Best of Central Vermont Magazine - Fall 2014

Central Vermont best of

FALL 2014 VOLUME 2, NO. 4

COMMUNITIES AND LIFESTYLE IN THE HEART OF THE GREEN MOUNTAINS

Glorious

FALL TOUR MONTPELIER HOMES TAPAS, NEW ENGLAND STYLE SMILES FOR THE EMBRACE PROJECT

Contents 54 62 68

f e at u r e s

fly fishing

Casting about for trout in Vermont’s streams, lakes, and ponds by lisa densmore ballard

sundara

A day at the spa cures more than sore muscles By dian parker

embrace project

When community members give back, there are plenty of reasons for smiles all around By mark aiken

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50

Contents DEPARTMENTS

13 Editor’s Note 14 Contributors 16 online hub 18 Occasions & About 22 Out

by Cassie Horner

TASTE OF THE TOWN

44 PROHIBITION PIG

by Elizabeth Hewitt

inn touch

50 the inn at MONTPELIER

by Dian Parker

74

dining & entertainment guide WHAT’S COOKING

77 THANKSGIVING LEFTOVERS

by Susan Nye

calendar

80 arts and entertainment chat

84 with CORNELIA CAREY by stephen morris

COMMUNITY

28 MONTPELIER HOUSE TOURS

by MARY GOW

FROM THE KITCHENS OF NECI

34 TALKIN’ TAPAS

by SUSAN REYNOLDS

BRIGHT IDEAS

38 RESOURCE

by phyl newbeck

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60 FALL SPECTACULAR! SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Shopping and fun things to do in Central Vermont

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Central Vermont best of

FALL 2 0 1 4 | Volume 2 no. 4

Coffee Table Publishing P.O. Box 1460, Quechee, VT 05059

(802) 295-5295

www.bestofcentralvt.com Publishers

Robin Gales John Gales Bob Frisch Editor

Meg Brazill Copy Editor

Elizabeth Hewitt Creative Director

Ellen Klempner-Beguin Art Direction/Design

Robbie Alterio Advertising Design

Hutchens Media, LLC Web Design

Locable Advertising

Robin Gales John Gales (802) 295-5295 coffeetablepublishing@comcast.net Keep us posted. Best of Central Vermont wants to hear from our readers. Correspondence may be addressed to letters to the editor, Best of Central Vermont, P.O. Box 1460, Quechee, VT 05059.

Advertising inquiries may be made by emailing ctpublishing@ comcast.net or coffeetablepublishing@comcast.net. Best of Central Vermont is published quarterly by Coffee Table Publishing, LLC, Š2014. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. Best of Central Vermont accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, artwork, or photographs.

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SFI-00665

editor’s note

W

hether you welcome fall’s shorter days and cooler nights, or try to hold onto the last vestige of summer, we can’t stop the change of seasons. Nor would we want to. It’s a beautiful cycle that Mother Nature engages in as the local harvest arrives and the leaves turn colors. Fall launches so many changes, not just natural ones.

It’s the time when kids go back to school and teachers greet a whole new group of students.

It’s the time when some seasonal workers turn in their gardening tools and lawnmowers for plowblades and shovels. For me, this fall launches a change as the new editor of Best of Central Vermont.

All summer as I worked on the fall issue, I started hearing your stories. Now I look forward to sharing some of the people, places, organizations, and businesses that make Central Vermont special—and I hope you’ll keep me informed of your own stories. In this issue, you’ll read about the kind of change that can take place when you meet someone new and find out what a surprising impact that can make—and it goes both ways. That’s just part of the story (on page 68) about what happened when Dr. John Steinman and his wife Dr. Lynne Addiego met Sammie Gorton, a college student and active volunteer at Johnson State College. You’ll find yourself smiling by the end.

This fall marks three years after Tropical Storm Irene changed much of Vermont’s landscape forever, not to mention how it touched and changed all of us in some way. While recovery following the storm is still underway, growing businesses like Prohibition Pig (page 44) in Waterbury are bringing good cheer, and great food and libations to our area.

Fall foliage is emblematic of Vermont, just like being labeled a Yankee is. But you can be a dyed-in-the-wool Vermonter and still enjoy food from every corner of the world. Read about how Chef David Parson Capaccioli from the New England Culinary Institute (NECI) tempts us with the small, bite-sized dishes known, in Spain, as tapas (on page 34). Between the covers, you’ll find a great new ReSource in Barre (page 38), home tours in Montpelier that benefit local organizations (page 28), and a lovely look inside the Inn at Montpelier (page 50).

Enjoy these beautiful fall days and crisp nights. And stay in touch. I’d love to hear what you do in Central Vermont, or how you brag about a friend or tout a local business that makes your town special.

Meg Brazill, Editor editor@bestofcentralvt.com

www.facebook.com/ BestOfCentralVermont

@bestofcentralvt www.bestofcentralvt.com

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co n t rib u to r s

Journalist and freelance writer MARY GOW is an arts correspondent for the Barre Montpelier Times Argus, a contributor to numerous regional magazines, and the author of history of science books for middle school students. Mary lives in Warren, Vermont, and can be reached at mgow@gmavt.net.

LISA DENSMORE Ballard

MARK AIKEN is a freelance writer from Richmond, Vermont.

He teaches skiing at Stowe and trains for marathons with his wife.

Together, he and his wife are involved in another endurance sport: parenting. Contact him at aikenaction@gmail.com.

JEB WALLACE-BRODEUR grew

ELIZABETH HEWITT is a

DIAN PARKER is a freelance writer for a number of New England publications. A passionate gardener and oil painter, she also reviews art and writes about artists’ studios and gardens. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, she has worked professionally in theater for 25 years as a director and teacher.

Dian lives near Chelsea with her husband Jasper Tomkins, a children’s book writer and publisher.

freelance journalist and native of Warren, Vermont. She has written and reported from three continents, and most recently she worked from Istanbul, Turkey. Among her favorite subjects to cover are the people, environment, and businesses of her home state. Contact her at elizabeth.hewitt@outlook.com.

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has contributed to publications in Vermont and nationally for over two decades. She is the author of seven hiking guidebooks, including Hiking the Green Mountains (Falcon Guides, 2009). A former resident of Vermont, she now lives in Montana and returns to the Green Mountains monthly.

Contact her through her website, densmoredesigns. com.

up in Montpelier and graduated from Middlebury College. He is Chief Photographer at the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus, where he has worked for more than two decades. His work appears regularly in Seven Days, Vermont Life, and other regional and national publications. He lives with his wife and son in Montpelier.

When not out shooting, Jeb is usually skiing, biking or hiking in the Northeast. Contact him at jebcas@gmail.com.

online hub

www.bestofcentralvt.com

www.bestofcentralvt.com

online exclusives

RECIPE PAN FRIED SHRIMP (Gambes) Look online where NECI’s Chef David Parson Capaccioli shares his recipes for these light, quick, spicy bite-sized dishes. There are three more dishes to create a mezze platter.

MONTPELIER HOME TOUR Find where to buy tickets; read about the organizations that benefit from the tour; watch a video or view photos from previous house tours.

ONLINE GALLERY THE GREAT VERMONT CORN MAZE Find more photos online of the maze that’s been named one of the top ten in America! Read about the living nightmare known as Dead North!

eNewsletter

Sign up at www.bestofcentralvt.com Our newsletter includes up-to-date info on: • Local event listings from our online calendar

Follow us on Twitter @bestofcentralvt

• Special offers from Best of Central Vermont and local businesses • Insights from our communities and towns, and much more . . .

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septem

like us

www.facebook.com/ BestOfCentralVermont

CLICK ON OUR ONLINE CALENDAR TO SEE LOCAL EVENTS HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND YOU CAN ADD YOUR OWN EVENT FREE!

o cc a si o ns

The Great VermonT Corn Maze

Ten acres with three miles of trails and 10- to 12- foot high corn stalks create towering walls in the corn maze, but it’s on a hill so there are great views too. A fresh maze and new surprises every year earned it one of the top 10 in America.

DEAD NORTH!

Over 100 volunteers create a living nightmare for visitors to Dead North. This year’s haunt includes wagon rides, a mile walk of terror through a haunted cornfield and buildings, which include animatronics, the mostly live residents of DEAD NORTH, and special effects. Tickets sell out every year.

The Maze Opens at 10am, Last person enters at 3pm Open 7 days a week, weather permitting.

Last Day: Sunday, October 19 Dead North October 3 & 4, 10 & 11 7:30pm, rain or shine No flashlights or illumination allowed (802) 748-1399

online gallery Find more photos online of the maze that’s been named one of the top ten in America! www.bestofcentralvt.com

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www.vermontcornmaze.com We’d love to hear about your event. Please send photos to editor@bestofcentralvt.com.

o u t a nd a b o u t

by c a ssie h o rner

Trapp Cabin 5 & 10K Benefit On Sunday, September 21 at 10 am, runners can participate in a fun race while also supporting Friends of Stowe Adaptive Sports. The Sixth Annual Trapp Cabin 5 & 10K starts and ends at the Trapp Family Lodge Meadow, traveling 800 vertical feet through a beautiful landscape of woods, streams, and wild flowers. The 10K also traverses to the Trapp Cabin. “It’s very winding and lots of fun,” says Cynthia Needham, President of the Friends’ board.

“Runners find it exciting because it follows trails not readily accessible by the larger community.”

The Trapp Cabin 5 & 10K is the final race of the Stowe 2014 Trail Race Series, which also includes the Ranch Camp Ramble 5 & 10K in July and the Cady Hills 5K in August. Most of the proceeds go to the scholarship fund of the Friends of Stowe Adaptive Sports, a nonprofit founded to enable athletes with disabilities to participate in sports and recreation. The two specific projects include a partnership with Stowe Mountain Resort Adaptive Program and a partnership with Just Ducky Aquatics based in Morrisville. The Friends offer scholarships to Vermont residents with disabilities so they can learn to ski, snowboard, or swim. The group also cosponsors some events such as the Martin Luther King weekend Nordic and alpine activities in Stowe.

The Trapp Cabin 5 & 10K awards prizes to top runners. A raffle is open to everyone who races, along with free refreshments.

“We are very grateful for the support we get from the local community,” says Cynthia. “This is a low-budget event that keeps race fees affordable. We want to get people out, being active and supporting our program.”

For more information, visit www.stoweadaptive.org 22

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Photos by Phil White

Kids get to meet sled dogs at GMC’s Winter Hiking Festival. Opposite, from top: A representive from Vermont Institute of Natural Science gives a presentation about owls. Snowshoers tackle Pinnacle’s steep and well-packed trail. Face painting is one of the indoor activities at GMC’s Winter Hiking Festival. Photos courtesy Green Mountain Club.

Clockwise from top left: Trapp Cabin at the top of Slayton Pasture Trail, the turn-around for the 10K race; Jack MacDonald enjoying a post-race treat; One of the many families who choose to run together; Three runners wait to collect their prizes.

www.bestofcentralvt.com

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Art Walk in Waitsfield (photo credit: Rebecca Silbernagel/

The historic homes and vibrant small commerce

Valley Arts Foundation)

in Historic Waitsfield Village combine in a charming intersection of past and present. Take in the 19 stores, studios, galleries, and restaurants, and you have the scene of the Waitsfield Art Walk, organized by the Valley Arts Foundation. You don’t have to be a history buff or an arts maven to appreciate the 1.2mile self-guided walk. It’s a leisurely stroll with an “itinerary” which invites people to visit five locations to view outdoor sculpture, along with businesses that display art and, of course, the lure of food and drink in a wide variety of choices.

Stops along the Main Street / Route 100 walk feature Mad River Quilting, Transformation Sculpture, The Collection (Valley photographs), All Things Bright and Beautiful, Reign Vermont (handcrafted bags), and the Artisans’ Gallery.

“We believe there is a higher concentration of arts-related stores and galleries along this mile-long route than in most communities,” says Karen Nevin, executive director of Valley Arts Foundation and Vermont Festival of the Arts. “The Valley Arts Foundation decided to highlight and promote the myriad arts-related businesses through the Art Walk Map, which was created in Fall 2012. Encouraging people to get out of their cars to walk ensures that they don’t miss a thing!”

The Waitsfield Art Walk begins (or ends—you choose) at the historic Wait House at one end and continues south to Three Mountain Cafe. Historic Waitsfield Village (the intersection of Bridge and Main Streets) is the main area highlighted on the map but, of course, the walk extends to the shopping centers on Route 100, where artwork is on display in a bank, the local cafe, a store-front gallery, and a small gift shop.

Other shops and studios showcase pottery, jewelry, stained glass, and paintings. Fine paintings in watercolor, oil, pastel, and acrylic, as well as quality handcrafted products by local artists, can be found in both the Bridge Street Emporium and Artisans Gallery.

Pick up an Art Walk map at the Mad River Valley Chamber of Commerce, All Things Bright and Beautiful, Bridge Street Emporium, the Festival Gallery, or download a copy before you go at: www.valleyartsfoundation.org.

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Clockwise from top left: Artisan’s Gallery, an artists cooperative on Bridge Street; Bridge Street Emporium, owned by local artist Gary Eckhart; Ulrike Tessmer’s potter’s wheel at her studio and showroom, Waitsfield Pottery; A sculpture by John Matusz at Transformation Sculpture Studio.

www.bestofcentralvt.com

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Waitsfield Community

Dinners On the last Friday of every month

at 5:30 pm, about 100 people gather at the historic Waitsfield United Church of Christ to share a meal and enjoy one another’s company. The church members prepare meals about five months out of the year. At other times, meals are prepared by local organizations like the Waitsfield-Fayston Fire Department, the Mad River Valley Rotary, a group of Harwood High School Seniors, or the Mad River Odd Fellows. Parts of the meal are often enhanced by donations from local farmers as well. The participation of local organizations and farmers enriches the meaning of what a real “community meal” is all about.

“We decided we wanted to do a free community supper,” recalls Rev. Nancy McHugh. “It’s wide open for anyone who wants to come, and we invite other community groups to prepare meals.”

They started it almost two years ago and it caught on. “It’s a lot of fun, and there is no agenda, just an opportunity to get together and break bread and enjoy each other’s company.”

The first supper was held in 2012 on the Friday after Christmas. Organizers were worried that people would have had too many dinners by then, but about 65 people showed up for a good evening. Since then the numbers have only grown, reflecting the event’s success.

Folks linger after the meal, too, in no hurry to head home. “The suppers combine local vendors, local cooking and a local church,” says Rev. Nancy. “People really enjoy them.”

The Waitsfield United Church of Christ is located at 4335 Main Street in the Village of Waitsfield near the historic Bridge Street area.

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Clockwise, from top left: The Waitsfield United Church on Main Street hosts the dinners; Attendees fill their plates at the free monthly dinner; the Waitsfield-Fayston Fire Department enjoys cooking for a crowd.

www.bestofcentralvt.com

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co mmuni t y

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by m a Ry gow

best of central Vermont | Fall 2014

Photos courtesy of the Montpelier Chamber Orchestr a

Montpelier

HomeTour2014

Considering a home makeover or remodeling project? Curious about historic Montpelier houses? Intrigued by the “tiny house” boom? Visiting other people’s houses offers design inspiration and insights into local history. Perusing parlors and comparing kitchens can also make a delightful day.

Montpelier Homes: Up Close and Personal On Saturday, October 11, five homeowners around the capital city will open their doors to the community in the 3rd Montpelier Home Tour. Organized by the Montpelier Chamber Orchestra (MCO) and benefiting five local programs and organizations, the Home Tour gives the public the opportunity to step inside and see the space, décor, and craftsmanship in local showcase homes. As a bonus, MCO ensembles perform throughout the day in one of the homes.

“With the Home Tour you get to see these homes up close. We always have a variety of styles, including old homes made new,” says Paul Gambill, MCO’s Music Director. “People take pride in the beautiful homes they have created, and we appreciate that they’re willing to share them with the community.”

Southern Inspiration The orchestra’s inaugural Home Tour was held in 2011, launched shortly after Paul moved here to take the helm of this community orchestra. Previously, he served as music www.bestofcentralvt.com

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Visit the homes in any order at your own pace on this self-guided tour. MCO ensembles will perform at one of the homes throughout the day.

director of the Nashville Ballet and Orchestra Nashville. “In Nashville we lived in a historic neighborhood. We loved the house tour there.

We would go on the tour and get ideas for what we could do in our home,” he explains.

“Home tours are not really part of the culture here like in the south. There, they are a big deal.” Many southern tours are decades-long traditions—Savannah’s, for example, is in its 80th year. Moving to central Vermont, Paul was impressed by this area’s architecture and historic homes. As the orchestra considered fundraising opportunities, he suggested a house tour. The idea took off.

“What surprised people,” he recalls, “is what a social event it gets to be. You see your friends and neighbors. It’s a fun day that brings the community together.”

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From Victorian to Net-Zero Energy Homes The tour raises awareness and money. The Chamber Orchestra presents the event, but also collaborates with other organizations.

Each group takes responsibility for one house, staffing it with volunteer greeters and guides for the day. The organizations also share in the ticket proceeds. This year’s groups are: Green Mountain Youth Symphony, Montpelier Senior Activity Center, the Montessori School, and Main Street Middle School’s 8th grade foreign language trip.

Every house on the tour has a unique story.

When recruiting homeowners, Paul explains, they have an eye to selecting diverse styles so that visitors have a range of interesting viewing.

Gracious Victorian homes, colonials, and a new net-zero home that generates as much energy as it uses have all been featured. The Arsenal House, a landmark on College Street that dates back to the Civil War, was on the tour.

A Well-Loved and Lived-In Landmark Last year Priscilla and André Gilbert and their twin daughter and son opened their home to the tour. One of East Montpelier’s oldest homes, built in the early 1800s, this classic cape style house is something of a landmark. Its “birthing room” was well-used in past eras. “Many people have connections to this house—it’s part of their family history,” says Priscilla. Through the tour, Priscilla notes, visitors could reconnect with that past and also see the addition and renovations made by the Gilberts. Their remodeling and addition honor the home’s history while updating it for 21st century family life.

Preparing for the tour, Priscilla recalls, “I decided it was a home tour not a house tour and my home has two 7-year-olds. Some may be more pristine, but this is ours.”

An Insiders’ Source for Experts For people considering remodeling projects of their own, the tour can be helpful for finding designers or contractors. The tour booklet includes homeowner-written descriptions of the houses, including names of their builders and other contractors.

When considering a project like a bathroom www.bestofcentralvt.com

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redo, it’s nice to be able to see and compare finished projects by local experts.

Annual Changeup Includes a Tiny House This year’s tour offers another diverse group of homes. A traditional four-square Georgian house and a Craftsman house are among the historic properties. The 1960s ranch style house on the tour has had a complete makeover, including a major energy efficiency update, solar panel installations, and addition of a high tech music room. A very compact 500-square-foot house completed just this summer gives visitors a look at the joys of downsizing. This house will be featured on the FYI channel’s “Tiny House Nation.”

My Way, Your Way, Any Way is the Right Way

Visit a “tiny house” and a traditional four-square Georgian house on this year’s home tour.

The house tour is self-guided. With admission you get a copy of the booklet, then you can visit the homes in any order and at your own leisurely pace. For a whole day, seeing friends and neighbors along the way, it’s like walking inside a home design magazine.

Montpelier Chamber Orchestra presents

2014 Montpelier Home Tour Visit five showcase Montpelier homes Saturday, October 11 — 10am to 5pm Self-guided tour. Volunteer staff at each home.

Tickets — $20 in advance, $25 day of.

Montpelier Chamber Orchestra www.montpelierchamberorchestra.org

online exclusive Find where to buy tickets in advance or online; read about the local organizations that benefit from the tour; watch a video or view photos from previous house tours, online at www.bestofcentralvt.com.

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fro m t he k i tchens o f neci

by sus a n re y n o l ds

photos courtesy of NECI

Talkin’ Tapas

with Chef David Parson Capaccioli

F

ull disclosure: Chef David is not Italian. He and his wife decided they would use both of their surnames. They flipped a coin to see whose name went last. She won. In fact, there’s very little Mediterranean in Chef David’s DNA. He’s a winter climate guy, born and bred. His fond-

est food memory from childhood is Thanksgiving at his grandmother’s Midwestern home—turkey and sides all the way.

The Beat Goes On: Tapas Nothing could be more different from an enormous turkey dinner than the light, quick, slightly spicy and aromatic bites called tapas.

Yet Chef David, who loves both, teaches a 34

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class in tapas at the New England Culinary Institute (NECI) in Montpelier. After graduating from NECI in 1996 with an Associate Degree in Culinary Arts, he worked in North Carolina, Maine, Vermont, and Minneapolis

before coming back to teach at NECI in 2009.

In all his free time he earned his certificate from the International Sommelier Guild. And he played drums in a band—which, in a funny way, explains his fascination with tapas.

Why? Because they are the grace notes, the rhythm, the peppery beat of the food world. Tapas are small appetizers, or snacks, eaten hot or cold at any time of day. The word derives from the Spanish verb tapar, to cover, but every Mediterranean culture has some form of tapas in their menu. There is some discussion about why tapas are called tapas, but my favorite is the idea that these

small bites would keep the reveler from getting too drunk on an empty stomach.

Mediterranean: History Meets Innovation

NECI Restaurants Chef’s Table 118 Main Street Montpelier, VT (802) 223-3188

La Brioche Bakery and Café 89 Main Street Montpelier, VT (802) 229-0443

NECI on Main 118 Main Street Montpelier, VT (802) 223-3188 www.NECI.edu

Tapas in Spain, meze in the Near East, antipasta in Italy, dim sum in China: students of Chef David’s tapas class also get a lesson in world history.

Now, of course, with the Mediterranean diet so in vogue, these small meals are considered not only delicious but extremely healthy. “I like the size of them,” says Chef David. “And I like the pace of them: you cook them fast, you plate them fast, you serve them fast and you eat them fast. There’s a rhythm there that suits my metabolism.” (Drummers again.)

In Chef David’s class, students learn about the history of the cultures bordering the Mediterranean. They learn about early cooking techniques, eating habits, and ingredients. “The Phoenicians ate tapas in 1100 B.C.,” he reports. Today they grace some of the most innovative menus around. “I like to think that when you eat tapas, you have one foot in the ancient world.” Tools back then included mortar and pestles, clay pots, and a lot of mixing, like for pasta and rolled couscous. Today, some of these translate into large-scale production kitchens and some do not. But don’t let this stop you. The key to www.bestofcentralvt.com

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scious about not wasting food. Tapas are a natural way to teach all of these things. You have to know how to sauté, grill, braise, bake, roast, fry, dice—all the critical skills.”

Tricks of the Trade, Yankee Style While tapas may seem unfamiliar to the New England palate, Yankee ingenuity is the most important ingredient. “When we serve tapas at NECI on Main, our restaurant in Montpelier,” Chef David explains, “we don’t necessarily use the Mediterranean names for the various dishes. ‘Spicy chicken skewers’ is more familiar, for example, than ‘chicken harissa.’ What matters is they’re both delicious.” tapas is creativity—working with what tools and ingredients you have. No excuses.

Right-size Is Bite-sized Small bites and many meals suits the hot climates of the Mediterranean, but there is much to recommend tapas to New England.

“Nutritionally, small meals work better for hard labor,” says Chef David. “I work all night most nights and eating many small meals keeps my energy up better than a big plate of steak and potatoes. A little hummus, some olives and a skewer of chicken with harissa—a sauce of roasted serrano red and hot chili peppers with garlic, coriander and olive oil—and I’m ready to go.” Tapas are also economical; many ingredients are used but there is little waste.

Cooking: A Solid Foundation The Mediterranean, of course, has a longer growing season, but Chef David finds that 36

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the abundance of locally grown vegetables, cold crops like beets, and preserved foods more than offsets the difference. Small farms produce jewel-like ingredients perfect for tapas. Braised meats are commonly used as well. Traditional tapas ingredients include herbs and spices like saffron, thyme, oregano, and many kinds of chiles. Frequent use is made of olives, almonds, apricots, dried fruits, and preserved lemons.

Harissa and a spice mixture called zatar (sesame seeds, sumac, thyme, and oregano) see regular use. Pork, chorizo, blood sausage, rose water, and of course, olive oil, all make appearances.

“Our goal at NECI is to give students a solid cooking foundation. Tapas give them a chance to put their skills to use, to use ingredients made in other classes (cheeses, pickles, salt cod, charcuterie, etc.), and to be creative and innovative. I want my students to know their knife skills and to be con-

Sweet and Spicy Pairings As for wine pairings, it depends. A sweet wine like a Sauterne works well with some spicy dishes but a Muscat (one of the oldest grapes used to make wine) will suffice. The lighter reds like Merlots and Pinots also make good accompaniments to these light meals.

want the recipes for Neci’s tapas?

Go to our website,www.bestofcentralvt.com.

You’ll find NECI’s recipes as well as photos.

b righ t id e a s

by PHYL NE W BECK

Photos courtesy of ReSOURCE

A

great

ReSOURCE for

Central Vermont Back in 1991, a non-profit then known as ReCycle North began a program to repair and resell household items that otherwise would have gone to a landfill. Today, the organization now known as ReSOURCE operates out of four locations including Barre and Morrisville, and it has grown to include job training components and work in energy efficiency.

Recyle, Reuse, Rebrand, ReSOURCE Around the time ReCycle North was founded, a non-profit called the ReSTORE opened in Montpelier with a similar mission. During a heavy snowstorm in 2008, the ReSTORE’s roof collapsed and they were essentially homeless until rebuilding could take place.

ReCycle North offered to help via their job training program’s construction services, but the two organizations soon realized they had similar missions and would be better served as one unit. The newly merged non-profit found an 1898 granite shed in Barre that was being used to house imported Chinese tombstones—a travesty in the Granite City.

The owner gave them nine months to rent it while they raised funds for the purchase. In the process, ReCycle North was rebranded as ReSOURCE. “The exciting part of the expansion,” ReSOURCE’s executive director Tom Longstreth says, “was finding that the ReSTORE in Montpelier had a lot of great customers. The welcome we’ve received in Central Vermont has been wonderful.” Now, in addition to the resale component, the Barre ReSOURCE has a variety of programs 38

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including job skills training for both youth and adults, environmental services such as weatherization and solar installation, and poverty relief. The job training includes YouthBuild for those 16 to 24, as well as an apprentice-style program aged for adults.

Both training programs provide classroom and hands-on experiential learning, as well as a small stipend. The poverty relief program has provided assistance to those affected by recent floods and made donations to those living in need. “It’s a nice mix of mission fulfillment,” Tom says.

The Road to Morrisville The move to Morrisville occurred in 2012 and Tom admits it wasn’t part of any strategic expansion plan. Roughly four years ago, ReSOURCE was approached by the Lamoille County Solid Waste District with a request to move to the area. At the time, they were in the midst of the Barre expansion so it wasn’t feasible, but two years later, the district joined with the United Way of Lamoille County to renew their request. The United Way was developing transitional housing on the upper floor of a building on Portland Street.

ReSOURCE agreed to create a new reuse store on the first floor and provide employment and training for those in transition. While the Barre space is more than 8,000 square feet, the Morrisville location is only 2,000 and provides full-time employment to three people,

which is roughly one-fourth the size of the work force at the Barre location.

Moira Beig is the program manager of the Barre location, the only store owned, rather than rented, by ReSOURCE. The site was rehabilitated by the YouthBuild program

which laid down a new concrete floor that provides radiant heating. They also built a new interior wall to address structural deficiencies. ReSOURCE recently completed its $1.7 million capital campaign, as well as the bulk of construction. The final phase of

work included restoration of the front face of the store with new siding and rehabilitation of the historic windows that were uncovered.

The building won an environmental award for smart growth, thanks to its multiple environmentally beneficial features includwww.bestofcentralvt.com

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Previous page: ReSOURCE’s new Barre location, formerly a granite shed.

This page, clockwise from top left: ReSOURCE provides youth and adult job training; materials are recycled to make new goods; YouthBuild trains young adults in construction skills; some of ReSOURCE’s products; Senator Patrick and Marcelle Leahy supporting ReSOURCE; ReSOURCE raised $1.7 million to fund the Barre location.

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ing a biomass boiler, superinsulation, and a photovoltaic panel on the roof.

Vouchers Provide Alternatives ReSOURCE provides voucher assistance for those near or below the poverty level to help them purchase essential household goods. In 2013 the Barre location gave away over $18,000 worth of products. The store also has a pick-up and delivery truck which operates a few days a week. Moira is proud

the store has managed to keep 117 tons of waste out of landfills and collected four tons of e-waste. “It’s crazy to think how quickly TVs and computers get out of date,” she says. “People buy new ones and never really think about what happens to the five-yearold printer or bulky laptop.”

Good Growing Pains Jim Curran, sales and operations director for ReSOURCE, has been doing double duty as www.bestofcentralvt.com

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the Morrisville store manager. Although the location does not have a YouthBuild component, they have done a lot of job training with a focus on “soft skills” and they’ve seen every one of their past trainees land a job.

In just two years of operation, the store has managed to divert seven tons of material from landfills. “Our tonnage has been pretty exciting,” says Jim, noting that the organization has either given items away to those living in poverty or sold them to help fund job training programs. After only two years, the store may be outgrowing its space. They are looking for a larger location in Morrisville, preferably one where they can take part in some historic preservation.

Not Just a Job: Making a Difference “I have a long history of working with nonprofits,” Moira says, “and this is the one I want to stick with. The three-part mission of environmental stewardship, poverty relief and job skills are the biggest issues I care about. I might have some off-days, but when I go home at night I know that not only have I earned some money but I’ve helped make a difference in the community. There’s no better work for me than that.”

ReSOURCE Household Goods & Building Material Store

30 Granite Street Barre, VT 05641 (802) 477-7800 Hours of operation (including donation drop-off): Monday – Saturday: 9:30am - 6:00pm

ReSOURCE Household Goods & Building Material Store

110 Portland Street Morrisville, VT 05661 (802) 851-8333 Hours of operation (including donation drop-off): Monday – Saturday: 9:30am - 6:00pm

In addition, ReSOURCE also has a Household Goods Store, a Building Material Store, and a Waste-Not Products Workshop in Burlington.

Check the ReSOURCE Website for details: www.resourcevt.org 42

best of central Vermont | Fall 2014

Ta s t e o f t he Tow n

by El iz a b e t h He w i tt

Ph otos by Jeb Wa l l ace- B ro d eur

Prohibition Pig Prohibition Pig began with a recipe: a killer North Carolina-style barbecue sauce. Thanks to a passionate team of collaborators, the Waterbury restaurant grew from that tasty beginning to far more than just a neighborhood favorite. With cutting edge cocktails, flavor-packed pub fare, a beer list that includes Vermont’s superstars, and a new brewery in the works, Prohibition Pig is leading the charge in Waterbury’s beer-based renaissance.

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A Man, A Plan, Prohibition Pig When Prohibition Pig opened its doors in March 2012, it was a near-instant hit with locals excited to see life returning to Waterbury’s business center after the flooding from Tropical Storm Irene the previous fall. Word quickly spread. Busy Saturdays can see the small restaurant serve upwards of 600 people.

Minutes off of I-89, it’s a convenient stop for road-trippers; others make it a destination in itself. One group even took a day trip across Lake Champlain from Plattsburgh inspired entirely by a post they had seen on Instagram.

Like most “overnight” success stories, this one has been years in the making. When ninth-generation Vermonter Chad Rich had his first taste of imported Belgian beer nearly two decades ago, it ignited a passion for top-quality libations that would lead to his involvement in the craft brewing movement.

Chad began home-brewing and investigating micro-distilling back in 1999 when he was living in North Carolina and running a business there. With a growing enthusiasm for craft brewing and accumulated business experience under his belt, he returned to Vermont to further develop his expertise in local food and craft beverage. By 2009 he had a business plan that would marry his love of better beer and craft cocktails with local food. He kept an eye out for the right type of location—somewww.bestofcentralvt.com

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Previous page, from left: Outside 23 South Main Street in Waterbury; baked to order Craft Mac & Cheese; owner Chad Rich.

This page, top: Pro Pig rotates its 22 beer lines.

Bottom: Sean Lawson, of Lawson’s Finest Liquids, with his wife, Karen, and their children.

Opposite page: almost everything, including many condiments, is made in house.

thing with a speakeasy feel that would match the vintage-inspired name: Prohibition Pig. After the floodwaters of Tropical Storm Irene poured into the basement of The Alchemist Pub and Brewery in Waterbury in August 2011, the popular Heady Topper double IPA producer moved its operations to its nearby cannery. Chad, a longtime friend of the owners, helped reinvigorate the downtown property. Prohibition Pig had found a home at 23 South Main Street.

Seventh Generation Sauce Chad based the culinary concept for Prohibition Pig on a souvenir he brought north with him from his time living in the south. His friend and former roommate, inheritor to an eastern North Carolina hog farm, had shared with him a seven-generation-old family recipe for BBQ sauce. “The sauce is amazing,” says chef Michael Werneke. “It’s one of the best I’ve ever had.” Michael, who came to Pro Pig on Halloween 2012 from Stowe’s Rusty Nail, found a kitchen already wellversed in the ways of smoked meat.

At that point, Michael set about diversifying a menu inspired by the heirloom sauce recipe, that also highlighted the best of Vermont’s fresh ingredients. “We’re trying to make the best food we can with what we have, using as much local as possible,” he says. “Almost everything is made in-house.”

It’s Smokin’ In keeping with southern BBQ tradition, the preparation of the cuisine at Prohibition Pig is a lesson in patience. The namesake chopped pork takes about 12 hours to smoke. The beef brisket requires between eight and ten.

Meanwhile, Craft Mac & Cheese is another all-season favorite, baked-to-order and loaded with a heady combination of sharp and clothbound Cheddars, Baby Swiss, and a garlicky Mornay. “It’s really an obscene dish, not spa 46

best of central Vermont | Fall 2014

cuisine,” Michael says with a chuckle. “But people really enjoy it.”

But BBQ is just the tip of the iceberg.

Some menu items, like the Bánh Fire burger, are distinctly Asian inspired. Others, like the

light and crispy duck fat fries, are fresh takes on all-American favorites. Then there’s the avant garde. Why not the Oreo cookie pâté for dessert? It’s proudly made from “locally harvested Oreo livers.”

The kitchen shakes up the menu every few months, keeping the classics and building on them. There’s only one rule, according to Michael.

“Everything has got to be fun, and a little bit tongue in cheek.”

It’s a motto Jeff Baumann, the bar manager, fully embraces in terms of the libations. A colleague of Chad’s from their days at American Flatbread, Jeff was on board right from the start, and immediately put together a stock list characterized by high-quality, hard-to-find, and occasionally a little quirky, products.

Libations: Quality with Quirks In developing a cocktail program, Jeff reaches far beyond the typical cosmo or mojito. A big fan of Italian herbal liqueurs, he designed a menu of drinks meant to excite, and sometimes challenge, the palate. He forgoes fruit bombs entirely, favoring tart or bitter flavors instead. For colder weather, he looks to warming whiskey concoctions.

“I’m a huge fan of simplicity,” Jeff says. “If I can come up with a three-ingredient drink that kicks

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This page, clockwise from top left: Chef Michael rotates in new dishes, in addition to the perennial favorites; Kate Wise, called best bartender in Vermont by some, pours a glass; the downtown eatery can serve upward of 600 on a busy Saturday.

ass, I’m way more into that than a ten ingredient drink that’s all involved.” Many of the bar’s ingredients come from far afield—Jeff has his sights set to expand into smoky, Mexican mezcals. The bar also showcases some of the spirits from Vermont’s micro-distillery boom, in addition to the many in-state brews.

Beer enthusiasts, look no further. In this age of craft brewing, Prohibition Pig’s drinks menu reads like a reference book on the toprated beers from Vermont and beyond. The bar’s 22 beer lines feature a rotating cast of diverse ales, lagers, porters, and more. Hard-tofind Vermont superstars, like Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Hill Farmstead Brewery, and Waterbury’s own Alchemist Brewery are staples.

Brew Story The latest additions to the line-up are brewed right on site by the newest member of the team, head brewer Nate Johnson.

When it comes to Prohibition Pig’s beer list, 48

best of central Vermont | Fall 2014

he says, range is the key. “I’ve gone in places too many times and they have 20 taps and 18 are IPAs,” Nate says. “It’s really important that you have variety.”

A veteran home-brewer, Nate first bonded over craft beer with Chad more than half a decade ago. Late last year, when Pro Pig acquired a single-barrel brewing system from Sean Lawson of Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Chad brought in Nate to run it. So far, they’ve experimented with about six brews. Typically one or two are on tap. “I want to brew clean, drinkable beers that are really enjoyable,” Nate says, “but I want to have some fun with that too.”

Take Prohibition Pig’s Brass Monkey, an idea Nate first conceived while listening to the Beastie Boys. He wondered if he could make a beer version of the cocktail by the name, immortalized in the band’s 1987 hit. The result? An Amarillo-hopped, orange-zested malt liquor.

Keep an eye out for more funky brews coming out of downtown Waterbury; the basement operation is moving to a new seven-barrel system currently under construction behind the restaurant. The new brewery will be up and running well before the end of 2014, with their first bottle release, a stout porter barrel-aged in Pappy Van Winkle barrels, slated to liven up stick season. Down the line, Chad hopes to get into distilling. The facility will be the latest contribution to Waterbury’s status as the beer crossroads of Vermont.

“It’s almost like a little boom town,” Michael says of Waterbury. “Three bars within staggering distance of each other that all have amazing beers.” www.bestofcentralvt.com

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inn to u ch

by d i a n pa rk er

Photos courtesy of the Inn at Montpelier

The Inn at Montpelier

Home Away From Home

After managing three restaurants for sixteen years, husband and wife John and Karel Underwood wanted a change. They decided to investigate owning and operating an inn. It would be interesting, challenging, and give them the opportunity for a more relaxed lifestyle, compared to managing a restaurant. They looked at inns for sale from Mexico to Georgia, but weren’t inspired—until they came to Vermont. Then they found the Inn at Montpelier. It was love. “The gorgeous wraparound porch sold me,” Karel says. “We bought the inn five years ago and have not looked back.”

Montpelier’s 1800s Building Boom Residents of Vermont are as proud of their small capital city, Montpelier, as visitors are charmed by it. Founded in 1805, Montpelier is shaped by the Winooski and North Branch Rivers which wind through the center of town. Small bridges enhance the downtown, and city life bustles along the river. Old trees grace the front yards and tower over the handsome brick buildings and stately homes. Many of Montpelier’s buildings were built in the early 1800s, including The Inn at Montpelier.

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Originally built as two private residences, the inn consists of two historic buildings: a white frame house and a yellow brick house.

The Inn at Montpelier is a proud example of Federalist architecture from the early 1800s.

The white house (1807-08) with a hip-roof and large central chimney is one of the oldest frame houses in Montpelier. Four Doric pilasters and a decorated frieze create a distinguished facade, and are fine examples of the craftsmanship of the period. The yellow brick house (1828) is the Inn’s central building. Its

Greek Revival decoration makes it distinctive from some of the other neighborhood buildings of the same era. The front porch wasn’t added until much later in the 1880s.

The Cast of Characters The Inn’s story is part of local history, with added intrigue from the local characters who built and lived in the homes. In 1828, Dr. Edward Lamb bought an empty lot adjacent to the white frame house and built the brick house there. A revered physician in Montpe-

lier, Dr. Lamb was famous for his cure of spotted fever, but he lived in poverty for much of his life. It’s said that he tended to be careless in money matters and often failed to bill his patients. The next owner, James Langdon, ran a grist mill on the Winooski River and later became president of Montpelier National Bank. The Langdon family owned both houses. They occupied the brick house for 78 years and rented the white house next door to various tenants. In the 1930s, two different owners lived in each house and often www.bestofcentralvt.com

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Top: The two houses date from the early 1800s, and were first united as an inn in 1988. Bottom: Enjoy homemade breakfast in the dining room or on the veranda.

butted heads. Henry Farwell grew angry that Howard Baird’s cat continually trampled his prized tulip beds. He tried to scare the cat off with a BB gun and, in retaliation, Baird shot the blossoms off Farwell’s tulips with a .22 caliber rifle causing “The Tulip Feud.” More owners bought and sold the two houses until 1988 when the homes were united as The Inn at Montpelier. Five years ago John and Karel Underwood bought the property to continue operating it as an inn.

Location, Location, Location Sited on Main Street, just a few blocks from the center of town, the inn is surrounded by fine architecture. Church bells chime the hour from nearby Bethany Church. “From the back of the Inn you can see five different steeples,” Karel says. On the next block is the noble, classically decorated Kellogg-Hubbard Library, with a four-columned, granite entrance.

The Inn at Montpelier joins their architectural ranks with great panache. The luxurious veranda is perfect for an evening drink, sitting in the swing or in one of the large wicker chairs. Inside, the original period woodwork has been preserved, with gracious sitting rooms downstairs and a grand front stairway that leads up to the guest rooms. Six of the inn’s 19 guest rooms feature decorative fireplaces and each of the rooms is uniquely decorated. One master bedroom, with a kingsize canopied bed, has its own balcony.

Karel personally selects the art in all of the guest rooms and throughout the inn. Each bedroom has its own bathroom, often with an elegant pedestal washbasin. Long curtains, dark wood, vintage wallpaper, canopied beds, antiques, and fine reproductions all add to the sense of an earlier time when gracious living was paramount. With a nod to 21st-century comfort, all of the guest rooms have cable TV, telephones, and Wi-Fi is available throughout the inn and on the veranda.

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Every morning, guests enjoy a homemade breakfast—and what a breakfast it is. Karel herself makes the muesli, granola, scones, banana bread, fruit jams, and deviled eggs.

“What I can’t make myself, I buy local,” she said, which might include multi grain bread from a local baker.

After breakfast, Karel and John offer tips on local activities and outings. Their service has helped them earn a reputation

as outstanding innkeepers, helping attract guests from all over the world, especially for foliage season. “We have people who return every year. We’re even listed in tour books in Europe,” John says. “Mid-September through mid-October is our busiest time of year.”

Fall Is In The Air Autumn in Vermont is classic New England— vibrant color, longer cooler nights, and walks

in the crisp, bright air. The Inn offers a perfect point for embarking on a fall foliage tour—especially on foot. “Often our guests don’t use their car once they arrive,” says John. “They can walk into town, hike up nearby Hubbard Park with its panoramic views, or sit on the veranda with a book or a drink.” Guests can

enjoy a full service bar in the inn.

The Inn at Montpelier is a welcome center for Americans and foreigners, tourists and locals who enjoy resting easy in king, queen, or twin beds, playing cribbage and chess by the hearth in the game room, or lounging all day on the veranda and watching the world

go by. Karel and John will do everything they can to make each guest’s stay wonderful. As Karel says, “We are protective of our guests.

They come and go as they please. If they want to be sociable or not talk to anyone, we respect that. We leave them alone until they need something.”

Walk into one of the inn’s 19 guest rooms and be transported to a slower, more luxurious time. Whether visiting for a week or a day—or living here year-round—take the time to walk around Montpelier, visit its bookstores, view art, and explore the state capitol buildings, or hike in Hubbard Park.

The Inn at Montpelier has all the makings of a home away from home.

The Inn at Montpelier 147 Main St., Montpelier, VT 05602 Phone: (802) 223-2727 Fax: (802) 223-0722 innatmontpelier@comcast.net www.innatmontpelier.com

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By Lisa Densmore ballard | photos by lisa and jack ballard

brown trout 54

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rainbow trout

A

CASTING BOUT

… for Trout

Almost every part of fly fishing starts with a tug. I tug on my waders, or I tug a small rowboat or canoe into the water. I tug a foot of line out of the last eyelet on my rod. I tug a little more line off the reel freeing it to start casting more easily. I flick my wrist and forearm fore and aft, forcing more line off the reel. Then I fling the line forward, placing the black woolly bugger at its end precisely on the water. I

The state of Vermont stocks about 14,000 “trophy trout” (two-year-old trout) each year. In addition, the state adds over 260,000 yearling trout of various

watch it sink, waiting. I retrieve the fly with several decisive tugs then lift it with yet another tug off the water to try again.

species in streams, lakes and ponds other than Lake

But none of these tugs are the one I hope for. Sometimes it

Champlain. Lake Champlain receives about 310,000

takes only a cast or two, or it might take an hour. Sometimes

yearling landlocked salmon, steelheads (sea-run rainbow trout), brown trout and lake trout, and over 120,000 landlocked salmon fry, and fingerlings. Exact amounts vary year to year and by specific body of water.

To find out where the fish were put in and how many were stocked in each location, for fishing regulations and to obtain a Vermont fishing license, contact the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department website www.vtfishandwildlife.com

it never comes, but when it does, my heart pounds. The last tug is the best one because I’ve hooked a trout.

N

o matter how many times I go fishing, how many fish I catch or how big the fish are, each one thrills me. I love the tug of a fish on my line almost as much as I love the surprise of seeing what has taken the fly, especially when it’s a wild brook trout.

The brook trout is the signature fish for anglers in central Vermont. Native to the east coast, brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) is one of the three trout species that can be coaxed from the waters of Central Vermont. Rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) are the other two. Brown trout were imported to North America from Europe in the late 1800s. Rainbow trout were transplanted from the west coast about the same time. The state of Vermont stocks all three fish in rivers, and rainbows and brookies in lakes and ponds, to maintain population levels that give anglers good odds of catching them.

It’s All About Trout brook trout

Brook trout, also called “brookies,” “speckled trout,” and “square tails,” are technically not trout but a species of char.

They can cohabitate with rainbow trout and brown trout, howwww.bestofcentralvt.com

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ever, in Vermont, rainbows and browns, which tend to grow faster and bigger, will outcompete brookies for food over time.

That said, brook trout have two advantages: they thrive in colder water, and they can spawn in either a stream or at the bottom of a lake or pond, whereas rainbows and browns spawn only in gravel-bottomed streams. For that reason, in Central Vermont (as well as the rest of the state), the best places to look for brook trout are cold, clear mountain ponds and streams. The wild ones are typically found in the most remote locations. They might be only six inches long, but they’re rewarding to catch because of the effort to find them and the skill needed to hook them.

Fish ID

This page, top: the author casts for trout in Branch Pond.

Bottom: a “Vermont cattis” fly created by legendary fly-tier George Schlotter.

Opposite page, top: a fly rod rests by coltsfoot on the rocks by the Black River.

Bottom: sunset is often when the fish get active in Vermont ponds.

Brown trout have golden-brown backs with large dark spots surrounded by light halos and a few red or yellow spots. Rainbow trout are silvery with small dark spots and a telltale red or pink stripe from its gill plate to its tail. Rainbows are almost as cold-tolerant as brook trout and the most widespread in the Central Vermont region.

You’ll know you’ve caught a brook trout if it has a dark body with squiggly marks on its back and light spots, most of them reddish with a blue halo. In addition, its lower fins have a distinctive white stripe on the forward edge. When spawning in the fall, their orange bellies become vibrant. Some consider the brook trout to be the most attractive of all fish that fin Vermont waters.

If you’re fishing in a cold clear pond or stream, you’ll know you’ve caught a wild one if it’s on the small side and the fish looks healthy. Hatchery fish sometimes have ragged fins and scars from being raised in tanks with thousands of other fish. When brook trout reproduce naturally, it is a good indication of water purity. Wild brookies are also feisty fighters and, when eaten, tend to have firmer, more flavorful filets.

Finding Fish By fall in the Green Mountains, many streams have lower flows and warm up, but you can still find brook trout, especially in 56

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What Fly Should I Use? Anglers learn early to follow the mantra, “match the hatch.” That works if you’ve already got a fly box full of various nymphs, emergers, streamers and dry flies. If you don’t, $20 and a little conversation at a local fly shop is the best way to find out what to tie on your tippet.

Consider hiring a guide. First-timers get excellent instruction and often the gear they need through a guide service. Experienced anglers who are new to Central Vermont waters learn the best places and hot fly patterns.

For more information and recommendations, contact the Vermont Outdoor Guide Association (VOGA), www.voga.org

deep pools where the forest canopy shades the stream keeping it cooler.

The Dog River, a tributary of the Winooski River, has long been a popular place to fish for wild brook trout. However, since 2010, due to a decline in the fish population in the river, the Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department limits anglers to artificial lures, and all trout must be immediately released. If the Dog proves a dog, the state stocks square tails in the Browns River between Jericho and Underhill Center, Joiner Brook near Bolton, and the Mad River between Warren Village and the Waitsfield covered bridge.

This isn’t to say that rainbow trout and brown trout are undesirable! It depends what you seek. Rainbow trout and brown trout are usually bigger, and within a month after they are put in a lake or river, they get wiser and stronger—which means more fun to catch, and more tasty. Some of them may be naturalized, reproducing fish as well. In trophy sections of rivers, such as the Black River near Cavendish or the Winooski River between Waterbury and Duxbury, the “trophies” are browns or rainbows.

The Little River which flows out of the Waterbury Reservoir is also a fun place to fish for large trout. Like all of Central Vermont’s trout streams and ponds, it’s also a nice place to go if you want to simply get outside, though you might as well cast a line… just in case you get a tug.

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Fall’s Harvest Shopping & fun things to do in Central Vermont!

Stella Mae Petra Cliffs Petra Cliffs Climbing Center and Mountaineering School focuses on climbing and mountain-related education and recreation, accessible to all ages and abilities. We offer premium instruction and services through experience-based education in an inspiring atmosphere for families and friends to gather for a challenge and fun. Petra Cliffs is also home to an indoor ropes course for birthday parties, teams, and groups.

Cooler weather is upon us, and it’s time to freshen those wardrobes.

Located on the Church Street Marketplace, Stella Mae carries a carefully selected shoe, clothing, and accessory collection. Brands include Frye, Sam Edelman, Coclico, Donald Pliner, Jeffrey Campbell, Alternative, Dolce Vita, and Chaser.

We also offer an online experience at stella-mae.com.

96 Church Street Burlington, VT (802) 864-2800 www.stella-mae.com

105 Briggs Street Burlington, VT (802) 657-3872 www.petracliffs.com

Vermont Farm Table Make it yours. Love it. Beat it up. Fill it with family and friends, then plan on passing it down. Custom tables and kitchenware that work just as hard as you do.

Made-to-order here in Vermont.

Vermont Icelandic Horse Farm Tour the Mad River Valley on one of the oldest horse breeds in the world, Icelandic Horses. They’re the ideal saddle horse. The Vermont Icelandic Horse Farm is near the historic village of Waitsfield in the heart of the Sugarbush Resort area. We offer full-day and half-day trail rides as well as two- to six-day treks. At the end of the day, stay in our 1860s-era Victorian country house. Soak in the hot tub, sleep restfully in our feather beds, and awake to a gourmet breakfast.

3061 North Fayston Road Fayston, VT (802) 496-7141 www.icelandichorses.com

Flagship Store: 206 College Street Burlington, VT (888) 425-8838 www.vermontfarmtable.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Morse Farm Whether you’re sharing the taste of Vermont with friends and family across the country or across the street, Morse Farm has a selection of the finest Vermont products in gift combinations for any budget. Stop by or shop online.

Sure, there’s the finest Vermont maple syrup you’ll ever taste, but there’s also much more to choose from. If you’re lucky enough to be in the area, stop by with the whole family for sugarhouse tours, the woodshed theater, maple trail, and more.

1168 County Road Montpelier, VT (800) 242-2740 maple@morsefarm.com www.morsefarm.com

T-Ja’s for Lashes!!!!

Want the best lash from the leader in eyelash extensions? Give Tanja a call to schedule your appointment and, before you know it, you’re going from now to WOW!!! NovaLash continues to be the leader in the field of eyelash extensions, providing safe, beautiful, flawless eyelash extensions to enhance any woman’s natural beauty. NovaLash has developed award-winning adhesives and cosmetics including Platinum Bond Adhesive and LashLiner.

For eyelash extensions, coloring, or cuts, call and make your appointment today.

To reach Tanja, call (802) 249-2269.

Salaam Boutique Mason Brothers Offering a wide selection of reclaimed and antique building materials, Mason Brothers’ Architectural Salvage Warehouse’s 13,000-square-foot warehouse is filled with fireplace mantels, stained and beveledglass windows, lighting, hardware, columns and pillars, marble and pedestal sinks, claw-foot tubs, windows, furniture, and unique artifacts.

11 Maple Street Essex Junction, VT (802) 879-4221 www.greatsalvage.com

A fashion-savvy boutique on State Street, Montpelier, featuring our own locally made Salaam Line, as well as a fantastic selection of clothing, jewelry, and accessories for women by your favorite brands, such as Citizens of Humanity, Free People, and Lucky Brand.

40 State Street Montpelier, VT (802) 223-4300 www.salaamclothing.com

Sundara

by dian parker | Photos by Jeb Wallace-Brodeur

I

Day Spa a Balm for the Body & the Soul

t had been a grueling two months, I was at my wit’s end.

The garden needed planting. The flower beds required weeding.

Four article deadlines loomed.

There were meals to be cooked and delivered to my sick friend, homework for my 10-week online class was due, and the final edit for my book was just plain late. It all added up to one exhausted and irritable me. I didn’t know what to do first. “Get thee to a spa!” a friend urged me. So I went.

I had never been to a spa before. I’d never even had a pedicure let alone a facial, body scrub, and body mask. What was this spa business anyway? Was I in for a treat! Not only was my treatment relaxing and calming, it was also healthy for me. I left glowing, energized, and so very grateful. I felt like myself again— happy and buoyant and ready for life— after my day at Sundara Day Spa. As soon as I walked through the spa’s front door I began to relax. Soft music played in the background while people talked quietly. Women sat perched on high cushions like thrones, having their feet bathed and massaged, and their favorite nail color applied. A separate 62

best of central Vermont | Fall 2014

Bottom left: Application of a mask during a Signature Facial.

Right (top): Client relaxes before her treatment Right (bottom): Sundara’s boutique and front desk area

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Clockwise from bottom left: Cat Gauruder gives a massage; Sundara Spa pampers right down to the finger tips; Spa owner Lesilee Kirby.

area for manicures beckoned, with rows of nail polish in blue and green, red and pink, sparkling in the subdued light. Continuing my tour, I walked into a darkened room where a fireplace glowed and candles flickered. A mother and daughter, dressed in white robes, sat with their feet elevated, their freshly painted toes cradled on cushions, while they awaited their “doubles massage.”

Lindsey Dix-Carter, Sundara’s manager since 2006, showed me to a room lit by twenty candles positioned around the space.

Strings of soft green lights surrounded the shuttered windows. Everything else was dark. Pillows and blankets, laid out on the table, awaited me. I was shown into a changing room to don a robe and slippers. “Take your time,” Lindsey said. “Let us know if you need anything.” I needed this: someone else to take control, to give me all the time I wanted. From the time I walked into the spa until I walked out the door, four hours later, I had no idea what time it was nor did I think to ask.

I was pampered and cared for. I was the Queen, floating on a ribboned barge down the Nile, being fanned and stroked. Every wish was my command. Cat Gauruder, my massage therapist, met my every wish before I even knew I had one. As I lay comfortably on the table, she began by scrubbing my body with crushed rice and green tea.

Scrubbed is not the right word, really; it was as if she melted me down with each stroke.

First my legs, then my arms, front and back, and if I wanted, my belly. She slid off the scrub with warm, wet towels.

Earlier, Lindsey had given me a choice of fragrances for my body mask and massage.

I sniffed the bottles and chose Tropical Thai Immersion, a subtle fragrance of flowers.

As Cat applied the cool mask, whiffs of the Hawaiian Islands sent me on a daydream, strolling along a white sandy beach with turquoise waters lapping my ruby-polished 64

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toes. In fact, the entire four hours in the spa I was in a trance, lolling in and out of consciousness. I never fell asleep because I didn’t want to miss one second of this bliss.

When my entire body, except my face, was covered with the Guavaberry Revitalizing Body Masque, Cat lovingly wrapped me up, first in cellophane, then a space blanket, and then two more blankets on top of that.

This was the time for me to sweat and detox except it felt luxurious as Cat massaged my neck and head and face for what seemed like ages (later I found out it was 20 minutes).

I never felt like I was sweating, let alone releasing impurities. What kind of impurities could I possibly have walking along the beach in Waikiki?

Cat washed off the mask and then gave me a massage. With Coconut Lemongrass Silk and Honey lotion, Cat used long strokes to knead my tired muscles, giving special attention to tight areas. I was now swimming underwater in the seas of Waikiki. There was no sound, no friction, no other person outside of me. Cat no longer existed. It was just me, blissed out, gone from this world. www.bestofcentralvt.com

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Get comforable with a pedicure on one of Sundara Spa’s luxurious pedicure thrones.

She left me there. I lay floating, drifting out to sea. Every cell in my body seemed to sing a lullaby. I was alive and at peace.

After a while, I got up and sat at my little glass table in the candlelight. Diane Supernault, the receptionist, brought me a platter of fresh fruit, cheese and crackers, and a cup of mint tea with lemon. Dreamily I nibbled, then Sarah Davinchi entered. She was to give me a facial but she had a few questions first.

Sarah asked what I needed for my face. Did I have a face? I couldn’t think. She asked if my skin was dry or oily. I couldn’t remember.

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She said, “Never mind. I’ll take care of you.

When you’re ready, come into my room.”

There was never any rush; it was always whenever I was ready. I’ll never be ready again. Just let me sit here forever, sipping my tea by candlelight.

In her facial chamber, Sarah, a licensed esthetician and cosmetologist, studied my face under a bright light and magnifying glass. She explained what she saw and suggested what I needed. An hour later, after more scrubs and masks, gentle massages and creams, I made my way back to the changing room and sat on the bench. Sarah had tended my worn, tired face and now, in the mirror, I saw a shining, golden face.

It glowed. Just like Lindsey’s face, and Cat’s

face, and most certainly Sarah’s. This was the secret—facials! I never knew.

Catering to both men and women, Sundara Day Spa offers different kinds and durations of massages: relaxation, therapeutic, deep tissue, aromatherapy, hot stone, prenatal, or reflexology, as well as Reiki treatments. Their body treatments are from 50 to 120 minutes including: Detoxifying Hot Linen Herbal Body Wrap, Tuscan Wine Remedy, Smooth Body Sculpt, among others. There are so many different kinds of facials that it’s best to check their website for offerings. Among the most popular is Microdermabrasion, a resurfacing treatment using flower grains, a diamond tip, and a collagen mask.

Other services include manicures and pedicures, paraffin treatment for hands or feet, waxing for men and women, and teeth whitening. Various packages are also available, all of which include a fresh fruit and cheese platter. Doubles and party massages are popular. Bring your own wine and food, Up to six people can be massaged at once, a popular option for bachelorette parties, Valentine’s Day, and gifts.

Sundara strives to make its treatments accessible. Treatments are not just for the well-to-do, they’re for everyone. To allow trained professionals to nurture you, tend to you, advise you, and care for you, is not pampering; it’s essential to your well being. We go to the doctors for our yearly checkup. Go to Sundara for your yearly maintenance. Or if you can, for regular treatments, like a massage, to relax. We all work too hard. We move too fast. Sundara can help. There is no sense of time there.

There is nothing for you to do. Just lie back and dream a dream of your paradise.

pampered packages Holiday Package 60 minute Relaxation Massage 60 minute Signature Facial Classic Pedicure HOLIDAY PACKAGE II Candy Cane Body Treatment Candy Cane Body Scrub Candy Cane Body Wrap 30 minute Relaxation Massage See their website for treatments, specials, and packages.

Sundara Day Spa 672 Route 302-Berlin Barre, VT 05641 Monday–Friday – 9am to 6pm Saturday & Sunday – 9am to 2pm 802-476-4476 www.sundaradayspa.com

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by mark aiken | Photos by Jeb Wallace-Brodeur except where noted

emBrace The

Project

Everyone loves a feel-good story. The emBrace Project, a community service project by a local business trying to do the right thing, has all the hallmarks of a feel-good story minus one thing: the happy ending. That’s only because the story isn’t over yet. The star of this story—21-year-old Sammie Gorton—is still fighting her way out of poverty, depression, and many other challenges. Her future is bright with great potential for her to realize her dreams. But all of that remains to be seen; the ending to Sammie’s story has yet to be written.

Local Business Helping the Community Husband and wife team John F. Steinman, DMD, and Lynne J. Addiego, DMD, owners of All Smiles Family Dental Center in Barre, wanted to give back to their community in a special way. In the past, Lynne and John have supported Little League teams and other community programs, and they’ve served on various boards and participated in organizations like the local Rotary chapter, the Barre Opera House, and the school board.

“We wanted to do something different,” says Dr. John. They identified what makes them feel good in their careers: helping people. Dr. Lynne practices general dentistry, which complements her husband’s orthodontic practice. Between the two, they affect lives in a positive way every day. Oral care helps keep people healthy and orthodontics improves people’s appearances and helps people feel good about the way they look. It can even give someone a beautiful smile. Wouldn’t it be great, they thought, to give back to the community directly through our work? And what if we could give back to someone who was active in the community, someone who volunteered to help others? If they could find a person like that—who also needed dental work but couldn’t afford it—it would help the doctors pursue their own dream of giving back. The emBrace Project was born.

The practice spent several months getting the word out (Best of Central Vermont magazine and The Point FM donated time to help with publicity).

Eventually they collected nominations for 30 applicants. Sifting through the applications was painstaking work, and they whittled the pile down to ten truly deserving applicants. Five of the applicants didn’t have dental prob68

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y t i C Twin ractice P l a t Den ays It P d r a w For

Sammie’s Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ), and living with near constant jaw pain, doesn’t keep the unsinkable Samantha Gorton from smiling during her visit with Dr. John Steinman at the All Smiles office.

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(top): All Smiles Family Dental Center is a state of the art facility on Route 302 (the Barre-Montpelier Road), about equidistant to Barre and Montpelier; (bottom) Sammie gets a hug from teammate Jessica Friedrich following the Johnson State College Relay for Life.

lems that fit the scope of All Smiles’ orthodontic practice. That left five applicants, and one rose to the top—Sammie Gorton.

Richard Simmons, a learning specialist in the Academic Support Services office of Johnson State College, nominated Sammie for the emBrace Project. Sammie is a junior at Johnson State and, like many students, sometimes finds her course load to be overwhelming. Unlike most, however, her reasons for having some trouble at school stem from an uncommonly challenging background.

Sammie grew up in extreme poverty.

Imagine changing schools 14 times and the educational gaps that would result. Picture a childhood where one’s family is homeless. This was the situation that Sammie, her mom, and a younger sister found themselves in—22 times.

These numbers alone, while harrowing, don’t begin to capture what overnighting in an old camper behind a junkyard and showering the next morning in the school locker room must do to a young girl’s self-esteem. “I was pretty uncomfortable with this,” she says, downplaying the difficult circumstances her family frequently found themselves in. There was often no heat. Sammie and her family members fight ongoing battles with anxiety and depression.

Sammie is recovering from an eating disorder, and suffers from a jaw that is so badly aligned that it’s painful to eat many foods.

Lynne and John felt that Sammie’s circumstances, combined with her need for orthodontic treatments, made her a worthy candidate.

“Hers is a complex case,” says Dr. John of Sammie’s particular dental situation. “I’d guess she’ll need a couple of years in braces. And for her, it is definitely not affordable.”

Her situation and need, however, did not get her selected for the emBrace Project. What earned her the distinction as the most deserving candidate is what she’s doing and achieving despite the challenges she has faced—and 70

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photo by Kayla Friedrich

A Worthy Candidate

Samantha Gorton Accepts Award at Johnson State College Sammie captains the top fundraising team for the Johnson State College (JSC) Relay for Life, donating time and money to the American Cancer Society. Her team represents The Women’s Center and Academic Support office (known as TRIO). This year, Sammie’s team had the most members and raised $2,420, the most money raised by any team at JSC.This year was the second annual Relay for Life on the JSC campus. Men, women, and children gathered for an overnight celebration and remembrance during the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life event.

“My team and I are passionate about doing this relay because we are all connected to cancer in some way. We have family who are affected by cancer’s horrors. We have lost loved ones to this fight, and we hope to do what we can to help people who are struggling in this fight to have an enjoyable and comfortable life,” Sammie posted on her Relay for Life page.

At this year’s Honors Convocation at JSC, president Barbara Murphy awarded the Presidential Leadership Scholarship to Sammie, who was one of three students to receive the award last spring. This scholarship award is given to outstanding students with high academic and leadership achievements. photo by Kayla Friedrich

Best of Central Vermont still faces. “She stands out like a shining star,” says Dr. John.

Helping Others—and Oneself Sammie is now in her third year at Johnson State, majoring in psychology. In addition to her courses, she founded Overcoming Adversity—a support group for students from impoverished backgrounds. “I found that sharing my story helps people,” she says.

She also shares with fellow group members a discovery she made that gives her a sense of empowerment and self-efficacy: helping others. “If you struggle with depression or anxiety, helping others makes you feel better about yourself,” she says.

The group held a campus-wide “jean drive.” They put up flyers, and placed donation boxes, and collected 85 pairs of jeans that local shelters will distribute to homeless teens. The Overcoming Adversity group currently has six members. “I plan to recruit more people,” says Sammie. “But you know college students; they have trouble committing.” As if we’re talking about a study group.

ONLINE

VISIT US at bestofcentralvt.com • Online Exclusives • Online Business Directory of Local Services and Products • How to Subscribe • And More!

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Clockwise from top left: Sammie and Dr. John have a heart-to-heart about her future orthodontic work; All Smiles is proud to use only effective, cutting edge technologies; Dr. John examines high-resolution digital x-rays taken of Sammie that substantially reduce exposure to radiation.

economic situation to the middle class can be difficult—daunting,” says Richard.

New Beginnings

And Sammie’s volunteerism doesn’t stop there. She organizes and helps plant and cultivate an on-campus community garden; they intend to grow food to be donated to the local food shelf. She fundraises and participates in walk-a-thons for various charities like March of Dimes. She captains a top fundraising team for the Johnson State Relay for Life, donating time and money to the American Cancer Society. She volunteers at the Stampede for Cystic Fibrosis in 72

best of central Vermont | Fall 2014

Bristol. “She is always looking for opportunities to help,” says Richard Simmons, the learning specialist at Johnson State who nominated Sammie.

Sammie is also putting herself through college. When she’s not studying or volunteering, she balances two work-study jobs on campus. And this summer, she worked with people on the autism spectrum in the Smugglers’ Notch summer adaptive program. “Making the jump from a lower socio-

What makes Sammie’s effort stand out is the grace with which she operates. “She just continues to see the best in people and to believe that she is going to do this,” Richard says.

“She holds no animosity towards her circumstances.” Indeed, it would seem natural that someone in Sammie’s situation might harbor resentment towards one’s parents. “My mom is smart,” says Sammie. “It’s important she knows what I great job I think she did.”

Here’s what happens when two local business owners like John Steinman and Lynne Addiego decide to give back to their community: they find a person in their midst like Sammie Gorton. “I am so impressed with her resiliency and her positive attitude,” says

Richard. But the happy ending isn’t here just yet. “I still struggle,” Sammie says. She continues to receive counseling, and she is putting herself through college. But, she says, she has learned to ask for help and accept it.

“I feel like this is the beginning for me,” Sammie says of the emBrace Project. She is determined to excel in college, to attend graduate school, and to break the cycle of poverty in her family. “I have hopes and dreams, and I’m heading towards them,” she says. “I love to learn and help people, and I’d love to be a mom someday. But I know I have to be healthy in order to achieve my dreams.”

All Smiles Family Dental Center 161 US Route 302 Barre, Vermont (802) 476-8700 www.myvtsmiles.com www.bestofcentralvt.com

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best of

special advertising section

Fall 2014

Dining Guide

Central vermont

J. Morgans Steakhouse Serving steaks, seafood, and Sunday brunch since 1994. Our recent renovation opens a new chapter in this award-winning restaurant. Known for exceedingly generous portions, we feature over 20 aged-in-house steaks, daily seafood, designer pasta dishes, and mountainous salads and desserts.

Located on Montpelier’s historic State Street. $$ Vermont’s Cutting Edge Steakhouse 100 State Street, Montpelier, VT (802) 223-5222 www.jmorganssteakhouse.com

Key to Symbols $ most entrées under $10 $$ most entrées $10 to $25 $$$ most entrées over $25

ENTERTAINMENT AND DINING GUIDE FOR CENTRAL VERMONT

Beyond the Menu

Guild Tavern

Wood-fired grill featuring dry-aged, locally sourced beef, pork, and poultry.

Casual tavern fare, classic steakhouse entrées, seafood and vegetarian options, innovative cocktail program, award-winning wine list, and weekly specials. $$

Discover fantastic dining and entertainment throughout Central Vermont!

1633 Williston Road South Burlington, VT (802) 497-1207 guildandcompany.com

Cornerstone Pub & Kitchen A modern American pub where friends, families, tradesmen, and business people gather to enjoy great food and craft beers. From burgers and wings to fresh scallops and filet mignon, there’s something for everyone! Come help us revitalize Barre “One Pint at a Time.” $$ 47 Main Street Barre, VT (802) 476-2121 cornerstonepk.com

Red Hen Bakery and Café

El Cortijo

Positive Pie

Famous hearth-baked breads, plus an excellent selection of freshly baked pastries­­—croissants, scones, cookies, maple-glazed sticky buns, and more.

Soups and sandwiches made in house, featuring local ingredients. Fine wines, beer, cheese, and specialty grocery items. $–$$

A vibrant atmosphere featuring tacos, soups, salads, and entrées prepared with local ingredients and expressed as traditional Mexican fare. Freshsqueezed margaritas and handcrafted cocktails. Late-night menu until 1am, Fridays & Saturdays. $–$$

Named in Zagat’s 2014 Best 50 Pizzas in 50 States. Positive Pie is the place for incredible entreés, pizzas, brews, and entertainment with family, friends, or that special date. Three convenient locations.

Live music on weekends. Gluten-free pie available. $–$$

961B US Rt. 2 Middlesex, VT (802) 223-5200 redhenbaking.com

189 Bank Street Burlington, VT (802) 497-1668 CortijoVT.com

22 State Street, Montpelier 65–69 Main Street, Plainfield 87 South Main Street, Hardwick positivepie.com

ENTERTAINMENT AND DINING GUIDE FOR CENTRAL VERMONT

The Farmhouse Tap & Grill

Prohibition Pig

Dedicated to showcasing local farms and food producers, our menu features award-winning burgers, comfort entrées, artisan cheeses, vegetarian options, and nightly innovations. The Tap Room delivers highly prized and rare beers.

Special Happenins’ Wed. nights. $$

Located in Waterbury, the food and beverage crossroads, we feature New England’s largest & best curated selection of craft beer, proper cocktails, and eclectic wines with a full menu featuring barbecue, vegetarian, and cozy American fare. $–$$

160 Bank Street Burlington, VT (802) 859-0888 farmhousetg.com

23 South Main Street Waterbury, VT (802) 244-4120 prohibitionpig.com

Guild Fine Meats

Burlington’s neighborhood delicatessen & specialty meat shop. Chef Tom Deckman & Master Butcher Frank Pace transform fine Vermont meats into sausages, deli meats, marinated steaks, trussed chickens, seasoned chops, burgers, and more. Housemade sandwiches and subs, breakfast sandwiches, poutine & fry bar, party platters, and more. $ 111 St. Paul Street Burlington, VT (802) 497-1645 guildfinemeats.com

Phoenix Table and Bar

A modern & inviting atmosphere features regional American entrées & starters, nightly specials, vegetarian fare & raw bar. Separate private function room, large deck & yard. Creative cocktail menu, 10 draft lines featuring local beers & comprehensive wine list. Serving lunch/ dinner 7 days a week with a weekend brunch. Chef-owned. Family friendly, large groups, special events, catering. $-$$ 1652 Mountain Rd. Stowe, VT (802) 253-2838 phoenixtableandbar.com

Beyond the Menu

Windjammer Restaurant Featuring American fare, vegetarian and gluten-free options, as well as an extensive salad bar. Specialty cocktails, craft beers, and a Wine Spectator wine list complement both the restaurant and pub menus.

Supporting Vermont farms, producers, and businesses since 1977. $–$$ 1076 Williston Road South Burlington, VT (802) 862-6585 windjammerrestaurant.com

w h at ' s co o k ing

by sus a n n y e

giving

Thanks Leftovers for

Whether you prepare everything yourself or have friends and family bring a dish, the annual Thanksgiving feast is a lot of work.

Maybe that’s why some people cook what can only be described as a mega turkey. You’ve seen these enormous birds in the supermarket. I’m not sure which is bigger, a Mini Cooper or one of those super turkeys. The leftovers must go on and on for weeks! Hmm, I suppose that’s the idea.

Now, don’t get me wrong, I think leftovers are great. Life is too short to cook every single night. And I like turkey, but if it’s going to return for a second and third act, or even more, well, I’ll need to spice it up a bit. That goes for the roasted vegetables, the mashed potatoes, and the cranberry sauce, as well.

Transform your traditional New England dishes with a little post-Thanksgiving magic. Instead of the same old-same old, turn those leftovers into delicious soups, pastas, and more. Stir some freshly made turkey stock into the mashed potatoes, add some sautéed onions, cheddar cheese, and bacon for a quick and hearty soup. Toss the roasted vegetables with pasta for a wonderful new take on Mac & Cheese. For an easy appetizer, turn the cranberry sauce into chutney and serve it with brie—unless you prefer a spicy compote for your Sunday morning waffles. >>>

3 Recipes for the

Long Holiday Weekend 1. Thankful for Leftovers Mac and Cheese 2. Thai Curried Noodles with Turkey 3. Cranberry Ginger Compote

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w h at ' s co o k ing

Cranberry-Ginger Compote I always make too much cranberry sauce. One solution would be to make a smaller batch. Instead, I turn the leftovers into chutney or a tart compote. ▷ Makes about 2 cups About 1 1/2 cups homemade cranberry sauce 1 Tbsp minced ginger Grated zest of 1 orange About 1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice 2 Tbsp (or to taste) brown sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon Pinch nutmeg 1/2 tsp sea salt 1/4 cup finely chopped candied ginger 1-2 Tbsp Grand Marnier

Thai Curried Noodles with Turkey

1-2 Tbsp butter, cut in small pieces

After a traditional New England Thanksgiving dinner, I like to spice up the leftovers. More soupy noodles than noodle soup, this one packs a punch!

Put the cranberry sauce, grated ginger, orange zest and juice, brown sugar, spices, and salt in a large saucepan and stir to combine.

▷ Serves 8

Bring everything to a simmer on medium-high heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add the candied ginger, Grand Marnier, and butter, and whisk until well combined.

1 large onion, chopped

Serve warm or at room temperature on your morning waffles, or for dessert with vanilla or ginger ice cream.

Olive oil 3-4 carrots, chopped 3-4 celery stalks, chopped 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 Tbsp minced ginger 1 Tbsp (or to taste) Thai red curry paste

Can be made ahead. Cool to room temperature, cover, and store in the refrigerator.

8 cups turkey or chicken stock (see side bar or use canned) 2 cups unsweetened coconut milk 1/2 cup dry white wine 2 Tbsp fish sauce 1-2 Tbsp soy sauce 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/2 tsp dried 1 bay leaf Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 4 cups cooked turkey in bite size pieces 8-12 oz vermicelli rice noodles Garnish: bean sprouts, thinly sliced scallions, cilantro leaves and chopped peanuts Heat a little olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat, add the vegetables, garlic, ginger, and curry paste, and sauté for about 10 minutes.

Increase the heat to medium high. Add the stock, coconut milk, wine, fish sauce, soy, thyme, and bay leaf, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in the turkey and simmer a few minutes more.

You can make the soup ahead to this point. Cool the soup to room temperature, cover and refrigerate.

Increase the heat to medium-high, add the noodles and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring and poking the noodles down into the bubbling broth to cook evenly.

Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let sit for 3-5 minutes. Ladle into bowls, garnish with bean sprouts, scallions, cilantro, and chopped peanuts, and serve.

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Thankful for Leftovers Mac & Cheese If you have a crowd for the long holiday weekend, assemble a cheesy gratin with penne pasta, leftover turkey, and roasted vegetables. It’s an easy and delicious one-dish supper after a busy day. □ Serves 8-10 12-16 oz dried penne pasta 1 lb baby spinach About 4 cups leftover turkey, cut into bitesized pieces About 4 cups leftover roasted vegetables, cut into bite-sized pieces 4 oz grated cheddar cheese 2 oz grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese 1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp unsalted butter plus more to butter the baking dish 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour 2 cups milk 1 tsp dried sage 1/2 tsp dried thyme 1/2 tsp paprika Pinch nutmeg Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1-2 cups sour cream Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Butter a large baking dish.

Cook the pasta according to package directions, less 1 minute. Drain and return the pasta to the pot.

A few handfuls at a time, add the spinach to the hot pasta. Toss to combine and wilt the spinach. Add the turkey and vegetables and toss again.

Meanwhile, heat the butter in a saucepan. Add the flour, herbs, and spices, and whisk for 30 seconds.

Gradually whisk in the milk and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to low and, whisking often, simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Add about 2/3 of the cheddar and Parmesan cheeses, season with salt and pepper and, whisking often, cook over low heat for 3-5 minutes.

Put the sour cream in a bowl and, a little at a time, whisk the cheese sauce into the sour cream.

Add the sauce to the pasta, toss to combine and transfer to the baking dish. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheeses. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until the mac & cheese is piping hot and golden brown.

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fall calendar spring 2014 A r t s calendar & Enter tainment

2014

lost nation theater SEPTEMBER 18-OCTOBER 19 Alfred Hitchcock’s “The 39 Steps”

SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 19

Shakespeare’s “Comedy of Errors”

This award-winning professional company is running two comedies in repertory through Oct 19. Time it right, and you can see both shows in one day! See Website for details and curtain times.

Photo: courtesy of Francis Moran Photography

39 Main Street-City Hall Montpelier, VT (802) 229-0492 lostnationtheater.org

Arts & Entertainment is sponsored by

Of Land & Local Kent Museum Contemporary artwork as it reflects on and exists within the Vermont landscape 10:00 – 5:00, Fridays – Sundays and by appointment 281-299 Old West Church Road Calais, VT (802) 223-6613 www.kentscorner.org

SEPTEMBER 13

Opening Celebration, 3-5pm

OCTOBER 5

Closing Celebration, 3-5pm

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best of central Vermont | Fall 2014

fall calendar spring calendar 2014 Arts & Enter tainment

2014

open studio weekend OCTOBER 4 & 5 Over October 4th and 5th, craftspeople and artists at sites in every region of Vermont will open their studios to the public.

Iconic bright yellow Open Studio signs are posted along the roads to guide visitors to the studios. Visitors are offered a behind-the-scenes look at the workspaces of glassblowers, weavers, sculptors, potters, woodworkers, printmakers, jewelers, furniture makers, painters, quilters, and other makers.

Most Vermont craftspeople work in studios located in or close to their residences. These are places of production and inspiration located in downtowns as well as at the ends of dirt roads. Wherever their locations, they are exciting places to visit because they reflect the dynamic yet organized process that is used to produce the finished work of art.

Download a map to find artists in Central Vermont!

Vermont Crafts Council www.vermontcrafts.com

www.bestofcentralvt.com

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fall calendar spring 2014 A r t s calendar & Enter tainment

2014

DanceFest Vermont!

SEPTEMBER 5

Barre Opera House Barre, 8 pm Tickets: (802) 476-8188 www.barreoperahouse.org

SEPTEMBER 6

Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center Stowe, 8 pm Tickets: (802) 760-4634 www.sprucepeakarts.org

Contemporary dance created by nine leading-edge Vermont-based choreographers, each presenting new work in collaboration with professional dancers, costume, film and light designers. Choreographers Paul Besaw, Heather Bryce, Pauline Jennings, Toby MacNutt, Hanna Satterlee, Erika Schmidt, Patty Smith, Willow Wonder, Lida Winfield, and Ellen Ahern-Smith

dancefestvermont.weebly.com

Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center October 4, 8pm

November 7-8

Tammy Fletcher

September 13, 8pm

Perlman Music Program 4th Annual Stowe Residency

Northern Third Piano Quartet

September 20, 8pm Blues Legend John Hammond

September 27, 7pm Les Poules Ă Colin

October 11, 8pm

Will Patton Quartet

October 19, 4:30pm

Vermont Ski and Snowboard Museum Hall Of Fame Induction Ceremony, Fashion Show and Reception

November 22, 7:30pm

The Gathering Windham Hill Records founder and Grammy winning guitarist Will Ackerman will join fellow Vermonters, acclaimed pianist Masako and eighteen year old guitar virtuoso Matteo Palmer, and more for this multi-media evening of deeply engaging and emotionally captivating instrumental compositions.

November 28, 3:00pm & 7:00pm The Golden Dragon Acrobats The best of a 27 century-old Chinese royal tradition!

Stowe | Tickets: (802) 760-4634 | www.sprucepeakarts.org 82 best bestof ofcentral centralVermont Vermont| Fall | Sprng 82 20142013

Central Vermont best of

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 31

Stone. Glass. Wood.

Paul Schwieder, Duncan Johnson, and Chris Curtis West Branch Gallery & Sculpture Park

advertisers index All Smiles.......................................................................31

McKernon Group........................................................15

Almost Home Dog Rescue and Rehab.............58

Mid State Dodge......................................................... 2

Arbotrek...................................... Inside Front Cover

Montpelier Pharmacy................................................ 5

Sixth Annual Trapp Cabin 5 & 10K

Artisans Hand.............................................................53

Morse Farm...................................................................61

A benefit for Friends of Stowe Adaptive Sports Starts & ends at the Trapp Family Lodge Meadow, Stowe

Athleta ........................................................................... 9

Mountain Road Marketplace...........................20-21

Barre Tile......................................................................79

NECI...............................................................................37

Blodgett’s Bath and Showroom...............................

Petra Cliffs.................................................................. 60

SEPTEMBER 25 – OCTOBER 11

......................................................... Inside Back Cover

Phoenix Table and Bar............................................76

Broadleaf Landscape Architecture....................23

Positive Pie..............................................................7, 75

Burlington Marble and Granite...............................11

Prohibition Pig.....................................................73, 76

Central Vermont Medical Center.........................47

Red Hen Bakery and Café......................................75

Close to Home..............................................................4

ReSource . ...................................................................58

Co Op Insurance........................................................59

Round Barn Inn...........................................................17

Cody Chevrolet...........................................................81

Salaam Boutique........................................................61

Coldwell Banker Classic Homes........Back Cover

Stella Mae.................................................................... 60

Copy World.................................................................79

Stowe Mountain Road Association..............20-21

Cornerstone Pub & Kitchen...................................75

Stowe Realty................................................................13

Cushman Design Group..........................................67

Stowe Soaring............................................................65

Cynthia Knauf Landscape Design.......................57

Stowe Street Emporium..........................................41

db design.................................................................... 49

Sundara Day Spa.......................................................73

Delair’s Carpet Barn.................................................67

T-ja’s for Lashes..........................................................61

DiStefano Landscaping...........................................25

The Automaster........................................................ 43

Rocktober Fest

East Warren Community Market.........................57

The Carriage Shed................................................... 42

9am-6pm Morrisville

El Cortijo.......................................................................75

The Farmhouse Tap & Grill....................................76

Evergreen Gardens of Vermont............................71

The Lighting House................................................. 42

Fresh Tracks Winery.................................................12

The Inn at Montpelier...............................................31

Glassworks............................................................ 12, 80

The Weather Hill Company...................................27

Guild Fine Meats........................................................76

Vermont Bed Store.................................................... 6

Guild Tavern................................................................75

Vermont Electronics................................................25

H.E. Shaw.......................................................................19

Vermont Farm Table .............................................. 60

J Morgans Steakhouse............................................74

Vermont Frame Game............................................ 49

Landshapes.................................................................53

Vermont Icelandic Horse Farm........................... 60

Leibling........................................................................... 1

West Branch Gallery................................................27

Lost Nation Theater.................................................75

Windjammer Restaurant........................................76

Mason Brothers...........................................................61

Winterfell....................................................................... 3

Stowe Tuesday-Sunday, 9-5

SEPTEMBER 21, 10am

The Underpants

Written by Carl Sternheim, adapted by Steve Martin Weekends, 7:30pm Waterbury Festival Playhouse Box Office (802) 498-3755 www.WaterburyFestivalPlayhouse.com

SEPTEMBER 25 – OCTOBER 12 Pirates of Penzance

Wednesday-Saturday, 8pm Stowe Theatre Guild, Main St., Stowe (802) 253-3961 www.stowetheatre.com

SEPTEMBER 28

6th Annual Vermont Pumpkin Chuckin’ Festival Stoweflake Mountain Resort 11am- 4pm

OCTOBER 4

NOVEMBER 15

Jonathan Richman in concert “His loquacious word play, spoken vocals and sing-song meanderings on life generated infectious laughter.”- Spinner.com Goddard College, Plainfield 8pm

Free Community Dinner Waitsfield United Church Main Street, Waitsfield 5:30 pm The last Friday of every month waitsfieldchurch.org

SEPTEMBER 27 OCTOBER 25 NOVEMBER 29

Mayo Health Center..................................................65

For more information about print and online advertising opportunities, contact John or Robin Gales at (802) 295-5295 or email coffeetablepublishing@comcast.net. www.bestofcentralvt.com

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central vermont chat with Cornelia C arey

by stephen morris

For example?

We provide education. It’s great to provide grants, loans, and broker in-kind donations for victims of disasters as we do, but there are numerous steps that can be taken before an emergency happens. These preparedness steps can lessen the impact of any kind of disaster, which might make the difference between ending a career or just a setback.

CERF+’s educational website www.studioprotector.org is filled with useful information that can make a huge difference in reducing loss and rebounding from a setback. Making a list of assets and keeping a duplicate set of financial records that are stored off-site are two simple things that can prove essential. Knowing what your insurance does and doesn’t cover, a checklist of steps to take following an emergency, are easy, but critical. We never expect the unexpected, but we can plan for it.

How did you become involved?

I’m more or less a career arts administrator. Before joining CERF+ I was the grants officer for the Vermont Arts Council, and before that I was with the state arts council for Massachusetts.

CORNELIA CAREY,

executive director of CERF+ (Craft Emergency Relief Fund + Artists’ Emergency Resources), lives in Calais with her husband and daughter on their farm, Butterfield Beef and Berry Farm. Her days aren’t spent on the farm however. She spends those, as well as many nights and weekends, running this national nonprofit whose mission is to assist artists, specifically craft artists, before, during, and after they face emergencies. By her description she is a people person, outgoing and gregarious, who is governed by her “artist brain.” These are good qualities for someone whose work brings her regularly in contact with artists in their time of greatest need.

CERF+ was started in 1985 by Carol Sedestrom Ross, then president of American Craft Enterprises, and glassblower Josh Simpson. They had observed the inherent generosity of the community of craft artists whenever disaster struck one of their members, but thought services could be more effective, and a broader range of training and assistance could be provided, by forming a nonprofit organization. Although CERF+’s offices are in Montpelier, it’s a national organization.

Did you know that if you suffer a disaster that involves water damage, you can freeze some items (like books and paper) to prevent mold so that they can be salvaged later? This is the type of information CERF+ provides on their two websites so artists can find access to preparedness resources, and obtain information and assistance following an emergency.

BoCVT: Why the focus on craft artists?

Cornelia Carey: Craft artists are unique in that, in addition to being artists, they are small businesses. They often operate out of home studios where equipment and inventory are also housed. When disaster strikes, it has a doubly devastating effect. While fellow artists are very generous about passing the hat in response to an emergency, CERF+ provides services, resources, and training that can help prevent disasters as well as minimize the aftermath.

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best of central Vermont | Fall 2014

What do you do when you are not helping artists work through emergencies?

(Laughs) My husband (Paul Hannan) and I joke that our day jobs support our farming habit. We’re in our sixth year of owning and operating the Butterfield Beef and Berry Farm in Calais. We used to enjoy all the great outdoor activities that Vermont has to offer–biking, hiking, skiing, backpacking–but between the job, the farm, and our teenage daughter, there isn’t enough time for as much recreation.

How was the local craft community affected by Tropical Storm Irene?

The timing of Irene was particularly unfortunate as it occurred at the time when many artists were building inventories for the holiday season. There were cases where we were able to offer grants and loans to help people get back on their feet as they waited for responses from state and federal agencies. CERF+’s work isn’t limited to Vermont, however. We are national in our scope. We often say that “not all disasters have a name.” For every Irene, Katrina, or Sandy, there is the case of a fire or burst pipe or other unexpected circumstance which can be just as devastating as a natural disaster.

Where does CERF’s financial support come from?

Some support comes from foundations and the National Endowment for the Arts, but a surprising amount comes from the folks we regard as our “owners,” the artists themselves. This is one place where they see their benefits going directly to their own community. Raising funds is ongoing but we do have a broad base of grassroots support.

We’re even planning to increase both our individual grants and loans in the coming years.

We live by the tenet that if we are doing good, the money will follow.

No one wants to be known as the “masters of disasters,” but so long as Cornelia Carey and the staff at CERF+ keep doing their good work, craft artists nationwide can breathe a little easier knowing that if the unthinkable happens, someone has their backs.

To find out more about CERF+ or to make a contribution, contact: CERF+ (802) 229-2306 info@craftemergency.org www.craftemergency.org www.studioprotector.org

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