For a quarter century,Chris and Lynne Francis have run Mr. Pickwick’s at Ye Olde England Inne with an emphasis on authenticity: steak, kidney and oyster pie, and bangers ’n’ mash were standard fare. But back in the Old Country, something happened to British menus: the dawn of the “gastropub,” where fresh ingredients and ideas meet cozy comfort food.... Read more

When Abbey Duke started Burlington’s Sugarsnap with NECI-trained co-owners Kirk and Katie Fiore, the two chefs envisioned the eatery as a “five-year plan,” says Duke. With those five years behind them and the business in good shape, the trio felt the operation was “mature enough … to make a transition.” They came up with a plan that allowed Duke to become the sole owner.... Read more

For years, Tristan O’Neil of Burlington wanted to make a series of beer education videos, but there was one crippling problem: The youngster couldn’t snag a six-pack at the supermarket. “I’d been to Canada a couple times, but I also went to Belgium for a week, and that’s when I really fell in love with beer,” the now-21-year-old recalls.... Read more

Chantal Beliveau, owner of Burlington’s Outer Space Café, has announced that the South End Farmers’ Market will reopen on Wednesday, June 3, from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m., “near the tower of filing cabinets” beside the restaurant she owns with her sister Lia Beliveau says folks can expect local chicken, rabbit and produce as well as prepared emp... Read more

Since Big Chile Republic in Colchester shuttered its doors unexpectedly last year, lovers of its Filipino fusion cuisine have wondered where Chef Chris Hechanova — famed for his fish tacos and cauliflower cakes — would go next.... Read more

Charlie Menard, executive chef at The Inn at the Round Barn in Waitsfield, says he first signed on to Twitter “purely out of curiosity.” Browsing fellow “Tweeters” in the area, Menard was surprised to find that “a lot of Vermonters took on a foodie persona even though they weren’t in the industry.” So many, in fact, that Menard decided to organize them.... Read more

The Riverside Avenue former home of Tortilla Flat is inching closer to reopening as the Bluebird Tavern. Owner Sue Bette estimates that the space will be fully restored in the next few weeks. Diners will sit at recycled barn-board tables made by a carpenter on Grand Isle, lit by custom lamps from Conant Metal & Light.... Read more

Last February, Amber LeMay of the House of LeMay blog was the first to break the news that the Burlington area would finally be getting a gay bar (that is, since the closure of 135 Pearl). This Monday morning, she reported that Two Friends Bistro & Bar has closed.... Read more

When the folks at Lake Champlain Chocolates decided to add a new sweet — the fifth — to their line of Five Star Bars, their biggest challenge was finding a flavor that could live up to the hype.... Read more

When famed food blogger Ed Levine visited the 2007 “Food & Wine Classic” in Aspen, organized by the culinary mag of the same name, he posted about his five favorite dishes: One of his picks was a ceviche discovered at the “Rums of Puerto Rico” booth.... Read more