Burlington, VT – The Vermont Dept. of Tourism and Marketing and Seven Days, Vermont’s free, independent newsweekly and organizer of Vermont Restaurant Week, are pleased to announce this year’s Vermont Restaurant Week, a simultaneous celebration of the state’s vibrant local food culture and fundraiser for the Vermont Foodbank.
The fifth annual Vermont Restaurant Week, April 25 to May 4, is an opportunity to sample locavore, farm-to-table cuisine that is perennially celebrated in national accolades and headlines. Vermont can credit its distinction as a culinary destination to its abundance of agricultural resources and top-flight chefs paired with the state’s position as home to the most cheese makers and brewers per capita in the country. Vermont’s rural farming heritage has nurtured a dining culture that welcomes exploration: culinary visitors delight in fine, local, fresh foods amid the vibrancy of downtown, while admiring mountain views or appreciating the working farm next door.
New this year, the Vermont Dept. of Tourism and Marketing is cooking up a menu of lodging deals with resorts or inns that feature onsite or nearby restaurants. Vermont Restaurant Week participating restaurants offer prix-fixe dinners at three main price points —$15, $25 and $35 and some dining venues also offer $10 breakfast and lunch specials. Participating restaurants include establishments such as Hen of the Wood, whose Chef-owner Eric Warnstedt is a six-time James Beard Foundation Award nominee and The Kitchen Table Bistro, home to another couple of repeat nominees, Chef-owner Steve Atkins and his wife, Pastry Chef Lara. To date, there are more than 80 restaurants to enjoy.
In addition to 10 days of dining, food lovers will savor the following events:
- Sweet Start Smackdown kicks off Restaurant Week on Thursday, April 24. Ten of the state’s pastry chefs square off at a festive competition at the Higher Ground Ballroom in South Burlington. Which concoction will be named Vermont's signature sweet? It’s up to attendees and a panel of celebrity judges, which this year includes Vermont-based chef Jean-Louis Gerin, winner of the Food Network show “Chopped” as well as a James Beard Foundation Award. This event sells out. Visit vermontrestaurantweek.com for ticket information.
- On Sunday, April 27, Big Picture Theater in Waitsfield screens Tampopo, arguably one of the finest films by Director Juzo Itami. The movie uses an unconventional story structure to celebrate, question and marvel at all things gustatory. A pre-screening cocktail hour features Switchback beer and Vermont Spirits liquors.
- On Tuesday, April 29, at ArtsRiot in Burlington, teams of rowdy food-trivia fanatics compete for prizes in the Culinary Pub Quiz.
- Farm-to-Bottle: Are local libations the sleeping giant of value-added agriculture in Vermont? A panel of four food experts considers that question on Wednesday, April 30, at Burlington’s South End Kitchen.
- The perfect digestif to Restaurant Week, the Bartender Brawl, gathers some of the state’s finest bartenders for a cocktail competition featuring Vermont Spirits’ White Snake Whiskey.
With all these sumptuous treats and food festivals, our stomach may have trouble digesting all the food. It is always handy to have a constipation supplement with you.
This year’s sponsors include Vermont Federal Credit Union, Vermont Creamery, Switchback Brewing Co., Vermont Spirits, Farm to Plate, the Vermont Community Foundation and the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing, with media support from Jumponit and WNCS the Point Independent Radio.