This Vermont college town has grown-up taste
Cindi Kozak, owner of Frankie's, an award-winning restaurant in Burlington, agrees that Burlington's culinary offerings are diverse, plentiful, and top-notch. 'I think a lot of it has to do with the passion people bring and the access we have to such incredible products,' she says. 'Also being such a small state, we can establish strong connections with our farmers, brewers, distillers, cheesemakers, etc. There are a lot of world-class products being made right at our doorstep, and we get to choose the best of what's out there.'
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Granted, you can find a good college town cheeseburger, but it's likely to be smothered in a local, award-winning cheddar, served with an exceptional artisan-crafted pint of beer.
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'The underlying theme of locally sourced ingredients is still alive and well, and the driving force behind a lot of menus around Burlington,' says Cara Tobin, chef/co-owner of Honey Road and The Grey Jay.
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The Farmhouse Tap & Grill is a farm-to-table gastro pub and outdoor beer garden, serving fresh, tasty food, like this specialty burger and side salad.
Pamela Wright
That goes for Burlington's beer scene, too. According to the National Brewers Association, Vermont leads the country in the number of craft breweries per capita, and Greater Burlington has the highest concentration, with more than 25 breweries, microbreweries, and brewpubs. If you're a beer lover, you probably already know this and have visited some of Burlington's highly regarded breweries, serving some of the country's most sought-after beers. But we mentioned a few here, like the
You could spend a lot of time checking out Burlington's breweries and pubs (the
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Blind Tiger, a Lark Hotel property, is located just outside of Burlington's bustling downtown and a few blocks from the waterfront.
Pamela Wright
First, we checked into
In the end, it's tough choosing the best restaurant hit list, but after much sleuthing and eating, here are some of our favorites in Burly.
Dishes at Frankie's are well-crafted and creative, spotlighting fresh, in-season ingredients, like this Lebanese cucumber dish.
Pamela Wright
'We're hoping to do something a little different but still honor our desire to focus on what Vermont and New England food means to us,' says Kozak. This stylish restaurant, one of only 14 restaurants in the country named to Eater's 2024 Best New Restaurants list, is helmed by Kozak and Chef Jordan Ware. It's an unpretentious space, with low ceilings, whitewashed walls, and simple, light wood tables, flourished with a large marble bar with dramatic black, white, and gray swirls. The genuinely warm and friendly staff keeps it homey.
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The dishes are well-crafted and creative, spotlighting fresh, in-season ingredients and showcasing Kozak and Ware's love of all things New England. We tried the fluffy, almost creamy fried oysters with pickled celery root and capers, and the grilled turnips with blue crab and crème fraiche, followed by a tasty pork schnitzel with lemon vinaigrette, and an herb fazzoletti with zucchini and red Russian kale. We couldn't resist a side of their sourdough bread with Vermont honey and sea salt.
A favorite among locals and visitors alike since it opened in 2013, it's the sister to its original restaurant in Waterbury, Vt. The bustling outpost has a dark, rich sports club feel, with beams and wooden ceiling trusses, stacks of firewood, burning fireplaces, leather chairs, and a cozy bar. There's also a chef's counter with front row views into the kitchen. The food is well-sourced and well-crafted, consistently good. The menu changes frequently with the seasons and available products, including small plates like scallop crudo with green garlic and pickled turnips, braised rabbit tart, and beef tongue with shitake mushrooms, and large plates like black cod with hen of the woods mushrooms and tagliatelle with grilled zucchini and crispy garlic. You can also count on an extensive cheese menu (you're in Vermont!) and their famed Parker House rolls (yes, you should order them with local honey).
Try the ever-changing flatbread choice at May Day; this one features whipped ricotta and an abundance of spring veggies.
Pamela Wright
This friendly neighborhood bistro tucked in Burlington's Old North End is not-so-slowly being discovered, thanks to rapid word-of-mouth. And it's helmed by Chef Avery Buck, who's been named a James Beard 2025 finalist for Best Chef: Northeast. The space is small, with about 20 tables or so, a bar counter, and an open kitchen. The menu is selective and focused on local in-season preparations. This is the place to go with a handful of friends to sample several plates. On our recent visit, we shared beer-battered skate cheeks with hot pepper mayo (thumbs up), duck liver parfait (so-so), and chunks of crunchy Lebanese cucumbers in a pool of tangy ramp yogurt (delightful!). But the standouts were the baby bok choy grilled to a nice char, doused with a sweet miso vinaigrette and topped with crispy sunchokes, and the house flatbread, with a layer of creamy whipped ricotta, spring vegetables, and hot honey. There are larger plates, also, like chicken schnitzel with a homemade green goddess dressing, steelhead trout with spring alliums and sorrel, and a ricotta gnocchi with baby spinach, pea shoot pesto, and oyster mushrooms. We'll be back to check out the next in-season menu. (P.S. They have a nice wine and cocktail list, too.)
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The Grey Jay features Eastern Mediterranean cuisine, like this nicely seasoned shawarma wrap.
Pamela Wright
&
Both manager/co-owner Allison Gibson and chef/co-owner Cara Tobin of Honey Road and The Grey Jay are finalists for the James Beard 2025 Outstanding Restaurateur, a national honor. That's quite a recognition, and their talents show at these Mediterranean-style restaurants in downtown Burlington.
They opened Honey Road in 2017, serving Eastern Mediterranean small plates. Consider their 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. HoneyTime small plates: tahini hummus, baba ganoush, house-made pita, spiced fried chickpeas, braised lamb, kale salad, and more. Or go later for dinner; you'll find some of these same items on the menu, along with other mezze-style dishes.
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Head to The Grey Jay for breakfast or lunch. This small, first-come, first-served eatery has great pastries and breakfast items, including a nicely flavored shakshuka topped with creamy feta cheese. Come lunch, go for the kale salad, one of their most popular signature dishes, served in a large bowl with crispy quinoa and flavored with a tahini vinaigrette, or the nicely seasoned chicken shawarma wrap. The Tunisian deviled eggs with harissa and fried capers are a nice munch, too.
The potato gruyere tart at Majestic is a sure winner.
Pamela Wright
One of Burlington's newest arrivals is this little gem in the South End. A couple of warnings first: They're not open on Saturday or Sunday, and they don't accept reservations. During prime dinner hours, you may have to wait (albeit with a drink in hand), but it's worth it. The open kitchen restaurant, with about 25 seats, has a fun, convivial vibe, with creative cocktails and a smart wine list. And the food, mostly small plates, is worth going back for again and again. In fact, we noticed that many diners were past guests, and the staff greeted them by name. The menu changes frequently, but you can expect a handful of cheese platters, in-season vegetable-centered plates, like a white bean salad with garlicky kale, sweet potato, and herb pesto, or roasted mushrooms and barley with pea shoots. We also enjoyed the signature meatballs, swimming in a bright tomato fennel sauce, and the layered potato gruyere tart.
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Diane Bair and Pamela Wright can be reached at
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Los Angeles Times
6 hours ago
- Los Angeles Times
Lebanon aims to lure back wealthy Gulf tourists to jumpstart its war-torn economy
BEIRUT — Fireworks lit up the night sky over Beirut's famous St. Georges Hotel as hit songs from the 1960s and '70s filled the air in a courtyard overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The retro-themed event was hosted last month by Lebanon's Tourism Ministry to promote the upcoming summer season and perhaps recapture some of the good vibes from an era viewed as a golden one for the country. In the years before a civil war began in 1975, Lebanon was the go-to destination for wealthy tourists from neighboring Gulf countries seeking beaches in summer, snow-capped mountains in winter and urban nightlife year-round. In the decade after the war, tourists from Gulf countries — and crucially, Saudi Arabia — came back, and so did Lebanon's economy. But by the early 2000s, as the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah gained power, Lebanon's relations with Gulf countries began to sour. Tourism gradually dried up, starving its economy of billions of dollars in annual spending. Now, after last year's bruising war with Israel, Hezbollah is much weaker and Lebanon's new political leaders sense an opportunity to revitalize the economy once again with help from wealthy neighbors. They aim to disarm Hezbollah and rekindle ties with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, which in recent years have prohibited their citizens from visiting Lebanon or importing its products. 'Tourism is a big catalyst, and so it's very important that the bans get lifted,' said Laura Khazen Lahoud, the country's tourism minister. On the highway leading to the Beirut airport, once-ubiquitous banners touting Hezbollah's leadership have been replaced with commercial billboards and posters that read 'a new era for Lebanon.' In the center of Beirut, and especially in neighborhoods that hope to attract tourists, political posters are coming down, and police and army patrols are on the rise. There are signs of thawing relations with some Gulf neighbors. The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have lifted yearslong travel bans. All eyes are now on Saudi Arabia, a regional political and economic powerhouse, to see if it will follow suit, according to Lahoud and other Lebanese officials. A key sticking point is security, these officials say. Although a ceasefire with Israel has been in place since November, near-daily airstrikes have continued in southern and eastern Lebanon, where Hezbollah over the years had built its political base and powerful military arsenal. As vital as tourism is — it accounted for almost 20% of Lebanon's economy before it tanked in 2019 — the country's leaders say it is just one piece of a larger puzzle they are trying to put back together. Lebanon's agricultural and industrial sectors are in shambles, suffering a major blow in 2021 when Saudi Arabia banned their exports after accusing Hezbollah of smuggling drugs into Riyadh. Years of economic dysfunction have left the country's once-thriving middle class in a state of desperation. The World Bank says poverty nearly tripled in Lebanon over the past decade, affecting close to half its population of nearly 6 million. To make matters worse, inflation is soaring, with the Lebanese pound losing 90% of its value, and many families lost their savings when banks collapsed. Tourism is seen by Lebanon's leaders as the best way to kickstart the reconciliation needed with Gulf countries — and only then can they move on to exports and other economic growth opportunities. 'It's the thing that makes most sense, because that's all Lebanon can sell now,' said Sami Zoughaib, research manager at the Policy Initiative, a Beirut-based think tank. With summer approaching, flights to Lebanon are already packed with expats and locals from countries that overturned their travel bans, and hotels say bookings have been brisk. At the event hosted last month by the tourism ministry, the owner of the St. Georges Hotel, Fady El-Khoury, beamed. The hotel, owned by his father in its heyday, has acutely felt Lebanon's ups and downs over the decades, closing and reopening multiple times because of wars. 'I have a feeling that the country is coming back after 50 years,' he said. On a recent weekend, as people crammed the beaches of the northern city of Batroun and jet skis whizzed along the Mediterranean, local business people sounded optimistic that the country was on the right path. 'We are happy, and everyone here is happy,' said Jad Nasr, co-owner of a private beach club. 'After years of being boycotted by the Arabs and our brothers in the Gulf, we expect this year for us to always be full.' Still, tourism is not a panacea for Lebanon's economy, which for decades has suffered from rampant corruption and waste. Lebanon has been in talks with the International Monetary Fund for years over a recovery plan that would include billions in loans and require the country to combat corruption, restructure its banks, and bring improvements to a range of public services, including electricity and water. Without those and other reforms, Lebanon's wealthy neighbors will lack confidence to invest there, experts said. A tourism boom alone would serve as a 'morphine shot that would only temporarily ease the pain' rather than stop the deepening poverty in Lebanon, Zoughaib said. The tourism minister, Lahoud, agreed, saying a long-term process has only just begun. 'But we're talking about subjects we never talked about before,' she said. 'And I think the whole country has realized that war doesn't serve anyone, and that we really need our economy to be back and flourish again.' Chehayeb writes for the Associated Press.
Boston Globe
a day ago
- Boston Globe
Lebanon aims to lure back wealthy Gulf tourists to jumpstart its war-torn economy
Now, after last year's bruising war with Israel, Hezbollah is much weaker and Lebanon's new political leaders sense an opportunity to revitalize the economy once again with help from wealthy neighbors. They aim to disarm Hezbollah and rekindle ties with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, which in recent years have prohibited their citizens from visiting Lebanon or importing its products. Advertisement 'Tourism is a big catalyst, and so it's very important that the bans get lifted,' said Laura Khazen Lahoud, the country's tourism minister. On the highway leading to the Beirut airport, once-ubiquitous banners touting Hezbollah's leadership have been replaced with commercial billboards and posters that read 'a new era for Lebanon.' In the center of Beirut, and especially in neighborhoods that hope to attract tourists, political posters are coming down, and police and army patrols are on the rise. Advertisement There are signs of thawing relations with some Gulf neighbors. The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have lifted yearslong travel bans. All eyes are now on Saudi Arabia, a regional political and economic powerhouse, to see if it will follow suit, according to Lahoud and other Lebanese officials. A key sticking point is security, these officials say. Although a ceasefire with Israel has been in place since November, near-daily airstrikes have continued in southern and eastern Lebanon, where Hezbollah over the years had built its political base and powerful military arsenal. As vital as tourism is — it accounted for almost 20% of Lebanon's economy before it tanked in 2019 — the country's leaders say it is just one piece of a larger puzzle they are trying to put back together. Lebanon's agricultural and industrial sectors are in shambles, suffering a major blow in 2021, when Saudi Arabia banned their exports after accusing Hezbollah of smuggling drugs into Riyadh. Years of economic dysfunction have left the country's once-thriving middle class in a state of desperation. The World Bank says poverty nearly tripled in Lebanon over the past decade, affecting close to half its population of nearly 6 million. To make matters worse, inflation is soaring, with the Lebanese pound losing 90% of its value, and many families lost their savings when banks collapsed. Tourism is seen by Lebanon's leaders as the best way to kickstart the reconciliation needed with Gulf countries -- and only then can they move on to exports and other economic growth opportunities. Advertisement 'It's the thing that makes most sense, because that's all Lebanon can sell now,' said Sami Zoughaib, research manager at The Policy Initiative, a Beirut-based think tank. With summer still weeks away, flights to Lebanon are already packed with expats and locals from countries that overturned their travel bans, and hotels say bookings have been brisk. At the event hosted last month by the tourism ministry, the owner of the St. Georges Hotel, Fady El-Khoury, beamed. The hotel, owned by his father in its heyday, has acutely felt Lebanon's ups and downs over the decades, closing and reopening multiple times because of wars. 'I have a feeling that the country is coming back after 50 years,' he said. On a recent weekend, as people crammed the beaches of the northern city of Batroun, and jet skis whizzed along the Mediterranean, local business people sounded optimistic that the country was on the right path. 'We are happy, and everyone here is happy,' said Jad Nasr, co-owner of a private beach club. 'After years of being boycotted by the Arabs and our brothers in the Gulf, we expect this year for us to always be full.' Still, tourism is not a panacea for Lebanon's economy, which for decades has suffered from rampant corruption and waste. Lebanon has been in talks with the International Monetary Fund for years over a recovery plan that would include billions in loans and require the country to combat corruption, restructure its banks, and bring improvements to a range of public services, including electricity and water. Without those and other reforms, Lebanon's wealthy neighbors will lack confidence to invest there, experts said. A tourism boom alone would serve as a 'morphine shot that would only temporarily ease the pain' rather than stop the deepening poverty in Lebanon, Zoughaib said. Advertisement The tourism minister, Lahoud, agreed, saying a long-term process has only just begun. 'But we're talking about subjects we never talked about before,' she said. 'And I think the whole country has realized that war doesn't serve anyone, and that we really need our economy to be back and flourish again.'
a day ago
Lebanon aims to lure back wealthy Gulf tourists to jumpstart its war-torn economy
BEIRUT -- Fireworks lit up the night sky over Beirut's famous St. Georges Hotel as hit songs from the 1960s and 70s filled the air in a courtyard overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The retro-themed event was hosted last month by Lebanon's Tourism Ministry to promote the upcoming summer season and perhaps recapture some of the good vibes from an era viewed as a golden one for the country. In the years before a civil war began in 1975, Lebanon was the go-to destination for wealthy tourists from neighboring Gulf countries seeking beaches in summer, snow-capped mountains in winter and urban nightlife year-round. In the decade after the war, tourists from Gulf countries – and crucially, Saudi Arabia – came back, and so did Lebanon's economy. But by the early 2000s, as the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah gained power, Lebanon's relations with Gulf countries began to sour. Tourism gradually dried up, starving its economy of billions of dollars in annual spending. Now, after last year's bruising war with Israel, Hezbollah is much weaker and Lebanon's new political leaders sense an opportunity to revitalize the economy once again with help from wealthy neighbors. They aim to disarm Hezbollah and rekindle ties with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries, which in recent years have prohibited their citizens from visiting Lebanon or importing its products. 'Tourism is a big catalyst, and so it's very important that the bans get lifted,' said Laura Khazen Lahoud, the country's tourism minister. On the highway leading to the Beirut airport, once-ubiquitous banners touting Hezbollah's leadership have been replaced with commercial billboards and posters that read 'a new era for Lebanon.' In the center of Beirut, and especially in neighborhoods that hope to attract tourists, political posters are coming down, and police and army patrols are on the rise. There are signs of thawing relations with some Gulf neighbors. The United Arab Emirates and Kuwait have lifted yearslong travel bans. All eyes are now on Saudi Arabia, a regional political and economic powerhouse, to see if it will follow suit, according to Lahoud and other Lebanese officials. A key sticking point is security, these officials say. Although a ceasefire with Israel has been in place since November, near-daily airstrikes have continued in southern and eastern Lebanon, where Hezbollah over the years had built its political base and powerful military arsenal. As vital as tourism is — it accounted for almost 20% of Lebanon's economy before it tanked in 2019 — the country's leaders say it is just one piece of a larger puzzle they are trying to put back together. Lebanon's agricultural and industrial sectors are in shambles, suffering a major blow in 2021, when Saudi Arabia banned their exports after accusing Hezbollah of smuggling drugs into Riyadh. Years of economic dysfunction have left the country's once-thriving middle class in a state of desperation. The World Bank says poverty nearly tripled in Lebanon over the past decade, affecting close to half its population of nearly 6 million. To make matters worse, inflation is soaring, with the Lebanese pound losing 90% of its value, and many families lost their savings when banks collapsed. Tourism is seen by Lebanon's leaders as the best way to kickstart the reconciliation needed with Gulf countries -- and only then can they move on to exports and other economic growth opportunities. 'It's the thing that makes most sense, because that's all Lebanon can sell now,' said Sami Zoughaib, research manager at The Policy Initiative, a Beirut-based think tank. With summer still weeks away, flights to Lebanon are already packed with expats and locals from countries that overturned their travel bans, and hotels say bookings have been brisk. At the event hosted last month by the tourism ministry, the owner of the St. Georges Hotel, Fady El-Khoury, beamed. The hotel, owned by his father in its heyday, has acutely felt Lebanon's ups and downs over the decades, closing and reopening multiple times because of wars. 'I have a feeling that the country is coming back after 50 years,' he said. On a recent weekend, as people crammed the beaches of the northern city of Batroun, and jet skis whizzed along the Mediterranean, local business people sounded optimistic that the country was on the right path. 'We are happy, and everyone here is happy,' said Jad Nasr, co-owner of a private beach club. 'After years of being boycotted by the Arabs and our brothers in the Gulf, we expect this year for us to always be full.' Still, tourism is not a panacea for Lebanon's economy, which for decades has suffered from rampant corruption and waste. Lebanon has been in talks with the International Monetary Fund for years over a recovery plan that would include billions in loans and require the country to combat corruption, restructure its banks, and bring improvements to a range of public services, including electricity and water. Without those and other reforms, Lebanon's wealthy neighbors will lack confidence to invest there, experts said. A tourism boom alone would serve as a 'morphine shot that would only temporarily ease the pain" rather than stop the deepening poverty in Lebanon, Zoughaib said. The tourism minister, Lahoud, agreed, saying a long-term process has only just begun. "But we're talking about subjects we never talked about before,' she said. 'And I think the whole country has realized that war doesn't serve anyone, and that we really need our economy to be back and flourish again.'
