73 Main Street, Brattleboro 802-254-2073

There aren't many James Beard Foundation award-winning chefs in Vermont. Even fewer can count America's Test Kitchen's Chris Kimball as a fan. The TV host and writer is quoted on the Fireworks website saying, "Eating at a Matthew Blau restaurant is always a singular pleasure." In fact, Kimball says that Fireworks is a frequent stop when in Brattleboro. When I hit southern Vermont this weekend, I hoped that if it was good enough for Kimball, it would be good enough for me.

The elegantly eclectic pair of dining rooms reminded me of the upscale northern Italian joints that dot my native Connecticut "gold coast." Unlike in the restaurants I frequented as a kid, service here was as warm as the wood-fired oven that serves as Fireworks' centerpiece. When I ordered, my server met each choice with genuine excitement. She clearly loved the food at her workplace.

Instead of going for one of the appealing salads, I started the meal with a pear, roasted in the hearth (right). The fruit arrived still so hot that I had to wait to eat it, a feat given the aromas of Gorgonzola mixed with 8-year-old balsamic that called me from the plate.

Once I cut in, the blend of ingredients was superb. The pear itself had taken on a surprising richness, rather than sweetness, in caramelization. The Gorgonzola was little more than a pleasantly mild dash of creaminess when combined with a crispy belt of prosciutto and the liberal pools of powerfully sweet-and-sour vinegar.

36 Main Street, Winooski 802-497-1884

I have a big mouth. It's rare that I stay mum on a place just because I'm afraid of one day not getting in. Right now, I'm feeling guilty. On Sundays, while you're still waiting in line at Sneaker's, I'm already walking home from a gut-busting brunch at Our House.

That's right. You could have gone up one block and had my current favorite brunch. It's hard to fully describe what's so extraordinary about it, but I believe six words sum it up: "Stuffed Dutch Pancake & Waffle Combo." Oh, Jesus.

Seriously, look at that thing (right)! Let me break this down for you. That sizzling skillet was filled with a Dutch pannekoek. Baked into the pancake was a waffle, which was made from the same chewy, eggy batter. Then I chose blueberries from an array of fruits and added chocolate, which quickly melted into the waffle's crevices. It was equally awesome for brunch and for dessert the next evening.

I was less excited about the housemade sausage patties. I found them to be little more than raw peppers and onions bound together with ground pork. Not my style. However, at a later meal, Our House's way with breakfast meats was redeemed by the monster you see at right.

"The Hungry Man" was a Dutch pancake-waffle special. Yep, underneath all that, there are two different breakfast pastries, but this time with something special — the batter was filled with crispy bacon. The batter itself also tasted slightly different this time, lightly redolent of almonds. It was almost like a meat and marzipan breakfast. Stacked on there, was also wheat toast, an over-easy egg, sausage, nicely seared ham and homefries. It took two people to eat it.

21 Essex Way, Essex 802-876-6262

To many folks who grew up in Essex, Foodee's was the equivalent of the Max or the Peach Pit. The pimply pizza crusts were unique and the drink case was one of the best around. There were two kinds of grape soda alone! When Foodee's closed last year, a lot of hearts broke.

Could Rustico's, its more upscale replacement, ever take a similar place in locals' restaurant-going rotation? I don't know about other Essex kids, but it now firmly belongs in mine. This is mostly due to one dish: the "Tour of Italy."

"Alice Eats" is all about finding great deals for my readers and, this Christmas, I'm sharing one of the best. For $17.99, the meal for two includes salad and an embarrassingly large plate of homemade pasta — your choice of linguine, angel hair or penne. I've had success with both the linguine and cute, irregularly shaped penne. Rustic, indeed.

The gigantic nests of pasta are sauced in the colors of the Italian flag: green pesto, white carbonara and red pomodoro. Though the pesto always tastes fresh, it tends toward the slightly under seasoned and is reliably my least favorite of the three. That's not so bad when the other two tie for first. The pomodoro is beautifully tangy and coats the al dente noodles perfectly. The carbonara grows in flavor with each bite, creamy, cheesy, smoky and salty. It's so good, I almost forget the addictively meaty bolognese that originally took its place.

Though both avowed trenchermen, my boyfriend and I have never been able to finish the dish, so it's actually more like $17.99 for four meals. That's partly due to the bread with herbed olive oil and extra-large salads included with the meal. Though these are the basic "side salads" at the restaurant, the dressings are far from stock players. All are homemade. At my most recent visit, I tried the blood-orange vinaigrette. Although it sounded promising, I could barely detect orange or vinegar. A parmesan and cracked peppercorn dressing simply called "creamy Italian" was so rich and flavorful that my boyfriend asked our very attentive server to thank the kitchen. To his delight, a take-out container filled with the dressing came with our check at the end of the meal. 

If that's not enough to convince you, there are appealing appetizers, too. I've tried arancini — creamy risotto balls stuffed with  mozzarella and then deep-fried — and house-made potato chips, which come to the table still hot from the fryer. I tried to eat a reasonable amount, dipped into the warm and mild Gorgonzola dip. Impossible.

On my last visit, I tried a Rustico's original, called "Siena Slippers." Toasts were covered with a bed of arugula topped with prosciutto-wrapped fresh mozzarella. The quartet of "slippers," all drizzled with balsamic vinaigrette, resembled distended, meaty rose petals, exactly my kind of bouquet. And Rustico's is my kind of place.

140 Cottage Club Road, Stowe, 802-253-9281

I am in constant search of good barbecue in Northern Vermont. Sure, the two-hour drive to Curtis' All American Restaurant in Chester is worth it, especially on weekend buffet nights. I love the Tuesday barbecue nights at The Belted Cow Bistro in Essex. Still, I am on the hunt for nearby smoked meats that I can enjoy anytime.

Sunset Grille & Tap Room seemed like the perfect solution. Not only has the pit crew won several awards at the Harpoon Championships of New England Barbecue — including the 2006 Overall Summer Sizzler championship — they serve food until midnight.

I arrived just before ten on Saturday night to a mostly empty dining room. A large-screen TV played an Eric Clapton concert. Our server was supremely eager and friendly, though she made a few mistakes in taking our order. She admitted it was only the fourth day and we were her first table to request the massive combo platter for two.

As if a sampling of nearly every kind of meat on the menu weren't enough, the $25 meal starts with a bread basket (right) and choice of soup or salad. The buttery bread sticks tasted a tad stale, but the mini corn muffins were truly excellent. The muffins were only slightly sweet, but even more buttery than the bread sticks. They were moist and held together far better than the crumbly corn bread most restaurants serve.

Though there was nothing special about the iceberg lettuce, shredded carrot and tomato salad, I liked the novelty with which it was served. A rotating platter held metal cups filled with raw onions, croutons and bacon bits. The latter two appeared to be of the store-bought variety, but the make-you-own aspect reminded me of the relish wheel at the late Dog Team Tavern.

88 Heineberg Drive, Colchester, 802-860-2828

When Yummy Chinese Restaurant opened in the former Ming's space in Colchester, I doubt if even the owners thought they'd be getting five-star reviews. Somehow, though the tiny eatery has wound up on the 7 Nights website's highest-rated list. I had to see what the hype was about.

There are a few tables at Yummy, but take-out is clearly their bread and butter. A delivery driver was in and out with his insulated pack throughout our meal, as were customers picking up their own food.

We ordered at the counter, referring to a paper menu. It was large, but with the exception of a few Thai dishes, little jumped out as unique. Under the "chou mein or chop suey" section of the menu, there were dishes called Chicago chicken, pork, beef and shrimp and an appetizer called "house tid bits," but the quirks didn't go much further.

334 Cornelia Street, Plattsburgh, NY, 518-561-8301

My earliest memory is eating tandoori chicken back in New York. On Facebook, I list Indian buffets as my religion. Needless to say, living in Northern Vermont has been difficult for me.

I learned early on to stay away from the bland, greasy Indian food in the area and wait until I was in Montréal or New York to indulge. Recently, I started hearing good things about a closer option — Karma in Plattsburgh. Could I be just a ferry trip away from nirvana?

Karma was in a strip mall across from a KFC. This was the first good sign. Humble location? You must be doing something right to stay open.

4109 Shelburne Road, Shelburne, 802-985-4912

There are now plenty of places to get a locally farmed burger. However, most of those restaurants have a certain level of formality and prices to go with it. It's hard to find a local patty with all the fixings for less than twelve dollars. Burlington's The Chubby Muffin has one, but the tiny café is only open for breakfast and lunch. Enter Archie's Grill, an ultra-casual, quick service resto with the motto "A fresh approach to fast food."

Just like at a fast food spot, diners order their meals at the counter. From there, they can take their meal home or wait to bring it to one of the tables lit by blue blown-glass lamps. In an attempt to keep things as local as possible, I eschewed the Hebrew National hot dogs and chicken of anonymous origin in favor of a Laplatte River Angus Farm burger and Misty Knoll Farm turkey burger.

The turkey burger appeared on a section of the menu titled "Veggie Heads." The meat was really more like a sausage than a conventional patty, combined with a mix of feta cheese, red onion, basil and organic carrots. I found the crunch of the inarguably fresh vegetables a tad distracting. And I prefer the texture of my burger to be more uniform. The roasted red peppers on top were more my speed — soft with a fine edge of char. Chipotle aioli (identified on the menu as "chipotle aioli sause") lent the burger a mildly spicy, earthy flavor and a much-needed hint of fat. I asked for a side salad to accompany the already healthy burger. I ate it with a biodegradable fork — flatware, cups and plates are all recyclable at Archie's.

66 Pearl Street, Essex Junction 802-879-9669

It's no secret that we live in a culture of irony. Everyone knows that entertainment has become little more than a wink and a nudge these days. Just turn on the Cartoon Network. Fewer pundits have addressed irony in food.

Oh, it's there. Thousands of websites are devoted to it. Cake Wrecks blogs embarrassing birthday and bachelorette pastries every day. This Is Why You're Fat tweets peeks at excessive culinary creations several times a day.

 This outlook is helpful with a job like mine. It's better to be amused than angry at quirky service or food that is just plain weird. My visit to Grand Buffet last night was a powerful exercise in ironic eating. World, let me introduce you to "hot dog fried chicken" (right).

35 C Green Street, Vergennes 802-877-2555

The aftershocks of the first Vermont Restaurant Week are still radiating through my dining card. Ever since I received Bar Antidote's Restaurant Week menu back in April, I've been wanting to eat there. How could I not when smoked duck and maple-white-chocolate bread pudding were involved?

I finally found the time to head to Vergennes for a taste this week. I'm a hole-in-the-wall eater. I usually don't notice décor, but at Antidote, even I couldn't help but be impressed.  A mix of old-fashioned medical paraphernalia (yes, there are phrenology heads) and local art, along with green mood lighting, give the restaurant a big-city feel without sacrificing the good old Vermont comfort of padded booths. Extra points for showing "Jeopardy!" in the bar.

1355 Williston Road, South Burlington, 802-658-1838

Usually I'm the one telling my co-workers about great restaurant deals. Not this time. I'm giving credit for this particular discovery to Robyn Birgisson, an account executive here at Seven Days.

A few months ago, I tried the Rotisserie for the first time. The place's forty-year history and old school Burlingtonian-clubhouse feel drew me in. The bacon-wrapped filet I tried was very satisfying, too. But when I told Robyn about my meal, she looked at me like I was an idiot. Then she explained the wonders of the Rotisserie steak sandwich. Eight ounces of prime rib or New York strip over bread, with gravy on the side, all for less than $14. Brilliant. Why drop more than $20 for a steak, when I could get almost the same amount of meat for so much less?