FALL 2017
VOLUME 10 NO 4 $4.95
ANIMAL ER
BEVS offers around-the-clock care
EAT, LEARN, SAVOR At The Essex Resort & Spa
A VERMONT THANKSGIVING Tips and recipes for a memorable meal
Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 9
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EAT, LEARN, SAVOR
All things culinary at The Essex Resort & Spa. BY MARY ANN LICKTEIG
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ANIMAL ER
BEVS offers emergency and specialty services. BY MARY ANN LICKTEIG
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ADDRESSING AND PREVENTING HARDSHIPS Sara Holbrook Community Center celebrates 80 years of good works. BY TOM BRANDES Cover photo of Barouk by Danielle Fisette.
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Contents 15 PUBLISHERS’ NOTE 16 ONLINE HUB 18 CONTRIBUTORS 20 GATHERINGS
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22 PETS AND PEOPLE News, products, and furry facts.
24 ART SCENE Vermont Singing Drum. BY PAM HUNT
30 CHEERS! Cider and mead drinks. BY JEN ROSE SMITH
34 HOT SPOT Istanbul Kebab House. BY PAM HUNT
40 WHAT'S IN STORE Danform Shoes. BY COREY BURDICK
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56 COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT Local turkeys just taste better. BY PHYL NEWBECK
62 SEASON’S BEST
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A Vermont Thanksgiving.
83 HAPPENINGS A calendar of events.
87 ADVERTISERS INDEX 88 LAST GLANCE
Celebrating the Golden Days of Autumn
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SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Shopping and fun things to do in our local Burlington area.
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Coffee Table Publishing, LLC 32 Hermit Thrush Lane South Burlington, VT 05403 www.bestofburlingtonvt.com PUBLISHERS
Robin Gales John Gales Bob Frisch ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Kristy Erickson COPY EDITOR
Elaine Ambrose ART DIRECTION/DESIGN
Robbie Alterio ADVERTISING DESIGN
Hutchens Media, LLC WEB DESIGN
Locable ADVERTISING
Robin Gales (802) 299-9086 John Gales (802) 558-2719 coffeetablepublishing@comcast.net Keep us posted. Best of Burlington wants to hear from our readers. Correspondence may be addressed to Letters to the Editor, Best of Burlington, 32 Hermit Thrush Lane, South Burlington, VT 05403. Advertising inquiries may be made by emailing ctpublishing@comcast.net or coffeetablepublishing@comcast.net. Best of Burlington is published quarterly by Coffee Table Publishing, LLC, ©2017. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited. Best of Burlington accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, artwork, or photographs.
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PUBLISHERS’ NOTE
Enjoy Autumn’s Bounty
W
hen you think about fall in the Champlain Valley, what comes to mind? Wonderful mosaics of reds, yellows, and oranges? Crisp, blue-sky days? Fresh cider, pumpkins, and Thanksgiving? It’s all of those and so much more. To many, this is their favorite time of year, and who can blame them? Our fall issue touches on these seasonal pleasures as well as introducing you to new discoveries. We stop by Istanbul Kebab House, where Turkish and Mediterranean dishes will take you away while the rooftop dining keeps you above it all. We tell you the story of Danform Shoes, a long-standing retail family business that’s been meeting the footwear needs of loyal customers for years. And to include special sounds as well as sights, we visit Vermont Singing Drum, where Tim Danyliw crafts instruments that are also works of art. We celebrate ciders and meads, spotlight local turkey farms, and fill you in on the delicious happenings at The Essex Resort & Spa, where they’ve married the art of culinary discoveries and delightful pampering. A different yet perfect pairing. With an effort to inform, we also bring you the Sara Holbrook Community Center and the much-needed and welcomed programs its staff and volunteers provide, as well as shining a spotlight on the Burlington Emergency Veterinary Services (BEVS) and the unique services they offer for our much-loved pets. We are fortunate to have organizations with a mission of care and compassion in the Champlain Valley. Happy fall everyone! Enjoy the riot of colors, the bountiful harvest, the beautiful display of mums planted throughout the area, and that refreshing nip in the air.
John and Robin Gales Publishers
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CONTRIBUTORS BEST OF BURLINGTON
Tom is a freelance writer in Plymouth, Minnesota, where he writes on a variety of subjects including technology, health care, manufacturing, sustainability, and more. His work has appeared in a number of publications, including New Hampshire Wildlife Journal, Auto Magazine, Fire Chief, and Urban Land. He enjoys hiking, biking, and canoeing during annual visits to New England with his family.
TOM BRANDES
Corey has spent the past 12 years pursuing her passion for all things food and wine. She is a graduate of Mount Holyoke College and has received her WSET Level 2 certification from the Vermont Wine School. When she isn’t writing or cooking up something delicious with locally sourced foods, you can find her running, vintage treasure hunting, roller-skating, or puddle jumping.
COREY BURDICK
Pam is a freelance writer and editor in South Burlington, Vermont. When she’s not working with words, you can find her with her husband, bicycling on Green Mountain byways, skiing through the trees, or meandering up and down the hills of Burlington with their two dogs.
PAMELA HUNT
Mary Ann lives in Burlington, Vermont. Her work has appeared in newspapers worldwide, thanks to a stint at the Associated Press. When she isn’t writing, she can be found running, in a yoga class, or strapped in a minivan with four kids and a dog.
MARY ANN LICKTEIG
Jen writes about travel and libations from her home base in Winooski. She’s the author of the Moon Handbook to Vermont, and when she’s not exploring every corner of New England, she can usually be found in the kitchen wielding a whisk and a cocktail shaker.
A former flatlander from New York City, Phyl lives in Jericho, where she has learned to stack a mean pile of firewood. When she’s not skiing, skating, bicycling, swimming, or kayaking, she writes for several local publications. Phyl is the author of Virginia Hasn’t Always Been for Lovers: Interracial Marriage Bans and the Case of Richard and Mildred Loving.
PHYL NEWBECK
18 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
JEN ROSE SMITH
GATHERINGS BY DAVID BOYDEN
APPLES DELIGHT AT AUTUMN GET-TOGETHERS New offerings from Boyden Valley Winery & Spirits Boyden Valley Winery & Spirits has been making fine apple brandy since 2010 and using it to produce award-winning Vermont Ice Apple Créme and Vermont Ice Maple Créme liqueurs. Customers would frequently ask to purchase the apple brandy used to produce these liqueurs, so Boyden Valley Winery started aging their apple brandy as well as a blend of apple brandy and Vermont Ice Cider—known as a pommeau— in new American-oak barrels. Four years later, we now have their Pomme Noir apple brandy and Pomme Noir de Glace. POMME NOIR Tremendous time and careful consideration went into creating this wonderful apple brandy. Sustainably grown Vermont apples from Brown Family Orchard are cold fermented and triple distilled. Exquisitely aged in Americanoak barrels for four years, the Pomme Noir is smooth on the palate, with caramelized apple flavors and notes of vanilla and oak. Try it on the rocks or in your favorite cocktail. POMME NOIR DE GLACE Made in a tradition similar to a pommeau, a special blend of cider is frozen post-harvest, concentrating the must, and then fermented to create ice cider. Only by blending Pomme Noir apple brandy with Vermont Ice Cider can such intense and complex apple flavors be gathered. It’s finished in Americanoak barrels. Enjoy it on the rocks or as a sweet addition to your favorite cocktail. Stop by Boyden Valley Winery for a fall tasting. Tastings are offered from 10am to 5pm (6pm through October) daily. Choose from more than 20 different products to sample and go home with a Boyden Valley Winery glass as a keepsake. 4
BOYDEN VALLEY WINERY & SPIRITS 64 Vermont Route 104 Cambridge, VT (802) 644-8151 boydenvalley.com 20 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
APPLE SIDECAR 1½ oz Pomme Noir ¾ oz Cointreau ¾ oz lemon juice Splash of Gold Leaf wine Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice. Shake well and strain into a glass.
PETS AND PEOPLE SPONSORED BY BEVS
Downward-Facing Dog, for Dogs Dogs, cats, rabbits, and other animals clearly possess knowledge about the well-being, relaxation, and healing that can result from a great stretch. Most of them stretch a number of times a day, and there’s nothing half-hearted about it! So why not yoga for dogs? It’s a pleasurable activity to share with your dog at a yoga studio that offers “doga classes” or in your own home. For dogs and their best friends who get into the habit, yoga can promote flexibility, increase blood circulation, and bring about quicker recovery from strenuous walks, play sessions, or even minor injuries. To explore yoga with your dog, check out some of the many videos on YouTube on the topic or invest in a DVD or book. You can also find information at bark.com.
House Rabbits Rule
The Cat’s Meow Felines often have a lot to say, particularly certain breeds like the Siamese and the Japanese bobtail. In fact, experts say it appears they have more than one hundred different vocalizations, ranging from chirps to meows and guttural grrrrs. Dogs, by contrast, seem to have about ten. Woof.
Test the Waters
From Peter Cottontail to the Velveteen Rabbit, rabbits have portrayed endearing characters in children’s literature. But have you ever considered one as a house pet? With so many “pawsitively” good traits, rabbits do indeed make great pets. Every rabbit has its own personality, just like cats and dogs. They can be highly affectionate as well as intelligent, interactive, social, and playful. Like cats, rabbits will use a litterbox if one is available. And spaying or neutering a pet rabbit improves litterbox habits and reduces chewing behaviors, in addition to providing these lovable animals with longer, happier lives. Rabbits are fond of having lots of toys, and since they are bright creatures, play keeps them from getting bored. They’ll even rearrange their stash occasionally. Clean, cuddly, and super soft, what’s cuter than a bunny standing on its hind legs and washing its ears and face with its front paws? To learn more about rabbits as pets, check out the House Rabbit Society, a national nonprofit organization that can tell you all you need to know about rabbit care, at www.rabbit.org. When you’re ready to add a bunny or two to your family, visit the Humane Society of Chittenden County or another shelter. Great bunnies, like other wonderful companion animals, are on the lookout for a special forever family like yours. 22 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Keep Albert Finny and other pet fish clean, healthy, and stress-free with a naturally filtering glass aquarium. Using the laws of physics, this innovative spigot-powered design flushes out “used” water as a cup of clean water is added at the top. No filters or electricity means no extra costs, and the all-in-one design keeps aquatic friends free from handling and awkward tank transitions. Even better, it’s made in the USA. Check it out at www.nocleanaquariums.com.
Pet Safety for Spooky Times Keep all pets safe at Halloween with these tips. Remind children to keep all candy away from pets. While chocolate is especially lethal, treats with Xylitol can also sicken dogs and possibly cats, plus cellophane and other candy wrappers as well as lollipop sticks can create havoc and even be fatal in a pet’s digestive tract. Keep pets indoors and secure if trick-ortreaters will be coming to your home. With doorbells ringing and doors opening and closing, pets can easily go missing. Dogs who are territorial may get anxious and growl or nip at little ghosts and goblins. Black cats are particularly at risk around the holiday and should be kept inside for several days before and after Halloween as a safety precaution. Walking dogs in a neighborhood that’s been the scene of trick-or-treating the night before can be treacherous. Curious dogs, especially pups, are likely to ingest most any kind of discarded gum and candy they come across, including wrappings!
Did You Know? Pumpkins are not only great for making jack-o’-lanterns. Pureed pumpkin is good for cats and dogs’ digestion and also offers beta carotene, vitamins A and C, and several minerals beneficial to their health. Ask your vet about adding a spoonful to you pet’s food; most pets enjoy the flavor. Just be sure it has no added sugar or spice, as sometimes canned pumpkin is sold this way for cooking and baking.
Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 23
ART SCENE BY PAM HUNT
Vermont Singing Drum Bringing meditative music to the masses
I
nside the atelier-filled Howard Space Center on the corner of Pine and Howard Streets, a soft, soothing gong sound greets visitors, creating a peaceful vibe in an otherwise humming hive of activity. This Zen-like music originates in the Vermont Singing Drum workshop, where Tim Danyliw crafts his meditative creations. These instruments—which share only a name with their loud, percussive cousins—are also works of art, their polished surfaces resembling modern sculpture.
CREATING ARTISTIC DRUMS Tim created his first metal drum around six years ago. He has always enjoyed working with his hands, so he decided to marry his musical skills—playing drums and guitar, singing, and 24 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
composing—with his knowledge of metalworking to transform a 15-gallon steel propane tank into a usable instrument. Though this prototype lacks the grace and beauty of his later drums, it is still playable and, when struck with a mallet, resonates with a hollow, metallic tone. Today, Tim employs a metalworking shop in Ohio to form the sheets of steel into his designed shape, but he still tunes each instrument by hand. “These drums incorporate a lot of different steel-working tools,” he says. He first cuts the keys using a plasma cutter. Then he grinds the edges of the keys, checking the tones with an electronic tuner until the pitch is perfect. Each drum features keys in a pentatonic scale, meaning a player can’t hit a wrong
combination of notes because they’re all in the same family. Although the Zen G and the Bliss A drums are his biggest sellers, “every scale has its own personality,” Tim explains. “Generally, the higher the scale, the happier the feeling. If you get down to the Ds, the E minors, those have a gongier sound, a deeper sound, that is rich and grounding.” A DESIGN FOR RESONANCE While the concept of making a percussion instrument out of metal is not unique, every craftsperson has his or her own design. Many of the 150 or so other shops that produce steel drums for musicians are seeking a short, percussive sound from their instruments, but Tim doesn’t seek to shorten the resonance of his creations.
The Vermont Singing Drum can be played with mallets or with your hands. All the notes sound good together, so you can‘t hit a wrong combination of notes.
Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 25
Right: Tim holds one of the original drums. Below left: Vermont Singing Drum offers a beautiful laser-etched option. Right: Vermont Singing Drums are great for all ages. Opposite: Savitri uses the drum for musical meditation.
“When you put a pillow under or inside the drum, you dampen the sound, making it sound more like a hang drum,” he says. “I actually want to do the exact opposite. I want the long sustain.” This desire for notes that hang in the air comes from his use of the drums in meditation and therapy and for people who aren’t musicians, rather than as a straight-up performance instrument. 26 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
“When the drum is open, you can strike it once and listen to it ring and fall off. Meditation frequently starts with a single note like that.” He achieves the sonorous tones by keeping the welded seam between the steel halves that make up the drum very thin. He likens a thick seam, like that on his original propane-tank drum, to a guitar with a too-thick soundboard—a mallet strike will produce little
to no vibration and a dead sound. “I see my design as getting the best of both worlds,” he says. “You can have a long sustain, but you can shove a pillow in there and have a sustain as short as you want.” He notes that the dampened drums work well for ensembles of singing drums, where long sustains would produce a muddy mix of tones. Vermont Singing Drums are available in 16-
inch and 12-inch models. Although Tim does have some customers who request a specific scale for their model, many people decide on a key only after playing a couple of different drums. He distributes the drums through Advance Music Center and several other music stores and gift shops, as well as through his website. The Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce’s Welcome Centers near the Williston exit on I-89 North and South also have drums that visitors can play. He recommends people try them out in person. “If you listen to the drum on the Internet, on your phone, it’s nowhere near what it sounds like in real life,” he says. “Even the finest stereo system is nothing like going out to see the symphony play live.” NOT JUST FOR MAKING MUSIC Tim says that many musicians have purchased a singing drum, either to include in their bands or just to play around with. However, his focus is on Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 27
A 12-inch Vermont Singing Drum.
using these instruments in meditative settings, whether in a yoga studio or a therapy session. He notes that the staff in the neonatal unit at the UVM Medical Center use the soothing tones of the drums to help infants relax. In addition to constructing the drums, Tim has formed the Balanced Intelligence Group with several other like-minded people to launch a new venture. The group’s interactive classroom-management system brings the singing drums and their music into classrooms as part of mindfulness practice. “The drums are useful to get away from thoughts that might be cluttering students’ heads,” he says. “They do that immediately by making students focus on the tone.” Whether teachers incorporate this two-tofour-minute practice at the beginning of the school day, after recess, or anytime they feel students need a quick moment to ground themselves, Tim believes this “music” empowers the children. “Music increases blood flow to the brain. It stimulates the right hemisphere,” he says. “Plus, because they can’t hit a wrong note, it provides positive feedback for them.” What Tim finds most rewarding is seeing people play his drums and get lost in the sounds they produce. He says, “Music is the universal language. It’s like a smile—simple yet so powerful.” 4
Vermont Singing Drum 4 Howard Street Burlington, VT (802) 448-4223 www.vermontsingingdrum.com 28 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 29
Cider and Mead Drinks CHEERS!
BY JEN ROSE SMITH
What’s the aroma of fall? Forget pumpkin spice—autumn in Vermont smells of leaves and crisp air, spiked by the lingering perfume of fallen apples. It’s a season of almost overwhelming bounty, when orchards fill bushels and bags with shining fruit. Beekeepers are also collecting the sweet harvest of the summer’s flowers, lining their shelves with golden jars of honey. But for some of Vermont’s creative orchardists, brewers, and vintners, fruit and honey are just the beginning. When the apple harvest is at its peak, their ciders and meads are on heavy rotation on local drinks lists. We went all the way back to the brewers and mead makers to learn the best way to blend fall’s ciders and meads into pitchperfect cocktails, and they’ve shared their favorite recipes for autumn libations. Cheers!
Autumn’s bounty in a glass or mug
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Sazerac Variation DAN SNYDER, STOWE CIDER
Restrained and aromatic, the Sazerac Variation brings Green Mountain flavor to a New Orleans favorite. 1 sugar cube 3 dashes Peychaud’s Bitters 1K oz Tom Cat Gin 1 dash Pernod Absinthe 1 oz Stowe Cider Tips Up Lemon peel for garnish 1. In a mixing glass, saturate the sugar cube with bitters and muddle to break down the cube. Add ice and gin, then stir until well chilled and the sugar is almost completely dissolved. 2. Pour a dash of absinthe in a rocks glass, swirling the glass to coat the sides and discarding the excess. Fill the glass with fresh ice, then strain the contents of the mixing glass into the rocks glass. Top with cider and garnish with a lemon peel.
Old Took’s Faerie Wife MELISSA RIXON, GROENNFELL MEADERY
MEET THE MAKERS
Groennfell’s Buckland Mead is inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien’s beloved stories from Middle Earth, as is this whimsical drink.
A trip to the cidery, orchard, or meadery is the perfect fall outing, and each locale is the ideal place to sample the flavors of the season fresh from the source.
1K oz Barr Hill Gin K oz Saint Elder elderflower liqueur 2 sprigs rosemary Buckland Mead
STOWE CIDER
In a mixing glass, muddle one sprig of rosemary, then add gin, ice, and elderflower liqueur. Shake for 30 seconds. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and top with Buckland Mead and a rosemary sprig for garnish.
Captain Haddock’s Mead Whiskey
These Green Mountain cider makers keep their draft list fresh by collaborating with other local producers, and their lineup includes ciders aged in barrels from Smugglers’ Notch Distillery. 1799 Mountain Road, Stowe (802) 253-2065, www.stowecider.com
GROENNFELL MEADERY
Bringing a modern twist to the ancient art of mead making, Groennfell Meadery produces dry meads infused with everything from cranberries to vanilla.
NICHOLE WOLFGANG, ARTESANO MEAD
856 Hercules Drive, Colchester (802) 479-2345, www.groennfell.com
Named for a character in the Tintin comic books, this cocktail has grown-up depth of flavor and a serious bite of Scotch.
SHELBURNE ORCHARDS
1K oz Scotch whiskey 1K oz Artesano Poet’s Mead K oz blanc vermouth N oz honey simple syrup 3 dashes Allspice Dram Orange peel for garnish Combine all ingredients with ice in a mixing glass, stirring for 30 seconds. Strain into a rocks glass with a large ice cube and garnish with an orange twist.
With long rows of apple trees, fresh cider pressed on-site, pies, and cider doughnuts, this lakeside orchard is a favorite for local fruit. 216 Orchard Road, Shelburne (802) 985-2753, www.shelburneorchards.com
ARTESANO MEAD
The Vermont-harvested wildflower honey used in Artesano’s meads imparts a sweet aroma to bottles of traditional mead, sparkling mead, and Poet’s Mead, which is aged in American bourbon barrels. 1334 Scott Highway, Groton (802) 584-9000, www.artesanomead.com Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 31
Vermont 75 DAN SNYDER, STOWE CIDER
A twist on the traditional, champagne-based French 75, the light and sparkling Vermont version is perfect for celebrations. 1K ounces Barr Hill Gin O oz freshly squeezed lemon juice N oz honey simple syrup 4 oz dry hard cider Lemon peel for garnish Combine the first three ingredients in a champagne flute, then top with hard cider and garnish with a lemon twist.
Artesano Holiday Mead Negus NICHOLE WOLFGANG, ARTESANO MEAD
This warming drink is ideal for the first chilly evenings of fall, and the recipe is designed for a crowd of friends. 1 bottle Artesano Traditional Mead 1 lemon, juice and zest 2–3 Tbsp raw honey K-inch fresh ginger root, grated N tsp freshly grated nutmeg 1. Pour the bottle of mead into a medium-sized pot with the lemon zest and juice. Heat gently until the mixture is just below the boiling point, then stir in raw honey to taste. 2. Add the ginger root, remove from heat, then sprinkle with grated nutmeg. Allow the mixture to rest in a warm place for 10 minutes before serving in mugs.
Ginger Jack Splash NICK COWLES, SHELBURNE ORCHARDS
With a zesty kick from fresh ginger, this autumn sparkler is a breeze to mix up for impromptu apple-picking parties. 3 oz champagne K oz Ginger Jack Fill a champagne flute with your favorite champagne or sparkling wine, then top with a splash of Shelburne Orchards Ginger Jack, concentrated apple cider infused with lots of fresh ginger. 32 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 33
HOT SPOT BY PAM HUNT
PHOTOS BY ROGER CROWLEY
34 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Istanbul Kebab House offers sidewalk seating and a rooftop terrace. Opposite: Bรถrek, a crispy phyllo pastry layered by the tens, with a choice of three different fillings.
Istanbul Kebab House
A
s Vural Oktay waited tables in hotel restaurants in his hometown of Istanbul, he knew that someday he’d have his own restaurant. He just didn’t know where or when. Through a series of fortunate opportunities and chance encounters—as well as long hours and plenty of hard work—Vural now shares his love and vast knowledge of Turkish cuisine at his downtown Burlington restaurant, Istanbul Kebab House. When he was still living in Turkey, he and a friend were recruited to work in New Hampshire at the Mount Washington Resort’s restaurant. Although his friend’s visa application was eventually rejected, Vural found himself in December 2003 in the cold and snowy White Mountains, far from the familiar, twisting streets of Istanbul.
The following year, he met Jackie, a nursing student from UVM who was working at the resort for the summer. That August, he followed her down from the mountains to live in Burlington. He worked in several well-regarded kitchens in Chittenden County, including the Basin Harbor Club, as well as in Hanover, New Hampshire, and White River Junction, yet he continued to dream of having his own place. A PASSION BECOMES A RESTAURANT “Since the day I met him, it was always about opening a restaurant,” Jackie, who is now his wife, says. “He’s very passionate about his culture and food. It was never going to be anything else.”
When a space in Essex became available in 2012, they decided to go for it, and Istanbul Kebab House was born. And while the couple enjoyed a loyal and growing following at that location, they kept their eyes on Burlington, and in January 2014, they moved the restaurant to lower Church Street. The building includes a coveted roof deck. “The rooftop is a wonderful part of the restaurant, especially first thing in the morning,” says Jackie. Unlike many other restaurateurs in Vermont, Vural emphasizes authentic over local. He imports many of his ingredients from Turkey, from olive oil to the grape leaves they stuff from scratch and the organic dry chickpeas used in the hummus and falafel. Head Chef Veli Cetin relies on his butchery skills to select only the Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 35
Above: Poğaça, a soft buttery roll filled with a choice of three different fillings. Right: Beyti Kebab, ground lamb with chili, parsley, and garlic wrapped in lavash bread and topped with homemade tomato sauce. Served with rice pilaf and yogurt on the side. Opposite top: The second-floor dining room and bar. Bottom (left to right): Hasretcan Yilmaz, Mehmet Berk Aydin, Hasan Oktay, and Veli Cetin.
best, most tender lamb, beef, and chicken for the kebabs. Throughout the dining area, the décor also reflects the team’s heritage. Brightly colored painted platters and plates from Turkey line a shelf that runs along a wall, and filigree-patterned metal pepper grinders grace each table. On the downstairs bar sits a shiny silver tea maker, which Veli acquired on a recent trip back to Istanbul. General manager (and Vural’s brother) Hasan frequently works behind the upstairs bar, where he deftly pours shots of raki—Turkish anise liquor—into tall, narrow shot glasses with a splash of water to render the drink milky white, then nestles the glasses in a metal bowl of ice to keep them cold. INTRODUCING THE TASTES OF TURKEY Thanks to the addition of two new chefs from Turkey, the Istanbul Kebab House kitchen now offers breakfast 36 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 37
Clockwise from top left: (Left to right) Agcagul Yildirim, John Oktay (baby), Hasan Oktay, Nihal Oktay, Charlotte, and Neva Oktay. The rooftop terrace. A Turkish samovar for Turkish black tea. The second-floor bar.
38 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Tuesday through Sunday. “One of the new chefs had been working at a restaurant in Istanbul that is well-renowned for breakfast pastries,” says Jackie. In addition to omelets featuring all-beef Turkish sausage and beef and lamb döner kebab, the menu includes several traditional dishes such as menemen, an herby mix of tomato, pepper, and onion topped with eggs and accompanied by a puffy piece of homemade pide bread, perfect for sopping up the last bits from the ornate metal dish the meal is served in. Generously sized pastries—which are savory rather than sweet—can be a meal in themselves. Borëk features flavorful layers of meat, spinach and cheese, or potato and cheese sandwiched between sheets of crisp phyllo dough, a non-sweet version of baklava. Another treat is poğaça, a type of buttery bun stuffed with meat, cheese, or potatoes and herbs. In addition to the new morning meals, Veli is hoping to offer daily specials—something the kitchen was unable to do when he was the sole chef. “There are so many fabulous Turkish dishes that he makes for us that aren’t on the menu yet,” Jackie says. In addition to introducing patrons to Turkish foods, the Oktays are proud to feature wines from their homeland. “The wine coming out of Turkey is phenomenal,” Jackie notes. “It’s not a well-known wine-producing region, but the climate in Turkey is perfect for wine making.” Jackie makes “cheat sheets” for the restaurant’s servers to help them accurately describe the wines’ flavors and suggest appropriate selections to accompany the cuisine. Istanbul Kebab House keeps the Oktays busy—along with running Tuckerbox Café (their other restaurant in White River Junction) and raising their children—and they’re proud of its success and thrilled to be able to introduce diners in the Queen City to the exotic yet familiar flavors of Turkish cuisine. 4
ISTANBUL KEBAB HOUSE 175 Church Street Burlington, VT (802) 857-5091 www.istanbulkebabhousevt.com Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 39
WHAT’S IN STORE BY COREY BURDICK
Colin and Kate, two Shoes Earlhappy HandyDanform shows off a couple of customers! tempting Philly cheesesteaks.
40 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
A typical and beautiful table setting at Monarch & the Milkweed.
Danform Shoes it’s all about the experience
When you enter a bricks-and-mortar store, what do you notice? The music? How products are displayed? The people around x? Dave Bailey, CEO of Danform Shoes, and his wife, Helen Coates Bailey, COO, know how important the responses to these questions are and how each influences the shopping experience. A quick tour of the Baileys’ lakeside home in Colchester offers a glimpse into what helps inform their business model. Breathtaking natural views are flanked by an array of artwork from Vermont and national artists, ranging from landscape oil paintings to small sculptures. The duo waxes poetic about the history of each piece and their passion for nutrient-rich, well-prepared food that entices the palate. The life they’ve built for themselves is a feast for the senses, so it only stands to reason that these elements would make their way into their stores. A DIFFERENT SORT OF START
I
n 1978, Dave Bailey joined forces with Dave DeForge, crafting wooden-bottom clogs and Vermont Fireplace Heaters in their Colchester shop. Dave DeForge had recently traveled to Ireland to learn how to make clogs, and upon his return, he and Dave Bailey made a deal. If they sold a certain number of clogs while walking the length of Church Street, they would open a business making and selling them. And that’s how a fireplace-heater and clogmanufacturing shop was launched. Eventually, the heater component was dropped, and in 1986, as clog sales slowed, Dave Bailey bought out his co-owner, ceased manufacturing, and
went into retail. After the transition, he spent time on the road as a sales representative for Canadian boot companies, gaining insight that would inform his future retail philosophy. Helen Coates Bailey began her time with the company in 1982 as the bookkeeper, and a flurry of activity soon followed. In 1984, the Shelburne Road Store opened (not the current location), and in 1990, the St. Albans store was purchased. Finally, on New Year’s Eve 2000, the couple purchased Adams Boots and Shoes from John Adams on Church Street, who had sold shoes for 47 years. John continued to work for Danform until he passed away. Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 41
42 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
ALL IN THE FAMILY A large part of the customer experience is thanks to the staff, many of whom have been working at Danform for decades. Returning customers like that they can come by and see a familiar face, someone who knows their footwear needs and can help them. Store managers include Rob Sagui at the Colchester store (22 years), Penny Brock in St. Albans (20 years), and Heather Neill at the Burlington store (14 years). Family members working for Danform include co-managers at the Shelburne Road store Sean Bailey (18 years), Dave’s son, and Betsy Brown (8 years), Helen’s daughter; CFO Shari Sheehey (25 years), Helen’s niece; and son-in-law and general manager Derek Hellyer (16 years).
Top left: Dave and Helen Bailey in front of the new Colchester store sign. Middle, left to right: Sean Bailey (Shelburne store manager), 18 years; Penny Brock (St. Albans store manager), 20 years; Rob Sagui (Colchester store manager), 22 years. Bottom: Sean Bailey, Shelburne store manager, helps customers find a perfect fit with his extensive footwear knowledge.
Why clogs? Dave notes that one key experience altered the trajectory the stores would take—Nike wouldn’t sell to them. Instead of lamenting this fact, he armed himself with ample knowledge of internationally successful Euro-fit comfort shoes, traveling to Las Vegas where foreign companies debuted their latest models. He took the risk of purchasing a number of brands in that category, among them Dansko and Birkenstock, which remain top sellers today. TAKING ON THE INTERNET As the waves of challenges to retail stores begin to get closer and closer together, the Baileys are constantly tweaking their business model to stay ahead of the greatest threat to their stores, the Internet. Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 43
Right: A collection of top-selling Birkenstock sandals. Opposite page: Core selection of Dansko clogs.
Dave talks about a time when retailers competed against other shops rather than faceless Internet entities. Over the years, retail has taken numerous hits, including the launch of Zappos, then Amazon, and now, although it has yet to gain a strong foothold, direct-to-consumer sales that cut retailers out entirely. “We’re growing at a slower pace than we were 10 years ago and have never worked harder,” Dave says, but rather than feeling defeated, the Baileys have decided to adapt to the changes as best they can. That’s where the value-added experience comes in. “We can’t make it as convenient as your couch,” he says, “but we can make it better.” While customer service has always been at the forefront at Danform, Internet price matching and partnerships with local physical therapy practitioners have been added to their toolkit. The idea for price matching emerged as a result of observing customers on their phones while shopping, presumably comparing shoe prices online. Instead of fighting it, Dave embraced it, and that shift in perspective has been a success. Due to rules regulating pricing of shoes, customers often find that Danform’s prices are already the same as those online, and if they aren’t, the Baileys look into whether they’ve missed a markdown and make changes or report retailers who aren’t complying with the rules. Either way, the customer gets the best price and can feel at ease in the store knowing that fact. In addition, while Danform has always worked with the medical community, it wasn’t until recently that they began actively seeking partnerships with physical therapists. The practices refer patients to Danform for shoes specific to their needs, while, in turn, Danform’s staff can offer information about the medical practices to interested customers. Some of the clinicians have even hosted gait analysis workshops at Danform. 44 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
LOOKING AHEAD The Baileys are pragmatic, acknowledging that if rapid changes in the retail landscape continue, they’ll need to consider how best to move forward. Dave explains that most of his friends have simply liquidated their inventory, but the Baileys can’t see themselves doing that, especially since their employees are family, both literally and figuratively. In the meantime, Dave and Helen will continue running their four stores and doing what they do best—evolving and staying competitive while providing an experience everyone can feel good about, from employees to customers to the owners themselves. 4
Danform Shoes DanformShoesVT.com 2 Church Street Burlington, VT (802) 864-7899 104 Heineberg Drive (Route 127) Colchester, VT (802) 863-2653 3310 Shelburne Road (Route 7) Shelburne, VT (802) 985-3483 150 Swanton Road (Route 7) St. Albans, VT (802) 527-0916 Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 45
BY MARY ANN LICKTEIG
Eat, Learn, Savor
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All things culinary at The Essex Resort & Spa
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multimillion-dollar renovation at The Essex, Vermont’s Culinary Resort & Spa, took guest rooms down to the bare walls and cemented its mission since its 1989 opening: to educate chefs. Wall to wall, floor to ceiling, everything in every room is new—furniture, paint, carpeting, linens, lighting, and bathroom décor. Junction, an intimate, fine dining restaurant and winner of a 2017 Wine Spectator Award, has a new look too, as do the lobby and hallways. “It’s really a new product but in keeping with the tradition of The Essex,” says Tom Smith, director of sales and marketing. AN OUTSTANDING DESTINATION HOTEL The 28-year-old hotel represents all things culinary. From the décor to the gardens to its Cook Academy, food infuses everything on the 18-acre property 25 minutes from Burlington. Grapevines frame The Tavern’s patio, and hops cover the arched trellis at the entrance. Red Ursa kale, rainbow chard, bush beans, tomatoes, and herbs fill the gardens. 46 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 47
Above: The chef prepares vegetables grown on-site in the organic vegetable garden. The Essex harvests many of their own vegetables and herbs for their AAA Four Diamond, Wine Spectator Awarded Junction restaurant. Right: Flourless chocolate cake is a favorite dessert at The Essex. Served with local raspberries, it’s truly a mouthwatering treat. Opposite top: A delicious gourmet cheese board presented on local granite. This cheese platter is far from ordinary! Bottom: Your culinary experience begins immediately! Guest services agents serve up espresso and wine at check-in.
Penelope and Stewart, sibling Nigerian dwarf goats, graze at the edge of the lawn, while chickens peck in an adjacent pen, a nod to Vermont’s agricultural industry and a subtle reminder of where food originates. Even the Chasworth Farm Soaps for sale in the spa carry out the theme. Choose from Lavender Thyme, Cocoa, Vermont Maple, and Our Farm Soap, made with egg yolks and honey. The hotel, formerly known as The Inn at 48 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Essex, began as a collaboration with the New England Culinary Institute. The Montpelierbased school wanted to open a Burlington-area campus, and it served as the hotel’s food and
beverage operator for 10 years, giving budding chefs real-world experience. But the goals of a culinary school and a hotel don’t fully align, says Peter Edelmann,
co-owner of The Essex. “Our goal was to fill rooms and to provide good, consistent service.” NECI’s goal was to teach chefs. Peter explains, “You might get a great meal, but you could also get a meal [prepared] by a student who wasn’t properly supervised.” In addition, the costs fell to the inn, so the arrangement didn’t work. But it did leave the resort’s owners with a restaurant kitchen, a professional bakery, and a template for an outstanding destination hotel. GASTRONOMIC DELIGHTS ABOUND “The cooking classes, for us, were a natural,” Peter says. The focus has simply shifted
from the professional chef to the home cook. Amore Cucina, A Taste of Austria, Cooking with Vermont Beer, and crepe and baking workshops are all on the Cook Academy’s curriculum. And students enjoy the fruits of their labor, often in the form of a three- or four-course meal. Couples who marry at The Essex come back on their anniversary to take classes, which, Tom Smith says, are also great for corporate team building. “There’s no better way to bond with people than when you’re cooking together.” The academy also runs chocolate and wine tours and a fall leaf-peeping drive over back Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 49
Above and right: A taste of what the fully renovated guest rooms have to offer. Culinary themed artwork and locally sourced amenities complement your stay at the culinary resort.
roads and past a covered bridge to a cider mill, where guests can sample apples, local cider, and the must-have, melt-in-your-mouth, local fall favorite—cider doughnuts. Eat, learn, savor is the mantra of The Essex. Hired to carry the culinary concept throughout the entire remodel was Burlington interior designer Christine Burdick, who attended to every detail. The experience starts in the lobby. Arriving guests check in next to a pastry case that holds house-made sandwiches, mini quiches, and an array of desserts enrobed in chocolate or bejeweled with berries. “The concept is like checking into a bakery,” Tom says. Now there’s a concept most people can embrace! 50 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
The wallpaper behind the counter looks like the French ticking aprons are made of. Guests can order a cappuccino or a glass of wine to sip in the lobby’s culinary library or its buzzing Internet café. Across the lobby in the farm kitchen, a house chef may be cooking and handing out samples. The carpeting in the lobby and hallway is a lacy mottle of plums and neutrals, suggesting a French country tablecloth, “something you would find in your grandmother’s kitchen,” Christine says. Guest room carpeting, a light neutral, might remind you of wicker baskets, while the headboards evoke butcher block. Christine considered the 120 guest rooms, ranging from single king rooms to two-bedroom suites that sleep six, and divided them into three themes: The Art of Baking, featuring flour-colored walls and tea-towel-inspired throws; Harvest Fresh, which incorporates shades that suggest herbs, vegetables, and stone-ground wheat; and Spice Rack, popping with the vibrant hues of turmeric, coriander, and cayenne. INSPIRATION SPRINGS FROM RECIPES Varieties within each theme ensure a new experience for returning guests. Each room is inspired by a recipe from an Essex chef. It may be Roasted Heritage Carrots with Dill and Shallots, Italian Sausage with Fennel, Artichokes and Cabbage, or Easy Whole-Wheat Bread. The recipe hangs in the bathroom, its flavor infused throughout the room. A Harvest Room may feature a large-scale head of lettuce, an artichoke, and a red onion mounted above beds. Spice Rack rooms might display large, silver measuring spoons holding curry powder and paprika, while a baking room may hold a sculpted rolling pin, wheat, oats, and cranberries. These are the works of Barre artist Mike Turner. Maine photographer Lynn Karlin photographed kitchen utensils as part of her Tray Series, which Martin Feldman of LightWorks, Inc. in Winooski printed on metal to hang in the rooms. Torrey Valyou of New Duds in Winooski created custom artwork for bed scarves, pillows, and window treatments. His clean line drawings depict herbs, vegetables, whisks, and stand mixers. Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 51
Right: This may look like a bakery, but it’s the guest services desk where agents serve delicious treats and beverages for a memorable stay. Below: Guests will enjoy a touch of whimsy at Junction restaurant. Below right and bottom: Participants in The Essex’s Cook Academy classes enjoy hands-on fun. Opposite top: Professionally trained Junction chefs provide constant entertainment to diners. Bottom: The Essex designs and bakes all of their pastries as well as beautiful wedding cakes on-site. Guests can view pastry chefs (Heather Wallace pictured) baking daily.
A TOUCH OF WHIMSY The concept for the restaurant, Junction, is Place Setting. “It sets the stage for sharing a bottle of wine, great conversation, and bites from a neighbor’s plate,” says Christine. One wall is painted black to resemble trivets while another is cork. Potato ricers are mounted in a circle on another wall. Whimsical light fixtures made from colanders and spoons hang in the private dining room. Diners enjoying a Vermont cheese and charcuterie board or saffron risotto are advised to savor each bite—but between courses, look up. Place settings are mounted on the ceiling, ranging from chopsticks and a soup bowl to a sippy cup and a flip phone. The inspiration for that, Christine says, was a bad date. She and Steve Conant of Burlington’s Conant Metal & Light wanted to incorporate a fea52 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
ture for people struggling to carry on conversation. “If you’re stuck on a bad date,” she says, “you have something to talk about.” 4
The Essex Resort & Spa 70 Essex Way Essex, VT (844) 258-7212 www.essexresortspa.com
ONLINE EXTRA Learn more about The Essex Resort & Spa’s cooking classes, full-service spa, and luxurious amenities at www.bestofburlingtonvt.com.
Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 53
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
Celebrating the Golden Days of Autumn
ECCO Clothes
ECCO, Burlington’s original designer boutique, has been dressing everyone in top brands for over 25 years! From denim to dresses, boots to high heels, ECCO has it all! Premium denim lines like DL 1961, J Brand, AG, Paige, and Citizens of Humanity; sweaters by Velvet, Vince, and Theory; basics by Tart Collections, James Perse, and Michael Stars; dresses by Susana Monaco, BCBG, ABS, and Laundry; shoes from Dolce Vita, Seychelles, and Steve Madden; and handbags by Liebeskind and Hobo. Jewelry by Gorjana and Dogeared. From basic to anything but, ECCO has you covered. Visit ECCO on the corner of Church Street and Bank Street in the heart of Burlington. 81 Church Street Burlington, VT (802) 860-2220 www.eccoclothesboutique.com
Shelburne Vineyard Winery and Tasting Room
Join us for a taste and tour and let us share our adventure growing grapes and making wine in Northern Vermont. Then watch the harvest from the patio or loft with a wine and cheese pairing or a glass of your favorite wine. While you’re here you can ask about our wine club and about holding your personal or corporate event with us, then come back often and keep up with our concert and event schedule on the web or Facebook. 6308 Shelburne Road Shelburne, VT (802) 985-8222 www.shelburnevineyard.com Open 7 days a week all year Nov–Apr 11am–5pm May–Oct 11am–6pm
Vermont Singing Drum A meditation drum for everyone, artfully crafted to perfection in both sight and sound. These musical pieces of art are handmade, hand finished, and hand tuned. Choose from the Zen Drum, a traditional steel tongue drum with tank drum overtones, or the Bliss Drum, made from heavier steel with a dreamy sound and clear, crisp tones. Visit our workshop and showroom in the heart of Burlington’s Art District. 4 Howard Street Burlington, VT (802) 448-4223 www.vermontsingingdrum.com
SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION
The Williston Chowder Challenge – Sunday, October 1 Sample some chowder for a good cause! The Williston Chowder Challenge is a friendly competition to let the public and culinary experts pick their favorite chowder. Chowder Masters get bragging rights, publicity, and exposure. Prizes will be awarded in two categories: People’s Choice and Best Display. All proceeds benefit the Williston Community Food Shelf and the Williston Police Officers’ Association. Williston Village Green Williston, VT www.willistonchowderchallenge.org 12–3pm
Petra Cliffs Petra Cliffs Climbing Center and Mountaineering School focuses on climbing and mountain-related education and recreation, accessible to all ages and abilities. We offer premium instruction and services through experience-based education in an inspiring atmosphere for families and friends to gather for a challenge and fun. Petra Cliffs is also home to an indoor ropes course for birthday parties, teams, and groups.
Istanbul Kebab House Offering Burlington’s only rooftop dining, Istanbul Kebab House in downtown Burlington takes you to Istanbul and back with every bite. Delicious and healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner and takeout, all made with 100 percent fresh Turkish ingredients. A truly authentic Turkish dining experience. 175 Church Street Burlington, VT (802) 857-5091 www.istanbulkebabhousevt.com
105 Briggs Street Burlington, VT (802) 657-3872 www.PetraCliffs.com
Morse Farm Whether you’re sharing the taste of Vermont with friends and family across the country or across the street, Morse Farm has a selection of the finest Vermont products in gift combinations for any budget. Stop by or shop online. Sure, there’s the finest Vermont maple syrup you’ll ever taste, but there’s also so much more to choose from. If you’re lucky enough to be in the area, stop by with the whole family for sugarhouse tours, the woodshed theater, maple trail, and more. 1168 County Road Montpelier, VT (800) 242-2740 maple@morsefarm.com www.morsefarm.com
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT BY PHYL NEWBECK
Earl Handy shows off a couple of tempting Philly cheesesteaks.
56 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
The birds at Adams Turkey Farm are raised in large, open-air barns where they are sheltered from the elements but are able to roam freely and socialize.
A typical and beautiful table setting at Monarch & the Milkweed.
Local Turkeys Just Taste Better A special bird for a special dinner
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n Vermont, turkey connoisseurs don’t go to the supermarket to pick up a Butterball turkey for Thanksgiving dinner. They know they can find delicious birds raised much closer to home. Two local options are Adams Turkey Farm in Westford and Maple Wind Farm in Huntington and Richmond.
ADAMS TURKEY FARM For Judy and Dave Adams, it began with a desire to do something with the farm that had belonged to Dave’s grandparents. “We tried boarding horses, and we raised cows,” Judy recalls, “but in the fall of 1984, we started raising turkeys. That first year we sold 100 turkeys to Henry’s Market in Essex, and it just grew from there.” Neither Judy nor Dave grew up on a farm, but they jumped into the farming life, and now they sell a few thousand turkeys annually and
even more chickens. Dave was a machinist and tool maker. “He can fix almost anything,” Judy says proudly. Her degree from UVM is in animal science. Their turkeys are hatched in Canada and delivered to the farm within hours after their birth in late May or early June. The chicks like warmth, so initially they are kept under heaters that are close to 100 degrees. “We try to dupli-
cate their natural environment,” Judy says. The chicks are given warm water and a feed made of mashed corn and soybeans. As they get older, they can tolerate food with more texture. The turkeys grow up in what is described as “loose housing” with access to sunlight but protection against weather, predators, and disease. All the processing and packaging takes place on the farm. Most of the turkeys are sold wholesale, but some are sold directly to customers who come year after year to make their choice in person. With the exception of two seasonal employees, the farm is entirely family owned and operated. All of the couple’s children have been involved to some extent, but their youngest son, Phillip, a biologist, has been working with them for the past two years. When he needed time off for his honeymoon, the couple’s daughter Amanda, a UVM senior majoring in microbiFall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 57
Right: Robert Handy (second-generation owner) and Earl’s dad, circa 1989. Below: Earl Handy the week he took over Handy’s in 1996. Photo by Seth Neary. Bottom right: Robert and Janet Handy, circa 1994. Opposite: Earl hard at work at the grill.
Above: Maple Wind Farm brings everything founders Bruce Hennessey and Beth Whiting love all together: living in a beautiful place, providing great food, and teaching customers about choices that are best for the land, animals, and our own health. Right: Turkeys get plenty of fresh air and room to roam at Maple Wind Farm.
ology, stepped in to help with her boyfriend and Judy and Dave’s oldest son, David Jr., leading Philip to quip that it took three people to replace him. A second daughter, Elizabeth, is a cancer researcher at Sloane Kettering and jokes that she is a mouse farmer. Judy continues to manage the raising of the birds, while Dave makes the deliveries. “He comes back and he’s psyched because of what customers have said,” she says, “and that makes me happy.” Judy and Dave are about to welcome their first granddaughter and hope that she will represent a third generation of poultry growers. MAPLE WIND FARM At Maple Wind Farm, the turkeys are pasture raised and certified organic; they’re produced, processed, and sold locally. Run by Beth Whiting and her husband Bruce 58 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Hennessey, the farm offers fresh and frozen whole turkeys. The couple has been farming since 1999 and added turkeys in 2004. They have animals and produce on two properties in Richmond and Huntington, both of which have been conserved through the Vermont Land Trust. The couple came to farming by a circuitous route. Beth’s undergraduate degree is in business, and Bruce studied anthropology and math; both have graduate degrees in education. Early in their farming careers, they supplemented their income with a travel adventure company for the winter months and ran a farm-based summer camp from their Huntington home and farm. All of Maple Wind’s poultry is raised at their Richmond location. What started as 250 turkeys in 2004 has become roughly 1,250 birds. Some are raised on non-GMO feed and others are certified organic. One-day-old poults arrive from Ohio and are placed in a brooder until they’re ready to graze on their own. This year, Beth and Bruce are trying something new. They ordered 250 birds early so there will be less pressure at harvest time. “We can only process 100 turkeys a day,” Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 59
says Beth, “so if we did all of them at the same time, that would be 12 straight days.” Since most customers are looking for birds in the range of 15 to 16 pounds, Beth is hoping they’ll understand that a frozen organic turkey tastes just as good as a fresh one. Although people can’t come to the farm to pick out a particular bird, they can see the flock grazing from the roadside and sometimes see turkeys chasing after grasshoppers. It’s that kind of foraging that Beth says makes them a better-tasting bird. “We take care of them the best we can because we know what they give us,” Judy says. She adds, “I love raising turkeys. I think the growth of our business is an indicator that we like what we do.” Judy jokes that turkeys, in contrast to chickens, don’t seem to realize that they taste good, and as a result, they are very friendly to their human handlers. Beth concurs that turkeys are a fun species to raise. “They can put a smile on your face,” she says. “They’ll respond if you make a gobbling sound, and they have more personality than chickens.” Beth knows that her birds are more expensive than supermarket turkeys but believes her customers recognize the difference in taste. “What we love is that turkeys are a special holiday treat,” she says, “so a lot of people will want to splurge on a turkey for the occasion.” Thanks to the longevity of the Adams Farm, some of the babies who were brought to the farm by their parents are now bringing their own babies. “Our birds are raised with loving care,” says Judy. “We sit at Thanksgiving and give thanks for the animal and what it means. Turkeys are a lot more than a meal. They represent a gathering of people and tradition.” 4
Adams Turkey Farm 1192 Old Stage Road
Westford, VT (802) 878-4726 www.adamsturkeyfarm.com
Maple Wind Farm 1149 East Main Street Richmond, VT (802) 434-7257 www.maplewindfarm.com 60 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 61
SEASON’S BEST
Earl Handy shows off a couple of tempting Philly cheesesteaks.
62 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
A typical and beautiful table setting at Monarch & the Milkweed.
aVERMONT
Thanksgiving Make your gathering memorable
T
hanksgiving is a time to gather with family and friends, enjoy a delicious meal, and count our blessings—
and here in Vermont, there are many! From the breathtaking autumn scenery reflected off Lake Champlain to the wealth of local pumpkins, apples, and mums, this is truly a special time of year. If you’re hosting Thanksgiving this year, the Burlington community has your back. Local shops and restaurants are ready to help take the stress out of entertaining. Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 63
Gratitude is the inward feeling of kindness received. Thankfulness is the natural impulse to express that feeling. Thanksgiving is the following of that impulse.
TURKEY ESSENTIALS “The week of Thanksgiving, we typically see a lot of people coming in for lastminute needs and essentials for their Thanksgiving dinner,” says Luke Wight of Kiss the Cook. “Sometimes it’s a small thing they can’t find from previous years, or sometimes they found out they were hosting at the last minute—or their guest list kept growing and they needed to upgrade some things.” Here are Luke’s five most popular requests around turkey day: Gravy separator Pour your gravy into the separator, and watch the fat rise to the top while lean gravy settles to the bottom. Probe thermometer Take out the guesswork. Just set your target temperature and let the thermometer tell you when the bird is roasted to perfection. Roasting pan (usually with a rack) Most roasting pans will give you a range for what size turkey can fit in that pan. Make sure you get one that’s big enough! Baster A basic you’ll need to keep that turkey from getting dry.
Sage, the herb we associate with Thanksgiving stuffing, is a symbol of wisdom and immortality.
Carving knife A good carving knife is essential. You’ll get beautiful, neat slices of roast turkey without leaving any behind. Some people like a set (with a meat fork) for ease of use and a nice table presentation. KISS THE COOK 72 Church Street Burlington, VT (802) 863-4226 kissthecook.net
ONLINE EXTRA Find recipes for spotlight-stealing sides at www.bestofburlingtonvt.com.
64 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
ENJOY THE BOUNTY “One of my favorite things to make for Thanksgiving sides is buttered turnips,” says Chef David Hoene at Pauline’s Café. “This year I will be getting baby turnips from Mike at Common Roots Farm. They’re just up the road from us in South Burlington.” Chef David trims the greens and sets them aside for finishing the dish. He recommends scrubbing the turnips well and rinsing them in cold water. Lightly blanch in boiling salted water, drain, and chill in an iced-water bath. Drain and shake a bit to remove excess water and place turnips in a shallow roasting pan with a little unsalted butter, olive oil, and white balsamic vinegar. Then cover the pan with foil and roast at 350° for 20 to 30 minutes. Shake the pan a couple of times while roasting. Remove the foil and roast another five minutes or until the turnips are lightly browned. Sprinkle with a little fresh thyme and lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper. Gently sauté the greens and toss in with the turnips when ready to serve. “I love the earthy, bittersweet flavor of turnips,” says Chef David. “They combine well with hard fruits like apples or cranberries that are common at Thanksgiving. And they’re great for helping the body digest sweets and fats, which we all tend to enjoy during the holiday.”4 PAULINE’S CAFÉ 1834 Shelburne Road South Burlington, VT (802) 862-1081 paulinescafe.com
LIFE AND CULTURE IN THE CHAMPLAIN VALLEY
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Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 65
BY MARY ANN LICKTEIG
Emergency Veterinary Technician Emily Wendel and her dog Ruben.
66 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Animal ER BEVS Offers Emergency and Specialty Services
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n a Friday evening just before Christmas, I was out shopping and talking to my 11-year-old son on the phone. “We were debating whether we should even tell you,” he said. And that meant only one thing—he should tell me. Our lab puppy had polished off a box of doughnuts, and at least half were chocolate. Rosie is my first dog; I have lots to learn, but even I knew that chocolate is a no-no. I called our vet, but the office was closed, as I had expected. The recording referred after-hours emergencies to 863-2387. And that’s how I first encountered Burlington Emergency & Veterinary Specialists, better known as BEVS. A BROADER MISSION FILLS A NEED Located in Williston, it’s the area’s only specialty and emergency veterinary hospital with a veterinarian on-site around the clock, seven days a week, ready to treat furry victims of trauma, toxins, and other misfortunes, and, in my case, to reassure a new dog owner that the amount of chocolate in a few doughnuts isn’t enough to hurt a 50-pound puppy. The hospital traces its roots to 1999, when a group of vets got together to provide emergency service to about a dozen veterinary hospitals in and around Burlington. Those 12 became 25, 25 became 50, and Veterinary Emergency Services, as it was known then, quickly outgrew its facility.
Most of the vets working there had their own practices to run, so in late 2004, a new independent hospital called Burlington Emergency Veterinary Services was born. It moved to its current location—200 Commerce Street—in 2005 and remained a nights and weekends operation until 2007. That’s when board-certified specialists joined the practice, regular daytime hours were added, and its name was tweaked to reflect its broader mission: Burlington Emergency & Veterinary Specialists. The 5,000-square-foot facility houses an operating room, radiology room, lab, and accommodations for 16 dogs and 12 cats. “For patients, we call them ‘suites,’” says hospital administrator Whitney Durivage. BEVS acquired the state’s first CT scanner for pets in 2013. Computed tomography (CT) is a noninvasive diagnostic method that uses special x-ray equipment to obtain cross-sectional pictures of the body. The 12 veterinarians include five emergency doctors, two surgeons, two internists, an oncologist, and the state’s only certified veterinary pain practitioner, who offers acupuncture and laser therapy and can fit dogs for prosthetic legs. The doctors work with 30 veterinary technicians that BEVS calls nurses. Dr. Bryan Harnett talks about recent cases he and his team have treated, which include a cat with Cryptococcus, a fungal infection of the brain, and an eight-year-old lab that couldn’t move its legs. The
Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 67
Dunt, susa vellore omnienihici nam eum consend ucilit, sequo quianis molupta sam fugiandest quibus am, sinum atem fugiae volorro viducium quiam, con nullandit omnimo eatem eium iligendion esti idest adis deligen tiorate mporpor ianturiandem que dolesciae cusa neturisqui assitio rumque minus sin non et earum labo.
Pamela Levin, DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVPP (Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist, Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner) performing laser therapy on her patient, Hobbs. Right: Internal Medicine Specialist Dr. Bryan Harnett and Internal Medicine Supervisor Brenna Mousaw, CVT, VTS (Internal Medicine) perform a CT scan on a feline patient.
dog had a slipped cervical disc, which a surgeon removed using a ventral slot procedure. In addition to chemotherapy, endoscopy, cystoscopy, rhinoscopy, and echocardiography, the hospital offers that all-too-common emergency procedure— retrieving objects that animals have swallowed. These have included bottle caps, needles, fishhooks, a golf ball, a tennis ball, a spoon, socks, and undies. TREATING PATIENTS FROM NEARBY AND FARTHER AFIELD Two electronic boards—one listing inpatients and the other listing appointments and walk-ins—hang in the center of the treatment area where, on a recent Monday, vet techs took turns cradling a pug puppy who had been vomiting and not eating. 68 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
“This is a four-month-old puppy, and he should be loud and rambunctious, but he’s not at all,” said vet tech Katie Henderson. For all the sophisticated equipment and procedures here, animals awaiting diagnosis are tagged with a decidedly unacademic acronym—ADR, for ain’t doin’ right. Tests showed that the lethargic puppy had low blood sugar and elevated liver enzymes, leading the team to suspect it had a liver shunt, a blood vessel that carries blood around the liver rather than through it, allowing toxins to build up. The patient population here is 60 percent dogs and 40 percent cats, administrator Whitney says. Hamsters, gerbils, and rabbits come in on an emergency basis. While most clients live in Chittenden County, some travel from Southern Vermont, Upstate New York, and New Hampshire. The day BEVS treated the ADR puppy, David Snider made a trip of an hour and 50 minutes from Lake Placid, New York, with his four-year-old pit bull mix, Roger, who was nursing wounds from a porcupine fight. “He won the battle but lost the war,” David said. Roger had bested his opponent 10 days earlier but was now feverish, lethargic, vomiting, and exhibiting an abscess under his left leg. His Lake Placid vet suspected he’d need a CT scan, and since she doesn’t have the equipment, she sent him to BEVS. Dr. Maggie Lynch ran blood tests and suggested admitting Roger. Elsewhere in the hospital, a black lab and a hound mix rested in adjacent cages. The dogs, from the same home, were receiving fluids while under observation for suspected Xylitol ingestion. The artificial sweetener found in gum and peanut butter is toxic to dogs. “And sometimes, if you don’t know who ate it, you end up having to treat both,” Whitney says. The same thing happens with cats and lilies. PHYSICAL THERAPY, ACUPUNCTURE, AND LASER THERAPY Awaiting surgery was a 4½-year-old small mixed-breed patient who had been hit by a car. Dr. Helia Zamprogno planned to insert plates into the dog’s two broken hips and pins into her broken tibia. Dr. Pam Levin would be available to help after surgery. She is the hospital’s certified canine rehabilitation therapist—think physical therapy for dogs. She employs exercise balls, BOSU balance trainers, and cavaletti rails to help pets strengthen their muscles and Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 69
ROSIE THE RABBLE-ROUSER The doughnut incident was the first of three contacts this writer has had with BEVS. On Easter Sunday, English lab Rosie ate the contents of an Easter basket. That amount of chocolate tipped the toxin scales, and BEVS advised inducing vomiting. Rosie lapped up hydrogen peroxide—labs will eat anything—then promptly returned the candy, jellybeans still intact. One month later, she chewed up a cap gun and developed a hacking cough that sounded like plastic lodged in her throat. An X-ray showed only an irritated esophagus. 70 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
TAKING CARE OF BAROUK South Burlington dog Barouk is lucky to live within 20 minutes of BEVS. The nine-year-old yellow lab suffered a seizure on Christmas Eve, endured a violent sneezing fit on Super Bowl Sunday, and leaped off a second-floor roof on the Fourth of July weekend. Something about nights, weekends, and holidays triggers trouble for pets. “They just know,” hospital administrator Whitney Durivage says. Back in February, Barouk devoured two-thirds of a pan of triple-chocolate brownies, an escapade that earned him a required overnight hospital stay. His owner, Danielle Fisette, called to check on him every half-hour. “And the staff were wonderful and kind every time I called,” she says. The flying leap off the roof in his exuberant celebration of Independence Day this summer earned Barouk a splint. He broke no bones but injured his left front paw. He was already getting laser therapy for shoulder tendinopathy, so Dr. Pam Levin expanded the treatment to stimulate healing in Barouk’s paw.
Above left: Pamela Levin, DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVPP (Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Therapist, Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner) works on balance and core strength with Hobbs. Below left: BEVS operating room.
Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 71
Dunt, susa vellore omnienihici nam eum consend ucilit, sequo quianis molupta sam fugiandest quibus am, sinum atem fugiae volorro viducium quiam, con nullandit omnimo eatem eium iligendion esti idest adis deligen tiorate mporpor ianturiandem que dolesciae cusa neturisqui assitio rumque minus sin non et earum labo.
Above: Internal Medicine Technician Lindsay Hancock, CVT (left), gets a heart rate with help from Emergency Veterinary Technician Christina Surprenant (right). Below: CT scanner.
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RENOVATION PLANS BEVS has plans to renovate the existing building in order to create more exam rooms and offices. Renovation is underway, Whitney Durivage says, adding, “We’re kind of at our max capacity.” Rollaway crates and gates create extra hospital beds when supply exceeds demand. And staff dogs have taken over the staff lounge. Six relaxed there one day recently. Bringing your dog to work is a great employee perk, but in the current building, it means that staffers have to share the lounge. They get to use the refrigerator and lockers. Everything else has gone to the dogs, as the saying goes.
improve their balance, gait, and body awareness. And yes, she says, patients go home with exercise regimens. “Everyone gets homework.” Dr. Levin also offers acupuncture, which doesn’t surprise people, she says. “Lots come in looking for it because they have it for themselves or they’ve heard about it.” Chinese practitioners used it on horses 2,000 years ago, Dr. Levin says. “We don’t really call it alternative anymore; we call it adjunctive therapy.” She uses it mostly to relieve pain for animals that are older, arthritic, or have mobility problems. Sarah Lehto brings her 12½-year-old border collie, Sadie, to Dr. Levin for routine laser therapy to treat arthritis. The procedure delivers light energy to areas of pain and swelling to increase blood flow, stimulate healing, and decrease pain and inflammation. When medication wasn’t enough for Sadie, Sarah decided “somewhat skeptically,” she admits, to supplement it with laser therapy. Sadie regained her sass as well as her interest in walking and swimming, Sarah says, and she’s been receiving laser therapy ever since. “I call it the spa treatment,” says Sarah. 4
BEVS
Burlington Emergency & Veterinary Specialists 200 Commerce Street Williston, VT (802) 863-2387 bevsvt.com Open 24 hours Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 73
BY TOM BRANDES PHOTOS COURTESY OF SARA HOLBROOK COMMUNITY CENTER
Addressing and Preventing
HARDSHIPS
74 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
SARA HOLBROOK
COMMUNITY CENTER
C E L E B R AT E S 8 0 Y E A R S
OF GOOD WORKS
Eighty years ago this fall, an old storefront in Burlington was transformed into the Burlington Community Center. Little did Sara Holbrook, its founder, know how great and long-lasting its effect on the city and larger community would be. In 1937, Sara Holbrook was a clinical psychologist and professor at the University of Vermont. She must have been deeply affected by her experiences working in settlement houses in Lower Manhattan because she brought the model to Burlington when she returned.
Students hiked to the top of Mount Philo as part of the Bob & Maggie Green Youth Adventure Program (YAP).Â
Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 75
Right: A YAP adventure at the Bristol Falls. Below: Preschool students enjoy blowing bubbles. Opposite: Students visit a variety of fun locations as part of the YAP program. While some kids are hesitant to interact with nature, others are eager to seek out salamanders and frogs to examine.
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The settlement movement began in the 1880s with the goal of having society’s rich and poor live closely together in an interdependent community. Settlement houses were resource centers for new immigrants, providing education, day care, and health care to improve the lives of the poor. “Holbrook and other community members secured funding for the fledgling community center,” says Executive Director Leisa Pollander. “French-Canadian, Irish, German, and Italian immigrants worked in the mills, quarries, and on the waterfront, and the Burlington Community Center provided English language classes,
orientation for life in Vermont, and helped them prepare for citizenship tests.” New immigrants also took cooking and sewing classes, and a nursery school cared for their children. When Holbrook retired in the late 1940s, the center was renamed the Sara Holbrook Community Center (SHCC) after its visionary founder. Over the years, SHCC initiated new services for low-income children and their families as new needs were recognized. The Burlington Boys and Girls Club grew from programs that began at the SHCC and became an independent agency in 1941. Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 77
Right: SHCC’s director taught members of the middle school after-school program how to make salsa from scratch! The Miller Center has a kitchen that allows kids to cook together, share recipes from their cultures, and eat together. Below: A happy student, proud of his cooking skills.
In 1980, as Hmong refugees streamed into the United States following the Vietnam War, Burlington was named a Federal Refugee Resettlement Site. Today the center helps the most recent wave of immigrants from Burma, Bhutan, Nepal, and Syria. In 1982, the SHCC created and housed Burlington’s first emergency shelter. Eventually, this vital program grew and became a stand-alone agency, the Committee on Temporary Shelter (COTS). AN ARRAY OF SERVICES “Our mission is to develop responsible and productive children, youth, and families through social development, educational, and recreational opportunities,” says Leisa. “We serve Chittenden County and primarily focus on the North End of Burlington and the whole city.” The SHCC has an annual budget of $780,000 and accomplishes much of its work through collaborating with other entities— Head Start, the Burlington and Winooski School Districts, and Burlington’s Department of Parks, Recreation, and Waterfront are all key partners. The center helps link families to other resources including health, dental, and mental health resources along with a cadre of other social service providers. The center is a five-STAR licensed child care facility; in addition to pre-K, it operates after-school care programming from 3 to 5:30pm. At the Sara Holbrook Teen Center Site, middle school and high school teens can shoot pool, play foosball, basketball, soccer, and ping pong, plus enjoy art activities, board games, and more. Teens can also get homework help, take a computer class, or learn 78 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
HOW TO GET INVOLVED There are many ways to get involved and help the SHCC fulfill its vital mission of helping develop responsible and productive children, youth, and families. Consider volunteering your time or talents, or make a donation to help cover the cost of running programs that help strengthen the fabric of the Burlington community. Visit the center’s website (www. saraholbrookcc.org) and click on “You Can Help” to see the many ways you, your family, church, or community group can get involved. The Wish List contains an everchanging list of items that are needed and much appreciated as donations. The Food Shelf list contains items that are always needed. “Donations are always important. We couldn’t keep our doors open without community support,” says Leisa. “All volunteers must undergo a background check because we are a licensed childcare center. It’s a small thing to ensure the safety and well-being of children and youth in our programs.”
about robotics. Approximately 600 teens are served through this program. During the summer, 300 middle-school youth participate in a five-week enrichment program covering academic needs as well as offering new skills and hobbies. Course offerings include sailing, algebra, fly-fishing, LEGO robotics, geocaching, and much more. The Green Family Youth Adventure Program helps 60 middle-school students in Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 79
Right: This staff member is going on four years at SHCC in the elementary after-school program. He also works at the teen center and is known for street art around town. Here he draws with an SHCC after-school program student. Opposite: Each summer students in the new arrivals program (K through fifth grade) visit Shelburne Farms for a week of day trips.
Chittenden County escape their urban routines and participate in fun, adventurous activities by experiencing the outdoor wonders of Vermont. This program is offered at no cost because most participants are low income and would otherwise be unable to participate. Similar to the SHCC’s origins, the New Arrivals summer program helps up to 80 English language learner (ELL) kids avoid regressing in their English skills over the summer months when school isn’t in session. Recently, 80 children representing 9 countries and speaking 11 languages conducted science experiments, explored literature, and ventured out into the community to learn and practice English skills. FACING CHALLENGES “As a tiny, stand-alone agency with a long history of being nimble and starting programs, we’re pleased to be able to shift staffing and funding to meet changing community needs,” says Leisa. “We have fewer hoops to jump through to start new programs or change direction.” Like most nonprofits, however, SHCC faces annual funding challenges. Despite receiving $100,000 in United Way funding, $200,000 in private foundation funding, and $200,000 in childcare subsidy fees, none of these funding streams is guaranteed, and each must be secured every year. The rest of the center’s funding comes through donations and a small number of fundraisers, including the Soup Supper at the Teen Center in February and an annual golf tournament in August.
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Meanwhile, challenges such as the opioid epidemic continue to wreak havoc on individuals and families in Burlington and throughout Vermont. “The center staff work really hard to support families who are dealing with incredibly complex issues—addiction, homelessness, lack of education. We try to instill hope in a better future, hope that there is a path forward,” says Leisa. “We’ve known we need to expand the pre-K program from a half day, five days a week, but we share space with the after-school program,” adds Leisa. “We’d like to establish fullday, full-year pre-K and toddler programs, but we’d need a new facility to operate that type of program.”
VOLUNTEERS ARE VITAL Volunteers are very important to the SHCC, and without so many wonderful, dedicated volunteers, there’s no way the center’s eight permanent employees could provide the number and variety of programs to help youth and families. Volunteers do whatever they can to help, including reading to kids, doing art projects, or working on puzzles. Each fall, several seniors who love to knit create approximately 200 hats to help keep kids warm throughout the winter months. One volunteer, a retired teacher, diligently scans grocery stores’ sales fliers and coupons each week, then visits various stores throughout Burlington in order to stock up on items for the center’s food shelf. Though limited, the food shelf helps families struggling with food insecurity.
Volunteers play crucial roles in keeping the SHCC operating smoothly. If you’re interested in volunteering, donating needed items, or making a financial contribution, see the sidebar on how to get involved. “We’re always looking for money under rocks to meet our payroll. Typically, we see the need, figure out funding, and then just do it,” says Leisa. “It’s a matter of looking at the need and saying, ‘why not?’ ” 4
Sara Holbrook Community Center 66 North Avenue Burlington, VT (802) 862-6342 www.saraholbrookcc.org
Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 81
FALL HAPPENINGS 2017 | CALENDAR OF EVENTS
SEPTEMBER 16
TURNmusic
FlynnSpace, 8pm
OCTOBER 11
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live!
SEPTEMBER 21
John Cleese Presents Monty Python and the Holy Grail MainStage, 7:30pm OCTOBER 3, 4
Jersey Boys
MainStage, 7:30pm OCTOBER 6
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra MainStage, 8pm OCTOBER 8
Compagnie Herve Koubi: Ce Que le Jour Doit a la Nuit (What the Day Owes to the Night) MainStage, 7pm OCTOBER 11
Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Live! MainStage, 6pm OCTOBER 20
Sean Dorsey Dance: The Missing Generation: Voices from the Early AIDS Epidemic
NOVEMBER 2
Yo-Yo Ma & Kathryn Stott
MainStage, 8pm OCTOBER 22
Chicago Children’s Theatre: Red Kite Treasure Adventure 11am, 2pm & 4pm NOVEMBER 2
Yo-Yo Ma & Kathryn Stott MainStage, 7:30pm NOVEMBER 2, 3
Adrienne Truscott: Asking for It FlynnSpace, 8pm
NOVEMBER 4, 5
Soovin Kim & Gloria Chien FlynnSpace, 4, 8pm; 5, 2pm NOVEMBER 10, 11
Hinterlands: The Radicalization Process FlynnSpace, 8pm NOVEMBER 14
Vermont Abenaki Artists Association FlynnSpace, 7:30pm DECEMBER 1
DECEMBER 5, 6
DECEMBER 10
MainStage, 7:30pm
MainStage, 4pm
Kinky Boots
DECEMBER 6–10
Winter Tales
FlynnSpace, 7:30pm; 9, 2 & 7:30pm; 10, 2pm
Natalie MacMaster & Donnell Leahy: A Celtic Family Christmas
DECEMBER 8
DECEMBER 2
DECEMBER 9
FlynnSpace, 8pm
MainStage, 7:30pm
MainStage, 8pm
Brian McCarthy Quartet
OrchestraChorusPalooza
A Christmas Carol MainStage, 7pm
VSO Holiday Pops
FLYNN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS 153 Main Street Burlington, VT (802) 863-5966 www.flynncenter.org Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 83
FALL HAPPENINGS 2017
ECHO, LEAHY CENTER FOR LAKE CHAMPLAIN 1 College Street Burlington, VT (802) 864-1848 www.echovermont.com
SEPTEMBER 16–JANUARY 15
Exhibit: Innovation Playground
Innovation Playground celebrates lifelong play and its role in sparking technological, social, and artistic innovation in our community. Visitors of all ages will unleash their imaginations, building life-sized worlds out of giant blue blocks, exploring virtual galaxies in a cardboard spaceship, and bringing inventions to life in our fully equipped maker space.
Films at ECHO
ECHO features Northfield Savings Bank Theater: A National Geographic Experience, the only theater of its kind in Vermont. This incredible, specially designed theater presents National Geographic films every day; a truly immersive 2D and 3D experience for all ages. THROUGH SEPTEMBER 22
Meerkats 3D
11:30am, 1:30pm, and 3:30pm daily THROUGH NOVEMBER 17
Walking with Dinosaurs: Prehistoric Planet 3D
10:30am, 12:30pm, 2:30pm, and 4:30pm daily SEPTEMBER 23–FEBRUARY 9
Extreme Weather 3D
NOVEMBER 18–APRIL 13
Wonders of the Arctic 3D 84 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
VERMONT SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (800) VSO-9293, ext. 10 www.vso.org
SEPTEMBER 8
Symphony Sampler
Eastside Restaurant, Newport, 6–8:30pm OCTOBER 21
SHELBURNE FARMS 1611 Harbor Road Shelburne, VT (802) 985-8442 www.shelburnefarms.org SEPTEMBER 7, 9, 12, 14, 16
SEPTEMBER 11, 18, 25, OCTOBER 2, 9, 16
Historic Horse Barn Tour 2:30pm
SEPTEMBER 16
Masterworks Featuring Jinjoo Cho Flynn Center for the Performing Arts, Burlington, 7:30pm
Made in Vermont Statewide Tour
39th Annual Harvest Festival
Music Director Jaime Laredo leads the VSO in a program as colorful as our famous fall foliage.
SEPTEMBER 23
SEPTEMBER 20 Randolph, Chandler Music Hall, 7:30pm
11am
SEPTEMBER 21 Woodstock, Town Hall Theatre, 7:30pm
10am
1pm
Farm to Medicine Cabinet Plant Walk with Nick Cavanaugh
SEPTEMBER 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, 26, 28, OCTOBER 3, 5, 10, 12, 17, 19
SEPTEMBER 23–24
SEPTEMBER 22 Brattleboro, Latchis Theatre, 7:30pm
2:30pm
10am–5pm Sat; 11am–4pm Sun
SEPTEMBER 8, 15, 22, 29, OCTOBER 6, 13, 20
SEPTEMBER 24
SEPTEMBER 23 Middlebury, Mahaney Center for the Arts, 7:30pm
Raptors in Residence
House & Formal Gardens Tour at the Inn Sun to Cheese Tour 1:45pm
SEPTEMBER 9
Mushroom Foray 9:30am
Champlain Mini Maker Faire Choral Celebration: Gathering & Blessing of the Waters
SEPTEMBER 24 Derby Line, Haskell Opera House, 4pm
OCTOBER 5–29
SEPTEMBER 26 Castleton, Castleton University Fine Arts Center, 7pm
4pm
Of the Land & Local Art Exhibition
Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 85
FALL HAPPENINGS 2017 | CALENDAR OF EVENTS
OTHER NOTEWORTHY EVENTS SEPTEMBER 24
Ben & Jerry’s Concerts on the Green: The Head and the Heart Shelburne Museum, www.shelburnemuseum.org, 6pm OCTOBER 7
James Wakefield Rescue Row
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, www.lcmm.org NOVEMBER 4
Otter Creek Challenge Youth Race
Vergennes Basin Town Park, www.lcmm.org NOVEMBER 11–18
Yoga Retreats: Placencia Belize
Prenatal Method Studio, www.prenatalmethod.com
©Michael Massala, Sponge Bob 2014. Archival pigment print, 30 x 40 in. Courtesy of ClampArt, New York City.
At the Museum SHELBURNE MUSEUM 6000 Shelburne Road Shelburne, VT (802) 985-3346 • shelburnemuseum.org THROUGH OCTOBER 31
Exhibit: Upstream with Ogden Pleissner Shelburne Museum, shelburnemuseum.org THROUGH OCTOBER 31
Exhibit: Pieced Traditions: Jean Lovell Collects Shelburne Museum, shelburnemuseum.org THROUGH OCTOBER 31
Featured Outdoor Sculpture: Aaron T. Stephan Shelburne Museum, shelburnemuseum.org THROUGH OCTOBER 31
Exhibit: Carpet Diem: Molly Nye Tobey Designs for the Mid Century Home Shelburne Museum, shelburnemuseum.org SEPTEMBER 23–FEBRUARY 18
Exhibit: Sweet Tooth: The Art of Dessert Shelburne Museum, shelburnemuseum.org SEPTEMBER 30–JANUARY 21
Exhibit: Hooked on Patty Yoder
Shelburne Museum, shelburnemuseum.org 86 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
Cook Academy
SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NOVEMBER The Essex Resort & Spa’s on-site cooking class program gives you the chance to work with renowned chefs in the fun atmosphere of their intimate classroom kitchen. Classes offer a low-pressure, hands-on culinary experience where you can enjoy learning new techniques or honing the skills you already have. Choose from a wide variety of classes including Cozy Supper, Baking Workshop, Cooking with Vermont Beer, and Vegetarian Cooking with Vermont Cheese. Visit the Essex Resort & Spa’s website to view a full list of classes and to reserve your spot.
Essex Resort & Spa, www.essexresortspa.com
ADVERTISERS INDEX
For more information about print and online advertising opportunities, contact John or Robin Gales at (802) 558-2719 or email coffeetablepublishing@comcast.net.
Ann Roche Casual Furniture........................................................................53
Flynn Center for the Performing Arts....................................................... 42
Shelburne Meat Market................................................................................29
ArborTrek Canopy Adventures.....................................................................8
Frog Hollow......................................................................................................32
Shelburne Museum.........................................................................................51
Bare Medical Spa + Laser Center................................................................17
Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty........................................6, 7
Shelburne Vineyard Winery and Tasting Room..................................... 54
Bennington Potters North........................................................................... 60
HAVEN design + building.............................................................................29
SportStyle . ......................................................................................................32
Berlin City Fiat/Alfa Romeo............................................ Inside Back Cover
Howard Center............................................................................................... 49
Burlington Emergency & Veterinary Specialists.....................................23
Istanbul Kebab House...................................................................................55
Burlington Furniture.........................................................................................9
J. Morgans Steakhouse................................................................................ 84
Bouchard-Pierce Candlelight...................................................................... 69
Jacob Albee Goldsmith....................................................................................1
Bouchard-Pierce Thermador.......................................................................79
Jess Boutique.................................................................................................... 11
Boyden Valley Winery.................................................................................. 69
Kiss the Cook...................................................................................................39
The Grass Gauchos.........................................................................................51
Burlington Country Club...............................................................................33
Landshapes......................................................................................................79
The Optical Center........................................................................................ 43
Burlington Marble & Granite........................................................................13
Liebling................................................................................................................ 5
The Spot Restaurant......................................................................................28
Christine Burdick Design............................................................................. 70
Marketplace Fitness..................................................................................... 45
Tom Moore Builder, Inc................................................... Inside Front Cover
Church Hill Landscapes................................................................................ 71
Morning Dew Landscaping......................................................................... 60
University Mall............................................................................................... 45
City Lights........................................................................................................37
Morse Farm......................................................................................................55
Vermont Bed Store/Wendell’s Furniture.................................................... 2
City Market..................................................................................................... 70
Outdoor Gear Exchange...............................................................................27
Vermont Comedy Club................................................................................ 49
Coldwell Banker Hickok & Boardman Realty.......... Outside Back Cover
Pauline’s Café..................................................................................................59
Common Deer................................................................................................. 81
Peregrine Design/Build..................................................................................15
Courtyard Burlington Harbor Hotel...........................................................87
Personal Fitness Interiors............................................................................. 71
CSWD...............................................................................................................23
Petra Cliffs........................................................................................................55
Cushman Design Group...............................................................................74
Pines Senior Living Community..................................................................65
Danform Shoes............................................................................................... 61
Red House Building........................................................................................53
Whim Boutique...............................................................................................28
Davis & Hodgdon Associates...................................................................... 61
Rise ‘n Shine . . . it’s the milkman............................................................... 14
Williston Chowder Challenge.....................................................................55
Dear Lucy.........................................................................................................73
Rodd Roofing...................................................................................................82
Windows & Doors by Brownell.................................................................. 84
Ecco Clothes...............................................................................................3, 54
Saratoga Olive Oil Company.......................................................................27
WND&WVS................................................................................................... 43
Stern Center for Language and Learning..................................................77 Stowe Area Association............................................................................... 14 The Automaster................................................................................................4 The Essex Resort & Spa.................................................................................21
Vermont Custom Closets.............................................................................39 Vermont Furniture Designs.......................................................................... 19 Vermont Singing Drum................................................................................ 54 Wake Robin......................................................................................................33
Fall 2017 | Best of Burlington | 87
LAST GLANCE
Winter is an etching, Spring a watercolor,
Summer
an oil painting,
Autumn
and a mosaic of them all. —Stanley H. Horowitz
88 | www.bestofburlingtonvt.com
COFFEE TABLE PUBLISHING, LLC 32 Hermit Thrush Lane South Burlington, VT 05403