Food+Drink

At this point in Daysies history, we are completely convinced of our readers’ loyalty to their favorite restos.

After all, Burlington’s Stone Soup is still taking the top prizes for both Best Veggie Fare and Best Place to Do Lunch in Chittenden County. And, so far, nobody has been able to oust Penny Cluse from its a.m. throne, built on a reputation for creative combos made with the freshest ingredients. The house-squeezed tangerine juice, huevos rancheros and tofu scram with peanut-ginger sauce are enduring favorites.

Still, there were a few fresh faces this time around. Montpelier’s Kismet hasn’t won a Daysie — yet — but it was a runner-up in two “outside-of-Chittenden-County” categories: Best Breakfast/Brunch and Best Place to Do Lunch. Folks who’ve sampled the “beautiful chicken crêpe,” with chicken, goat cheese, pea shoots and lemon cream in a buckwheat wrap, will attest the showing wasn’t just a stroke of luck. For lunch, Kismet tied with another tasteful newcomer, 3 Squares in Vergennes.

For “Veggie Fare,” Magnolia Breakfast & Lunch Bistro, Burlington’s first certified green restaurant, knocked City Market out of the runner-up spot. Tiny Thai is still the spot for “Tastiest Takeout,” but China Express has replaced New World Tortilla as this year’s silver medalist.

Opening up a second location, right in the heart of the Queen City, seems to have given a boost. The authentic, Long Island-style joint knocked Leonardo’s out of its second-place spot for “best pizza.” Just like last year, the saucy first-place winner American Flatbread doesn’t technically make pizza, but call their concoction of dough, sauce and cheese what you will, I’m betting they don’t mind the vote of confidence.

Vermont voters clearly know what they like, but this year, we decided to shake things up with a few, brand-spankin’-new categories. In 2008, we asked folks to dish about their favorite burgers — the Vermont Pub & Brewery’s Angus burger, done any way you like, is clearly a big crowd pleaser. Smokejacks’ “Bold” burgers and Halvorson’s patties moo-ved folks enough to tie as runners-up.

Gas prices cramping your style? Ours, too, which is why we put “Cheap Eats” — places where you can chow down on good stuff for less — on the list. Al’s French Frys took the Daysie, but New World Tortilla, with its oversized wraps in exotic flavors such as Thai Chicken and the spicy Chicken Vera Cruz, made a good showing, too.

In our new category, “Best Farmers’ Market Vendor/Farm Stand,” most voters took that to mean an entire market rather than a single vendor. Or maybe you couldn’t choose just one? In any event, the Burlington Farmers’ Market won, and Montpelier’s was runner-up.
-Suzanne Podhaizer