Best of Central Vermont - Winter 2018

Central Vermont best of

WINTER 2017/2018 VOLUME 6, NO. 1

COMMUNITIES AND LIFESTYLE IN THE HEART OF THE GREEN MOUNTAINS

STOWE STORM

STOWE SKI RESORT GOES EPIC THE CHEESES OF JASPER HILL FARM BLENDING CRAFT AND SCIENCE RESULTS IN EXCELLENCE

FAIRBANKS MUSEUM WHERE THE OLD IS NEW AGAIN

32

STOWE STORM WHAT DOES IT MEAN WHEN THE FIRST SKI RESORT ON THE EAST COAST GOES EPIC?

BY SARAH TUFF DUNN

40

THE CHEESES OF JASPER HILL FARM THE MARRIAGE OF CRAFT AND SCIENCE RESULTS IN EXCELLENCE.

Contents

BY DIAN PARKER

58

WHERE THE OLD IS NEW AGAIN FAIRBANKS MUSEUM AND PLANETARIUM THRILLS NEWCOMERS AND REPEAT VISITORS ALIKE.

BY TOM BRANDES

FEATURES

PHOTO COURTESY OF STOWE RESORT

Contents

20

D E PA R T M E N T S

13 PUBLISHERS’ NOTE 14 ONLINE HUB 16 CONTRIBUTORS 18 OCCASIONS OUT & ABOUT 20

BY CASSIE HORNER

AROUND TOWN

26

STOWE DANCE ACADEMY

GOOD NEIGHBORS

BY PHYL NEWBECK

SEASON’S BEST

BY SUSAN NYE

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

BY KELSEY WEIDMANN

54 48

48 CENTRAL VERMONT HUMANE SOCIETY 54 THE PERFECT HOLIDAY PARTY 64 NELSON ACE HARDWARE

BY MARK AIKEN

ROADS LESS TRAVELED

70 BARRE TOWN THUNDER CHICKENS SNOWMOBILE CLUB

BY MARK AIKEN

A NIGHT OUT

76 MORUZZI’S — A SPEAKEASY IN BARRE

BY SUZANNE PODHAIZER

81

DINING & ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE

CALENDAR

83 ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT 87 AD INDEX 88 LAST GLANCE

76

BEST OF

Central Vermont WINTER 2017/2018 | VOLUME 6 NO.1

COFFEE TABLE PUBLISHING 32 Hermit Thrush Lane South Burlington, VT 05403 PUBLISHERS

Robin Gales John Gales Bob Frisch CONTRIBUTING EDITOR

Sarah Tuff Dunn ASSISTANT EDITOR

Elaine Ambrose ART DIRECTOR

Robbie Alterio ADVERTISING DESIGN

Hutchens Media, LLC WEB DESIGN

Locable ADVERTISING

Robin Gales (802) 299-9086 John Gales (802) 558-2719 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, 32 Hermit Thrush Lane, South Burlington, VT 05403. 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, ©2018. 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.

12 BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

PUBLISHERS’ NOTE

WINTER IN CENTRAL VERMONT!

T

here’s a sentence that demands an exclamation point. The season has much to offer besides snow, ice, and frigid temperatures. And you’ll find some of the best of those offerings in this issue.

We’re stopping by Stowe Mountain Resort, which has undergone “Epic” developments under new ownership. Jeff Wise explains the new pricing approach and fills us in on the latest news. While we’re in Stowe, we’ll peek into Stowe Dance Academy, where we discovered that the seeds of art and culture are developing quite well as dancers acquire vital skills that will serve them well whether they pirouette or tap their way into the future or just dance for fun. With students from all over Central Vermont, the dance academy is another of our area’s gems.

Then come along for a visit to the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium in Saint Johnsbury, but plan on a longer visit soon. There’s a lot to see, and we’ve only scratched the surface! When cabin fever strikes, head for the Fairbanks Museum.

If you’re not hungry by now, you will be after a trip to one of our personal favorites—nationally recognized Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro. And if you like cheese, this visit will have you running out to score some of their award-winning Winnemere, much-loved Bayley Hazen Blue, or one of the fantastic artisan cheeses Jasper Hill ages for other cheese makers including Cabot.

In Barre, we step into Nelson Ace Hardware, where Bob Nelson and his team have mastered the art of customer service. I dare you to pop in and out without someone asking you if they can help you find what you need. (And they’ll order it if they don’t have it on hand!) And speaking of service, we’ll tell you all about the Barre Town Thunder Chickens, with a name guaranteed to make you smile.

So what do Thunder Chickens do? Not only do they snowmobile, they also maintain miles of trails throughout the area, teach trail safety and etiquette, and raise funds for the Travis Mercy Memorial Skate Park.

Last but far from least, we’re visiting Central Vermont Humane Society. (We saved it for last just in case we couldn’t resist adding a new member to the family.) The dedicated and hardworking staff and volunteers are committed to finding a loving home for every adoptable pet. To you, your family, and your pets, all of us here at Best of Central Vermont send our warmest wishes for the best and brightest of holidays!

www.facebook.com/ BestOfCentralVermont

Follow us on Instagram @bestofcentralvermontmag www.bestofcentralvt.com 13

VISIT US ONLINE

| W W W. B E S TO F C E N T R A LV T.CO M

nt o m r e V l a Centr WI NT ER

best of

DID SOMEONE SAY CHEESE?

CO M M

In Greensboro, Jasper Hill Farm is curating special gift boxes for the holiday season, filled with a selection of its 12 cheeses from six producers and six herds of cows. Discover which award-winning picks you can send to family and friends just in time for holiday feasting.

UN IT IE

S AN D

T E HE AR LE IN TH LIF ESTY

201 7/2

N E GR EE OF TH

LUM 018 VO

.1 E 6, NO

AI NS M OU NT

E STOGORESM EPIC STOE W SKI RESORT STOW

L FARM SPER HIL SES OF JA IN EXCELLENCE THEINGCHCRAFEET AND SCIENCE RESULTS BLEND M S MUSEU FAIRBANK AGAIN WHERE THE

OLD IS NEW

SEASONAL RECIPES FROM STOWE MOUNTAIN LODGE If a thick slice of warm banana bread for breakfast and a bowl of carrot– ginger soup sound like a heavenly way to taste your way through a Vermont day, find these and another delicious recipe selected for Best of Central Vermont by the chefs at Stowe Mountain Lodge.

SIGN UP FOR OUR

eNEWSLETTER

CATCH CHAD HOLLISTER AT SPRUCE PEAK

What does our newsletter include?

• A summary of our most popular articles and comments from our readers • Local event listings from our calendar • Special offers from Best of Central Vermont and local businesses • Exclusive insights into upcoming features and articles, and much more . . .

For more than 20 years, Chad Hollister and his band have been heating up Vermont’s music scene, now they’re performing at the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center to fire up music fans this winter.

Discover all the details on the show, tickets, and times.

Join the conversation online...

www.bestofcentralvt.com

VISIT OUR SPONSOR

Follow us on Instagram @bestofcentralvermontmag

like www.facebook.

BestOfCentralVermont 14 BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

Feel free to drop us a line at ryan@bestof centralvt.com, or share your comments on our site or on social media. You might even see your name in our next issue.

9

JANU

CLICK ON our online calendar to see local events happening in our com/ community, and you can add your own event free!

Stowe, Vermont

Discover, Dine, Stay & Shop

The Country Store on Main

The Body Lounge

The Bench

109 Main Street Stowe, Vermont

1799 Mountain Road Red Barn Shops Stowe, VT

492 Mountain Road Stowe VT

(802) 253-7653 info@countrystorevt.com www.countrystorevt.com

(802) 253-7333 www.bodyloungevt.com

Green Mountain Inn

Stowe Village Massage

(802) 253-5100 www.benchvt.com www.facebook.com/benchvt/

4 Points Brewery Tours

18 Main Street Stowe, VT

49 Depot Street Stowe , VT 05672

(800) 253-7302 info@gminn.com www.greenmountaininn.com

(802) 253-6555 info@stowevillagemassage.com www.stowevillagemassage.com

(802) 793-9246 www.4pointsvt.com

Commodities Natural Market

Ferro Estate & Custom Jewelers

Stowe Wine & Cheese

512 Mountain Road Stowe, VT

91 Main Street Stowe, VT

1799 Mountain Road Stowe, VT

(802) 253-4464 www.commoditiesnaturalmarket.com Open 7 Days

(802) 253-3033 stowe@ferrojewelers.com www.ferrojewelers.com/stowe

(800) 253-8606 www.stowewineandcheese.com Find us on Facebook Open 7 Days

128 Deer Hill Lane Stowe, VT

CO N T R I B U TO R S

MARK AIKEN is a freelance writer from Richmond, Vermont. He teaches skiing in the winter and trains for marathons in the summer. Together, he and his wife are involved in another endurance sport—parenting.

TOM BRANDES is a freelance writer in Plymouth, Minnesota, where he writes on a variety of subjects including technology, health care, manufacturing, sustainability, and more. His work has appeared in a number of publications, including New Hampshire Wildlife Journal, Auto Magazine, Fire Chief, and Urban Land. He enjoys hiking, biking, and canoeing during annual visits to New England with his family.

CASSIE HORNER is a writer, editor, and publisher, and the author of Lucy E.—Road to Victory, a historical novel. Her roots in Vermont go way back almost 200 years and inspire her love of the natural world and history. She lives in Plymouth, Vermont, with her husband and three dogs—an English Shepherd and two Dachshunds.

DIAN PARKER writes on health, fitness, travel, and more for a variety of regional and national publications. She lives with her husband and their two young children in Shelburne, Vermont.

16

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

ROGER CROWLEY is a freelance Vermont photographer from East Montpelier specializing in event, sport, and portrait photography. Roger’s photography career began in the 1970s serving local newspapers and teaching darkroom film techniques. A list of his published works includes Sports Illustrated, Runner’s World, Golf Week, and many others.

SUZANNE PODHAIZER is a cooking educator, writer, and chef living in Winooski, Vermont. She used to be a goose farmer and owned a farm to table restaurant in Montpelier called Salt. She also studies kizomba, bachata, and salsa as a member of the DsantosVT dance team.

OCCASIONS

Homemade Candy Canes AT LAUGHING MOON CHOCOLATES, THESE SWEET DEMONSTRATIONS ARE A HOLIDAY TRADITION

F

rom now through December 23, Laughing Moon Chocolates in Stowe Village treats visitors to an extra-special sight: the boiling, pulling, turning, rolling, and twisting of homemade candy canes into works of art. The demonstrations take place at 11am on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and also at 2pm on Saturdays.

Laughing Moon Chocolates’ homemade candy cane demonstrations have become a holiday tradition.

This twisted art turns sugar into surprising and aesthetically pleasing and delicious delights in five flavors: peppermint, spearmint, cinnamon, wintergreen, and maple. Laughing Moon has been hosting this fun, family-oriented event for years at its Stowe shop, drawing hundreds of holiday celebrants to its fragrant space.

Watch the demonstrations for free, or register in advance to make your own candy cane for $6 per person; there’s enough space for 15 guests to participate.

Laughing Moon also offers special holiday chocolate treats, including a homemade peppermint bark with dark chocolate, white chocolate, and crushed candy canes; hot chocolate; truffle snowmen; and Christmas trees. Or look for molded holiday items such as Santa Claus and a red-nosed reindeer.

For more information about candy cane demonstrations and more, contact Leigh Williams at (802) 253-9591 or visit online at www.laughingmoonchocolates.com/candycane-making-demonstrations.

18 BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

O U T A N D A B O U T | BY C A S S I E H O R N E R

The SUPERBOWL of Birding

The annual Superbowl organized by Mass Audubon is not about football but birding. The January 2018 Superbowl of Birding XV, on Saturday, January 27, is a competition that will draw teams from many places, including the North Branch Nature Center (NBNC) in Montpelier. Teens and some middle school students travel to the northern coast of Massachusetts for a daylong search for bird species.

“It is a 12-hour competition, from 5am to 5pm,” says Chip Darmstadt, executive director of NBNC. “Like a birdathon, the goal is to find as many species as possible, but there is also strategy involved because different birds are worth different points, so you want to use your time wisely. You try to find difficult birds first.”

For example, the black-capped chickadee, a common winter bird, is worth one point, whereas the turkey vulture, an infrequent winter visitor, is worth five.

20

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

Opposite page: A Canada goose and a Common Eider.

Photo by Ken Benton.

Below: A Red-throated Loon. Photo by Zac Cota.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Chip says. “You’re calling for an Eastern Screech-Owl at 5am, and the last bird of the day might be a Short-eared Owl on Plum Island.”

Teams can choose to bird in either Essex County in Massachusetts or Rockingham County in New Hampshire. The team from NBNC birds in Essex County, usually beginning at Cape Ann and heading north to Plum Island.

“We tend to hug the coastline, with maybe an inland stop at unfrozen ponds,” Chip says.

“We go to marsh habitats, protected bays, beaches, and the ocean.”

The day ends with an all-group wrap-up that includes a banquet and the announcement of prizes. The highlight last year for the NBNC team was the sighting of a Redhead, a diving duck. “We’ve noticed over the years that the Superbowl of Birding hooks kids into bird watching,” says Chip. “Teens who do this event stick with birding a long time.”

For more information and to register for the January 2018 Superbowl of Birding XV, call NBNC at (802) 229-6206. www.bestofcentralvt.com 21

OUT AND ABOUT

Smugglers’ Notch MapleFest Celebration

A

s winter wanes in Vermont, there’s a fifth season that’s welcomed by all— sap season! That’s when maple trees can be tapped and their sap boiled to make the supremely tasty sweetness of maple syrup.

The Smugglers’ Notch Resort MapleFest Celebration from March 17 through April 1 honors the maple-sugaring tradition, inviting people to learn about the hard work and forest stewardship connected to it and to have 22

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

fun in the outdoors. Activities include visits to sugarhouses, snowshoe and walking tours, and opportunities to sample a wide variety of maple products.

The seasonal roster of things to do is headlined by tours of maple sugarhouses, offering

a chance to see the process firsthand and talk with the sugar makers. There is also Father Winter’s slope-side tipi for another opportunity to learn about sugar making. On Thursday, the MapleFest Winter Carnival features games, sugar on snow, and maple-themed food and

MapleFest at Smugglers’ Notch celebrates the sappiest time of year with tapped trees, boiling syrup, sugar on snow, and special hikes among the maple trees. Photos courtesy of Smugglers’ Notch Resort.

beverages. Visitors can learn about smallscale sugaring with a demonstration at the Smugglers’ Notch Nordic Center on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Guided snowshoe or walking treks will be available, with one-hour adventures for all ages and two-hour hikes for ages 10 and up.

The MapleFest Celebration highlights that wonderful time of winter when its grip is giving way to spring. For more information, call (844) 227-6076. www.bestofcentralvt.com 23

OUT AND ABOUT Kathleen Kolb’s work includes the watercolor Blue Star Barns, the oil on panel Town Meeting Day, the oil on linen Grapple Skidder, Winter Morning, and the oil on panel Brick House, Winter Afternoon.

Artist Kathleen Kolb A

rtist Kathleen Kolb loved the Vermont landscape from her first glimpse of the Northeast Kingdom in the 1970s. With the advent of the cold season, she reflects, “The sheer beauty of the snow-covered landscapes works with the light. It reflects the light in very different ways. It simplifies the landscape, revealing all kinds of magical, unexpected shapes.”

And that’s the challenge she embraces in her art: “to represent a particular moment in time and a very particular place, to convey the emotional qualities.”

Kathleen knew she wanted to be an artist when she was growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, with her five siblings. Her parents supported her interest, taking her to children’s classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art. “I love creating images of the world,” she says. “There is an intellectual puzzle of how to duplicate color and create perspective.”

She trained at the Rhode Island School of Design, majoring in illustration.

24

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

When Kathleen was first painting after graduating from RISD, she drove around the countryside looking for what she calls “the moment of emotional ignition.” Those moments fire her work as an artist, and she creates paintings that trigger an emotional response in a viewer.

“The purpose of art is to connect,” she says. “What art offers to society is the courage and willingness to look at our mortality and how wonderful life is. The rub of these two creates the bittersweetness of our life.”

Over time, the focus of Kathleen’s work

evolved. Her early paintings were mostly of people, but when she moved to Vermont, the landscape took over. In the 1990s, she began doing night paintings, loving the challenge of getting things dark enough with a switch from watercolor to oil. Of late, she has begun to reintroduce people into her images.

Kathleen’s current exhibit, Into the Woods, runs through December 23 at the Festival Gallery at Valley Arts in the Village Square Shopping Center in Waitsfield. For more information about Kathleen and her art, visit kathleenkolb.com. www.bestofcentralvt.com 25

AROUND TOWN | BY KELSEY WEIDMANN

26

PHOTOS BY BRYCE MULLIN PHOTOGRAPHY, HELENA SULLIVAN, AND MARIA SULLIVAN

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

Dance into the Future at the Stowe Dance Academy From Pirouetting Preschooler to Powerful Professional

Focus. Determination. Strength. No matter your age or career path, these qualities will prove essential on your journey through life. But how do you develop them? Hit the dance floor!

H

g

elena Sullivan, owner and artistic director, opened the Stowe Dance Academy (SDA) 26 years ago. Originally from Sweden, she spent many years studying and performing with dance companies all over the world. When she first moved to Vermont, she taught ballet in Montpelier and danced with the Vermont Dance Collective. Once she pointed her toes toward Stowe, she never looked back.

The plan was to start small and focus on teaching classical ballet to children, so the growth of the academy came as somewhat of a surprise to Helena. She and her husband already owned a small business and taught dance on the side. Once she realized the exciting future dance could hold, they sold their business. “I [dove] in 100 percent with the intention of expanding it to its full potential,” she says.

Dancers Kate Kauffman (left) and Tatiana Heintz (above) perform in 2017.

Photo by Bryce Mullin Photography.

www.bestofcentralvt.com 27

Imilicipio es mena, egeris tarbem poravol udaciamei sula nules atruntena essis conulto ratiam.

Hemorit. mo publiis idemena, actus abement?

Opionsunicae con dere pubi ius? Nam ponsultorum qua nonvenatum mo vidita, virmantra caediem nondiervis satque mors essimpl. M. ente es la nem tem niciam inaris senat vis co vil haecto virtes host quon

Above: Maria Sullivan teaches Pre-Ballet during a summer camp.

Right: Pre-Ballet students perform in Mary Poppins in 2017.

Opposite: Summer Ballet Intensive students pose at Stowe's Green Mountain Inn.

Today, the studio prides itself on its strong preprofessional and recreational programs that teach young artists the beauty and craft of dancing, as well as essential life skills that mold them into successful adults.

THE TOWN HUB AND BEYOND Before the Stowe Dance Academy, the closest dance academies were in Wolcott, Burlington, or Montpelier. Now, as the primary academy in town, it has become an integral part of youth arts and culture.

The village has a unique mix of dancing interests. Everyone begins with ballet since it’s the foundation for all types of dance. After that, the most popular styles are lyrical and contemporary, and hip-hop classes are growing rapidly too.

Girls as well as boys have found their place at the studio. “It’s funny to be girl-centered for most of the week, and then have a whole new energy level in the studio [when the boys come in],” laughs Maria Sullivan, SDA’s director and Helena’s daughter.

The Stowe Dance Academy is a hub, drawing 28

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

students from neighboring towns such as Warren, Waterbury, Johnson, and Hyde Park. Dancers ride the bus and walk to the studio together.

Some of the teachers also travel from other areas. Stowe has a special charm that lures them.

However, the academy’s influence is so great that it has begun to spread. The Sullivans also run the Mad River Dance Academy in Waitsfield and TRIP, a nonprofit dance company associated with the SDA. TRIP, founded in 2000, lets dancers extend their education. Students audition to join, and if accepted, they travel and compete as a troupe around New England.

This expansion would not be possible without the assistance of the dancers’ parents and neighbors. “The support from the community has definitely been a key component to our vitality and success,” Helena says.

THE POWER OF DANCE Each time the dancers put on their shoes and step onto the floor, they improve their cognitive strength—and it shows. Their teachers at school have commented on their impressive time management skills and focus in the classroom.

In addition, dance teaches young people to think about multiple things at once. “In ballet you have to focus on your hands, back, arms, and head, and that multitasking translates to real life,” Maria says.

The Stowe Dance Academy’s students take various paths in life. Some pursue dance in college and go on to perform with dance companies, and many choose to continue dancing as a hobby.

The goal of the academy is to create wellrounded individuals who will succeed in any field; dancing is a great way to keep a healthy work–life balance no matter the career.

Seeing her students flourish in the world beyond the academy makes it all worth it for Helena. Undoubtedly, the dancers would not be so accomplished without the direction of their professional faculty. These experts have trained around the country and the world—including New York, Massachusetts, California, Sweden, and the www.bestofcentralvt.com 29

Above: TRIP Dance Company Seniors perform at the 2016–2017 JUMP Dance Convention.

Right and opposite page: Pre-Ballet students dance in Mary Poppins.

COME OUT AND SEE THE DANCERS PERFORM! DECEMBER 8–10, 2017:

New York City Dance Alliance Convention in Boston FEBRUARY 2–4, 2018: NUVO

Dance Convention in Boston

FEBRUARY 23–25, 2018: West

Coast Dance Explosion in Boston MARCH 21–24, 2018:

TRIP Fundraiser

MARCH OR APRIL 2018:

Waitsfield Cabin Fever Follies MAY 2018: Stowe Weekend

of Hope 30

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

Philippines. “Technique-wise, we are similar, but we have different tones of voice,” Maria says. “We have the possibility to offer a wider variety of dance.”

For instance, two instructors may teach hiphop, but their backgrounds bring in varying flavors. Therefore, even though the styles may be the same, the atmosphere in each class is completely different. However, they all like to challenge their students. “I like to give them difficult stuff that they can achieve and see them click and get it,” Maria says.

NEXT STEPS The future is looking bright. The dedicated faculty members will continue to support their students to reach their potential and achieve their dreams. Helena is excited about their creativity and enthusiasm—it makes the studio the best it can be. “We will continue to insist on offering a quality dance program for the next generation,” Helena says.

x

STOWE DANCE ACADEMY 177 South Main Street Stowe, VT (802) 253-5151 www.stowedance.com www.bestofcentralvt.com 31

BY SARAH TUFF DUNN

PHOTOS COURTESY OF STOWE RESORT

Stowe Storm What does it mean when the first ski resort on the East Coast goes Epic?

32

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

T

he chin. The nose. The Adam’s apple.

Mount Mansfield’s elongated human profile has long lured outdoor enthusiasts year-round, but winter on this 4,393-foot peak, Vermont’s tallest, is when it feels most alive, as skiers and riders glide down the 116 trails that comprise Stowe Mountain Resort.

www.bestofcentralvt.com 33

The recently completed Spruce Peak Village Center includes the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center, Stowe Mountain Lodge & Spa, The Shops at Spruce, Spruce Camp Base Lodge, the Ice Rink & Pavilion, the Stowe Mountain Club, and the Stowe Adventure Center.

34

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

Part of the appeal is its history. Stowe has been drawing daring downhillers since 1914, when a Dartmouth librarian decided to hike to the top and ski down for fun (loggers once traversed these trails for work). And who can resist the allure of a resort that has been carting skiers to its summit since the 1930s and once doled out woolen blankets to chilled chairlift riders?

Then there’s the fabled Front Four—steep trails named National, Goat, Starr, and Liftline that have long been a proving ground for powder hounds. These expert runs are balanced by gentler terrain at the newer Spruce

Peak area and long cruisers such as Toll Road and Gondolier.

Throw in a base area booming with activities—a rock climbing wall, s’mores by a fire pit, ice skating, and more—and you have a resort with plenty of reasons to visit. Now there’s one more: Stowe has become part of Vail Resorts, giving Vermonters access to not only epic skiing here in the East but also at a slew of ski areas out West.

“Acquiring Stowe allows Vail Resorts to add an iconic Eastern ski area to its world-class portfolio of resorts,” says Director of Communications Jeff Wise.

www.bestofcentralvt.com 35

Above: Soaking up the sunshine on Stowe’s mile-long Gondolier Trail.

Right: The steep pitch of Stowe’s famous Nose Dive, home to the country’s first alpine ski races.

THE EPIC PASS Skiers and riders now have the option of purchasing an Epic Pass, which gives them unrestricted access to Stowe, Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone, and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado; Whistler Blackcomb in Canada; Park City in Utah; Heavenly, Northstar, and Kirkwood at Lake Tahoe; Perisher in Australia; Afton Alps in Minnesota; Mt. Brighton in Michigan; and Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin for the 2017–2018 season.

About half the cost of earlier, unrestricted season passes, the Epic Pass also grants limited access to Arlberg in Austria; Les Trois Vallées, 36

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

Paradiski, and Tignes-Val d’Isere in France; Skirama Dolomiti in Italy; and Quatre Vallées in Switzerland, with no restricted dates. “With the addition of Stowe, the Epic Pass provides guests access to the East Coast’s most diverse skiing and off-mountain experiences,” says Jeff Wise, “as well as unlimited, unrestricted access to the best of the West.” www.bestofcentralvt.com 37

38

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

The Epic Pass also has perks for resort officials, who are able to capture guest data and insights that can help them determine the specific needs and wants of skiers and riders for everything from grooming conditions to lift operations. Says Jeff, “Stowe will be even more dedicated to the skiing and riding experience than ever before.”

New this winter is a slope-side parking area for guests as well as more parking for

Stowe Stats Mount Mansfield Summit Elevation – 4,395′ Highest Skiing Elevation – 3,625′ Vertical Drop – 2,360′ Average Annual Snowfall – 314′ Total Number of Trails – 116 Skiable Acres – 485 Total Miles – 40 Percentages – beginner 16%, intermediate 55%, expert 29% Snowmaking Coverage – 83%

When skiers and riders aren’t bashing through powder, catching air, or enjoying the lively base area, they might be peering out at some of the epic views, including “The Chin,” Vermont’s highest point at 4,395 feet.

staff members at the Nordic Center. The Green Mountain Transit Authority will be providing more frequent and reliable public transportation to Mount Mansfield, meaning that skiers and riders can plan to hit the lifts when they start spinning at 7:30am, perhaps after breakfast at the Skinny Pancake (near the Over Easy Gondola, which transfers guests from one side of Stowe to the other). Some of the top morning runs are Ridgeview, Sunrise, and Lord.

Guests might skip the chairlift altogether.

Also known as skinning, uphill skiing is growing in popularity at Stowe. “One trend we’re addressing is the growing popularity of uphill skiing,” says Jeff. “We’re instituting a new policy that will designate new uphill skiing areas both during the day and at night.” As Stowe looks to its future, it also looks to its past—now, skiers and riders might hike to the top, just like that Dartmouth librarian 103 years ago.

x

Total Lifts – 12 – More mile-long lifts than any other resort in the East 1 intermountain transfer gondola, 1 highspeed summit gondola, 4 quads, 2 triples, 2 doubles, 2 surface lifts Total hourly lift capacity – 15,516 passengers

ONLINE EXTRA

H

elena Sullivan, owner and artistic

Finddirector, satisying opened and delectable recipes Dance selected the Stowe by the talented chefs at Stowe Mountain Lodge!

(SDA) 26 years ago. OrigiVisitAcademy www.bestofcentralvermont.com

nally from Sweden, she spent many years

www.bestofcentralvt.com 39

BY DIAN PARKER PHOTOS COURTESY OF JASPER HILL FARM

The Cheeses of Jasper Hill Farm The marriage of craft and science results in excellence

Jasper HIll occupies one of the prettiest corners in Vermont, producing palate-pleasing cheeses.

40

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

U

ntil I visited Jasper Hill Farm recently, I knew nothing about artisan cheese, how it is made, and why it costs more than the supermarket product. After my tour of the farm and the cheese-making and aging facility, I’ve come to appreciate how labor intensive, exacting, and passion-filled the work at Jasper Hill’s creamery is.

I now understand why its cheeses are so highly prized. Focused on the marriage of craft and science in the making of cheese, the two brothers who started and continue to run this farm are dedicated entrepreneurs, often working 18 hours a day to perfect and market their unique and outstanding products.

www.bestofcentralvt.com 41

Above: Jasper Hill’s second dairy at Andersonville Farm is co-owned and operated by the Coe Family.

Right: The American Cheese Society has awarded Jasper Hill Best of Show for the Cabot Clothbound Cheddar and the raw-milk Winnimere.

LEADERS IN CHEESE MAKING Andy and Mateo Kehler bought Jasper Hill Farm in 1998, a year that saw Vermont lose 30 dairy farms. But luckily for the state, the country, and the rest of the world, young people are moving back to the land; they’re starting breweries and herbal farms, and growing farm to table vegetables and raising grass-fed animals for meat.

Vermont is at the forefront of this movement, and Jasper Hill is at the forefront of cheese making—handcrafted and professionally aged.

To make high-quality farmstead cheese, you need to start with high-quality milk from healthy cows that graze on rich, natural pasture grasses filled with legumes and herbs such as clover and chicory.

In 2003, Andy and Mateo Kehler began making cheese. Today, the farm spans 160 acres, 100 of those open pasture where their 45 Ayrshire cows graze under Vermont skies.

The Cellars at Jasper Hill ripen about a 42

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

dozen cheeses including those from three farmstead producers and Cabot’s Clothbound Cheddar. They sell to artisan cheese shops and anywhere quality cheeses are sold, including Whole Foods. In February, they will be exhibiting in Paris at Salon du Fromage, part of the international Agricultural Expo.

Director of Business Development and Marketing Zoe Brickley recently gave me a tour of the sparkling new facility at the farm.

After donning white lab coats, rubber boots, hairnets, and then scrubbing up, we went into the 22,000-square-foot underground aging facility. It features seven vaults (caves), the

larger ones 25 feet in height, with the capacity for a million pounds of cheese. Towering rows of cheeses at various stages of aging fill the vaults. Each cave has its own specific temperature and humidity, designed for the style of cheese it hosts.

The ripening process for natural-rind cheeses makes up more than 70 percent of the labor requirements for a batch of cheese. I saw workers hand-washing cheeses in brine (salted water) with brushes. Others were scraping off some of the rind from large wheels, handling each with expert care. Six workers wrapped individual rounds of soft cheese, a labor-intensive task to say the least.

MUCH-LOVED, AWARD-WINNING CHEESES Jasper Hill’s flagship cheese is the much-loved Bayley Hazen Blue. It was stacked in one vault in order of how many days the seven-pound wheels had been aged. Some were two days old with very little mold, and the ones that were three to four months old looked like small white birch trunks, stippled in blue, gray, and white.

This traditional rennet is made from the farm’s whole raw milk and is superb in salad as well as on top of a grilled steak. Jasper Hill describes this cheese as having “a fudge-like texture, toasted-nut sweetness, and anise spice character.”

Another vault I toured housed the Cabot Clothbound cheeses. The rounds are “bandaged” in muslin. Bandaged-wrapped cheddars date back 200 years. Cabot Clothbound was one of the first “back-tomarket” bandaged cheddars in the states, and the category is now thriving.

In 2003, Cabot Creamery asked Jasper Hill Farm to age a batch of its cheddar, and the two www.bestofcentralvt.com 43

creameries have been collaborating ever since.

To age this cheddar, Jasper Hill coats the young wheels in lard and then wraps them in cloth.

They are aged for 9 to 13 months and continually brushed, turned, and tasted for quality.

The resultant cheese has a crumbly texture, smells nutty, and tastes slightly tangy. One of the first batches won Best of Show at the 2006 American Cheese Society Conference.

A number of other farms also use the services of Jasper Hill to age their cheeses. Von Trapp Farmstead’s Oma cheese is aged 60 to 90 days at Jasper Hill and is soft and complex.

Kinsman Ridge, which Jasper Hill washes with brine before a natural mottled rind is cultivated, then ages and monitors for 3 months, comes from Landaff Creamery. Kinsman Ridge cheese is described as “rich, savory, softly floral, with hints of roasted artichoke and asparagus.”

Also from Landaff is Alpha Tolman, aged 8 months to 12 months; it’s dense and ideal for melting. Jasper Hill also works with the Scholten Family Farm, which manages a small herd of Dutch Belted cows. This cheese, aged 30

44

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

Opposite: Andy and Mateo Kehler bought Jasper Hill in 1998.

Above: In 2014, local student Ryan Nolan helped Jasper Hill float a wheel of Bayley Hazen Blue into the upper stratosphere using a weather balloon and a custom-made rig.

Check out Jasper Hill's YouTube channel for video footage.

Below, wheels of Harbison "bloom" in a specially calibrated vault with other Brie-style cheeses.

www.bestofcentralvt.com 45

Top: Jasper Hill offers gift-packaged cheeses in its online store.

Middle: Wheels of Jasper Hill‘s raw-milk Alpinestyle cheese, Alpha Tolman, ripen to perfection.

Right: Andy Kehler feeds a young Ayrshire calf.

Opposite: Nella and James Coe are part of the Jasper Hill family.

46

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

to 50 days, has a creamy center and a slightly citrus flavor.

Another popular cheese that’s come out of Jasper Hill is their Willoughby. It has an earthy, buttery taste and is great served with pears.

Winnimere, which won Best in Show in 2013, is like an old-style Limburger; you can eat it with a spoon. Their Harbison soft-ripened cheeses are wrapped in strips of spruce and are handsome on the outside and like sweet cream on the inside. Both are aged from 60 to 90 days.

Moses Sleeper is yet another of Jasper Hill’s

Brie-like cheeses, aged 50 to 80 days. There is no comparison to the complexities of these four soft cheeses to the one note of the usual Bries you find in supermarkets.

Zoe, my tour guide, has been working for Jasper Hill for more than eight years. “I’m thrilled to have grown alongside the company,” she says. “It’s been exciting to witness the growth of a business that has such a positive impact on our local community and landscape.

I’ve been able to participate in an international conversation about what it means to make

great cheese, and what artisan producers can do to win over the hearts of cheese eaters from standardized ‘business as usual’ commodity fare.” I was certainly won over.

Jasper Hill Farm and Cellars employs around 80 people staffing two dairies, two creameries, the hay-drying facility, and seven aging caves. Jasper Hill also operates a small facility located in the Vermont Food Venture Center in nearby Hardwick. They’ve even been working with Pete’s Greens to pasture heritage-breed pigs in seasonal rotation, along with vegetable production and hay cropping—a wise way to build soil instead of depleting it. Even the leftover whey from the cheese-making process is fed to their pigs.

As the result of innovation and meticulous care, all of Jasper Hill’s products have a distinct personality and charm. In testing the ripening of their cheeses, these experts study 20 main sensory attributes. They work against standardization. They honor their livestock and the land. And in the end, their cheeses are exceptional. A win–win for all.

x

JASPER HILL FARM AND CELLARS 884 Garvin Hill Road Greensboro Bend, VT (802) 533-2566 www.jasperhillfarm.com www.facebook.com/JasperHillFarm

ONLINE EXTRA

H

elena Sullivan, owner and artistic

To see the wonderful selections of artisan cheeses director, opened the Stowe Dance available online from Jasper Hill for giving, visit Academy (SDA) 26 years ago. Origiwww.bestofcentralvermont.com

nally from Sweden, she spent many years

www.bestofcentralvt.com 47

GOOD NEIGHBORS | BY PHYL NEWBECK

48

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CVHS

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

Central Vermont

Humane Society Saving animal lives and helping people too

O

n August 5, 2017, Central Vermont Humane Society Senior Development Director Sherry Knudsen found herself on the field at Fenway Park holding a giant check. CVHS had just been awarded a $10,000 IMPACT Award after besting all competing Vermont nonprofit rivals in an on-line voting process aided by dozens of pictures of cute dogs and cats in Red Sox gear.

During the game, Sherry was invited to the broadcast booth, where she talked about the organization’s work with play-by-play man Dave O’Brien and color commentator Dennis Eckersley. “It was an honor and a once in a lifetime experience,” she recalls. “Anybody who is

a Red Sox fan listens to them day in and day out, and they were very warm and kind interviewers.”

GOING THE EXTRA MILE FOR ANIMALS The $10,000 award is important because CVHS operates at a significant deficit. They place more than a thousand animals each year, roughly twothirds of them cats, one-third dogs, and a smattering of rabbits and guinea pigs. Executive Director Laurie Garrison says the average cost per animal is $751 while the average adoption fee is $130. The over $600 difference is made up with donations from generous individuals and businesses. www.bestofcentralvt.com 49

Central Vermont Humane Society finds homes for hundreds of animals, including a box of nine puppies found abandoned last spring.

Below right: Orphaned pup Allie gets a bottlefeeding.

CVHS has sixteen dog kennels and five rooms designated for cats. The cat rooms are designed to hold five to seven felines each, but there have been times when the shelter has had as many as a hundred cats in its care. In 2017, there were two instances in which CVHS took in 20 cats at one time. “It makes it hard for us to juggle things,” Laurie says, “because we go the extra mile. When an animal is in our care, we provide behavioral support and medical care for as long as necessary until they are adopted.” Every animal at the facility is microchipped, vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and treated for medical and dental needs.

VOLUNTEERS AND DONATIONS TO THE RESCUE CVHS has a variety of volunteers who help out, several of whom come in on a weekly basis. Some volunteers clean, some help with special events, and one is an expert on trying to figure out the personality of resident cats to help match them with suitable humans. More than a hundred volunteers worked a total of 6,400 hours last year. In addition, CVHS is assisted by at least 20 families who provide foster care for animals that need additional help including kittens that require bottle-feeding, animals that need a quiet place to recover after surgery, and others that have to be socialized before they can be ready for adoption.

This summer, CVHS made the news when nine-day-old puppies were abandoned in a box. Although they were found outside the nonprofit’s geographic range, CVHS took the puppies in and, with the help of foster families, got them ready for their forever homes. Laurie says that usually no more than 20 to 40 percent of motherless puppies survive, but thanks to the tender loving care of staff and volunteers, eight of the puppies lived even though one had pneumonia and another needed surgery. “They needed 24/7 care,” Laurie recalls. “People 50

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

came in to help feed them, and people donated money to save them.”

While 70 percent of the animals at CVHS come from Vermont, the organization chips in to help when disaster strikes beyond the boundaries of the Green Mountain State.

CVHS partners with the ASPCA, the Humane Society of the United States, and Best Friends Animal Society, and recently took in three dogs from Southern shelters trying to make room for animals affected by the late summer hurricanes in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico. Local shelters do their best to reunite pets with their former owners, but if that isn’t possible, CVHS is ready to take in more displaced animals.

CVHS also offers dog-training classes for the public. “We take dog training very seriously,” Laurie says. “We use only positive reinforcement and training methods.” Last year, more than 400 dog owners took classes from four certified trainers, which is double the number from the previous year. CVHS also hosts two one-week Humane Heroes Kids Camps for children between the ages of 8 and 12 to learn how to take care of and interact with animals. Twice a year, CVHS hosts a low-cost rabies vaccination and microchip clinic that’s open to the public and visited by at least 200 people annually. www.bestofcentralvt.com 51

Imilicipio es mena, egeris tarbem poravol udaciamei sula nules atruntena essis conulto ratiam. Hemorit. mo publiis idemena, actus abement? Opionsunicae con dere pubi ius?

Nam ponsultorum qua nonvenatum mo vidita, virmantra caediem nondiervis satque mors essimpl. M. ente es la nem tem niciam inaris senat vis co vil haecto virtes host quon

Above: Development Director Sherry Knudsen gratefully accepts a check from the Red Sox Foundation at Fenway Park.

Right: Corgi Mari proudly wears her Red Sox cap.

Opposite: Handsome Jake wears his Red Sox gear like a pro.

Opposite, bottom: CVHS staff members, top row, left to right: Chris, Lauren, Mira, Erika, Charlene, Laurie, and Christine; in front: Linnea, Jen, and Sherry.

GIVING PETS A SECOND CHANCE Sherry notes that many people don’t understand how someone can give up a pet, but the staff at CVHS is nonjudgmental. “We know it’s a heart-wrenching decision,” she says, “and that most people have tried everything else. If someone knows they can’t take care of their animal, it’s a good thing that they call us and get help or relinquish their pet. We don’t turn away adoptable animals.”

Laurie finds her position to be an extremely rewarding one. “I like to think about the impact on each individual animal,” she says. “We may have a thousand, but when you look at the 52

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

specific ones in need and you see the help we can give them, that gives them a second chance to have families.”

Although the pictures the public sees are those of cute, cuddly animals, Sherry notes that it is more than that. “We’re saving animal lives,” she says, “but we’re also helping people.” Sherry gave the example of older people moving into assisted living who want to see their pets taken care of or others who may need help because of homelessness, addiction, or domestic violence.

“A pet can be a motivator for people to get their lives on track,” Sherry says. “Everyone should be able to have a pet in his or her life.”

x

CENTRAL VERMONT HUMANE SOCIETY ADOPTION CENTER 1589 Vermont Route 14 South East Montpelier, VT (802) 476-3811 www.centralvermonthumane.org

www.bestofcentralvt.com 53

The Perfect Holiday SEASON’S BEST | BY SUSAN NYE

Seven Secrets for Your Success

54

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

Party

T

he holidays are a wonderful excuse for a party. After all, there are lots of different ways to be festive. Take your pick—cookie swap, an intimate dinner with your nearest and dearest, brunch for the neighbors, or an open house for any and everyone you’ve ever met.

My preference? Cocktails and a beautiful buffet for good friends and family. If you are of the same mind, here are a few tips and recipes to help you host your best holiday party ever.

THINK IT THROUGH AND MAKE LISTS. The pros agree, before you send the first invitation, make a plan and write it down. Successful hosts take the time to figure out the food, drink, music, and decorations. They make it look effortless, but it’s no accident when everything comes together beautifully.

WHAT ABOUT HELP? Even if you can, you don’t need to do it all. Depending on the size of your crowd, you may want to enlist a caterer, buy some of the party food, or hire an extra hand or two. A little help will relieve a lot of the stress, and you too can enjoy the party.

AVOID THE LAST-MINUTE HUNT FOR A FAVORITE PLATTER. A few days before the party, pull out trays, platters, and bowls and arrange them on the buffet table. Be sure to stick a Post-it note on each with the name of the dish it will hold. Don’t forget to leave room for flowers and candles!

CREATE A COZY GLOW. Line the walk with lanterns and fill the house with candles. Throughout the evening, have music playing softly in the background. Classical, jazz, or Christmas carols will add to your cozy setting.

MAKE IT FESTIVE WITH A BUBBLY COCKTAIL. Create a new signature cocktail or give a classic a cheery new name. Either way, it will add to your party’s holiday spirit.

SERVE COMFORT FOODS WITH A LITTLE PIZZAZZ. Start with great ingredients, add a pinch of innovation, and cook up something delicious. Good friends make for a great party, and wonderful food makes it even better.

FINISH ON A SWEET NOTE. Christmas cookies or tiny brownies are a lovely way to end the evening. Everyone loves a good brownie, and passing a tray of sweets sends the subtle signal—time to go home.

q

On the Holiday Buffet Table

b

HOLIDAY BUBBLES a festive mix of champagne and pomegranate juice

b

STRESS-FREE PLATTERS artisanal cheeses and an hors d’oeuvre or two from your favorite gourmet shop

b

NOT-SO-CLASSIC SOUP AND SANDWICH a cozy mug paired with beautiful beef tenderloin crostini

b

CHOCOLATE, CHOCOLATE, AND MORE CHOCOLATE the ultimate brownie

www.bestofcentralvt.com 55

Holiday Bubbles MAKES 16 COCKTAILS

2 cups pomegranate juice Juice of 3 oranges Juice of 2 lemons 8 oz Grand Marnier 16 tsp fresh pomegranate seeds 3 bottles champagne or prosecco, chilled 1. Combine the juices and Grand Marnier in a mason jar; cover and refrigerate until very cold.

2. Put 2 tablespoons of the juice and Grand Marnier mix and 1 teaspoon of pomegranate seeds in each champagne glass. Carefully fill each glass with champagne and serve.

Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque SERVES 12

Triple Threat Brownies MAKES 48 BROWNIES

12 oz dark chocolate 2 sticks butter, cut in pieces 1½ cups sugar ½ cup chocolate syrup 2 tsp pure vanilla extract 1 tsp instant espresso powder 1 tsp salt 4 eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup flour 1 cup milk or white chocolate chips 1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 9x13-inch pan.

2. Put the chocolate and butter in a heavy saucepan and, stirring frequently, heat on very low until about two-thirds melted. Remove the pan from the heat, let sit for a few minutes, and stir until smooth.

3. Add the sugar, syrup, vanilla, espresso, and salt to the melted chocolate and whisk to combine. Whisking constantly, add the eggs and whisk until smooth.

4. Stirring constantly, gradually add the flour to the chocolate. Stir until well combined, add the chocolate chips, and stir to combine.

5. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan. Bake at 350° until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes.

6. Allow the brownies to cool completely in the pan, cut into tiny pieces (they are very rich), and serve.

56

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

2½–3 lb butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks 1 large Yukon Gold potato, about 8 oz, peeled and cut into chunks 3 carrots, peeled and chopped 4 stalks celery, chopped 2 medium onions, cut into chunks Olive oil Cider vinegar Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh sage 1 Tbsp fresh thyme 3–4 quarts chicken stock 1 bay leaf 1 cup half & half Garnish: toasted pumpkin seeds 1. Preheat the oven to 375°.

2. Put the vegetables in a large roasting pan, drizzle with enough equal parts olive oil and vinegar to lightly coat, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.

Roast at 375° for 45 minutes.

3. Add 2 cups chicken stock to the pan, sprinkle with sage and thyme, and toss to combine. Return the vegetables to the oven and roast for 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

4. Let the vegetables cool for about 30 minutes. Working in batches, puree the vegetables with a little chicken stock in a blender or food processor until very smooth.

5. Put the squash puree into a large soup pot. Depending on how thick you want your soup, add more or less chicken stock and the bay leaf. Stirring frequently, slowly heat on the stovetop and simmer on low for 15 minutes. Add the half & half and reheat until piping hot. Remove the bay leaf.

6. Ladle the soup into mugs (or espresso cups for soup shots), garnish with pumpkin seeds, and serve.

The soup is best if made in advance, cooled to room temperature, and covered and refrigerated overnight. Reheat on medium-low.

Crostini with Beef Tenderloin & Stilton MAKES ABOUT 30 PIECES

2½–3 lb beef tenderloin or filet mignon Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste Olive oil 1 red onion, thinly sliced ½ tsp dried thyme 2 lb mushrooms, sliced 8–12 oz crumbled Stilton 2 oz cream cheese at room temperature 2–3 Tbsp sour cream 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce 1½–2 baguettes, thinly sliced and toasted Arugula 1. Preheat the oven to 350°.

2. Pat the beef dry; sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Heat a little olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beef and brown well on all sides.

3. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 20–35 minutes or until a thermometer inserted 2 inches into the center of the roast registers at 110° for rare or 125° degrees for medium-rare.

4. Remove from the oven, and transfer to a cutting board, cool to room temperature, and slice thinly.

5. Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with thyme, season with salt and pepper, and toss to combine.

Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown. Remove from the pan and reserve.

6. Heat a little more olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until they are golden brown. Remove from the heat and reserve.

7. Put the cream cheese, sour cream, mustard, and Worcestershire in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and stir until smooth. Add the Stilton and stir again to combine.

8. Assemble the crostini: Spread a little of the Stilton mixture onto each slice of toast, add 3–4 arugula leaves, and top with beef. Garnish with mushrooms and onions and serve. www.bestofcentralvt.com 57

BY TOM BRANDES

PHOTOS BY CEDARBROOK STUDIO AND HARRISON CREATIVE

58

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

Where the Old Is New Again Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium thrills newcomers and repeat visitors alike

S

ince opening its doors in 1891, the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium in St. Johnsbury has provided exciting new opportunities for young and not-so-young visitors to learn about our world and outer space through the museum’s 30,000-item collection.

Museum staff members work to keep the building’s appearance consistent to ensure that visitors know they’re at the Fairbanks Museum, while providing a range of experiences that harkens back to the founder’s vision.

“We’re trying to spark wonder in both young and old, and ignite someone’s curiosity in a new discovery,” says Executive Director Adam Kane. “We’ve heard from many people who tell us their careers were launched based on encounters with the gateways to natural history found in the museum.”

Franklin Fairbanks was president of Fairbanks Scales Company, a well-respected and globally recognized manufacturer of platform scales that had practically made St. Johnsbury a company town by the 1880s. Franklin had a great personal interest in natural history,

and he collected antiquities and curiosities of the natural world during his travels.

When Franklin’s “cabinet of curiosities” outgrew his home, known as Underclyffe Mansion, he created the museum to share his love of the natural world with his community. An architect from Fairbanks Scales designed the classic Richardsonian Romanesque building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and still houses the museum.

Today the collections encompass anthropology, ethnology, geology, paleontology, zoology, and other natural sciences. They represent the diversity of Vermont’s flora and fauna, as well as specimens from around the world.

UNIQUE COLLECTIONS The Fairbanks Museum is known for several unique collections, including the must-see Bug Art exhibit featuring mosaics created by John Hampson in the late 1800s. Each of these creations contains www.bestofcentralvt.com 59

More than 30,000 items make up the collection at the Fairbanks Museum, which draws visitors from near and far to its captivating exhibits. A planetarium and hands-on activities enhance learning opportunities.

6,300 to more than 13,500 common moths and beetles, mounted to create intricate and beautiful designs such as the North Star and the Centennial Wheel. “John Hampson was an interesting guy who would walk 10 to 20 miles a day collecting insects in order to create his art,” says Adam. “Each of these creations took perhaps three or four years to complete, and seven of the nine mosaics owned by the museum are on display.”

The Wildflower Flower Table is another destination exhibit. Visitors can enjoy a display of flower arrangements from early-blooming pussy willows in spring to December’s flow60

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

ering evergreen boughs. What began with simple flower arrangements in vases in 1903 has grown to encompass 400 flower species displayed in both fruit and flowering stages.

A staff member who curates the Wildflower Table updates it twice weekly, but the magic is based on a network of dedicated volunteer collectors who explore backyards and backwoods in and around St. Johnsbury to collect specimens for display. Remarkably, a log book dating back to the first display faithfully records each one exhibited over the past 110-plus years and documents now-dwindling species as well as plants introduced to the area in the last century.

Staff members are proud of the museum’s signature full-habitat dioramas that depict taxidermy in the animals’ natural habitats.

“Full-habitat dioramas make up the core of the museum’s collection,” adds Adam.

“These remarkable exhibits were groundbreaking when they were introduced in the late 1800s, and the museum’s collection was

the third full-habitat diorama installed in the United States.”

In the process of updating their institutions, many museums have removed their full-habitat dioramas. Fortunately, staff members have always recognized the treasures in their midst and how much visitors love them.

FLY TO THE STARS The museum’s planetarium was established in 1961 in response to increasing interest in space science and remains Vermont’s only public planetarium. In 2012, a new digital projection system was installed, and the planetarium was renamed the Lyman Spitzer Jr. Planetarium to honor the scientist who was a driving force in developing the Hubble Space Telescope.

More recently, software upgrades were added that “allow us to easily ‘fly’ the planetarium. We can travel all the way from here on Earth to a planet like Saturn, flying in and out of the rings just as the Cassini spacecraft

did, using an Xbox controller,” says Planetarium Director Oliver Ames. “We’ve also increased the diversity of topics we cover, ranging from the Juno mission around Jupiter to the last days of the Cassini mission, and private space exploration. Our shows are appropriate for students of different ages and expectations, so they’re not too sophisticated nor too simplistic.”

Oliver feels an awesome responsibility to provide visitors with the most recent information as well as the opportunity to experience something new each time they enter the domed space. The planetarium offers two shows daily; the 3:30pm show features live presenters who can answer questions.

Planetarium visitors prepare for their intergalactic journey in the Vinton Space Science Gallery, where they can view dramatic photos taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. A vintage Fairbanks scale also shows visitors how much they would weigh on different planets and the moon.

www.bestofcentralvt.com 61

Imilicipio es mena, egeris tarbem poravol udaciamei sula nules atruntena essis conulto ratiam. Hemorit. mo publiis idemena, actus abement? Opionsunicae con dere pubi ius?

Nam ponsultorum qua nonvenatum mo vidita, essimpl. M. ente es la nem

Birds of a feather flock together at the Fairbanks Museum, where guests can spend hours immersed in the many collections on display.

Visitors can also touch an amazing, 17.3-pound iron and nickel meteorite that’s believed to have fallen between 4,000 and 5,000 years ago in Argentina and was part of the largest meteorite ever discovered.

During the Great American Eclipse in August, more than 1,000 visitors—20 percent of the planetarium’s annual total—came to an eclipse viewing event on the lawn. Plans are already being made for a much bigger event for the next total eclipse in 2024.

62

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

HOW YOU CAN HELP You can help the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium continue to thrive by visiting and exploring all that this old yet still highly relevant institution has to offer. Come and experience how museums used to be, and see how this institution remains on the cutting edge.

Memberships are a tremendously important source of funding, and they help the museum continue meeting its mission to inspire appreciation for our place in the natural world and to motivate our stewardship of a healthy planet.

Consider supporting the museum by volunteering, making a donation, or becoming a member. Simply click on the “Donate & Become a Museum Member” button on the website, www.fairbanksmuseum.org.

“Members are our bedrock for support,” says Oliver. “We’re listening all the time and have made changes to our schedule and programming based on what people tell us. There’s nothing quite so fun as seeing the joy on people’s faces as they leave and to hear adults say, ‘I don’t know why I haven’t been here before,’ and kids who say, ‘We want to come back.’”

EYE ON THE SKY Franklin Fairbanks collected weather records dating back to the 1850s, and today the museum has the longest weather record in New England.

In the early 1980s, a weather partnership was formed with Vermont Public Radio to bring a weather perspective to a Vermont audience.

“This is a unique partnership that meshes perfectly with our mission to share knowledge and information about the natural world with a wider audience,” adds Adam. “And where else can you hear things like local drying conditions for the hay crop?”

Mixing old and new experiences has provided a recipe for success that keeps visitors coming back and wondering what new things they’ll learn as they explore the museum and experience the planetarium.

x

www.bestofcentralvt.com 63

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT | BY MARK AIKEN

64

PHOTOS BY ROGER CROWLEY AND MARK AIKEN

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

Need Hardware?

Need Great Service?

Nelson Ace Hardware Has Both

“GOOD MORNING,” a singsong voice greeted me as I walked through the door at Nelson Ace Hardware in downtown Barre. “How are you today?”

Before visiting Nelson’s, I had heard it was the kind of store where they greet customers at the door. During my visit, I heard the same greeting (although not always the same employee) many more times—every time someone came in. I asked a few people what separates Nelson Ace Hardware.

“Customer service,” says Bob Nelson, owner. “It’s the most important thing.”

“Customer service,” says store manager Annette Boisvert.

“We learned it by watching Bob.” “If customer service is important to you,” says longtime customer Holly Buttura of Barre, “they treat you the same whether you spend ten dollars or a hundred dollars.”

SPECIALIZING IN SPECIAL ORDERS Are you noticing a theme in regard to Nelson’s and its attitude toward shoppers? Customer service, says Bob, is more than just greeting customers at the door or guiding them to an item on the shelf. www.bestofcentralvt.com 65

Manager Kelly Newton, owner Bob Nelson, and manager Annette Boisvert stand outside Nelson Ace Hardware. The management team does much more than hardware sales. Kelly, Bob, and Annette are committed to the community of Barre. Kelly mentors young people, Annette teaches Jazzercise, and Bob is involved in many aspects of the city and town.

“It’s one of our guys taking half an hour trying to get a screw out of a 40-year-old faucet stem that the head has worn off, then finding the right screw and faucet washer to go back in there,” Bob says. “It’s explaining step-by-step for a customer who can’t afford a plumber how to change the cartridge in their faucet.”

It helps that Nelson’s is one of 23 independently owned Ace stores across Vermont and a member of the Ace Hardware group, an organization that has won recognition in the area of service. In the Ace warehouse, there are 75,000 items, while Nelson’s has room for approximately 18,000 items on its shelves (including an entire section of the store dedicated to housewares and kitchen supplies). That means there are times when something needs to be ordered.

“One of our slogans is that we specialize in special orders,” Bob says. Again, this is an example of providing good service: taking the time to research an item (even more time for more obscure items that can’t be found in the Ace warehouse), getting the item number, placing the order. “We do an enormous number of special orders for people,” Bob says.

“They tell you what they do have in the store,” says Holly. “But the offer to special order something is always there.”

AN EXPERIENCED STAFF Good customer service is no accident. And in the case of Nelson Ace Hardware, service is tied directly to its staff. According to manager Annette Boisvert, the concept of taking excellent care of customers is communicated to new employees. “But mostly they learn by watching,” she says. “When you see experienced employees doing everything possible to take care of customers . . . well, before long you do it too.”

Part of this equation requires a store to actually have experienced help, and Nelson’s 66

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

does. Managers Annette and Kelly have been on staff for 26 and 19 years respectively.

The store employs 19 people, 6 of them full time. While half the part-timers are high school and college students, others are mature and experienced. Richard Batchelder, affectionately known as “Mr. B,” has worked at Nelson’s for years.

“He could fix your car,” says Bob. “Or your submarine engine if you happened to have one.”

“All the staff people are approachable, friendly, courteous, and knowledgeable,” says Holly. “I have never encountered someone who seemed like they were having a bad day or who was anything less than friendly.”

Ace Hardware corporate also takes the ser-

www.bestofcentralvt.com 67

Andy Hayward, above left, and Clay Tucker, above right, are an integral part of the friendly staff at Nelson’s. Andy and Clay have more than 50 years of interior and exterior product knowledge that they share with consumers looking for advice on their home projects.

vice component seriously and sends “mystery shoppers,” undercover agents who visit, shop, and then fill out a report card about the experience, to the various Ace stores. Nelson’s scores in the mid 90s regularly. “The last two were 100 percent,” says Bob. One of Bob’s favorite aspects of his job is the challenge of solving customers’ most difficult problems. “Like when one of our older customers comes in with a product that is 55 years old,” Bob says. “I like the challenge of working with them to find some way to see if we can make it work.”

68

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

PART OF THE COMMUNITY Before I visited Nelson Ace Hardware for this story, I had heard two things about the store: one, they greet everyone at the door, and two, Bob Nelson knows everyone in Barre.

“Well, I’ve been doing this for 34 years,” Bob says. “I touch bases with a lot of different people.” Bob notes that the Nelson family has been serving Central Vermonters for 150 years: His father sold major appliances and housewares at a business called Nelson Brothers; his grandfather sold Philco radios; and his great-grandfather sold Allis-Chalmers tractors.

According to Annette, priorities at Nelson Ace Hardware include providing great customer service and helping the community.

Again, the community piece starts with Bob, who is involved in local civic organizations like the Barre Partnership (a nonprofit aiming to enhance the arts, culture, and quality of life in downtown Barre through events and activities) and the Barre Merchants Group. He has also served as a selectman in Barre, and the store makes countless donations to groups, programs, and organizations.

Another reason why Bob might know a few people is that he also has a night job: He’s a founding member of the rock ’n roll band Native Tongue. The band has been playing gigs, weddings, and other events for 24 years. “We have 300 songs, mostly covers, on our song list,” says Bob. They have played more than 600 songs in nearly 25 years.

Nelson Ace Hardware is located in a small city in a small state in an era dominated by huge hardware stores. There are many things in life that you can’t control, but providing great service and being a good member of your community are two you can. How has Nelson’s created a culture of great service? “We have buy-in from longtime employees,” says Bob, “who believe in what they are doing.”

“It’s pretty simple,” says Annette. “All of our staff from full-timers to the part-time high school kids have the same beliefs.” And those are being friendly and service, service, service.

x

NELSON ACE HARDWARE 188 North Main Street Barre, VT (802) 476-5700 www.nelsonacehardware.com www.bestofcentralvt.com 69

ROADS LESS TRAVELED | BY MARK AIKEN

70

PHOTOS BY DAVID ROULEAU

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

Promoting snowmobiling and more in Washington County

M

ark Reaves’s reason for taking up snowmobiling was simple: “There’s a lot of winter between one golf season and the next.”

Mark, who works in the state attorney general’s office and lives in Graniteville near Barre, always enjoyed driving on dirt roads and exploring his home state via roads less traveled, so when he first went snowmobiling, he was hooked.

“I suddenly had 5,000 more miles to explore,” he says. VAST (Vermont Association of Snow Travelers) clubs maintain that many miles of snowmobile trails. Club membership fees go directly toward trail upkeep. Mark quickly became a member of his local club, the Barre Town Thunder Chickens.

WHY THUNDER CHICKENS? The Thunder Chickens’ Tucker Sno-Cat grooms Corridor 25 in Barre Town.

I know what you’re thinking. Who came up with the name—and why? In 1972, a group of Barre-area snowmobiling enthusiasts gathered in Randy Gonyaw’s kitchen to discuss an issue: VAST had decreed that all member clubs should have a name. Bill Lowery made the initial suggestion, but he www.bestofcentralvt.com 71

Jon Joslin, second-generation Thunder Chicken and club trailmaster, takes time out to pose with one of the founding fathers, Jim Lawson, on the left, outside his store in Websterville, Vermont.

The Lawson family stays involved with the club, selling VAST club memberships, and their store is a popular stop on the club’s poker runs.

Opposite: The view from the cab as the 16-foot drag lays down “white asphalt” for riders to enjoy.

can’t be credited with coming up with the name, as Thunder Chickens was his neighbor’s nickname for two Ford Falcons. The group discussed the matter, then voted. Thunder Chickens won.

The Thunder Chickens have several multigenerational members. Randy Gonyaw’s son Dennis donated a patch from his father’s old Arctic Cat parka. “The patch is in my possession,” says David Rouleau, club president for the past 18 years. “It’s pretty ugly—it’s just a white chicken that looks kind of rugged. I guess it was our original logo.”

PROMOTE AND PROTECT VAST includes 128 clubs, and part of the larger mission is to promote and protect the pastime of snowmobiling. Without the generosity of private landowners, the snowmobiling masses would have nowhere to ride. Outreach to landowners falls on the clubs. “We talk to our landowners in person because we value them,” says David. Meanwhile, the clubs and VAST educate members to be respectful. “We teach them to pull over and say hello and thank you,” he adds.

VAST serves as a lobbyist in Montpelier, recognizing that snowmobiling is a major economic driver for the state. Tourism relating to snowmobiling generates 500 million dollars in revenue for the state’s economy.

Contrary to popular belief, VAST is not a state-funded organization; the nonprofit consists of its clubs, and all of its funding comes from membership fees.

VAST also promotes safety, and both David and Mark are certified teachers of the VASTsponsored safety course required of all snowmobilers born after July 1, 1983. The course 72

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

covers health (such as frostbite prevention), environmental awareness, trail etiquette, and safety practices.

The sport has changed immensely in the 45 years that the Thunder Chickens have been in existence. “It used to be you’d go eight miles in a day,” says David. “Now you

can go eight miles within 15 minutes of leaving.” Sleds are more reliable and wider, which is why the Thunder Chickens have undertaken a massive effort to widen their trails. And the sport is much more family oriented, which is why young riders flock to the safety course.

SNOWMOBILING, AND MORE The 350 members of the Thunder Chickens maintain more than 40 miles of trails, putting up trail signs (and taking them down in the spring), grooming trails regularly in winter, and, in the off-season, building bridges and repairing and rerouting trails.

Trailmaster Jon Joslin (whose father was a founding member of the club and whose nephews have pitched in on trailwork) and his groomers use a 2010 Tucker Sno-Cat to leave beautiful corduroy in the snow.

Mark notes that it’s nice to provide recreational opportunities for the community.

“But we want to be an active player in the community,” he says. One way the Thunder Chickens do this is through their annual fundraising event in support of the Travis Mercy Memorial Skate Park.

The group sponsors a poker ride, meal, and silent auction, which have raised $50,000 for the park. For those not in the know, a poker ride is a group ride (usually on motorcycles, but www.bestofcentralvt.com 73

Right: A look at a freshly groomed corridor trail, part of a 5,000-mile network of trails that form a scenic winter wonderland.

Below right: Riders prepare for the first leg of the poker run, leaving the Great Energy Store in South Barre.

the Thunder Chicken version is, obviously, on snowmobiles) during which riders make five pre-arranged stops (one being Lawson’s Store in Websterville, which is owned by the club’s founding members) to pick a playing card— the cards eventually making up poker hands.

The best hand wins a prize, but the biggest winners are local kids who skateboard at the park named for a local teen who died in an auto accident.

Also for those not in the know, skateboarding has nothing whatsoever to do with snowmobiling, and none of the funds raised at this event go toward snowmobiling. “The park is self-sustaining and doesn’t require taxpayer dollars,” says David.

Mark and David both cite the members as the strength of their club and the friendships that develop through riding together or during summertime trail-maintenance days.

In 2017, says Mark, there are many examples of technology diminishing communities.

“I don’t kid myself that the ‘good old days’ were perfect,” he says. “But this club sort of reminds me of how things used to be.”

x

To learn more, visit Barretownthunderchickens.com or call (802) 839-0533.

74

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

www.bestofcentralvt.com 75

A NIGHT OUT | BY SUZANNE PODHAIZER

76

PHOTOS BY ROGER CROWLEY EXCEPT WHERE NOTED

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

V Moruzzi’s a Speakeasy in Barre

B

ehind the old fire station in Barre, there’s a door into the bustling Ladder 1 Grill, a casual eatery that serves comfort foods such as fish and chips, shepherd’s pie, and pizza. But tonight, you’re headed somewhere different, somewhere a little more intimate. You see the glow of a green light, signaling that the spot is open for business. You tug open the door and descend the carpeted stairs, holding onto the brass railing, a string of pearls at your neck swinging with each step.

There’s another door at the bottom of the stairs. This one is marked with bullet holes. After a moment’s hesitation, you open it and step inside. The basement room is warm and richly

decorated. Deep-blue velvety fainting couches are tucked away in curtained alcoves, and black and white photos of famed gangsters line the walls, including a wanted poster for Al Capone. A fake Tommy gun dangles above bottles of Jose Cuervo, Bacardi, and Stoli.

Behind the bar is Valerie White-Beaudet, dressed in period-appropriate black attire and chatting with a handful of townies as she mixes up a drink dubbed the Bonnie and Clyde, otherwise known as a dirty martini. Want something sweeter? There’s a Bugsy with Bailey’s and butterscotch schnapps, and fruitier concoctions such as the Lucky Lucianno [sic], which combines vodka with pineapple and cherry juice. www.bestofcentralvt.com 77

Above: Debbie Hill pours a cocktail at Moruzzi’s, a Barre speakeasy that welcomes guests to a Prohibition-era lounge appointed with artifacts from the 1920s and drinks to match the theme.

Opposite: Decorated meticulously in period style, Moruzzi’s sits downstairs from Ladder 1.

A COZY BAR & A NOD TO BARRE’S PAST Valerie, who owns the firehouse building and the family-friendly Ladder 1 Grill, opened the “speakeasy” after realizing that there was a need in town for another place, one that was good for date nights and groups of adults getting together for a couple of cocktails. Her building’s basement, which she’d previously been using for storing holiday decorations and other items, lent itself to a cozy bar.

Barre, home of the world’s largest granite quarry, Rock of Ages, once attracted stonecutters and carvers from all over the world.

Between 1880 and 1890, the city’s population tripled, and many of the new residents were from Italy. Although its granite heyday is over, the city remains steeped in Italian culture. Valerie’s forefathers were stoneworkers, and the spot is named after her mother, Noreen Moruzzi.

78

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

Valerie was excited to give a nod to her Italian heritage and decided to give the lounge a Prohibition-era mobster theme. Over time, she acquired a collection of furnishings and décor, and once she had it all in place, she opened the doors in September of 2017. It didn’t take long for the business, with its pitch-perfect ambience, to attract a crowd.

GOOD FOOD, FUN & FACE-TO-FACE CONVERSATION Not wanting it to compete with Ladder 1, Valerie chose to keep the menu small but elegant. The most popular offering is a trio of meatballs made with freshly ground beef blended with chorizo from Vermont Salumi in Plainfield, a company run by Italian-American Pete Roscini Colman.

The meatballs, topped with shredded cheese, arrive in a pool of tangy tomato sauce, with a couple of slices of bread on the side. Vermont Salumi’s meats figure in other dishes too; you can get slices of its prosciutto cotto on a buildyour-own charcuterie and cheese plate, alongside Gorgonzola, goat cheese, and smoked Gouda. There are sweets too, including decadent wedges of flourless chocolate cake and tiramisu laced with amaretto.

The food is delectable, but the sense of camaraderie might just be Moruzzi’s best selling point. Friends and neighbors congregate at the bar, telling jokes and swapping stories, some dressed to match the theme, others in their street clothes. And even though phones and screens aren’t expressly prohibited, nobody seems to use them. Valerie’s www.bestofcentralvt.com 79

Red tufted chairs tucked away in a corner make a nice spot for conversation, or they can provide a great photo opportunity when you arrive in your best period costume!

goal, she says, is to foster face-to-face interaction.

Valerie spent many years working in marketing at Ben & Jerry’s until the company was purchased by Unilever and she was laid off. Faced with finding a new career, she decided to take a risk rather than look for a service position.

She purchased a historic flower shop called Flowers by Emslie & Company and began a career as an entrepreneur.

In 2007, she purchased the Firehouse Building and in 2009 opened Ladder 1. Upstairs is another hospitality business, The Firehouse Inn, which has garnered national press for its high occupancy rates.

With the freshly minted lounge, the symbiosis between Valerie’s businesses

80

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

has grown even stronger. Folks can swing by for a drink and a snack at Moruzzi’s before dinner, dine at Ladder 1, and if they’re so inclined, stay in a room at the inn.

In a town that has suffered from economic depression, as Barre has, Valerie’s story is a powerful one: a single mom turning the misfortune of losing a job into a series of success stories.

Everybody can drink to that.

x

MORUZZI’S 8 South Main Street Barre, VT (802) 479-2100 www.facebook.com/Moruzzis144000939528217/ Open Wed, Thu and Fri, 5–10pm

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Winter 2017 CENTRAL VERMONT BEST OF

Dining Guide 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

Cornerstone Pub & Kitchen

From Swordfish Tacos & Burgers to Steaks & Fresh Seafood. Tuesday is $5 Burger Night. 28 taps featuring Vermont craft beers from Lawson’s Liquids, Hill Farmstead, Zero Gravity, Lost Nation, Good Measure Brewing Co., and more. $–$$ 47 North Main Street Barre, VT (802) 476-2121 www.cornerstonepk.com

2 Loco Guys

Fast, Fresh and Friendly.

Eclectic burritos & bowls made to order using only the freshest ingredients at fair and affordable prices. Perfect for a fast casual-dining option. Daily specials and endless possibilities. Don’t miss out on Taco Tuesday. $ 136 N Main Street Barre, VT (802) 622-0469 www.twolocoguys.com

Red Hen Bakery and Café

Beyond the Menu

Sarducci’s Restaurant & Bar

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. $–$$

Sarducci’s is a Mediterranean-style Italian restaurant serving central Vermont.

We strive to serve superb food with outstanding service and an informal ambience. We cater to families, special occasions, and travelers alike. Renowned by our community for great food at reasonable prices. $–$$

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

3 Main Street Montpelier, VT (802) 223-0229 www.sarduccis.com

Cornerstone Burger

Ladder One Grill

Classic neighborhood pub serving gourmet burgers, signature sandwiches, over a dozen craft beers, classic starters including half-price wing Wednesday, and our fresh, fun, new burger of the week plus live music and the perfect spot to watch the game. $–$$

Owner Valerie White-Beaudet invites you to stop in and enjoy a fabulous meal. Our motto is “Where heroes are made” and we’ve incorporated our menu to honor past and present heroes in firefighting. Enjoy Prime Rib, NY Sirloin Steaks or a BRICK OVEN pizza!

Lunch, Dinner, and Take-out. $–$$

21 East St. Northfield, VT (802) 485-4300 www.cornerstoneburger.com

8 South Main Street Firehouse at Barre Barre, VT 05641 (802) 883-2000 www.ladder1grill.com

WINTER 2017/2018 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

SPRUCE PEAK PERFORMING ARTS CENTER Line of Descent

DECEMBER 16 at 7PM

An Irish Christmas with the McLean Avenue Band

Chad Hollister Band

Sleeping Beauty

DECEMBER 27 TO FEBRUARY 19 (5 SHOWS) at 7PM

Volkswagen Presents Warren Miller’s Line of Descent

DECEMBER 30 at 7PM

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9

JANUARY 13 at 7:30PM

An Evening with Chad Hollister and His Large Band

JANUARY 20 at 7:30PM Barika

JANUARY 27 at 7PM Sleeping Beauty

FEBRUARY 3 at 7:30PM

Messiaen: Quartet for the End of Time

FEBRUARY 17 at 7:30PM Martin Sexton

FEBRUARY 24 at 7PM

Between Hills Briefly Green, The Music of Vermont Composers – Apex Ensemble

MARCH 3 at 7:30PM

Patti Casey & The Wicked Fine Players

MARCH 10 at 7PM Qyrq Qyz

Spruce Peak Arts Center 122 Hourglass Drive, Stowe (802) 760-4634 www.sprucepeakarts.org

www.bestofcentralvt.com 83

WINTER 2017/2018 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

VSO Holiday Pops

BARRE OPERA HOUSE DECEMBER 8 at 7:30PM VSO Holiday Pops

DECEMBER 16 at 7PM, DECEMBER 17 at 2PM

Green Mountain Nutcracker Suite

JANUARY 13 at 7:30PM Neko Case

FEBRUARY 8 at 7:30PM Le Vent du Nord

FEBRUARY 16 at 7:30PM Hot Rize

MARCH 8 at 7:30PM

Skipper’s Alley – BOH Presents

Barre Opera House City Hall 6 North Main Street, Barre (802) 478-8188 www.barreoperahouse.org

84 BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

Green Mountain Nutcracker Suite

Mayo Rehabilitation, Continuing Care, and Residential Care

Neko Case

OTHER NOTEWORTHY EVENTS DECEMBER 9

A locally owned nonprofit.

Come visit Mayo Rehabilitation and Continuing Care and learn more about our services.

Northfield, VT • (802) 485-3161 • Mayohc.org

Winter Owl Exploration North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier www.northbranchnaturecenter.org

DECEMBER 9 Demo Day

Stowe, www.stowe.com

DECEMBER 6, 9, 26; JANUARY 13, 27; FEBRUARY 11, 22, 24; MARCH 1, 10 Cookie Decorating

Stowe Kitchen Bath & Linens www.stowekitchen.net

DECEMBER 9

23rd Annual BrewFest, Part 1 Smugglers’ Notch, www.smuggs.com

Pilobolus

DECEMBER 16

Plainfield Christmas Bird Count www.northbranchnaturecenter.org

DECEMBER 16 SugarBash

Sugarbush, www.sugarbush.com

DECEMBER 31

New Year’s Eve 5K www.cvrunners.org

DECEMBER 31

New Year’s Celebration Mad River Glen, www.madriverglen.com

JANUARY 5, 12, 19, 26; FEBRUARY 2, 9, 16; MARCH 9 Learn to Skate (Teen/Adult)

mad marathon

Stowe Arena, www.stowerec.org www.bestofcentralvt.com 85

WINTER 2017/2018 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT CALENDAR

MORE NOTEWORTHY EVENTS JANUARY 12–MARCH 2

Friday Naturalist Journey Series North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier www.northbranchnaturecenter.org

JANUARY 26–28 Smuggs Ice Bash

www.smuggsicebash.com

JANUARY 30

Roll Back the Clock Day Mad River Glen, www.madriverglen.com

FEBRUARY 4 Ice on Fire

North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier www.northbranchnaturecenter.org

FEBRUARY 10

Winter Wild Edible Workshop North Branch Nature Center, Montpelier www.northbranchnaturecenter.org

FEBRUARY 14

St. Valentine’s Day Kissing Special Mad River Glen, www.madriverglen.com

FEBRUARY 25 Stowe Derby

JANUARY 7, 14, 21, 28; FEBRUARY 4, 11, 18, 25 Après-Ski Cooking Class Stowe Kitchen Bath & Linens www.stowekitchen.net 86 BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

www.stowe.com

MARCH OR APRIL

Stowe Dance Academy at the Cabin Fever Follies Waitsfield, www.stowedance.com

best of

Central Vermont ADVERTISERS INDEX

For more information about print and online advertising opportunities, contact John or Robin Gales at (802) 558-2719 or email coffeetablepublishing@comcast.net.

2 Loco Guys.........................................................................................................................................82 4 Points Brewery Tours......................................................................................................................15 alla vita..................................................................................................................................................25 Artisans Hand.....................................................................................................................................25 Bare Medical Spa and Laser Center................................................................................................. 5 Bouchard Pierce Candelight............................................................................................................57 Bouchard Pierce Thermador............................................................................................................47 Bunya Bunya........................................................................................................................................29 Burlington Country Club.................................................................................................................. 80 Burlington Furniture............................................................................................................................. 3 Burlington Marble and Granite.........................................................................................................11 Central Vermont Medical Center....................................................................................................31 Church Hill Landscapes....................................................................................................................57 Clear Choice MD................................................................................................................................29 Close to Home...................................................................................................................................... 9 Cody Chevrolet...................................................................................................................................87 Coldwell Banker/Classic Homes....................................................................Outside Back Cover Commodities Natural Market..........................................................................................................15 Cornerstone Restaurants...........................................................................................................19, 82 CW Print + Design.............................................................................................................................73 Cushman Design Group...................................................................................................................57 Delicate Decadence .........................................................................................................................67 East Warren Community Market...................................................................................................39 ECCO Clothes......................................................................................................................................... 1 Ferro Estate and Custom Jewelers..................................................................................................15 Fresh Tracks Winery..........................................................................................................................86 Fringe Salon..........................................................................................................................................53 Granite Finanical Group....................................................................................................................35 Green Envy............................................................................................................................................12 Green Mountain Inn...........................................................................................................................15 Harvest Market...................................................................................................................................63 Jay Peak.................................................................................................................... Inside Back Cover J. Morgan’s Steakhouse/Capitol Plaza..........................................................................................81 Landshapes..........................................................................................................................................69 Mayo Health Center..........................................................................................................................85 McKernon Group.................................................................................................................................. 2 Mid State Dodge.................................................................................................................................17

Montpelier Orthodontics.................................................................................................................67 Morse Farm..........................................................................................................................................23 Moruzzi’s/Ladder One Grill......................................................................................................53, 82 Nelson Ace Hardware........................................................................................................................61 Noyle Johnson Insurance..................................................................................................................21 Outdoor Gear Exchange...................................................................................................................37 Patterson and Smith Construction..................................................................................................51 Peregrine Design/Build......................................................................................................................13 Pink Colony Boutique........................................................................................................................39 Red Hen Bakery...................................................................................................................................82 Richard Wobby Jewelers...................................................................................................................12 Saratoga Olive Oil Company...........................................................................................................45 Sarducci’s Restaurant and Bar....................................................................................................4, 82 Shelburne Museum............................................................................................................................45 Slate.......................................................................................................................................................35 Stowe Area Realty..............................................................................................................................37 Stowe Kitchen and Linens................................................................................................................73 Stowe Red Barn Realty......................................................................................................................47 Stowe Village Massage......................................................................................................................15 Stowe Wine and Cheese...................................................................................................................15 Sundara Day Spa................................................................................................................................85 The Automaster.....................................................................................................Inside Front Cover The Bench..............................................................................................................................................15 The Body Lounge.................................................................................................................................15 The Carriage Shed..............................................................................................................................69 The Country Store on Main..............................................................................................................15 The Optical Center.............................................................................................................................43 The Store...............................................................................................................................................21 Tradewind.............................................................................................................................................75 Vermont Artisan Coffee & Tea Co.................................................................................................25 Vermont Bed Store/Wendell’s Furniture........................................................................................ 6 Vermont Electronics ........................................................................................................................ 44 Vermont Symphony Orchestra......................................................................................................... 7 Wake Robin..........................................................................................................................................75 Windows and Doors by Brownell...................................................................................................43 Zachary Berger Associates..............................................................................................................63

www.bestofcentralvt.com 87

L AST GL ANCE

Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for the touch of a friendly hand and for a talk beside the fire: It is the time for home. —Edith Sitwell

88

BEST OF CENTRAL VERMONT | WINTER 2017/2018

COFFEE TABLE PUBLISHING, LLC 32 Hermit Thrush Lane South Burlington, VT 05403