boil hot fudge made right in Gracie’s kitchen. The “Doggie Bag” is garnished with fresh baked sugar cookies cut to look like milk bones.
Other tasty treats on the menu include clam chowder, A ½ rack of St. Louis ribs, with Memphis BBQ sauce, Gracie's delicious meatloaf in cup cake size with beef gravy and mashed potato frosting, broiled maple glazed salmon, praline haddock, black Angus Fillet Minion, slow roasted pulled pork & a whole range of doggy inspired burgers.
It's a lovely warm, friendly place, the staff are great and the food is fantastic. A dog lover's delight and a real hidden gem!
Another recommended Restaurant just a stones throw from the Lodge is The Crop Bistro & Brewery
Crop Bistro & Brewery is conveniently located on the Mountain Road with stunning interiors and ambiance featuring Peter Miller photographs, a legendary pub, and a beautiful hand crafted lounge bar. In the Summer they offer an outdoor bar and patio dining, located directly off the Stowe Recreation Path. The restaurant features American cuisine utilizing fresh local and regional ingredients, even some grown in their garden in the backyard! Along with great food, Crop Bistro and Brewery offers in house brewed ales and lagers, as well as simple, innovative cocktails, spirits and wine.
The Von Trapp Family from Austria were forever imortalized as a piece of film history in the musical "The Sound of Music" starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. In the early 1940's, the real family toured the United States as the Trapp Family Singers & eventually settled in Stowe, Vermont on an enchanted farm with sweeping mountain vistas reminiscent of their beloved homeland.
They began welcoming guests to a rustic 27-room family home/lodge in the summer of 1950. After a devastating fire in 1980, the original structure was replaced by a striking new 96-room alpine Lodge, with magnificent indoor and outdoor resort amenities. The entire property is still owned and operated by the von Trapp family. For the past three decades they have shared ownership of the resort with many other families from all over the world, through their Villa and Guest House programs. For those of you interested in the history behind the “Sound of Music", they offer von Trapp History Tours. And just to get you in the mood, "The Sound of Music" is shown weekly (Thursday evenings), for all of their Lodge guests.
The Lodge is a unique, four-season resort specializing in European-style accommodations and cuisine, spectacular mountain vistas, upscale amenities, and outdoor activities. Situated on 2,500 acres the Lodge is the perfect setting for a vacation during any season. Settle into one of the delightful rooms or suites with European furnishings and mountain views from your balcony. Indulge in the charm of an alpine lodge, the conveniences of a modern resort and the warmth of a family run property. Enjoy year round activities such as but not limited to cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, back country skiing, hiking, mountain biking, tennis and yoga. Whether you seek solitude or spirited activities, the Trapp Family Lodge is the choice for an unforgettable vacation any time of year.
If you want to eat at The Lodge in the evenings you can sit back and relax with gourmet cuisine in the Dining Room. The more casual Lounge area offers a sampling of Vermont and Austrian specialties as well as American favorites such as burgers, seafood and the house specialty - Trapp Wiener Schnitzel.
The Trapp Family Lodge DeliBakery offers a variety of baked goods, soups, pasta dishes, salads, deli meats and sandwiches - they do a take away service or you can stop for lunch and try the special home-brewed Trapp Lagers.
At the Slayton Pasture Cabin you'll find a true gem nestled in the woods on a knoll behind the Lodge.
Trapp Family Lodge Guests can cross-country ski or snowshoe the three mile journey from the ski center. Once there, you’ll know it was well worth the effort! Warm up on the hearth of the roaring fireplace and replenish your energy with homemade soups, sandwiches and hot chocolate. Plan a winter trip to this special spot. It’s a great place to rendezvous for lunch with family and friends. - Open from 10:00am until 3:00pm daily in the winter months.
The 30-minute guided ice cream factory tour is fun and educational for ice-cream lovers of all ages. Guests have the opportunity to learn all about Ben & Jerry's ice cream manufacturing process and how they incorporate values-led decisions that drive their business. You can sample your favorite flavor or trying a new one at the factory - the full service scoop shop menu includes special items (hello, Vermonster!) as well as traditional favorites (like waffle cones and hot fudge sundaes!). Can’t decide? Ben & Jerry's scoopers are equipped to offer suggestions and give sample tastes. Gift items from hats to t-shirts, beach towels to flavored lip balms, and oodles more of all things Ben & Jerry’s can found in the Shop. Tickets are $4 for Adults, $3 for Seniors and Kids under 12 can go free!
Visit the Factory Store and take in the aromas and sights — not to mention free samples — of a real chocolate factory! Learn all about how chocolate is made. Watch experts craft truffles, caramels, butter crunches, and more. You might even see a giant bunny or a flock of chocolate turkeys being hatched. After the tour, when you’re ready to tie on an apron and make your own bars, sign up for a class at the South End Kitchen at Lake Champlain Chocolates.
Whether you spell it “localvore” or “locavore,” it means the same thing — seeking out the best and freshest ingredients from local farmers and producers. More than a trend, it’s now a national movement. And it’s what Lake Champlain Chocolates have been doing for the last 30 years. Why did they go local so long before it was cool? Call it Vermont instincts — it just made sense that using local honey, maple syrup, and fresh cream in their Chocolates of Vermont would result in superior flavor. Those same instincts told them to never add preservatives, extenders, or additives to any of their chocolates either.
Cold Hollow Cider Mill, - with Bakery & Store
There’s a good reason why the Cold Hollow Cider Mill is both a top New England producer of fresh apple cider and one of Vermont’s most popular tourist attractions. It’s because they do it the real old-fashioned way, making pure cider with a traditional rack and cloth press built in the 1920s — and, b you can come and watch. They press Cider all year-round, and they are open seven days a week.
After you’ve seen the cider being made, you can explore thr vintage mill. The shelves are stuffed with fine Vermont specialty foods and products, and you can sample jellies, mustards, and cider. Yiou can watch real bees make real honey (behind glass!) in the Honey Corner. Honeybees are stars of the apple world — they pollinate the orchards each spring when the blossoms are out.
Lured by the warm aroma, you MUST try some legendary Cold Hollow Cider Donuts. Gourmet magazine called them one of the country’s top four donuts. Have them hot with fresh Vermont coffee or hot cider, then choose some treats from the all-natural bakery. Apple pies, pumpkin rolls, maple cream cheese pockets, apple-cheddar squares ... and lots more.
Across the driveway is the Apple Core Luncheonette and Beer Store (with plenty of Hard Cider Too),
The Cold Hollow Cider Mill began in 1974, when Eric and Francine Chittenden, descendents of Vermont’s first governor, were starting out as farmers near the base of the Cold Hollow Mountains in rural northwest Vermont. They started making apple cider for friends, with a press that Eric picked up somewhere. (Eric was always finding cool old stuff.) Before long, the couple saw real business potential in making cider the true, traditional way.
Eric and Francine created a vision. They would make enough cider to distribute to supermarkets, and become a real Vermont tourist attraction. Searching for the perfect location, they settled on Route 100 in central Vermont, between Waterbury (with its Interstate 89 exit) and Stowe (with lots of skiers and tourists). In 1976, they bought the old Gibbs farm in Waterbury Center. This was a classic Vermont dairy farm, dating to the 1800s, with a house attached to the barn. The Chittendens lived in the house, raising their three kids there, right up till they sold the business in 2000. They still live right nearby, on the shores of the Waterbury Reservoir. After decades of additions, the old place doesn’t look the same! Added has been a Jelly Room, large production facility, two cold-storage rooms — for apples and finished product — and a large bottling facility. But the original barn still houses the cider press and the store, where they make the cider donuts and feature specialty foods, baked goods, cheese, honey, maple syrup, hot beverages, and lots more Vermont goodness.
Located along Vermont's Route 100, the Cabot Annex Store is a favorite stop whenever you're in the greater Stowe/Waterbury area. You'll find IT just a few miles from Exit 10 off Interstate-89, halfway between Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream Factory and Cold Hollow Cider Mill.
Browse the fantastic selection of Cabot products, sample award-winning cheeses, and delight in many other Vermont specialty foods.
Enjoy a choice selection of Vermont microbrews, hard ciders and wines from around Vermont and around the world.
Buy an impressive selection of Vermont artisanal cheese.
Smugglers' Notch Distillery is a father/son partnership in Jeffersonville, Vermont. The distillery was founded in 2006 at the foot of the famed Smugglers' Notch, site of many a clandestine bootlegger's run through this rugged Vermont mountain pass. The smuggling route was actually first used during the 1800s to move goods during the trade embargo and then again in the 1920s to move liquor during prohibition. Today this enchanting area provides outdoor enthusiasts with a boulder-laden curved mountain road and caves to explore.
Smugglers' Notch Distillery provides spirits more than worthy of tasting. Using the finest ingredients blended with pristine Vermont spring water, they make, barrel age, blend, and hand-bottle remarkably distinctive, award winning spirits one small batch at a time.Since opening its doors to the public in 2010, SND has released exquisite vodka made from the finest grains combined with pure Vermont spring water; a premium bourbon barrel aged single-barrel amber rum; a highly sought straight bourbon whiskey; a limited release double aged rye whiskey; and two true-distilled gins - Blend No. 802, and their latest offering, hopped gin.
Discover what makes the Green Mountain Coffee experience so special at the visitor center and café in Waterbury, Vermont. Located in a beautifully restored train station built in 1875, explore a passion for coffee from "source to cup" through interactive displays and videos. Then, have a taste! The café brews a daily variety of free coffee samples and offers a tempting selection of coffees, specialty drinks, and locally made baked goods and light fare. In the gift shop, browse beverage options for Keurig brewers, Keurig accessories, freshly roasted coffee by the bag, as well as handicrafts from coffee-growing regions around the world.
While you're here, you'll enjoy seeing the sites, sampling the delights, and shopping for the perfect reminder of your trip...and don't forget take a taste of Vermont home with you too!
Watch our ultimate Foodie Day in Vermont Video below to see some of the places we visited....
