How to spend a weekend in Burlington, VT: Food & Breweries
Burlington, VT is a great long weekend destination. Lots of food and breweries in walking distance. Check out my blog post on the best food and drink spots in Burlington, VT.
My first trip to Burlington, VT was a few years ago. I couldn't believe I hadn't made a trip to this great city. There are lots of breweries, food, and outdoor activities. You could walk pretty much everywhere. In the summer, there are farmers markets and food trucks. I really enjoyed my stay but it was short. My girlfriend, Nichole, had never been and I thought it was a great weekend trip idea. Also, I have been wanting to stay at Hotel Vermont and they have a sweet black friday deal. And, it is a perfect location to walk around and Lake Champlain is across the street. Hotel Vermont was only a mile or two from everywhere we went, it was a great central location to stay. If you read the blog, you know we really get after it when we travel to new cities. And, Burlington was no different. We went to as many breweries as possible and ate our faces off. I did all the work for you! Here is a list of the best places to eat and drink in Burlington. If I missed any, please comment. I will be back.
The Food
Farmhouse Tap & Grill was the first meal we had in Burlington. This was the typical fancier local restaurant. It is always super busy. We had to wait over an hour for a table, given it was a Friday night. They have a great beer menu. The food is actually pretty good, especially the burgers. However, it is a bit pricey to me. There is a big farm to table presence in Burlington and that drives the price up.
The Swingin' Pinwheel Café Bakery was the surprise of the weekend. Do not pass up this breakfast when you walk by. The hostess was hilarious and friendly. The menu has so many good options. It is a smaller spot so be mindful. The decor definitely had that western and cowboy feel. They are known for their Wafflini, which is a waffle made with pastry dough and pressed like a panini, and they have multiple types. We had to get one and it was phenomenal. We started with a popover and ate it so fast, I didn't even get a picture!
Red Onion was recommended to me by someone from the area. They told me, the sandwiches sound weird but go with it. It was quite an interesting little spot on Church Street (main area for shops/restaurants). I ordered the Red Onion sandwich, which consisted of turkey, vt cheddar, red onion, granny smith apple slices, and sun-dried tomato mayo on honey oat bread. The bread was like an inch thick! Nichole got the spinach melt. This consisted of a TON of fresh baby spinach, mushrooms, red onions, sharp cheddar, and garlic mayo on honey oat. They were both delicious. If you need a quick bite, I definitely would suggest the Red Onion.
There is surprisingly a fair amount of Mexican dishes and restaurants in Burlington. For that reason we were craving Mexican and chose El Cortijo Taqueria Y Cantina as it was the closest with the best ratings. And, they were a sister company of the Farmhouse Tap & Grill. This is a very small location. Luckily, we got seated right away but the dinner crowd hit and the front of the restaurant was overly crowded and flowed near the tables. It was a bit uncomfortable eating with people on top of you waiting to be called. And, the food was just ok. Nichole enjoyed her margarita but the rest was less memorable.
And you know we hit up Ben & Jerry's for dessert.
Monarch and the Milkweed was another great breakfast find. This was a quaint, trendy shop in the town center that fits maybe 15-20 people. One of the reasons I chose there was because they make donuts, mini but I don't discriminate. The donuts were ehh but the breakfast was awesome. I had the fried chicken sandwich with gruyère cheese, red onions, and some aoli that reminded me of Big Mac sauce. Nichole had the pancake stack and they were really good and cooked perfectly.
Fortunately, on the way home, we made a surprising delicious stop, only 20 minutes outside of Burlington. We mentioned to some people we met along the way, we were going to Fiddlehead Brewing. Every person said you have to go to the pizza place next door, and that was Folino's Wood Fire Pizza. No one has to twist my arm to have some pizza. This place gets really packed from the Fiddlehead crowd. You will be seated by someone but you have to do everything else, get your own plates, order at the cashier, etc. Aside from that tidbit, the pizza was awesome. Maybe the best buffalo chicken pizza I have ever had. Everything just worked. Make this part of your to-do list.
The Breweries
On the way up from CT, our first beer stop was at Burlington Beer Company. This was only 20 minutes or so outside of Burlington. This was in a cool industrial location. The inside was cool and trendy. They had old school video game systems. They offer a lengthy list of beers, including IPAs, Porters, and Stouts. The beer was good. A little hoppier for my taste but I see why they are popular. They fit into the craft beer scene perfectly.
Switchback Brewery was first on the list of our brewery crawl and the furthest, 2 mile walk but it actually wasn't bad. I have been before and really like their beers. Their Connector IPA is my favorite. The inside is pretty nice and feels inviting. And, the world's largest filing cabinet is on the way! Seriously, it exists.
Queen City Brewery was our favorite brewery. I don't recall seeing it last time I was here. It was tucked away behind a local printing business. It is close to Zero Gravity. They had a big wall of beers and there was an old truck on the the very top of the bar once inside. They had 13 beers to choose from and I liked most of them. My favorite was a tripel Belgian named Monk of Underhill. This isn't a place if you want hoppy beers. They had mostly porters, stouts, and lagers. I am not even a porter guy and I enjoyed their version of that. The bartender was really nice and it was just a good atmosphere.
This isn't a brewery but a cidery counts. Citizen Cider is one of my favorite ciders. Last time I came here, I had a blast. They had quite a bit of options as usual to try out. I really like what they do with their ciders. They aren' t just sweet and one taste. Definitely a staple to visit when in Burlington.
Ah, the new popular guy. Foam Brewery wasn't opened last time I was here. Since then, I have heard a lot about this brewery from friends. We made our way there as the last stop and the location is great. It is right off the water. In warmer weather, it must be even more busy than it was. However, they do not have flights of beers as an option and the beer was pricier than other breweries. And, the beer was super hoppy...almost too much. Again, that is not for me. I preferred other breweries.
The weekend of breweries was not quite over yet. The last stop on the ride home was Fiddlehead Brewery. I had their beers before and really enjoyed them. I had to stop in and check it out. At this location in Shelburne, VT, you can only buy beer that is canned, sample what they have available that day and get growlers. It is very small and can get crowded quick. We went as it opened and the lot quickly filled up and cars were coming and going. I liked what they had on tap and I ended up getting a growler and buying cans. We did make a few other stops for beverages.
Vermont Pub & Brewery was pretty average. It is really big and they have basic food options to please the generic eater. Seems like the place all tourists go when other places are busy. And, the beer wasn't great. They are a bit behind the other breweries in the beer department. The other bar we did go to was Archives. This was a bar filled with arcade games and a pretty good beer, cocktails, and wine menu. If you are into old video games like pacman, street fighter, pin ball, and other oldies, this is the spot for you.
Bonus: A Winery?
Not only did Fiddlehead Brewery have an awesome pizza spot next door but there was also a Winery across the street! By far, the happiest Nichole was all weekend as she likes wine way more than beer. Of course, we kept the ball rollin' at Shelburne Winery and did a tasting. This consisted of 10 wines and they were not shy with the pours. I also liked they gave a list of the wine with a marker so you could keep track of what you liked and they had a funny comment & description about each wine. I do not like wine that much but I did like a few of the white wines and a red that had chocolate in it. Nichole ended up buying two bottles. This was a great way to the end the trip. Beer, wine, & pizza. We accomplished a lot and I think we did a good job finding some good go to spots. I hope you enjoyed reading and will try out some of my suggestions. Cheers to beers & delicious food!
HIKING FOR DONUTS
A blog for the outdoors foodie enthusiast
Hi, I’m Mark. I live in Connecticut. I take new trips every chance I get. A good trip has a great hike, great food, and something fun to do. My goal is to search out new trips and share them to inspire others to try something new and exciting.
If you are looking for posts in a particular place, search by city or state here.
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Best places to eat in Nashville, TN
Nashville is a really fun and vibrant city. Full of music and history. Aside from that, I was excited to try some Nashville food. I tried to find really good local spots. Enjoy my reviews!
Aside from the bar hopping downtown and exploring a new state, I looked forward to eating in Nashville. It was an interesting trip food wise.. I have never been to a heavy, southern food area. I am not the best with spicy food but I was open to trying what Nashville had to offer. It was Labor Day weekend so it was packed everywhere. Also, we had a group of 8 so waiting in lines less than 30 minutes just wasn’t happening.
Like everyone else in Nashville, we wanted to try Biscuit Love. This was by far the most popular brunch spot in the area. Unfortunately, the line was insane.
However, when one door closes, another opens. Browsing to see what brunch places were nearby and calling to see who would accommodate 8 of us, we came across Party Fowl. Yes, you read that correctly. And, it was a great find. The group was really about the boozy brunch and this spot was it. They had various drink specials including spicy Bloody Mary’s. I am not a fan but everyone else was on board with it. As for the food, this was the best place to have Nashville hot chicken and biscuits. The biscuits were so good and they served them as appetizers with this awesome apple butter. Everyone at the table ordered the “Loaded Chicken Biscuit”, which consisted of an open-faced buttermilk biscuit topped with hot chicken (southern fried, mild, medium, Nashville Hot, or Poultrygeist), sawmill gravy, two eggs prepared your way, and lyonnaise potatoes. I didn’t mess around and I went southern fried. And, that was spicy to me. Nichole had to be the only one get something different but it was damn good! She got the smoked chicken frittata. This consisted pulled smoked chicken & caramelized onion frittata topped with melted gruyere cheese.
The trip wouldn’t have been complete without a Waffle House late night feeding. We don’t have them in the Northeast and I have never been to one. It took us two different locations to find one open (not 24 hours...lies). The meal was as expected. It wasn’t bad but it was sketchy….and the roach I noticed crawling around on the floor tied my experience with a bow. Check that off the list.
The Loveless Cafe is a pretty popular location. It is about 30 minutes outside of downtown Nashville on Highway 100. This was a motel converted into shops, markets, and a restaurant. It is like it’s own little mini mall. It is definitely cool. However, it is really crowded. The wait was almost 2 hours! Luckily, Nichole found out we can just get take out and eat on the benches and picnic tables. The food was so good. We got a little of everything. We got the pulled pork, fried green tomato with pimento cheese, and fried chicken biscuit sliders along with a side of mac & cheese and hashbrown casserole. And, a slice of coconut pie. The fried green tomato and pimento cheese combo was by the far the best. The biscuits were on point too. This was worth the price of the rental car.
The other noteworthy place we ate was in the Indigo Hotel called The District Bar & Kitchen. The menu looked good and we were spot on with our choice. For starters, we had a buffalo chicken egg roll and fried green tomatoes with pimento cheese and five pepper jelly. This combo blew my mind the whole trip. Would've never expected fried green tomatoes plus pimento cheese to be absolute heaven...lesson learned. For the entree, I had the Indigo wrap which consisted of pulled pork, country ham, swiss cheese, dijon, bread & butter pickles. Nichole got a good eye. She went with a dish called the Four Way. This was a bed of rigatoni with cheddar cheese covered with tortilla chips and chili. Another good find in downtown Nashville.
Lastly, I can't forget about the ice cream. On the last night, we went to Mike's Ice Cream in the downtown area. They had many ice cream options and a variety of cone options. I got a scoop of red velvet and a scoop of butter pecan in a chocolate chip cookie cone. Oh yea...pure gluttonous.
We got to eat in popular locations and some unknown locations. All in all, another successful trip of eating. There is a lot more food in Nashville to try. Until next time!
HIKING FOR DONUTS
A blog for the outdoors foodie enthusiast
Hi, I’m Mark. I live in Connecticut. I take new trips every chance I get. A good trip has a great hike, great food, and something fun to do. My goal is to search out new trips and share them to inspire others to try something new and exciting.
If you are looking for posts in a particular place, search by city or state here.
EXPLORE OTHER POSTS IN THE ARCHIVE
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See where I have been recently on Instagram. Follow @HIKINGFORDONUTS
Best places to eat in Philadelphia, PA
Philly has some unbelievable food options.Here's my guide to eating awesome food in Philly....
Philadelphia is loaded with food options. From brunch to bagels to cheesesteaks galore to ice cream to donuts to burgers to pretzels, the choices are endless. I would need a good month to get it all in. Unfortunately, I had only had the weekend to get in as much as possible. After a significant amount of research, I succeeded. Here are some options to guide you on how to eat a weekend in Philly.
Breakfast & Brunch
Bagels were a priority on this trip. My girlfriend is from New York and, therefore, she is a bagel snob. Philly has about over 20 bagel shops to choose from. Most of them have unique types of bagel flavors, unconventional cream cheese spreads, and delicious sandwich options. We chose Chestnut Street Bagels on the way to Rittenhouse Square. The options for type of bagel and spreads were extensive. In addition, there are a good amount of intriguing options for sandwiches. The only downside would be that you have to order and leave. The shop is small and they have an inside bench that can seat at most 4 people. Luckily, we got there before it got too busy and were able to snag a spot. I selected the french toast bagel with a honey pecan cream cheese and my girlfriend went with the everything bagel and cheddar horseradish spread. The bagels were fresh and hit the spot!
I need to breathe a second before I write about the Brunch we had….. I’m ready. I came here the last time I was in Philly and I felt the same way. If there is one place in Philly you have to go, it is Green Eggs Cafe. Everything on the menu sounds dynamite. And, the specials each time sound even better. Both my meals here, I have to put in my top 5 all time breakfasts. We started with some boozy drinks, my girlfriend had a peach bellini and mine was an orange 'creamsicle' mimosa. The specials included breakfast egg rolls stuffed with bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, and cheddar cheese served with a chili thai sauce. No brainer selection. I had the “Mexican Benedict” that consisted of 2 poached eggs & chipotle braised chicken with tortilla chips served on a cheese quesadilla with chipotle hollandaise sauce. My girlfriend went on the sweeter side, there was a special for a stack of blueberry pie pancakes. Note, there is always a line but it goes fast. Later you go in the morning, the longer the wait. And, they are cash only.
Lunch & Dinner
Decisions...decisions...decisions. Two of the most popular cheesesteak shops sit directly across from each other. A 15 minute uber ride from downtown will take you to the location of Pat’s King of Steaks and Geno’s Steaks. Both shops have lines in the streets at all times. They are both open 24 hours. We went with Pat’s. Boy, do they have this down to a science. There is no waiting once you are at the ordering windows. Customers quickly put in their order, pay, and cheesesteaks in hand. I went with provolone on mine and my girlfriend got the cheese whiz. Cheese whiz won. They both were good cheesesteaks. Also, they had pizza fries which were french fries with a red sauce and cheese on them. As simple as it may sound, they were amazing.
As in most of my travels, I try to venture to local food spots as seen on Diners,Drive-Ins, & Dives. Guy Fieri knows exactly where Flavortown is! On this trip, there were many on this list and we went with the Good Dog Bar. This cool little spot was very welcoming. To my surprise, there were pictures of dogs all along the walls of the bar. We were very hungry and started with the cheesesteak empanada and fried pickles. THe fried pickles were average but the goat cheese ranch sauce was phenomenal. I could use jars of that weekly. I even saved what we had left for fries later on. The cheesesteak empanadas were really good. However, the sauce that came with that was a watery, gravy taste. We used the ranch dip instead. For the main course, I ordered the brisket grilled cheese on sourdough bread with cheddar cheese. My girlfriend had the shrimp po’ boy tossed in buffalo sauce with blue cheese sauce on a baguette. Both were good and the cool thing I liked here is that they mix their fries between regular and sweet potato. They had good beer & drink options. The service was also fantastic here.
Reading Terminal Market
If you want to spend a whole day eating somewhere, the Reading Terminal Market is the place to be. There is a plethora of food options for breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert. Many different ethnic cuisines are represented at this market. Be sure to check the hours as most days it is closed by 5-6pm. And, if you have your heart set on something by Dutch related vendors, they tend to close earlier and they take Sundays off. I made that mistake on Sunday. No donuts or pretzels for us. However, we still got our fair share in.
The first stop was at Franks A Lot. The go to here was their classic Polish pierogies.
Beck’s Cajun Cafe was next. There were a lot of tasty items on the menu. We ordered the fried mac and cheese balls. They weren’t too greasy and not overly cheesy, which was a good thing. I could of ate 20.
The last meal we could fit in was at Sang Kee Peking Duck. I ordered the Duck Lo Mein. The duck was a little fatty as expected, but flavorful and tender. The noodles tasted very fresh.
At this point, it was time for some desserts. I had my eyes on some cookies. The Famous 4th Street Cookie Company had plenty of options. I couldn’t pass up a black and white cookie. The last stop was Bassetts Ice Cream. A good trip always ends with some ice cream.
IMG_4562
The Reviews:
Green Eggs Cafe: 5 out of 5
Chestnut Street Bagels: 3.5 out of 5
Good Dog Bar: 3.5 out of 5
Pat's King of Steaks: 3.5 out of 5
HIKING FOR DONUTS
A blog for the foodie outdoor enthusiast
Hi, I’m Mark. I live In Connecticut. I take new trips every chance I get. A good trip has a great hike, great food, and something fun to do. My goal is to search out new trips and share them to inspire others to try something new and exciting.
If you are looking for posts in a particular place, search by city or state here.
EXPLORE OTHER POSTS IN THE ARCHIVE
RECOMMENDED POSTS
RECENT POSTS
See where I’ve been recently on Instagram. Follow @HIKINGFORDONUTS.