Andrea Chesman of Ripton may not be a household name, but in local foodie circles she’s known for writing cookbooks that make excellent use of Vermont’s seasonal ingredients, particularly veggies. Published in 2007, Serving Up the Harvest: Celebrating the Goodness of Fresh Vegetables is easy to find at local food markets and bookstores.... Read more

For nearly 40 years, Jim Kleptz of LaPlatte River Angus has been raising beef cattle on a piece of land in Shelburne. Although the cows began as a hobby, Kleptz got serious about the business — with the help of his sons — after retiring in 1987. He’s been selling to local restaurants, supermarkets and consumers ever since.... Read more

If you didn’t get to try Miguel’s Stowe Away during its sojourn in Burlington circa 2006, you’ll soon get another chance. Owners Michael and Adrienne Henzel will open a new incarnation of their eatery in the Battery and Main building that has housed Quatre Bistro, Quatorze and Greenstreet’s. “Someone thinks we deserve a chance again,” Adrienne says. “A setback is a setup for a comeback.”... Read more

Nothing fires up the appetite like a vigorous workout, but it’s not often you can get to exercise and eat together. That’s part of what’s special about the second annual Tour de Farms — a bike ride through Addison County punctuated by visits to farmers and food producers. Participants, who are asked to bring both a bike helmet and a spoon, choose among 10-, 25- and 30-mile routes.... Read more

Although it was written nearly a century ago, Upton Sinclair’s The Jungle, an exposé of the Chicago meat-packing industry, still has the power to make people think twice about what goes into their sausages. (Among the secret ingredients back then: severed digits of unfortunate workers.)... Read more

When Matt Birong — owner of 3 Squares Café in Vergennes — invested in a hefty new safe for storing money, he figured he had the criminals beat. “We got robbed in early May,” he says. “Forced entry at the back door. I was like, ‘My fault for having a shitty little safe.’”... Read more

Just in time for its 25th birthday, the Vermont Butter & Cheese Company is rolling out a new name and a fresh logo. As noted by Assistant Research Editor Emily McKenna on the Food & Wine magazine website, the business will soon go by Vermont Butter & Cheese Creamery. She calls the new nomenclature “more pastoral, quaint and practical.”... Read more

Last weekend, there were lots of haps on the tube, from the beginning of the college football season to golf’s U.S. Open. The plethora of events was a good omen for Burlington’s new sports bar, 156 Bistro, located on St. Paul Street where Meñores used to be. “We show any sporting event that anybody requests,” boasts co-owner and chef Kevin DesChenes.... Read more

Early this year, Burlington’s only vegan restaurant, New Ethic Café, closed without an explanation. The spot was owned by Sam Lai — who also owns China Express on North Street — but was the brainchild of one of his former employees, Owen Hoppe, who acted as manager. Despite New Ethic’s speedy demise, Lai is optimistic about his new venture, which is located in the same North Street spot.... Read more

Route 7 is dotted with mini-marts, casual Italian and Chinese restaurants, and all manner of fast-food joints. But a new inn and restaurant called Tourterelle, on the stretch between Vergennes and Middlebury, offers something quite different. The fare, prepared by chef-owner Bill Snell, is classic French with a twist: Think fat escargots and bits of garlic sausage on warmed foccacia, or bouillabaisse with a touch of nontraditional tomato paste and a hint of Thai curry.... Read more