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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Day Trip to New York City
NYC has so much to do. And, sooo much more to eat. Here is what a day in NYC looks like for me. I was able to get around quite a bit and stuff my face the entire way! Do you agree with my foodie picks?
I haven’t visited New York City much in my life until recently. New York City can be so crowded and overwhelming. However, there are so many great places to visit, see, and eat. I went this past May and I became more intrigued to go back. Nichole and myself wanted to go during the holiday season but time did not permit until after Christmas. We hoped it would be less crowded and would still be able to enjoy the holiday décor. Even with the temperatures in the teens, we made our way to the train station and hopped on to Grand Central. We had a lot of sights in mind, but let’s be honest this trip was more for the food.
Once we got off the train, we went to Rockerfeller Center first and went to look at the Christmas tree. Most people go to the city just for that purpose. I took one obligatory picture and I was set. I was more into all the buildings and other décor around that area. Since we were close by, we walked over to Times Square to get some more sightseeing in and checked out the Hershey's store. It’s cool to see the massive candy bars but that place is way overpriced.
From there, we went to the Bryant Park Winter Village which includes 176 vendors, an ice skating rink and merry-go-round. Many popular restaurants and food trucks set up shop for the holiday season, bring lots of deliciousness to one spot! The scenery is surreal with the feel of a small village in the middle of one of the busiest cities in the world. This was my type of spot to say the least,
First up, Wafels & Dinges. Their specialty was Belgian waffles with various toppings and flavors to choose from. So many decisions but we went with the S’mores waffle which consisted of marshmallows, speculoos spread and Belgian chocolate fudge. This was a splendid first treat/breakfast.
Once we got breakfast in our bellies, we walked around Bryant Park a bit more and Nichole found our next must have...mini donuts! I can’t pass up on some mini donuts. Doughtnuttery was on my donut list for NYC. They have pretty intriguing flavors. Each donut was tossed in sugary goodness. While the flavors didn’t really taste like what they said, they were still pretty good. The flavors we got consisted of vanilla, lavender, & pistachio and rosemary, roasted cornmeal, & fig.
The Flatiron District was our main destination for the afternoon. After ubering around, I was ready for more donuts. Number one on my donut research was Dough. Fortunately, they did have a location in the Flatiron District. Needless to say, Dough was phenomenal. Some of the best donuts I have had. Definitely blog worthy. If you want see more, check out my previous blog post, here.
The buildings and skyscrapers in NYC are breathtaking. The Flatiron Building is a triangular 22 story steel-framed building in Manhattan. My hands were frozen, my phone kept shutting off, I couldn’t stop taking pictures. You don’t see buildings like that every day. If you get a chance, go see it!
A late lunch was in store as the donuts wore off. Eataly was our food destination of choice. This large marketplace consisted of a variety of restaurants, bakeries, retail shops to buy fresh pasta & cheese, Nutella cafe, and even a cooking school. Everything Italian. You name it, they had it. You could get yourself a fresh cannoli, a lean cut of meat, or a drink at the bar.
Prior to the trip, we noticed there was a pop up restaurant on the 14th floor of Eataly, called Baita. This was an Italian Alps themed restaurant. I was sold on that. Once we were seated, I noticed the retractable roof and the intricate heaters throughout to keep that cozy vibe. There was a view of the city skyline depending where you sat. A lot of the décor resembled what you would find in a ski lodge. I liked the idea behind it. However, the menu wasn’t the best. And, the food was really pricey. I saw the portion sizes people were eating and they were pretty small. Ordering just appetizers was our best bet. Polenta was a popular item on the menu so we tried their “Zucca” which consisted of polenta, squash, thyme & parmesan reggiano. The other intriguing items we ordered were wagyu beef skewers seasoned in olive oil and the beer battered fried piave cheese. The beef skewers were awesome. The Polenta was just okay and the fried cheese was pretty greasy so I stopped eating them not to get sick. In hindsight, we should have just had a drink at the bar. The atmosphere wasn’t worth the disappointing meal. We were still hungry!
The great part about NYC is that food is literally everywhere. The bad meal didn’t hold us down. I had to find a can’t miss bite. Who doesn’t like grilled cheese!?!?! There was a Melt Shop nearby and this hit the spot. Me and Nichole shared a pepper jack buffalo chicken grilled cheese and a wonderful milkshake. We couldn’t decide what flavor so the server just combined both for us, Nutella and Oreo. Absolute heaven.
For the cherry on top, you can’t leave New York City without a slice of pizza. Before we hopped back on the train at Grand Central, we stopped at Previti’s Pizza. The reviews were not lying. Great slice of pizza. That was a nice way to end our adventurous and gluttonous day in the city. And, our last trip of 2017. I can’t wait for more adventures and exploration in 2018.
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
RECOMMENDED POSTS
MOST RECENT POSTS
See where I have been recently on Instagram. Follow @HIKINGFORDONUTS