I have a special place in my heart for Vermont – so I was excited to hear about Farmers to You, a weekly food delivery company that brings local Vermont goods either directly to your home or to a neighborhood pick up site. It couldn’t have been easier. Hop onto the website, pick out some delicious food from their vegetables, dairy, bakery, and fruit departments. I picked my order up in Wellesley in the church parking lot. It was raining cats and dogs – and I was able to pull my car up right next to the truck and barely got rained on – which is more than I can say for going to the grocery store.

We have been going to Vermont since I was a small child. Mostly in the winter, but no, I don’t ski. Like, at all. Not even cross country. In fact, I don’t even really like the snow that much. But we have some great memories from years spent crammed into our two bedroom condo at Trapp Family Lodge. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I ‘discovered’ Vermont in the summer. So many things to do. One of the best experiences I’ve had was a Vermont Farm Tour.

I was excited to see some brands that I was familiar with when I was browsing the Farmers to You website and excited to try out some new companies. What did I choose?

Cellars at Jasper Hill Landaff Cheese

von Trapp Farmstead Savage Cheese

Whizzo Bagels

Champlain Orchards Crumb Top Apple Pie

Strip Steak

Ploughgate Creamery salted cultured butter

Sweet Rowen Farmstead Cheese Curds

Strafford Organic Creamery Vanilla Ice Cream

Valicenti Organico Fresh Garlic Scape Linguini

Square Deal Farm Maple Syrup

Nutty Steph’s Peanut Butter Magic Chunks and Peanut Butter Milk Chocolate Bar

I love apple pie. As far as I am concerned, there are no other pies. I also think I am the only one alive (besides my dad) that prefers their apple pie cold. And I like my ice cream on the side, not on top, so as not to get the crumb topping soggy. The best part about this pie is that I didn’t have to drive to VT to get it, but I would have…

The crumb top was delicious and there was a hint of…nutmeg maybe…that gave it a little extra something something.

One of my favorite choices was the garlic scape linguini. I love fresh pasta, and I love garlic shapes (but to be honest, most times I get them, I’m not even really sure what to do with them). I wish that you could have smelled this pasta – it made my kitchen smell AMAZING! The flavor was both bold and subtle at the same time. I didn’t want to add sauce on to it because I didn’t want to take away from the flavor of the pasta. I did however add a mountain full of Parmesan cheese to the top of it, because hey, everything tastes better with cheese!

These bad boys almost didn’t make it home. I had to fight my husband for the third one (maybe there should be 4 in the package to avoid fights haha). In my head I convinced myself that these were even kind of healthy – 71% dark chocolate, ground peanuts and house made granola.

We loved the cheese curds, and by we, I mean my husband, because I don’t think they were in the fridge for more than an hour and when I went to go try one, they were gone…

The bagels were tasty as well – firm texture with a bite to it, we had them for breakfast plain and made breakfast sandwiches with them – any way you slice them, they were good.

Saving the meat for our traditional New Year’s Eve party with friends. The maple syrup will be in a maple roundup piece I am working on and the cheese is going to debuting on a cheese plate post later this month – so stay tuned for more!

Disclaimer: I was given a credit to Farmers to You to buy goods on their site. All opinions are my own.

To get $30 off your first order, use my special code “DG15”. This offer expires 12.31.17

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We love Stowe and since I was a kid, we had been going in the winter time – even though we don’t ski. And then, one day about 5 years ago, we decided to go in June. Vermont is like a whole different place! There is so much greenery and there are so many other things Vermont has to offer besides skiing.

We used to head up to Trapp Family Lodge in the winter, but now we stay at the Stowe Mountain Lodge.  There’s something great that happens when you turn into the driveway and this hotel. I think my favorite part of the resort is the valet guys. I say it over and over again – they are the first people you see when you enter the hotel – they are friendly and courteous, just some really excellent customer service.

The lobby is beautiful. You can see the mountain out the windows in the back. They bring the outside in by using birch branches – he whole lodge is rustic chic.

All the rooms are different. This year we stayed in a two bedroom suite. The main room had the kitchen, the dining area and the living space.

There was a separate room that you could close off from the main room with two beds.

We were on the first floor and looked out onto the street on the backside of the hotel.

Here’s a look at the breakfast/dining nook.

The bedroom in the main room had a king sized bed and a bathroom with a shower and a tub.

They are currently going through a renovation that will include an adventure center. They have already added some new shops and restaurants on the property.

They have a great heated swim in swim out pool. You can hang out and order lunch and have it poolside or cool off and have an ice cream sandwich. They have a game room for the kids along with a zip line on the property. They are affiliated with the golf course next door so if golf is your thing, you should definitely check out the course, it’s beautiful. Not in the mood to play a full round? Take a lesson with the resident golf pro on site. They also have a spa on site that is excellent. I love the relaxation room, it overlooks the pool and you can see the mountain in the background.

Are you more of the outdoorsy type? They have a great bike/walking trail that runs down the mountain and into town. This part of the trail was near Topnotch.

Vermont is known for their covered bridges.

If you’re lucky you can catch a glimpse of some of the horses out in the fields along the trail. Trapp Family Lodge also has a bunch of animals: Highland cattle, chickens and horses.

For more information about Stowe, check out the GoStowe website.

If you go out of the hotel driveway and take a right, there is this crazy winding road that has some places to turn off and you can go hiking. They have a lot of beautiful waterfalls along the way.

Stowe Mountain Lodge

7412 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT

Check out their website here.

And check out my other reviews about Stowe here.

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The Cottage is at Stowe Mountain Lodge’s private golf club and is open to members and guests of the hotel. Make sure that you wear proper club attire, collared shirts for men are a must. That being said, you couldn’t ask for a better view of the mountain while you eat lunch. We are the only ones at the restaurant as the club is quite exclusive. They have indoor and outdoor dining, but the day is beautiful so we sit outside. The menu is limited as the season hadn’t started yet, but we still enjoyed everything we ordered. The burger was delicious, topped with bacon and cheese with a side of fries.

The service was good, seeing as we were the only people there. Although we  have been before while the season was in full swing and we had good service then as well.

The turkey club was delicious, piled high with meat, this triple decker sandwich hit the spot.

The black bean wrap was light and is perfect for those looking for a lighter option.

The Cottage at Stowe Mountain Golf Course

7412 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT

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Stowe Mountain Lodge has been undergoing renovations this past year. We headed up this summer for our annual trip.

I can’t stress how much I love it here. The staff is always friendly and knowledgeable. I think the best part of my day is talking to the valet guys!

Some of the new additions to the property are a few retail shops and a coffee shop.

The Beanery features locally roasted coffee and espresso drinks. You an grab a smoothie or a juice and a sweet treat or even a sandwich. There are windows all the way up to the ceiling so there’s great light in here, and great views with your morning coffee.

The Beanery at Stowe Mountain Resort – Open Mon – Thurs 7am-4pm, Saturday and Sunday 7am-6pm.

Attached to the Beanery is the Pantry. It’s a specialty market showcasing local goods. You can grab some craft beer or a red wine with cheese and crackers or a meal to heat up in your room. (Or for me, an ice cream sandwich for when I have those late night cravings!)

The Pantry is open Sunday – Thursday from 9am – 5pm and Friday and Saturday 9am – 7pm.

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If you have been coming to Stowe for as long as I have, you know the Phoenix Table and Bar building as the former Whisker’s restaurant. And the transformation couldn’t be more night and day!

The restaurant is spacious inside, with a large bar and large red leather booths. While the booths are large, there are some awkwardly small round tables (you can barely see in the far right hand side of the photo) that two people are supposed to be able to sit at. It’s tight. We grab a regular sized two top near the window.

Duck confit spring rolls($10) are as delicious as they sound. They are served with a house made sweet and sour dipping sauce.

Tamales ($9) change daily, the special tonight was cod. We fell in love with tamales when we went out to AZ for a wedding years and years ago. These were equally as tasty.

We got two tacos: the steak taco ($5), came with caramelized onions and the carnitas taco ($4) came with slow cooked pork shoulder topped with pickled onions and cilantro. The tortillas were soft corn handmade tortillas, out of this world!

Chicken quesadilla ($10) was tasty, filled with chicken and chihuahua cheese.

The mud pie ($6.50) was enormous! It was tasty but the hot fudge sauce was a little too thick.

Note: They charge you $1 for soda refills.

Phoenix Table and Bar

1652 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT

http://www.phoenixtableandbar.com

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I have mad respect for any place that puts a burger under “lighter fare”. We headed over to O’Grady’s up in Stowe on a Wednesday night – taking them up on those 1/2 priced burgers! O’Grady’s is a family run business located on the main road in Stowe with a casual, laid back atmosphere. When we walked in, there were locals at the bar and two other tables of tourists, that like us, stuck out like a sore thumb.

The bacon on the soup was a nice addition, but the soup came out at the same time as the burger, making it hard to enjoy both. Plus, the burger was more than enough food, I should have passed on the appetizer!

The burger, $13, is 8 oz of ground beef served with Vermont cheddar and topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles all on a homemade bun.

O’Grady’s Grill and Bar

504 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT

http://www.ogradysgrill.com

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IC Scoops is a nice alternative to Ben and Jerry’s for ice cream (and it’s closer to Stowe). While you can get ice cream sandwiches by Stowe Ice Cream at the pool and at The Pantry at Stowe Mountain Lodge, we wanted to go to the scoop shop in town.

I like how they have some out of the box flavors like avocado lime, banana cinnamon, cherry choco almond, lavender honey, mango pineapple, peach ginger, star anise to name a few. Don’t worry they have classic flavors too! The portions are enormous so bring your appetite (or a friend)! I was digging the pistachio, pictured above! Grab a seat on the bench outside or on one of the chairs on the lawn in front!

IC Scoops

112 Main Street, Stowe, VT

http://stoweicecream.com

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I had met the guys from Prohibition Pig at the Taste of WGBH event a while back. I was excited to head up to Vermont to try the regular menu.

The restaurant was packed! Be prepared to wait when you come (grab a delicious drink at the bar) and know that space is tight.

I love the bar set up with the sliding library ladder and the chalkboard art.

With so many delicious things on the menu, it’s hard to choose just one thing!

The table has 4 different kinds of sauces – ask your server for details on each one!

Pulled pork sandwich ($10.50) with a side of cheddar grits. Cooked North Carolina style with coleslaw and bbq sauce.

“Just a burger” ($8.50) with a fried egg. All the burgers are 1/4 lb., made of all beef and come from local, grass fed cows. I can’t even describe how delicious the bun is. It literally makes the burger. Once you try it, you’ll know exactly what I mean…

Lunch is presented on trays with stamped paper – no nonsense.

Raspberry mousse pie special ($8). it was a little weird for me, I wasn’t in love with it.

Prohibition Pig

23 South Main Street, Waterbury, VT

http://www.prohibitionpig.com

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I had totally forgotten that we had eaten here before. Just goes to show you what lack of sleep can do to you. We headed to Piecasso for dinner with my parents. While the restaurant has been open since 2000, it has been in this new location since 2006.

We start out with the garlic knots ($4.75) fresh baked dough wrapped with garlic, basil and spices, mozzarella and parmesan cheese with a side of red sauce. This could have been my meal!

I was a little disappointed with this salad, the spinach salad ($7), prepared with toasted walnuts, sliced local apple, sun dried cranberries, Vermont Butter and Cheese chèvre and tossed with a maple balsamic vinaigrette. The apples were brown and there weren’t a lot of the toppings mentioned in the description. In my opinion, this shouldn’t have ever made it out of the kitchen.

Piecasso serves New York style pizza. Owner Eduardo Rovetto learned how to make pizza from his parents – in fact, it’s a whole family business. There are 10 Rovetta family pizzerias on the East Coast.

The eggplant parmigiana ($14.50) was lightly breaded grilled eggplant over a bed of spaghetti and marinara sauce. The portion was enormous and there were thick slices of eggplant! Nice flavor in the dish, wondering if the chicken parmigiana is as good.

Piecasso

1899 Mountain Road, Stowe, VT

http://www.piecasso.com

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Some of us (I won’t name names) were still hungry after the boat ride, so we headed over to the  Farm House – a restaurant just up the street. A gentleman on the boat ride said that he went there a few nights earlier and had one of the best meals (read: onion rings) of his life.

Crispy Onion Rings ($7.95) served with horseradish aioli. They were good – thick and cripy, but were they life changing? Not for us.

House Mac ‘N Cheese ($15.95) came with local cheeses, caramelized onions, and herb bread crumbs. A really rich and creamy dish – I couldn’t finish it in one sitting.

Vermont Heritage Grazers Pork Burger ($16.95) served with Cabot cheddar, a sunny side up farm egg, and coleslaw. A big hit at the table, because really, who doesn’t love a burger with a fried egg on top!?!

Farmhouse Meatloaf ($23.95) LaPlatte Farm beef & VT Heritage Grazers pork, whipped potatoes, roasted local veggies, mushroom gravy was a big hit. The dish really reminded us of fall. The meatloaf was flavorful and the local veggies made you feel ok about consuming that much meat.

The 20-Hour Beef Shoulder ($26.95) braised dry aged LaPlatte Farm beef shoulder, arugula, Nitty Gritty polenta, shaved fennel, salsa verde.

Service was a little on the scattered side – the restaurant was packed even though it was later in the evening (we had to wait an hour to be seated).

The Farmhouse Tap and Grill

160 Bank Street, Burlington, VT

http://www.farmhousetg.com

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