Saturday, June 22, 2019
But there are fewer options for plant-based foodies hankering for snacks to have and to hold as they browse the market’s many stalls. Most of the ready-to-eat offerings contain some kind of meat, dairy or egg, from the carnivorous sandwiches at Pigasus to all the tantalizing baked goods. Even some of the spirit samples are off limits to those who don’t eat or drink honey.
Last month, Seven Days sent a reporter to the market to get the 411 on all things ready to eat. But one commenter wasn’t completely satisfied. “Aside from Green Mountain's Wing Chun potstickers,” the comment read, “did any of the Ready-to-Eat vendors offer vegan options?”
So I embarked on a market run to scope out the vegan scene. Here were some of the highlights.
Tags: Burlington Farmers Market , vegan , plant-based , Green Mountain Potstickers , Sherpa Foods , Gracie's Tamales and Burritos , Karen's Artisan Popcorn , Adam's Berry Farm , Live Forever Foods , Web Only , Image
Friday, May 31, 2019
The timing of this midday deal coincides with weather that’s just right for dining on the restaurant’s screened-in porch. The indoor-outdoor setting offers a lovely view of woods in the foreground and the Winooski River beyond.
Given three choices for the meat in my sandwich — brisket, pulled pork or turkey — I opted for brisket. (There's also a vegetarian option.) From a choice of sides that includes mac and cheese, cole slaw, smashed sweet potatoes, fries, and baked beans, I chose black-eyed pea salad with grilled broccoli and cauliflower, brightened by minced red pepper and onion.
The sandwich was packed and spilling from its baguette; the salad was a flavorful and healthful accompaniment. A glass of maple lemonade provided a seasonal sip to go with the view.
Though the week-long BBQ Banh Mi special, which ends June 5, drew us to Bluebird for lunch, there are a handful of other menu items that are $12 or less. Most are starters, including grilled asparagus ($11), six smoked chicken wings ($11), and BBQ Poutine ($11).
The location itself feels like a special deal, a bug-free perch above the river and the trees, as the greens of spring in Vermont reveal themselves. If the outside loses its scenic appeal, you can always look in the other direction at the big-screen bar TV showing baseball.
Dining on a Dime is a weekly series featuring well-made, filling bites (something substantial enough to qualify as a small meal or better) for $12 or less. Know of a tasty dish we should feature? Drop us a line: [email protected].
Tags: Banh Mi , Burlington , Bluebird Barbecue , lunch special , Winooski River , Web Only , Image
Tuesday, May 7, 2019
“We hope to open in the fall of 2019,” said James Kerrigan, owner-operator of the market. He and his family own a related business in Quechee, Jake’s Quechee Market.
Tags: Old North End , grocery store , Burlington , Jake's Quechee Market , Redstone , Erik Hoekstra , Onion River , City Market Co-op , local food , Web Only , Image
Friday, April 12, 2019
Hissho Sushi, based in Charlotte, N.C., operates 1,400 locations nationwide,
according to Ryan Kang, the regional manager. The City Market locations are
the company's first sites in Vermont, he said.
Tags: City Market , Onion River Co-op , sushi , Hissho Sushi , Web Only , Image
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
The crowd that gathered Tuesday at about 2 p.m. at the scoop shop on Burlington’s Church Street seemed happy to overlook the weather — 31 degrees and a steady rain — in favor of what awaited at the front of the line.
Tags: Ben & Jerry's , ice cream , Free Cone Day , Vermont , Web Only , Image
Sunday, April 7, 2019
A Vietnamese restaurant will open in downtown Burlington next month, when Pho Son takes over the space at 213 College Street. The location was vacated last January by Bueno Y Sano.
Owners Son Le and Jennie Yee, a husband-and-wife team who live in South Burlington, will run the 40-seat restaurant together. Pho Son will specialize in authentic Vietnamese street food, said Le, the chef. Dishes will include pho, the traditional Vietnamese soup known for its rich and aromatic broth, banh mi, vermicelli with char-grilled meat, and stir fries with rice and seasonal vegetables.
“All the best recipes are from the family,” said Le, whose previous restaurant experience was in Montréal.
“For Vietnamese people, food is our life,” he wrote in an email to Seven Days. “We are forever eating, cooking and talking about food. Food is communication — food is culture.”
Beverages will include bubble tea, beer and wine. A full-service restaurant, Pho Son will be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Tags: Vietnamese street food , Burlington , pho , banh mi , Web Only , Image
Friday, March 1, 2019
The Old North End restaurant hosted a cafeteria-style dinner to benefit the Burlington School Food Project. The event raised $150 for the district’s food program, but its primary purpose was to raise awareness, according to Butch + Babe's owner Kortnee Bush, who is a former Burlington School District cook.
“Hunger is what this is about,” Bush said. “People don’t realize how hunger is a real problem in the state and locally.”
Tags: Butch + Babe's , Hen of the Wood , Burlington School District , Burlington School Food Project , fundraiser , hunger awareness , nutrition , Image , Web Only
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Last week, Burlington's El Gato Cantina took an unexpected bath when a sprinkler upstairs from the restaurant broke, sending water pouring through the lower floors at 169 Church Street. "It was literally raining inside the restaurant," El Gato owner Theresa "Tree" Bertram told Seven Days, recalling the surprise Tuesday afternoon shower.
Since the deluge occurred during the afternoon lull between lunch and dinner, few customers or employees were on the premises. "We’re lucky it’s the slow season, and that this didn’t happen during a Friday night rush," Bertram said.
Tags: El Gato Cantina , Burlington , restaurants , Church Street , Mexican food , Image , Web Only
Tuesday, December 18, 2018
In the spring, ArtsRiot will throw an opening bash to welcome the public to its new 2,300-square-foot digs and reveal what the space will hold, Lambertson said. "We're excited to bring Burlington more programming," he added cryptically.
Tags: ArtsRiot , Burlington , SEABA , ArtsRiot Truck Stop , music , event space , South End Art Hop , Image , Web Only
Friday, November 2, 2018
“Happy Birthday to us!” the accompanying text read.
Mirabelles Café & Bakery turned 28 this week. The occasion provided a good reason — though not a necessary one — for lunch at one of Burlington’s best restaurants.
For almost three decades, chef-owners Alison Lane (the sweet stuff), Andrew Silva (the savory side) and their team have produced a beautiful, imaginative and consistently high-quality assortment of cakes, pies, pastries, muffins, cookies, éclairs, soups, sandwiches, salads, omelets, pancakes, panini and lunch specials. To get a sense of the range and delight, think crème brulée cake and ratatouille tartine.
My family has made Mirabelles' chocolate cake with raspberry filling and mocha buttercream icing a birthday tradition for 20 years. This consumption is not even a pinch in the batter of the 300,000 or so cakes that Lane estimates her bakery has made.
But it was lunch that propelled me to a seat at the window counter on the dreary last day of October.
“November is the ugliest month,” the man next to me said. I knew I was going to enjoy the meal.
We each ordered from the blackboard menu that lists soups and lunch specials.
I got the chorizo and black bean chili served with two slices of grilled and buttered corn bread and a mixed green salad ($12). The hearty chili, topped with sour cream, chopped scallions and shredded cheddar, was custom-made for the cusp of the month. Each bite seemed to ward off the chill and dark of November, aka "stick season."
My impromptu lunch mate, Burlington architect Brad Rabinowitz, chose the grilled steak sandwich with blue cheese dressing, lettuce and crispy onion rings on a toasted bun ($10.50).
“You made the right choice,” he said when my meal arrived. “You did, too,” I replied. “Those onions are key,” I observed, eyeing the crispy rings that tumbled from his sandwich.
Rabinowitz, I learned, has been a Mirabelles regular for more than two decades. His architecture firm is above the café and he heads downstairs for lunch about three days a week, he said. Two Rabinowitz family wedding cakes — his and his daughter's — were made at Mirabelles.
“It’s a community,” he said. “That’s the biggest part of it. And obviously the food is good.”
Working upstairs, Rabinowitz said, means “there’s always tomorrow for me” at Mirabelles. The day after his steak sandwich, he had the chili.
Dining on a Dime is a weekly series featuring well-made, filling bites (something substantial enough to qualify as a small meal or better) for $12 or less. Know of a tasty dish we should feature? Drop us a line: [email protected].
Tags: Mirabelles , bakery , Burlington , chili , November , Mirabelles Cafe , Image , Web Only