Seven Daysies: Annual Guide to Readers' Picks

Food+Drink

Nearly a decade into the Daysies, it seemed like time for a shakeup. We offered you a slew of new categories, and in return you gave us some surprising new winners.

Perhaps what’s old is new again, at least in the case of the Wayside Restaurant & Bakery. The 97-year-old Berlin diner snagged second place for best breakfast outside Chittenden County. On the opposite end of the age spectrum, Farmhouse Tap & Grill won its second Daysie for best burger. At just slightly more than a year old, the Burlington gastropub was ineligible for best new restaurant, which it would have handily won. Instead, Church & Main, which opened last October, won that honor. Outside Chittenden County, the new resto Daysie went to Salt, the Montpelier café that former Seven Days food editor Suzanne Podhaizer opened with her husband, chef Dan Green, last November.

Sustainability may be its own reward, but, this year, you were eager to share the locavore laurels. Vermont Fresh Network member Leonardo’s Pizza netted its third consecutive win for best pizza delivery. Bite Me Organic Pizza, with its creative specialty pies, came in second, unseating last year’s runner-up, Domino’s, by only two votes.

To shine a light on local producers, we eliminated last year’s award for best Vermont specialty food in favor of more specific categories. Perhaps Cabot Creamery was simply too big not to win best Vermont cheese, but Shelburne Farms wasn’t far behind — thanks to some incredibly enthusiastic fans. One of you endorsed Shelburne Farms Tractor Cheddar thus: “It’ll put hair on your chest.” Maybe it’s time for Vermonters to claim the title “cheddarheads” from Wisconsin. Another Shelburne business topped the best winery voting in Chittenden County: Shelburne Vineyard.

Samosaman won best farmers market vendor, with Rookie’s Root Beer its runner-up, and also recaptured second place for best ethnic cuisine (non-Asian) outside Chittenden County. Speaking of the largest continent, a pair of Asian markets ran neck-and-neck for the first-ever best ethnic market Daysie. 99 Asian Market Eatery was only five points behind Thai Phat Market, just down North Street.

What else was new? Read on to see if your favorites made the cut.

— Alice Levitt

Click on the links below to view the runners-up, previous winners and spotlights (where available) in each category.