Foodie in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom
I know that Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom is not exactly in your backyard. You could however have reason to go there. You might be dropping a kid off at Circus Smirkus for summer camp, or checking out the Bread and Puppet Museum, or taking in a concert at the Highland Center for the Arts. And as I have said before, if you find yourself in this neck of the woods, you should not leave before stopping at (click here) the Museum of Everyday Life.
This year while staying at our summer cottage, instead of the usual burgers/chicken/steak on the grill, we included adventures at local eateries. For whatever reason you may find yourself in the Northeast Kingdom, chances are that in time you’ll be hungry. Here are pocket-sized reviews of what we found.
Pica Pica, St. Johnsbury: Vermont’s only Filipino restaurant. Good food, friendly service. The standout however is the spicy banana ketchup. You can buy a bottle to take home to put on absolutely everything that needs a little zhuzh.
The Parker Pie Company, West Glover: When we first discovered Parker Pie a few years ago, we drove by it a couple of times because we could not believe that the famed Parker Pie was in the back room of a general store. We now live for their Green Mountain Special pizza (photo, just above). Crowds, though. The day we arrived mid-week, mid-afternoon, the wait was over an hour. We didn’t have the patience, decided to return another time after calling ahead, which is how we ended up down the road at . . .
. . . The Busy Bee Diner, Glover: If this is not the world’s smallest diner, it’s at least in the top 10. There are some outdoor tables with tiki-style umbrellas, but inside there are about six or eight seats. Which is where you want to be to listen in and maybe join the local conversation. Order fries and watch them scoop up an actual potato and run it through the bicep-powered historic potato slicer mounted on the wall. Better yet, try the poutine (it’s excellent) with cheese curds and popcorn chicken (photo, just below). Serving hungry patrons since 1930.
The Front Seat, Hardwick: It’s where you go for fancy coffee drinks and croissants. And macarons (photo, top). Maybe house-made empanadas if you’re fortunate. While sipping through a cappuccino’s foam, you can decide what book you’ll soon be looking for at the nearby Galaxy Bookstore.
The really hot ticket, often sold out, is the Tea Garden at Summersweet Gardens Nursery at Perennial Pleasures in East Hardwick. Imagine yourself sitting in a garden and being served an authentic cream tea. Scones, whipped cream, homemade jam, cucumber sandwiches, and of course, tea, with refills and seconds. After, you can browse through the nursery and fill your car trunk with plants.
One of our dinner choices was Blackbird Bistro, Craftsbury. Casual, dine in or out. Small plates (smoked carrots), larger plates (burgers and sandwiches, a smoked chicken dinner). Craft cocktails.
Can’t leave out The Willey’s Store, Greensboro. It’s the Northeast Kingdom’s version of Dan and Whit’s. Fresh sandwiches and a pint of potato salad make for quick lunches, lakeside, either at a picnic or on a front porch.
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Susan B. Apel shuttered a lifelong career as a law professor to continue an interest (since kindergarten) in writing. Her freelance business, The Next Word, includes literary and feature writing; her work has appeared in a variety of lit mags and other publications including Art New England, The Woven Tale Press, The Arts Fuse, and Persimmon Tree. She connects with her neighbors through Artful, her blog about arts and culture in the Upper Valley. She’s in love with the written word.