[Jim]

I am heading through Vermont, again. This time, we are stopping in Montpelier and making our way up to Burlington. Keeping in mind I am a teacher (translated: poor), do you have any suggestions? Really looking for places that SCREAM local versus exclusively high-end (traveling with rambunctious pack... kids and wife!) As always... a million thanks!

[lentil]

Jim, just outside of Burlington, maybe in Essex- there's a nice little Thai place in an outlet mall and it's called Tiny Thai. I had lunch there a couple of weeks ago and it was fresh and delicious as well as inexpensive.

If you go through Richmond to Jericho and Underhill Flats (if you go up and over the mountain, you end up in Stowe), look for The Sinclair Inn Bed and Breakfast. My good friends own it and it's lovely. Not so much a kid sort of place, but if you get there with just your wife, you'll love it.

Have fun!

I wish I was 20 and lived in Burlington! I love that place!

[chrose]

Jim, there are NECI graduates with restaurants scattered all throughout that area. There are a bunch of places too in and around Montpelier that will give you top notch food at decent prices. Remember that they are still college towns with college town prices in many cases. Also look for the Ben and Jerry Scoop shops and look for the coolers with the seconds. They're usually better than the firsts!
In fact, get in touch with NECI, I'm sure they have lists of the restaurants in the area.

[Jim]

I am going to NECI for my annual summer residency/professional development classes. I will ask about former student-own/run restaurants. Good call! Lentil, I think I know the place of which you speak. I'll put it on the list.

[Pete]

There is "American Flatbreads" in Waitsfield, just a few miles from Montpelier. Used to be that they converted the "factory-bakery" floor into a restaurant on the weekends, making some of the best darn pizza you have ever had. Lots of great italian food all over that area (the granite industry attracted lots of italian stoneworkers in days gone by, who stayed and made Vermont their home).

[bandregg]

The River Inn in Plainfield isn't too far out of the way and is a wonderful touch of Southern cooking in the North. My wife and I are moving to Burlington in October so that I can start at NECI in December.

[Someday]

Positive Pie in Plainfield is great...real "hippie-ish" but great. The 2nd outpost in Montpelier isn't quite as good, but on a good night they have great pizza too. The Black Door in Montpelier is pretty good, but they have gone downhill a bit since they lost their chef.

As far as the NECI outlets go, I think they are OK. If you have a good class cooking your food, the meal will be pretty good. If the group is mediocre, it will be mediocre. If you go to Main St. Grill, there are usually student invented specials every day. Good bets are the Quiche Du Jour, Burger, most pasta specials, fish and chips, and sandwiches. If you can manage to make it for lunch on the last friday of every block, then thats when the class makes a special theme menu, based on the cuisine of a particular region of the country (SW, NE, etc). As the waiters are all culinary students, the service can be poor. Take it for what it is.

La Brioche is usually a good bet, good baked sweets and bread. Soups are OK, as are the sandwiches.

Coffee Corner is a good greasy spoon breakfast-lunch spot. I've enjoyed several b-fasts there, and the corned beef hash keeps me going back, though the last time it wasn't as good as it usually is.

Sarducci's is OK. Italian chain-themed stuff without the chain.

Royal Orchid Thai is really good, and consistent. If you like spicier food make sure to tell them, as most vermonters think that Green Bell peppers are spicy--they tone it down. They are more than willing to accomidate different tastes though. I had a great papaya salad there that my friend ordered "extra extra spicey" and it **** near killed me. Lol. It was really good though.

Mist Grill in Waterbury is good. I reccomend it. Also, if you like Indian food, there is a little Indian place just outside of town in an, I think, Econo Lodge Motel. Sounds ominous, I know, but the food was consistent and well prepared both times I went.

I would NOT go to Julios--tex mex is not a good bet in VT.

Don't forget to stop by Hunger Mountain Co Op for really good cheeses... to go with a baguette from La Brioche. They have a great selection of cheese, and of course a lot to choose from Vermont.

A Single Pebble in Burlington is a **** good Chinese Restaurant...a little pricier than take out, but worth it. Smokejack's in Burlington is decent...fair prices, and good new americanish bistro type food. I like the American Flatbread Company in Burlington too, a wood fired pizza joint, good stuff, and the apple pie was **** good when I was there.

That about covers it. Let me know what else I can do...just got back to Dallas from NECI, so I'm fairly well versed in the local food scene.

I go back in November and am looking forward to it.

EDIT: Unless otherwise stated, all the restaurants I mentioned are in Montpelier.

[Pete]

I would NOT go to Julios--tex mex is not a good bet in VT.

I agree, though when I was a student at NECI we used to devour the Poor Man's Nachos just so we could afford that 1 extra margarita!!!!

[Jim]

Looks like I have some decision-making to do!
There used to be a nice, little upscale 'diner' just across the street from Shelburne Farms (in Shelburne Village) that made & displayed their pies as you walked in. We loved going there! Of course, last year we found that it had been sold. And NECI Commons in Burlington is a memory, too. That was gooood food!
The kids do well with casual places and my wife & I like to dig into the local stuff, so it looks like we will have some destinations this time around. If you have any other ideas, please pass them along... our stay up there is a pretty good length... doing a little house hunting. But that's another thread.

[Devotay]

Jim,

You're gonna come back here and "blog" about your experience at my beloved alma mater, right?

[bandregg]

I can't speak for Jim, but I'll be writing about my experiences at NECI starting in December. It won't be a blog per se; I don't think it will be updated regularly enough to be called that. Those writings will be my way of improving my writing skills and hopefully will be useful as a portfolio later.

[Jim]

Which campus will you be attending? B'ton or M'pelier? why did you choose there over other schools, out of curiousity?

[bandregg]

I'll be at the Burlington (well, Essex Junction) campus. I'm changing careers after eleven years in the internet/technology world and spent a long time doing due diligence about culinary schools. This involved talking to students, chef instructors, local chefs who had their own opinions about culinary students in general and those from specific programs, and anyone else that I could find to talk to. This led me to create a hierarchy of schools that I wanted to tour and apply to. For ME (and the emphasis is very important) that list was ordered: NECI, CIA, French Culinary Institute, Le Cordon Bleu Austin. And a lot went into this list from quality and reputation of the program, through length and reach of the program including intern (extern) ships, to where the program was located and what living/working resources would be like for my wife and dog. Following this we flew up and toured the two NECI campuses, loved what we saw, and decided that NECI was still number one for me and that Burlington was the better choice of campuses for my family. I applied and was accepted! We've been made an offer on our house and are hopefully signing the contract on Monday. We have some travelling to do before moving to Burlington and expect to move North (we're in Durham, NC right now) at the start of October to get settled before school starts.

[Devotay]

Great news, Bandregg. I think you're going to love it. they have a tremendous faculty and their 7:1 student:teacher ratio can't be touched anywhere in the industry. 2 paid internships is nice too.

I also attended with a wife and 2 kids "in tow" and chose the Essex Jct. campus as being much better for our family. We had an apartment within walking distance of the Inn @ Essex, in the Saybrook development, although that highway that runs between them wasn't there at the time.

Having also taught there for a couple of years, I can vouch for the dedication of the faculty and administration in providing a top-notch, broad-based culinary education. I'm sure you'll be very happy with it and I look forward to hearing of your success.