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Hungrily We Roll Along Vermonters share their road-food favorites B Y A L I CE L EVI T T
04.02.14-04.09.14 SEVEN DAYS 42 FOOD
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of pickles and his choice of cookie, the reward for a long drive. Many of us have stories like James’. Brown-bagging it is always an option, but impulse purchases made on the road can become old habits — addictive, diet-busting ones. I asked five Vermonters what foods they look forward to when they put the pedal to the metal. In their own words, road warriors shared stories of their favorite foods-on-the-fly — from “Johnny Depp on a Plate” to bologna and cheese.
COURTESY OF JACK THURSTON
SEVENDAYSVT.COM
MATT MIGNANELLI
T
he old term “you can’t get there from here” still rings true in Vermont. For many workers in a state with a widely dispersed population, driving long distances is simply part of the job. But we all still have to eat — even if we’re doing it in the car. Take James, my other half. As a courier, he spends most of his working hours on the road. Often, that means he’s eating a lunch of roasted roots from City Market or my cold, leftover chicken paprikash. While I dine out for a living, his meals often aren’t worthy of a Soviet bread line. That’s why James prays for workdays that send him to Morrisville. On those blessed occasions, he always makes time to order a BLT at the unassuming Thompson’s Flour Shop. He swears that the fluffy, homemade bread and generous portion of “full-bodied, salty bacon” yield the Platonic ideal of a BLT. At less than $7, the hearty sandwich comes with a side
JACK THURSTON
Jack Thurston
Vermont reporter, New England Cable News For the record, I have what I would consider excellent taste in restaurants. If I had all the time in the world and all the money in the world, I would go to the Inn at Shelburne Farms, the Kitchen Table LISTEN IN ON LOCAL FOODIES...
Bistro, Bluebird Tavern all the time. But you can’t do that every day; you especially can’t do that at work. I’ve been going to Gill’s Delicatessen in Rutland for 12 years, as long as I’ve been in
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news in Vermont. My photographer [Kika Bronger] and I like to share a sandwich — it keeps your costs down. Last time we were there, we split a large chicken-salad sub for under $7. For two people, that’s pretty good. Those are the kinds of places you get news stories, too. The ladies there know everything about their community. You bump into the mayor there; you bump into Sen. [Peg] Flory. You bump into everyone, because everyone goes to Gill’s. But this is why I wanted to go on record as having good taste: My favorite thing about Gill’s is the raspberry-filled cookies. I asked Betsy, who works there, who makes them, and she told me, “They’re nothing fancy. They’re frozen.” Here I am saying I love these frozen cookies! The last time we were at Gill’s was because [Sen. Patrick] Leahy was having the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. It did not wrap up until quarter past three, and we were live on air at 4:04 p.m. That kind of day, I need two cookies to get me through it. Two cookies at 75 cents each is my reward. When a dog does his trick, he gets a Milk-Bone. When Jack does his story, he gets a cookie.
NATALIE MILLER
Co-owner of Vermont Comedy Club and Spark Arts My husband [fellow comedian Nathan Hartswick] and I eat on the road a lot. We hardly ever make food at home. From September through March or April, we’re super busy. We’ll have shows pretty much Thursday to Sunday every week. When we perform at restaurants, often the restaurant owner will negotiate the meal into the contract. They have good food at Seasons in Manchester [Center], and the owner, Paul Bogossian, is really nice. Nathan and I are both from Lyndonville, and when we’re going to the Northeast Kingdom in season, we will stop at Bragg Farm [Sugarhouse & Gift Shop] for maple creemees. Period. HUNGRILY WE ROLL ALONG
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