Windsor, Vermont, and the surrounding towns are small in size, but that doesn’t mean that good eats are hard to find. Quite the opposite, actually. I took a long weekend at the Snapdragon Inn and was surprised to realize that I wouldn’t have time to eat everywhere I wanted to! I did manage to hit up all the following eateries so I could report back on some of the best in the region.
Windsor Station
One look at this town staple, and its name will be totally clear. The restaurant and bar inhabit the actual Windsor Amtrak station. Pop off the train and get a locally brewed beer or craft cocktail made from local ingredients, or walk the few short blocks from town for dinner. Though the Station offers delicious American pub food, the chef’s Italian roots are also reflected on the menu. With gluten free and vegetarian options, and a seriously extensive local beer list, it’s no wonder the locals flock to the Station on the weekends. We may have eaten here twice in two days.
Village Butcher
We hit the Village Butcher for a quick lunch in Woodstock, VT. Tucked into a side street downtown, the Village Butcher may have been the best smelling place in town, due at least in part to one of the day’s specials—pulled pork that is smoked for two days, then smothered in honey and brown sugar before being tucked into a crusty roll with some slaw. I had to be dragged out of the tiny shop full of baked goods, maple syrup and local cheeses and wines. I recommend grabbing a sandwich, panini or wrap to go and eating it at one of the picnic tables beside Kedron Brook in the center of town.
Mountain Creamery
After hitting Village Butcher, Mountain Creamery is the next logical step. This bilevel establishment features a full diner menu upstairs and an ice cream parlor downstairs. Produce and meat are sourced from the Creamery’s own farm in Killington, and the ice cream is homemade. I’d love to stop back here someday for breakfast, lunch or the mile-high apple pie, but after the Village Butcher’s pulled pork I only had room left for the homemade maple walnut ice cream.
Sustainable Farmer
Located in Artisan’s Park in Windsor, The Sustainable Farmer was hands-down my favorite spot of the weekend. The shop features local honey, cheese, maple syrup and candy, wines, hard ciders, soaps and more, but pulls it off so authentically that it stops far short of tourist kitsch. If the cheese and cider weren’t enough, Sustainable Farmer also offers made-to-order wood-fired pizzas made with local ingredients—even the flour for the dough is Vermont grown and milled—and maple soft serve. After the pizza, ice cream and cider settles, burn off some of the calories at the badminton court right outside the building. You can seriously make a day of this. Also of note in Artisan’s Park: Silo Distillery, Harpoon Brewery, Simon Pearce, Great River Outfitters and the Path of Life Sculpture Garden.
King Arthur Flour
A few miles away in Norwich, VT, King Arthur Flour’s campus boasts an educational center, demo kitchen, bakery and cafe and a baker’s shop. Stop by for lunch, a treat, a class or a demonstration, and be sure to grab a bag of Almond Cloud Cookies for the road. You’ll never be the same again.
- Photography: Lisa Yoder
