This summer brought unforgettable food adventures as my family and I explored local eateries across Vermont and into coastal Maine. We had a delicious time Noshing Across New England, discovering regional, hole-in-the-wall favorite spots.
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Our summers always involve a fair amount of indulgence. With all of us home for the summer months, we find plenty of excuses to eat out, barbecue, host gatherings, and eat ice cream.
And when we still don't have our fill, we hit the road to look for more spots for Noshing Across New England.
In a nutshell... 🐿️
- What it is: A recap of my family's summer food tour, where we tracked down the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants across Vermont and coastal Maine.
- You'll love this part: It's packed with inspiration for your own New England food quest, and shows how fun it is to discover tasty, local eateries off the beaten path.
- How to use this: Make a note of the bakeries, burger shacks, and breakfast spots that strike your fancy, and make plans to visit soon!
Jump to:
- My family's delicious quest
- East West Cafe in Burlington, Vermont
- Fried Oreos
- The Burger Barn in Jeffersonville, Vermont
- Auntie DeeDee's Homemade VT Baked Goods in Burke, Vermont
- Best Places for Hot Dogs Near Burlington, VT
- St. Johnsbury House Of Pizza in St. Johnsbury, Vermont
- Sugar and Spice in Mendon, Vermont
- Eats on the Road in Rhode Island
- The Sandwich Shoppe in Rutland, Vermont
- Lil' Britain Fish & Chip Shop in Bennington, Vermont
- Eaton's Sugar House in South Royalton, Vermont
- Pie in the Sky Bakery in Cape Neddick, Maine
- Lil's Cafe in Kittery, Maine
- Vermont ComicCon in South Burlington, Vermont
- Summer's over, and our bellies are full
- 💬 Comments
My family's delicious quest
Though the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season is the time when most folks find themselves over-consuming food and drink, for us, the belt-busting happens in the summer season.
With a blue pool and a hot grill, we happily hosted many gatherings on the home front to feed our hungry friends. (Like we did for our popular Taco & Margarita Cook-Offs!)
We also love hitting the road for food, and this particular summer we really hit the jackpot. I came across this list on Only In Your State right at the start of the season: 12 Great 'Hole In The Wall' Restaurants in Vermont That Will Blow Your Taste Buds Away.
Though we made it our mission to get to all twelve during the summer, by fall we still had five left unvisited on our list. (One of these however was not our fault because we drove 2+ hours to get there only to find it closed! Sad face.)
Nevertheless, we had some amazing, local food in Vermont and in Maine thanks to this list. Here are the hole-in-the-walls where we chowed down.
East West Cafe in Burlington, Vermont
A restaurant just minutes from us, in downtown Burlington, the East West Cafe is where we had sumptuous and spicy Thai food.
I wouldn't call it a 'hole' but it is a tiny, brightly decorated space and the folks there are friendly and warm. As warm as the smile on our daughter's face—she joined us for lunch that day!
Memories from the fair!
Fried Oreos
I love going to the fair with my family, especially for the food! Here's a fair treat that you can make at home once the fair's over.
The Burger Barn in Jeffersonville, Vermont
The Burger Barn is just a tiny, little shack in an unassuming parking lot! Their burgers are enormous, juicy, flavorful, and wonderful!
Choosing just one of the enticing burger options was difficult, but once we did, we were very satisfied. The big burgers are made with locally sourced beef and they're loaded with toppings.
Auntie DeeDee's Homemade VT Baked Goods in Burke, Vermont
Though we weren't able to make it to Tim's Deli in St. Johnsbury (that was the one that was closed) it was only a short drive from there to get to Auntie DeeDee's Homemade VT Baked Goods in East Burke.
We were confused at first because the address for Auntie DeeDee's brought us to a ranch house on a road leading up to Burke Mountain. Then we learned that this house is indeed the cutest little bakery!
As we pulled in, the owner Danielle Ekasala came running out of the house (she had just been doing dishes) and opened up the garage door to reveal a tiny bakery in the converted space!
I just fell in love with the little business, and the baked goods are just as enticing. Get there early if you can, because her creations are very popular.
We arrived too late to try her gourmet sandwiches, but were happy to gobble up sweets like lemon bars and chocolate chip walnut cookies.
Hot dog!
Best Places for Hot Dogs Near Burlington, VT
Classic franks and tasty toppings
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St. Johnsbury House Of Pizza in St. Johnsbury, Vermont
After Auntie DeeDee's we had our lunch at the St. Johnsbury House of Pizza. As a rule, we are always on the lookout for houses of pizza—my husband insists that "house of pizza" pizza is always amazing no matter where you have it.
And his theory tested true: the pizza as well as the sandwiches are really tasty!
Sugar and Spice in Mendon, Vermont
Sugar and Spice is another local eatery that's a favorite with ski bums, in this case in Mendon near the slopes of Killington Resort. They're famous for their rich breakfasts and baked goods.
My son chose pork sausages baked INSIDE golden pancakes—pigs-in-a-blanket style!
More noshes
Eats on the Road in Rhode Island
We found breakfast and some famous Rhode Island dishes!
The Sandwich Shoppe in Rutland, Vermont
We met our cousins at The Sandwich Shoppe, a little eatery that my husband says has been there since he was a kid growing up in Rutland.
Their menu is unbelievable—covering three entire walls, it's written in chalk, ceiling to counter (including the little bits of wall that go over the tops of cabinets and doorways!)
I thought choosing at The Burger Barn was hard... it was nothing compared to The Sandwich Shoppe.
The staff there is so friendly and kind. They're quick with a joke and called to us from the counter as we ate to see how we liked everything.
The sandwiches were as monstrous as the menu, quite a value, and quite delicious!
Lil' Britain Fish & Chip Shop in Bennington, Vermont
This hole-in-the-wall was one of the first hole-in-the-wall places we went to, while in Bennington for my brother's graduation: Lil' Britain Fish & Chip Shop.
My mom had been telling us for months to give it a try—and it did not disappoint. I had a savory bangers n' mash and my son had his first ever fish n' chips. It was a massive-sized portion of fish too! We both loved our meals.
I was tempted to try the mushy peas, but instead, we opted for dessert in the form of a package of Jammy Dodgers... our little nod to our love of Doctor Who!
Eaton's Sugar House in South Royalton, Vermont
We made it to Eaton's Sugar House on our way to Maine to eat pie!
Eaton's is a fascinating stop, a huge, rambling barn that sits right at the intersection of Routes 14 and 107 in South Royalton. As you walk through the interior has that great, aged wood smell, and plenty of creaks and squeaks characteristic of a structure that's been around awhile.
At the entrance there is a map of the U.S. and abroad filled with thousands of pins—they mark how far and wide folks have traveled to eat at Eaton's!
The Eaton's Sugarhouse menu is that of a classic Vermont breakfast and brunch spot: several pages long, and serving several varieties of waffles, pancakes, French toast, and omelets.
There are also sandwiches and soups available for lunch all day. It's a very homey spot, and you get lots of filling food for your dollar.
(Sadly, Eaton's Sugarhouse was destroyed in a fire in 2019.)
Pie in the Sky Bakery in Cape Neddick, Maine
That same road trip to Eaton's eventually took us to Maine. After a quick visit to the beach (had to get in a little surf and sun), we hit the road for pie.
It was our last visit to Pie in the Sky Bakery in Cape Neddick, Maine.
I've written about this bakery before, but on this day I was especially excited for the owners John and Nancy: after 35 years of baking pies, they announced their retirement!
When I heard this news earlier in the year I knew we had to get there one more time. They were as busy as ever in their toasty bakery situated just off the main living area of their house.
The space was exactly the same as when we last visited: full of pies and other sweets, springform pans hanging from the ceiling, and what seemed like the world's largest stand mixer behind the counter.
Instead of buying one whole pie, we chose instead to take slices of six different varieties. And we were hungry enough for all six! (Ha.)
We had the following pie flavors: raspberry, lemon, coconut cream, blueberry, blueberry peach, and fudge. Just as they had been for 35 years, these pie slices were sweet, flavor-packed, and hand-crafted with love.
Thirty-five years! That's a whole lotta long days, hard work—and pies!
Lil's Cafe in Kittery, Maine
One unexpected stop while in Maine Lil's Cafe in Kittery. Thanks to our Facebook updates about visiting Pie in the Sky, my friend Annie immediately texted to insist we go to Lil's, one of her favorite spots. And she told us to order the cruller.
We were so glad that we did! Lil's crullers are like no other, and way better than a doughnut. The center is incredibly light like a popover, with a delicate coating of sugary glaze over the surface.
Those crullers are HUGE... thank goodness my son and husband were willing to eat some with me! We also had savory breakfast sandwiches and piping hot coffee.
The Lil's Cafe space is as impressive as the crullers—it's a converted bank, complete with the massive vault door that leads to the record business next door.
The drive-up teller booth outside the bank is also re-purposed—into a juice bar. The cafe was hopping on that early morning, and it's still a local favorite. (And now a favorite of this out-of-stater, too!)
Vermont ComicCon in South Burlington, Vermont
Our final food discoveries of the summer took place at the third annual Vermont ComicCon in South Burlington.
These food discoveries were really mostly mine: while my husband and son scoured the Con for comics and Pop! figures, I hunted down the small group of food vendors on hand.
I found impeccably decorated Nintendo cupcakes from North Country Cakes. The vendors were on theme too, dressed as Mario, Luigi, and Princess Peach.
I also found Honeymoon Kitchens based in Vergennes, VT. They had adorably decorated cupcakes and stacks of cookies. While I should have tried different varieties from what I had at last year's ComicCon, their molasses cookies are just too good to pass up. So I bought a few packs.
I thought the best find at the ComicCon was the display from Delicias Chocolates based in Morrisville, VT, full of perfectly shaped and vividly-colored chocolates.
They had themed chocolates for Star Wars, Doctor Who, Nintendo, Pac-Man, and more. I chose a blue box: a lovely little Tardis! I also grabbed a long package of Pac-Man and ghosts.
The most impressive creations, in my opinion, were the Harry Potter-themed Chocolate Frogs, each in their own domed and brightly patterned box, and each with a collectible wizard's card! How cool is that?
Finally, though not a food find, I met Vermont artist Bridget Comeau a graduate of the Center for Cartoon Studies, in White River Junction, Vermont.
I picked up a copy of her charming little comic book titled Breakfast, described as "the first installment to an ongoing, food-themed comic series." I love her illustrations in this tiny comic and the sweet story of friends foraging for breakfast.
There are even two recipes at the end of the comic: for raspberry-elderberry jam and acorn bread!
(I had no idea anyone but squirrels could eat acorns, but here is an NPR article confirming that, yes, we humans can too!)
Summer's over, and our bellies are full
All good summers must come to an end, and that summer we sure packed in a whole lot of good eatin'. We found unique and delicious eateries that we had never experienced before.
I hope our food discoveries inspire you to hit the road, drive a little further than you might normally, and do your own noshing! Here are more places for Noshing Across New England:
Tracy | Baking Mischief says
This sounds like the most delicious summer! That bacon burger and cruller look SO good. And how cute is that tiny garage bakery!? I love out-of-the-way places. You always feel like it's a treasure hunt visiting them.
Nancy Mock says
Yeah, that bacon burger was the size of my head. And so delicious! We're trying to find more and more out of the way places like these on our trips.