Gastronomically speaking, Manchester, Vermont hits way above its weight these days.
The Manchester area has been my home away from home literally my entire life, and I love it here. I've seen it grow and ebb, and thankfully it has not lost its charm. It saddens me a bit that the town is seemingly trying to move away from being an upscale outlet shopping destination (but they still have Eileen Fisher and Le Creuset, so I'm good). And, while there are still plenty of empty store fronts, some have become home to truly delectable establishments.
So, where do I go and bring friends to eat and drink? Here are my current favorite places:
-- For the over-the-top best maple creemee experience in Vermont (in my opinion, so far): About 15-20 minutes south of Manchester, on Route 7A in Arlington, VT is The Sugar Shack. This place has good creemees, lots of Vermont items (local syrup, cheeses, jams, condiments, etc.), a Norman Rockwell Museum, and THE HANDS-DOWN most amazing maple creemee concoction I have ever tasted: The Cider Sammich with hot maple fudge sauce (a cider donut sliced in half with maple creemee between the top and bottom, with more creemee on top AND THEN a drizzle of hot maple fudge). It's the hot fudge sauce which makes this the best of all other maple creemee experiences, and it is unique. I implore you to try this -- splitting it is doable as it is pretty rich. But my girlfriend had zero problem polishing it by herself....
-- For Desserts and Confections: Mother Myricks. Do you need to pick up dessert or a hostess gift? If so, this should be your first stop. You MUST try their famous Lemon Lulu Cakes, but everything is great.
-- For Coffee, Creemees, and Cakes: The Maple Reserve, right on Main Street! It's new and they have these crazy chimney cakes (kind of like tubular cinnamon cronuts) which can act as cones for their creemees. Plus, it's nice to have a good coffee shop right on Main Street with typical coffee shop confections.
-- For A Celebration Dinner: The Silver Fork is, by far, my favorite restaurant in Manchester. It is located in the converted former home of the Manchester Library (such a cool space!) and has amazing drinks as well as delectable dishes inspired by the chef's stints in the Caribbean and Austria. It has been rated one of the best date night restaurants in the US, and for good reason. Please note -- reservations are imperative and hard to get, but they do have some bar seating so you can always give that a try if you are in the area and couldn't snag a reservation...
-- For a Nice,Big Burger: I have been eating burgers at The Double Hex since I was a child. These burgers are crave-worthy: in fact, this may have been the last place my mother wanted to eat out before she passed away; that's how good they are! Char broiled, big and, because I love my burgers rare, so juicy! Splurge on the beer-battered onion rings and only your thighs will regret it.
-- For Pizza: Sam's Woodfired Pizza has, in my opinion, the best pizza in town. Order it with a crispy crust -- trust me on this. And, while I am on the fence about whether this is actually pizza or not, the Kat’s Vermonter pizza, with bacon, green apples, and Gouda cheese, drizzled with warm VT maple syrup, is THE BOMB! For purists, though, their standard pizzas are also great. Plus, they make a decent maple creemee!
-- For casual eclectic lunch/dinner: Road Runner is new in town, replacing a local favorite deli. Nestled toward the back of a shopping center on Main Street, we almost missed it. Boy am I glad we didn't! The lunch we had here was outstanding (I had the philly pork roast with provolone, broccoli rabe, and garlic sauce & hubby had the hot fried chicken meal which had just the right amount of heat that he requested (stays on your lips but doesn't burn your mouth). We were moaning. The smothered fries will be taste-tested soon, I promise!
-- For farm to table treats and local quaffs: The Crooked Ram started out as a place to get local and hard to source beers, along with some charcuterie. They have grown their operation and added an outdoor space which serves farm-to-table type foods (and wood oven pizzas) and great drinks. In fact, last time I was there, I had a cherry limeade, which was sublime -- tart but fruity. Had I been in the mood for a kick, it would have been a perfect mixer! Another new addition to this category is Mystic Restaurant & Bar, right on Main Street. The food is delectable and the drinks are inventive, strong, and delicious. It's one of my new go-to spots with out-of-town guests or just when I don't feel like cooking.
And, to be clear, there are other places to get food in town as well -- Tibetan, Thai, Mexican, Colonial American, pizzeria, sandwich, burger, pub, etc. The ones listed above just happen to be my favorites.
This beautiful small town, nestled in the Green Mountains of southwestern Vermont has always been a draw for tourists. There are outdoor activities galore in the area (skiing, hiking, biking, and an annual horse show during summer), as well as historical sites (like Hildene, the Lincoln family home), great shopping (The Northshire Bookstore is a favorite, Vermont Kitchen Supply has a wonderful selection of kitchen-related items and great staff, and then there are the outlet shops), galleries, and even a pinball arcade .
So, if you are looking for a weekend getaway from NYC, Boston, or anywhere, rest assured that there is plenty to do and that you won't go hungry in and around Manchester, Vermont.
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