Destination Vermont

VERMONT

Destination

February / March 2011

Burlington International Airport

The Ultimate Winter Getaway

Thousands of people select Burlington International Airport as their choice for business and pleasure travel.

We welcome the opportunity to serve you.

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contents

DestinationVERMONT February / March 2011

features

14 Voices of Vermonters Witty and Wise Words from the Green Mountain State

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Winterfront Waterfront The Shores of Downtown Burlington

18 For the Love of Chocolate Vermont Sweet Treats

23 A Sweet Vermont Tradition

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Sugar on Snow

24 Get Away From it All Two Stellar Nordic Skiing Centers

26 Unsung Heroes of the Mountain A History of the Ski Patrol

28

departments

8 Calendar of Events February / March 2011

28 Fabulous Fare Chef Leu’s House

26 February / March 2011 Destination Vermont 3

Welcome / Bienvenue

A Message From the Airport Staff

W

elcome to the Burlington International Airport; we’re happy you chose to fly from BTV. Our staff works hard to make your experience here an enjoyable part of your trip.

If you have a positive experience at our airport then we are happy.

We welcome your feedback and hope that you will always let us know about the quality of your BTV experience, positive or not.

Our staff performs many functions, such as administration, airport operations, maintenance, engineering, and planning for the future to ensure

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that our facility keeps up with the changing dynamics of travel.

The airport is becoming greener every day, utilizing certified green cleaners and recycled paper products throughout the facility. We are conducting a comprehensive energy audit that will save hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of energy, and we have completed a project to treat aircraft deicing fluid naturally so that it does not get into our rivers, streams, and lake.

While at the airport, we hope you will visit our observation tower, which is one of the early BTV air traffic control sites. You’ll enjoy a great view of aircraft operations with

the beautiful Green Mountains in the background, while listening to real-time communications between our current ATC tower and the aircraft coming and going. The observation tower is located on the second floor of the terminal and is open from 9 am to 5 pm, seven days a week.

We know that times are tough for people right now, but there are signs of recovery and the airlines are responding with many sales on some of your favorite routes. We hope that you will take advantage of these bargains and continue to click on Burlington as your favorite place of departure.

airport essentials Burlington International Airport (BTV) burlingtonintlairport.com Airport Administration (802) 863-2874 Domestic Airlines Carrier Telephone Web site

Continental Delta JetBlue United US Airways

(800) 525-0280 (800) 221-1212 (800) 538-2583 (800) 241-6522 (800) 428-4322

continental.com delta.com jetblue.com ual.com usair.com

Bus Service Greyhound (800) 231-2222 greyhound.com Air Charter Companies Heritage Flight (800) 782-0773 flyheritage.com Atlantic Aviation (802) 657-3100 atlanticaviation.com Emergency 911 Airport Police (802) 658-7663 Restaurant One Flight Up (802) 862-6410 Gift Shop Hudson News (802) 862-6950 VT Chamber of Commerce

(802) 223-3443 vtchamber.com

Enjoy scenic views of arrivals, departures, and the gorgeous mountain views that act as a backdrop to the Burlington International Airport.

February / March 2011 Destination Vermont 5

18281 ©Ben & Jerry’s Homemade, Inc. 2011 Cows: ©Woody Jackson 1997

Destination

VERMONT Official Magazine of the Burlington International Airport February / March 2011 Destination Vermont is published six times per year, and is associated with the Burlington International Airport. It is produced and published by Wind Ridge Publishing, Inc. of Shelburne, Vermont.

Destination Vermont is dedicated to informing and entertaining the thousands of people who travel through Vermont’s largest airport each year.

Please direct all inquiries to:

WATERBURY FACTORY TOUR Open Daily•Scoop & Gift Shops 866•bj•tours

Last tour leaves at 5:00•Close at 6:00 Rt 100 •Waterbury•Exit 10 off of 1-89

Redeem this ad for one free tour ticket!

PO Box 752, Shelburne, VT 05482 (802) 985-3091 kathy@windridgepublishing.com

Publisher Holly Johnson

Editor Kathy Howard

Green Mountain Coffee®

Visitor Center & Café at Waterbury’s historic train station

Director of Advertising Cheryl Bodette

Advertising Sales Liz Schick Lindsey Campbell Design Laurie Thomas Greg Forber

Contributing Writers Lin Stone Stacey Kilpatrick

Cover Photo

Open daily 7 a.m. – 6 p.m.

• World-class exhibit and interactive displays • Handcrafted gifts from around the world • Specialty coffee and espresso-based drinks • Homemade baked goods, salads, and sandwiches 1-877-TRY-BEAN | www.WaterburyStation.com | GPS Address: Waterbury Amtrak 05676

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Courtesy of Trapp Family Cross Country Ski Center

Printed by Dartmouth Printing Co.

TSA’s Travel tips

Before you go...

When you arrive...

• Visit www.tsa.gov for all the latest security policies.

• Take your 3-1-1 bag out of your carry-on luggage and place separately in bin.

• Pack liquids/gels in your checked baggage. For a short trip you are permitted to carry on one quart-size, clear plastic, zip-top bag holding 3 ounce or smaller containers of liquids or gels. Limited to one bag per traveler.

• Medications and breast milk/baby formula are allowed in reasonable quantities exceeding 3 ounces and are not required to be in a zip-top bag. These items must be declared to a security officer at the checkpoint.

• All footwear must be removed for x-ray screening.

Wearing footwear that can be easily removed is helpful.

• Pack valuables such as jewelry, cash and electronics, as well as fragile items, in your carry-on luggage.

• Declare all permitted liquid exceptions to a security officer in front of the checkpoint.

• Take your laptop and video cameras with cassettes out of their cases for screening.

• Remove your footwear and outer coat, suit coat, jacket, or blazer to place in the bin for X-ray.

• Place the following items in your carry-on before entering the screening checkpoint: cell phones and personal data assistants, keys, loose change, jewelry and large metal items.

• Avoid wearing accessories that contain metal, which will set off the metal detector.

For questions visit www.tsa.gov or e-mail the TSA Contact Center at TSA-ContactCenter@dhs.gov.

• Put all undeveloped film in your carry-on bag. Checked baggage screening equipment may damage film.

• If carrying a firearm, please check with your airline for appropriate procedures.

L. get REA

tsa’s Key Travel Tip: 3-1-1 to speed screening!

be. it should y a w e h riding t skiing &

$10in ta SAV-E Moun

3 on a Ticket! i L ft

Redeem at any Smuggs Ticket Booth.

real terrain.

1,000 acres of terrain, 78 trails & 3 BIG mountains.

Wide novice runs, intermediate cruisers, and narrow, twisting steeps.

Expires April 3, 2011. Not to be combined with any other offer or discount. Offer valid on fullday, all mountain youth or adult lift ticket only.

No cash value. Not for resale.

Excludes: 2/19- 2/27/11.

Cashier code:DVT2011

1-800-523-2754 or visit www.smuggs.com DestVT_half.indd 1

1/20/11 4:11:51 PM7 February / March 2011 Destination Vermont

calendar

Photo courtesy of Trapp Family Cross Country Ski Center

Ongoing Jan. 26 to Feb. 13 CHARLES DICKENS’ OLIVER TWIST, Vermont Stage, Burlington Using Charles Dickens’ original words, a handful of tunes stolen from the vivid world of Victorian music halls, and a chameleon ensemble of actors, Neil Bartlett’s powerful new version of Oliver Twist brings the dark underbelly of 19th century London back to bold theatrical life. Ticket prices vary.

(802) 863-5966 www.flynntix.org

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Feb. 12 to 27 SNOWFLAKE FESTIVAL, Lyndonville Two weeks of family wintertime fun! Sleigh rides, ski races, the 2nd Annual Chowdah Fest, torchlight parade, and more!

(802) 626-9696 www.vermontsnowflakefestival.com

February 5 19TH ANNUAL BURLINGTON

WINTER FESTIVAL, Burlington Fun activities for all ages including the Vermont Snow Sculpting Competition, Penguin Plunge, Family Contra International Dance, live music and performances, and more. Also, enjoy special deals at restaurants throughout Burlington. This event is fun for the whole family!

(860) 670-1816 www.burlingtonwinterfestival. wordpress.com

5 BRATTLEBORO’S 8TH ANNUAL

COLLEGIATE A CAPPELLA CONCERT, Brattleboro Museum & Art Center, Brattleboro The perennially sold-out collegiate a cappella benefit concert returns to the Latchis Theater in downtown Brattleboro. Tickets: $30, $22, $15.

(802) 257-0124, ext. 101, www.brattleboromuseum.org

5 12TH ANNUAL CASINO NIGHT,

VIVA NOTCH VEGAS, Smugglers’ Notch Game tables, door prizes, silent auction, music, munchies, and more from 7-11 pm in the lower level of The Meeting House in the Resort Village. Casino Night benefits the Smugglers’ Notch Ski and Snowboard Club’s youth racing programs. A $10 entry cover charge donation to the club gets you $50 in “Casino Cash” and a door prize drawing ticket! Door prize drawings take place throughout the evening. Ages 18 and up.

(802) 644-8851 www.smuggs.com

February / March 2011

6 PAINTBALL BIATHALON, Derby

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FIGHT FOR AIR, BOLTON VALLEY to 13 VALENTINE WEEKEND SNOWSHOE SHUFFLE 5K/10K, MURDER MYSTERY EVENT, Nordic Biathlon is an exciting race Bolton Valley Resort Whether Derby Line An audienceformat in which skiers have to ski you want to run like mad or participation murder mystery into a range, where they must fire inhale the fabulous panorama at written by Susan-Lynn Johns at the accurately to hit a target. For each 1 1/4/11 First 1:44 Universalist PM Page 1 Parish, 112 Main your own pace, you don’t want missedT_SPANTHEGLOBE_NEWS_4.77x4.65_DESTINATIONVERMONT_020111_Layout target, the skier must ski a short to miss this unique event! All Street. Saturday 7:30 pm and penalty loop. Because of this the lead proceeds help the American Lung Sunday at 2 pm. Tickets are $15. can change quickly and unpredictably.

Association continue to fight lung Reservations are encouraged.

Paintball guns are used, making the disease and promote lung health.

(802) 334-2216 event safe and lighthearted. Youth: $3 9 am, registration fee varies, www.qnek.com ($5 if you need rentals). Adults: $10 please register in advance. ($15 if you need rentals).

(802) 879-6861 elliebobp@gmail.com ANTIQUE SKI RACE, Woodstock www.action.lungusa.org www.mstf.net The Vermont Ski Museum and Suicide Six will host the STONE WALL WORKSHOP, Vermont Antique Ski Race.

STREET BEAT, St. Johnsbury Hinesburg Introductory Upon registering, the racer will Academy, St. Johnsbury Inspired workshop for homeowners chose to compete in one of by the success of Stomp, Street Beat and tradespeople promotes three categories: wood, metal/ presents a show that is a kinetic, the beauty and integrity of fiberglass, or strictly vintage. maximum energy explosion of urban stone. Participants learn basic All skis must pre-date 1975. rhythm and dance, utilizing junk, techniques for creating dryStrictly vintage registrants must household items, found objects for laid walls with a special focus also have pre-1975 boots and drums and percussion, and featuring on stone native to Vermont. bindings. Registration from 8:30the pinnacle of modern street Admission: $100 10 am, $45 to enter. choreography. Tickets: $4, Shows at (802) 318-2411 (802) 253-9911 10:30 am and 1pm. www.queencitysoilandstone.com www.vermontskimuseum.org.

(802) 748-2600 www.catamountarts.org

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Come see our spectacular views!!

INVESTMENT

OPPORTUNITIES SPAN THE GLOBE.

SO DO WE. TEMPLETON GLOBAL FUNDS Global investment opportunities are out there, if you know where to look. With over 50 years’ experience and investment professionals on the ground in 20 countries, Templeton offers investors a unique perspective on the increasingly important and complex world of global investing. at Burlington International Airport

862-6410 Restaurant Opens: 6 am Daily Airfare Café opens: 5 am Daily

See your financial advisor, call 1-800-FRANKLIN or visit franklintempleton.com.

You should carefully consider a fund’s investment goals, risks, charges and expenses before investing.

You’ll find this and other information in the fund’s summary prospectus and/or prospectus, which you can obtain from your financial advisor. Please read a prospectus carefully before investing.

Franklin Templeton Distributors, Inc., One Franklin Parkway, San Mateo, CA 94403

February / March 2011 Destination Vermont 9

calendar games, a bonfire, giveaways, and an outdoor barbeque. 2 pm. There is also a torchlight parade and fireworks where the Snow Sport University faculty lights up lower Morse on skis and snowboards, combined with a fireworks grand finale! 8 pm.

(802) 644-8851 smuggs@smuggs.com

24 CANADIAN TENORS, Burlington The Canadian Tenors comes to the Flynn Center for one night only, bringing show-goers its classic pop vocals. 7:30 pm. Cost: $33.50$58.50.

(802) 652-4500 www.flynncenter.org

26 to 27 BURLINGTON VERMONT 14 CATS, Flynn MainStage,

Burlington There’s no better way to introduce your family to the wonders of live theater than with the magic, the mystery, and the memory of CATS. 7:30 pm, tickets $44-$64.

(802) 86-FLYNN www.flynntix.org

17 to 20 MIDDLEBURY COLLEGE

WINTER CARNIVAL, Middlebury Middlebury College hosts the oldest and largest student-run carnival in the country. There will be fireworks, an ice show, ski competitions, and chili contest.

(802) 388-4356 or (802) 443-5000 www.middlebury.edu

18 to 20 CHESTER’S WINTER

CARNIVAL, Chester Oldfashioned family winter fun in a Currier & Ives setting. Fun for all ages, children’s activities, skating party, sled races, dog sled rides, bonfires, special food events around town and so much more!

(802) 228-5830 ext. 3663 www.yourplaceinvermont.com

activities. Sample presidential cookie favorites and spiced cider! 10 am3:30 pm Admission: adults $12, 62 and over $11, children 5-15 $6, 3-4 $3, 2 and under free.

(802) 457-2355 www.billingsfarm.org

20 SNOWSHOE FOR KNOWLEDGE, The Hermitage Country Inn, West Dover Get outdoors, get healthy, and support a local nonprofit organization at the Snowshoe for Knowledge.

Experience the beauty of nature on the Hermitage trails with friends, family members, visitors, and the local community. Registration fees vary.

(802) 464-6467 home.together.net /~snowshoeforknowledge

19 and 20 GREEN MOUNTAIN

GUN SHOW AT THE AMERICAN LEGION #26, White River Junction Free gun appraising, antiques and collectibles, rifles, pistols, shotguns, knives, and more.

Sat: 9 am-5 pm, Sun: 9 am-3 pm.

(802) 875-4540 www.greenmtgunshowtrail.com

19 to 27 SLEIGH RIDE WEEK Billings 24 DISNEY FAMILYFUN MAGAZINE Farm & Museum, Woodstock A Vermont Chamber of Commerce Top Ten Event. Horse-drawn sleigh rides, sledding with jack jumpers, tour the dairy farm and farmhouse, farm programs and hands-on

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WINTER CARNIVAL, Smugglers’ Notch Disney FamilyFun Magazine teams up with Smuggs for this special Winter Carnival on the Village Green featuring music and live entertainment plus face painting,

HOME SHOW, Burlington Two floors of exhibits that include new homes, remodeling options, log homes, landscape design, heating/cooling systems, building materials, financial services, window and door replacement, and much more at the Sheraton Hotel and Conference Center.

(800) 237-6024 www.homeshows.com/burlington_ home_show.htm

27 Kitchen Junket and Sliding Party, The Old Stone House Museum, Brownington Bring your skis, skates, and sleds and enjoy family winter fun, including sleigh rides on the museum grounds. Fiddling and dancing start at 2 pm in the kitchen of the Hall House. Refreshments will be served. Admission is free, donations welcome.

(802) 754-2022 www.oldstonehousemuseum.org

March 4 to 6 BURLINGTON MARDI GRAS

PARADE, Burlington Intriguing float designs stroll up Church Street to the sounds of rock bands and brass orchestras. Authentic Louisiana Moonpies, Lake Champlain Chocolates, and bead necklaces.

(802) 658-2739 www.magichat.net/mardigras/home

February / March 2011

4 to 6 2011 VERMONT FLOWER

SHOW, Champlain Valley Exposition, Essex Junction The 2011 Vermont Flower Show offers three days of spring the first weekend in March. Take a fantastical Medieval-inspired journey filled with flowers and fragrance.

Walk through the woods, take in some magic, visit the castle, and dart through the rain reliving your childhood memories of fantasy and imagination. Admission prices vary.

(888) 518-6484 www.greenworksvermont.org

5 RAIL JAM, Smugglers’ Notch

The Molly Rowley fund supports families with children undergoing treatment for cancer. Come out and have some fun and support this great cause! Registration will take place at 5 pm, with a practice at 5:30 pm and event kick-off at 6:30 pm.

(802) 644-8851 www.smuggs.com

Quick, Convenient, Charter Quotes!

You define the trip.

You pick the aircraft.

You compare prices.

Q Q Q

Free Quotes! Great Service! www.SouthShoreAIRCharter.com quotes@southshhoreaircharter.com

(781) 789-5053

February / March 2011 Destination Vermont 11

calendar

7 to 13 9TH ANNUAL MARDI GRAS,

Jay Peak Resort Snowshoe obstacle race, live band performances, mask making, New Orleans inspired food and more! All ages.

(800) 451-4449 www.jaypeakresort.com

11 to 20 SIXTH ANNUAL VERMONT QUILT SHOP HOP, quilt shops statewide Quilters from around the state, spend 10 days visiting participating quilt shops statewide and taking part in games, drawings, the chance to win prizes, and collecting project patterns.

(802) 223-2275 www.vermontshophop.com

11 to 13 VERMONT BOAT AND

MARINE SHOW, Champlain Valley Exposition, Essex Junction This event is sure to turn your thoughts to warmer weather and conjure visions of Vermont’s beautiful lakes and ponds. Visit the Vermont fishing and boating section for more information about water sports and activities. Admission is charged.

(800) 542-6017 www.cvexpo.org

12 to 13 ANNUAL NORTH

AMERICAN TELEMARK FESTIVAL, Mad River Glen, Waitsfield Come join over 1,000 telemark skiers for a weekend of free-heel celebration, great Mad River Glen skiing, wild championship races,

VERMONT Oct / Nov 2009

Destination

Established in 1965, The Store has been a cook’s first choice for the tools to get the job done with flair and good taste. Now The Kitchen at The Store offers classes for anyone who loves to cook—or would like to learn.

From Pastry Basics, We Love Chocolate and Fish 101 to A Better Brunch, or your own custom designed private class, our talented instructors help you learn the skills and techniques that bring new inspiration to any kitchen.

IONAL BURLINGTON INTERNAT

ily F ily vities for the Fam vitie F ivities Fes F ll Festi Fal Fall view Prevvie Pre Pr tterr P Winte ontt Wi mon mo Verm V andd A Ver and

VERMONT Destination

Dec 2009 / Jan 2010

BURLINGTON INTERNATION AL AIRPORT

Distinctive Kitchenware & Home Accessories Visit us online for our new menu of classes:

vermontstore.com kitchenatthestore.com

Route 100, Waitsfield, Vt. 05673 [ 802-496-4465

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AIRPORT

The Ultimate Winter Adven ture

Destination Vermont is the exclusive publication of Burlington International Airport. Distributed throughout the BTV terminal and at Welcome Centers statewide, Destination Vermont magazine targets more than 720,000 visitors to the area each year.

For information about advertising, call us at (802) 985-3091 or email:

advertising@windridgepublishing.com

February / March 2011 the USO is also the culminating stop on the men’s and women’s TTR World Snowboard Tour titles.

Admission is free.

(800) 787-2886 www.opensnowboarding.com

16 POETRY OUT LOUD STATE

FINALS, Barre Opera House, Montpelier Students from over 20 high schools around the state come to Montpelier to compete for the state title. Admission is free.

(802) 828-3778 www.vermontartscouncil.org/ Education/PoetryOutLoud/ tabid/140/Default.aspx

18 to 27 GREEN MOUNTAIN FILM

Vermont Flower Show

FESTIVAL The Savoy and City Hall, Montpelier A small festival that shows work from around the world, including work from emerging filmmakers. Ticket prices vary and are available for sale in person or over the phone.

(802) 262-3423 www.greenmountainfilmfestival.org

19 BURLINGTON CHAMBER skills clinics, and fun. Demos of the latest Telemark gear. Beginner to radical terrain skiing clinics with North America’s best instructors.

Registration and festival lift ticket sales begin 8 am each day.

(802) 496-3409 or (802) 496-3551 www.madriverglen.com

ORCHESTRA, AN EVENING OF CHAMBER MUSIC, UVM Recital Hall, Burlington The BCO concludes its season by featuring the winner of the 2011 Young Artist Solo Competition. The BCO will also perform the rhythmic and rich Suite for Strings by Finish

composer Einojuhani Rautavaara, and Haydn’s Symphony no. 45 Farewell. Tickets available by phone and online.

(802) 893-4082 www.flynntix.org

19 to 20 VERMONT MAPLE OPEN

HOUSE WEEKEND The Open House Weekend is the public celebration of the maple syrup season in Vermont. It is an opportunity for the public to visit sugarhouses throughout the state to learn about Vermont’s first agricultural crop of the year.

Activities during this free event will be different at each sugarhouse but will include the opportunity to watch maple syrup being made (weather permitting) and to sample syrup and other maple products.

(800) 837-6668 www.vermontmaple.org

20 ANNUAL BIG DUMMY AIR,

Sugarbush Ski Area, Warren Build your skiing and snowboarding dummy then hurl it down the trail and see how far it goes! Big prizes for the best dummy. Yes, this is a classic Mad River Valley event. Some things never change—ski the Mad River Valley—a special Vermont place any time of year. Begins at 12 pm.

(802) 583-6300 www.sugarbush.com

13 SHAWN COLVIN AND LOUDON WAINWRIGHT III, Chandler Music Hall, Randolph In an era when solo singer-songwriters are ever more ubiquitous, Shawn Colvin and Loudon Wainwright III stand out as enduring and outstanding talents.

(802) 728-6464 www.chandler-arts.org

7 to 13 US OPEN SNOWBOARDING CHAMPIONSHIPS, Stratton Mountain Sun Bowl Base Lodge As in years past, the USO is not only the final stop of the Burton Global Open Series, where the top male and female boarders will be awarded $100,000 each, but

February / March 2011 Destination Vermont 13

oices

of

Vermonters

Witty and Wise Words from the Green Mountain State

By Lin Stone

V

ermont made products and companies are often known and cited for goodness and high quality, for innovativeness and strength of character. Its people could also be described that way. And perhaps not too surprisingly, many of those strong and independent characters have a good story to tell.

In 2009, Wind Ridge Publishing (WRP) of Shelburne, an independent publisher, took a gamble on one of those native Vermonters, Marilyn Webb Neagley, and published the emergent writer’s first book, Walking through the Seasons. The company was pleased with the results: the book won a gold medal from the Independent Publishers’ Association in 2009, awarded for excellence in independent publishing, and given to authors and publishers that are “breaking new ground.”

The honor seems quite fitting for Vermonters, doesn’t it?

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Rick Bessette, native Vermonter, who spent his childhood and working life on historic Shelburne Farms, wrote a book of poetry, A Vermonter’s Heritage: Listening to the Trees.

Bessette has referred to himself as a “hound dog loose on the farm,” which describes well this Vermonter’s irrepressible good humor as he searches for life’s lessons surrounded by the spectacular natural beauty of Shelburne Farms’ landscape.

His simple and down-to-earth rhyming quatrains reflect a lifetime of warm-hearted observations of Vermont’s changing seasons, meadows, moonlight, and the peace that nature can bring to the human soul. Shelburne residents Crea and Phil Lintilhac said, “The poetry of Rick Bessette gives us a chance to see the world through the eyes of a real Vermonter—in tune with the lives around him and in love with the landscape and all of its moods.”

Laurie Caswell Burke’s book Skinny Dipping with Loons, Uncommon Stories of the Everyday, is a collection of warm, personal, and humorous vignettes that is deeply rooted in a sense of place and community. Burke renders a warm storyteller’s voice to the humorous and humbling experiences of ordinary life, from growing up, “First Kiss” to parenting, “Taxi Please.”

Author and state senator Philip Baruth notes that Caswell’s stories “tap the very powerful emotional undercurrents of everyday events. Run-ins with teenage children, crazy college road trips, taking a summer drive with an aging friend—all of this book’s truest observations of human nature spring from the seemingly commonplace, situations we have all experienced before.”

In the book Musings of a Vermont Nutritionist, A to Z: Antioxidants to Zinc, national award-winning nutrition educator Professor Carew compiles his informative and witty newspaper columns into an engaging and readable book.

He sifts the wheat from the chaff of nutritional facts and fiction, encouraging readers to take a simple but well-informed and sensible approach to healthy foods and vitamins. Carew has been lauded by students and colleagues as “one of the very best nutrition educators in the country.” During his 42 years of teaching at the University of Vermont he “earned the teaching award so many times that a rule was made that a faculty member could only receive the recognition once.”

Readers will be happy to note that Carew generally confirms that for those of us without preexisting or compromising conditions, a bite or two of dark chocolate and a little red wine would be fine for our health.

Wind Ridge Publishing, Inc. (WRP) is an independent publisher with more than forty years of experience. The company publishes the Shelburne News, Destination Vermont and HomeStyle Vermont magazines, and now the Voices of Vermonters, its book division.

The books can be purchased online directly through Wind Ridge Publishing, www.windridgepublishing.com, or via many of the areas independent retailers, including The Flying Pig Bookstore, Shelburne Farms Welcome Center, and Brown Dog Gifts.

February / March 2011 Destination Vermont 15

By Stacey Kilpatrick

I

t’s easy to find yourself wandering around Burlington’s waterfront as the majestic Adirondacks draw you in and the calmness of the lake relaxes you.

When the first flakes float down and begin to cover the mountaintops and the cooling waters, the scene is even more magical. The months of February and March bring some bone-chilling temperatures to the lake as the snow falls, and winter jackets and gloves pile on. Many of the waterfront’s restaurants, stores, and attractions provide warmth for the Queen City’s residents and visitors through fun, inviting events and specials that simply should not be missed.

Nothing sounds more scrumptious than a Skinny Pancake Hot Apple Crispy Crepe, a warm cup of coffee, or an even warmer cheese fondue. Except for maybe one of those selections with a big plate of homegrown music on the side. The Skinny Pancake, Burlington’s creperie, where good food comes full circle, provides its herds of hungry customers with live music Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights from 8-10 pm, and Wednesday evenings from 6-8 pm beginning in January.

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Photo courtesy of the State of Vermont

Benjy Adler, owner of the Skinny Pancake, with Senator Patrick Leahy.

“We have everything from rock and roll to folk music to four piece jazz bands,” said Chris Benjamin, Skinny’s general manager. “It really is expansive.”

If Mexican food is more to your liking then a visit to Miguel’s on Main is in order. Miguel’s offers dashes of nice spices in their Mexican dishes for brunch, lunch, dinner and drinks Monday through Sunday at its Main Street location. In addition to the chile verde, carne asada, and pollo mole, Miguel’s provides patrons with some much wanted heat during Burlington’s frigid months.

One of Burlington’s most visited waterfront attractions, Echo Lake Aquarium and Science Center is open to the public year round. ECHO’s exhibit spaces hosts nationallyacclaimed changing exhibits and extraordinary permanent exhibits.

Lastly, the Winter Festival, one of Burlington’s biggest and oldest bashes (in its 18th year) is

scheduled for Saturday, February 5. Nancy Bove, special events coordinator at Burlington Parks and Recreation, detailed the festival’s exciting events. ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center plans on holding a Family Activity Day Expo, which entails exhibits, arts and crafts, activities, and games at a reduced entrance price. The popular Penguin Plunge, the largest statewide fundraising event for Special Olympics Vermont, will probably see a plethora of plungers jump into the piercing waters of Lake Champlain to raise money for the Special Olympian athletes.

And for the 15th year, creative carvers will compete on Church Street in the Vermont State Snow Sculpting Competition for the grand prize of traveling to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin for the 2011 National Snow Sculpting Competition.

Participating Vermont residents over the age of 18 will work in teams of three overnight, creating the most imaginative and artistic, detailed

snow sculptures. The completed works of art will be on display the following day for all to see at the Church Street Marketplace Ice Walk when the first, second, and third place winners will be announced.

Burlington’s waterfront is spectacular in the winter. The community that lines Lake Champlain plans on sparkling with the snowflakes to give the locals and visitors warm memories to take back home, wherever that may be.

Photo courtesy of Burlington Winter Festival

$9 Endless Chili Bowl

Choice of spicy beef, tangy chicken, pork verde and very veggie

ALL YOU CAN EAT!

Open Daily for Lunch, Dinner & Sunday Brunch!

30 Main Street • Burlington • 658-9000

Delicious Crepes • Affordab-ilicious Prices Localvoralicious Ingredients At bottom of College Street on the Burlington Waterfront

www.skinnypancake.com

BURLINGTON: (802)540-0188 [ MONTPELIER: (802)262-CAKE February / March 2011 Destination Vermont 17

forlove... the

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of

By Lin Stone

ermont is renowned for untainted sweetness, bucolic natural beauty, wholesome food, and farms. Conjure up an image of Vermont and chances are you’ll picture its red maple autumns and the sweet amber syrup the trees produce. We might also envision green rolling hills speckled with black and white Holsteins and farmers in baseball hats lugging milk buckets or baskets of vegetables. But can you picture Vermont with rich, dark, swirling, Willy Wonka rivers of chocolate?

A rising tide of truffles? Blissfully for us, they exist too. Vermont chocolatiers are the upshot of Vermont’s fine dairy products, its milk, butter, and cream, as well as its sweetness – gallons of maple syrup and combs of honey too.

Photos courtesy of Lake Champlain Chocolates

February / March 2011 Destination Vermont 19

Aztecs to Casanova The Latin name for the cacao tree is Theobroma cacao, which translates to “food of the Gods.” And for good reason, literally: the Aztecs believed that cacao bean had magical or divine properties and they used it in sacred ceremonies as offerings to their Gods.

Europeans owe their own chocolate introduction to one such Aztec king’s tragic mistake. Apparently, Montezuma mistook the invading Spanish explorer

Vermont’s rock diva Grace Potter tastes the custom-mix of sweet and spicy flavors for her signature chocolate bar, “Grace Under Fire,” at Lake Champlain Chocolates in Burlington.

Photo courtesy of Lake Champlain chocolates

Hernando Cortes with a reincarnated deity and welcomed the conqueror with an offering of the frothy unsweetened cacao bean drink. Cortes, who would rather have been greeted with gold, was unimpressed, and called it a “bitter drink for pigs.” In fact, the Aztecs often used the valued beans as currency too—four cacao beans for a hare or a duck. Despite Cortes’ initial cool response, cacao beans traveled back with the Spanish, and once it was mixed with honey or cane sugar, it became a popular drink throughout Spain. By the 17th century, chocolate was fashionable throughout Europe. The French reportedly used chocolate “to fight against fits of anger and bad moods.” It was also rumored to have aphrodisiac qualities: Casanova reputedly consumed vast quantities of the beverage and offered women cacao as part of his wooing and seduction. Hot chocolate was also valued as a medicine as well as a drink. Some said it aided digestion, stomach disorders, and assisted in the treatment of fevers and liver disease.

Healthy Chocolate?

Things have now come full circle. Today’s nutritional research demonstrates that there are indeed some physical and psychological health benefits in dark chocolate. UVM’s nutrition educator Dr. Lyn Carew, writes in his book Musings of a Vermont 20 www.destinationvermont.com

Nutritionist, A to Z: Antioxidants to Zinc, that blood levels of the stress hormone cortisol are decreased when a bite or two of minimally processed real dark chocolate are eaten. He notes further that dark chocolate is loaded with flavonols and antioxidants, compounds that apparently help to slow some of the ravages of aging.

Chocolate Trends The public and Vermont’s largest chocolate retailer have taken note.

According to Lake Champlain Chocolates’ (LCC) marketing specialist, Meghan Fitzpatrick, the company has witnessed the trends toward more health consciousness as well as an increased interest in global and ethnic foods: people are buying more small, organic, dark, and bite-sized pieces of chocolate and there is piqued interest in ethnic flavors, spices, and combinations. A case in point is LCC’s Hot Chai drink and its organic chocolates that now include spicy dark Aztec squares. Another recent example is a custom-made chocolate bar LCC created in a bold collaboration with local foodies, chocolate lovers, and rising rock star band Grace Potter & the Nocturnals. This resulted in a “rock n’ roll” dark chocolate bar made with red peppers, pistachios, and flavored with hints of vanilla and cinnamon.

“Sweet, savory, and spicy,” said Potter. “I think those are three things

Because Vermont is one of the best sources for many of the quality ingredients needed to make fine chocolates and other confections, some of the world’s best chocolate makers, large and small, have made Vermont their home. A partial list follows.

Lake Champlain Chocolates

Burlington 864-1808 Visitors can enjoy a sweet tour through Lake Champlain Chocolate’s (LCC) chocolate factory located on Pine Street. LCC has been making its award-winning, all natural chocolates with Vermont fresh ingredients in small batches for 27 years.

Try the salted caramels, organic Aztec dark chocolate, chocolatedipped ginger and apricots, and a tantalizing array of truffles.

Sweet on Vermont Artisan Confections

Come taste our handcrafted truffles, chocolates and fudge made from family recipes handed down over four generations.

Free samples Open daily

Burlington 862-5814 Sweet on Vermont’s all natural handmade artisan chocolates and confections have garnered fabulous reviews in the NY Times. Sweet on Vermont was featured on the Rachel Ray show and David Rosengarten of Food TV fame has rated its chocolates, along with two French chocolatiers, as three of the best in the world. Owner Linda Grishman also teaches the art of fine chocolate making in small hands-on classes for beginners and advanced students, January through October.

Blackflower Chocolates

Receive a free chocolate snowflake with this ad.

The Blue Mall, 150 Dorset St, So Burlington (just off exit 14 on I-89) (802) 863-8306 Factory Location, 81A Vermont Route 15, Jericho, (802) 899-3373 www.snowflakechocolate.com

Charlotte 373-9313 Blackflower Chocolates uses 70 percent dark Ecuadorian chocolate with herbs, spices, flowers, and some of today’s super foods to create chocolates as complex and flavorful as good wine: green tea, lavender, curry, mangosteen, chai, rose hips, and mulberry are just some of the ethnic and wellness-inspired creations of Blackflower Chocolate.

Snowflake Chocolates

Jericho 863-8306 Snowflake Chocolates pay homage to Jericho’s beloved snow crystal photographer, Snowflake Bentley, and to old-fashioned Vermont quality and traditions. Three generations of the Pollak family confectioners have been stirring up handed-down recipes for more than 50 years.

Snowflake Chocolates makes classic velvety chocolate creams, chewy caramels, brittles, kettle-popped caramel corn, and of course, white chocolate snowflakes.

Laughing Moon Chocolates

Stowe 253-9591 Laughing Moon Chocolates prides itself on its handmade small batch confections, such as old-fashioned copper kettle fudge, salted caramels, chocolate-dipped maple sugar candy, handmade candy canes, and truffles.

Dan’s Chocolates

Burlington (800) 800-3267 Owner Dan Cunningham is a native Vermonter whose company prides itself on making handmade, fresh gourmet truffles (in 50 flavors!) in the spirit of good will and good fun.

Another Vermont manufacturer that offers delectable, reasonably priced, handmade chocolates.

Creative Chocolates of Vermont

Essex Junction 891-6048 Award-winning Creative Chocolates of Vermont makes many unique chocolate creations that are amusing and realistic: chocolate meals, such as white chocolate spaghetti with fudge meatballs, pizza, burgers, and TV dinners; household items, such as chocolate cell phones, computers, and the infamous Glidden paint can with chocolate tools and M&M paint rollers.

February / March 2011 Destination Vermont 21

Three generations of Snowflake Chocolate’s Pollack family have been making small-batch traditional chocolates and truffles for more than 50 years.

Photo courtesy of Snowflake Chocolates

our music encompasses as well.”

This hot candy confection is called “Grace under Fire,” and in a final witty gesture in LCC’s promotional video at lakechamplainchocolates.com Potter belts out the song, “Medicine.”

Lake Champlain Chocolates Lake Champlain Chocolates was started on a rather bold dare. In 1983, the then owner of the acclaimed Ice House Restaurant on Lake Champlain, Jim Lampman, would buy expensive boxes of chocolate as gifts for his staff.

However, his pastry chef was a man of rather high epicurean standards and one day after too many boxes of these chocolates, he took Lampman aside and said, “These chocolates are terrible.” Lampman responded, “All right then, you do better.”

Soon the pastry chef presented him with some hand-rolled, distinctively flavored truffles. They were the finest chocolates Lampman had tasted.

Thereafter, they were occasionally served on Sundays to a select few patrons. A gesture loosely reminiscent of the Aztecs’ offerings to royals and the pious, was it not? However, unlike Cortes’ unfavorable response, Lampman’s customers’ response was emphatic and favorable. To keep up with demand, Lampman then started a small upscale chocolate-making business in a tiny alley in Burlington.

Word spread and retail customers who knew where to find the famous truffles constantly interrupted Lampman’s efforts. Lampman eventually sold the Ice House restaurant in order to keep up with the chocolate demand.

Now, Lake Champlain Chocolates is located in a 24,000 square foot building on Pine Street in Burlington and has nearly 100 employees during peak season.

Yankee Magazine has rated it “Best of Region,” the NY Photo courtesy of Lake Champlain Chocolates

22 www.destinationvermont.com

Times has lauded LCC as “some of the best chocolate in the country,” and NE Travel states LCC is “One of New England’s best chocolatiers.”

True Love Always The little cacao bean travels well across both cultures and timelines: from sacred offerings, currency, aphrodisiac, and medicine; from the ancient Aztecs, to Spanish Cortes and Venetian Casanova; to World War I soldiers’ kit bags, and today’s astronauts heading to the moon. We have had a long-standing love affair with the “food of the Gods.” It seems our love of chocolate might be eternal after all.

C A Sweet Vermont Tradition Sugar on Snow

ontrary to common belief, snowfall has little to do with maple syrup production.

Instead, it is when the frigid winter nights give way to 30 to 40 degree temperatures during the day that the sap is at its best quality and will render the best quantity for tapping. With those buckets full of sweet sap comes the age-old spring tradition of the Vermont sugarhouse. Steam rises day and night from the chimneys of these often rustic shacks signaling the constant heat that is necessary to turn the sweet sugar water into maple syrup. And with that maple syrup comes another tradition: sugar on snow. Native Americans originally discovered “wax sugar” when they poured hot syrup over snow and it crystallized when it reacted to the cold temperature. Over the years this stringy concoction which has earned such names as “leather aprons” or “leather britches” has become standard fare in sugar houses throughout New England and Canada. Today, a cup of syrup, snow, a doughnut with a pickle on the side—to cut the sweetness of the syrup—completes the sweet experience, that and a whole lot of fun.

Year Round Sugar Houses

Sugar on Snow Recipe: Boil maple syrup to about 20 degrees above the boiling point of water (234 degrees on a candy thermometer). Cool slightly and test by spooning a tablespoon of syrup over the snow. If the syrup sits on top of the snow and clings to a fork like taffy, it’s ready. Drizzle it over finely crushed ice (snow) packed in bowls to quickly cool it to chewy strands of pure maple delight.

Dakin Farm 5797 Route 7 Ferrisburgh, VT 05456 (800) 993-2546 customerservice@dakinfarm.com www.dakinfarm.com Palmer’s Sugarhouse 332 Shelburne-Hinesburg Road Shelburne, VT (802) 985-5054 ashdancs@yahoo.com Nebraska Knoll Sugar Farm 256 Falls Brook Lane Stowe, VT 05672 (802) 253-4655 nebknoll@pshift.com www.nebraskaknoll.com Vermont Maple Outlet 3929 VT Route 15 Jeffersonville, VT 05464 (802) 644-5482 info@vermontmapleoutlet.com www.vermontmapleoutlet.com

February / March 2011 Destination Vermont 23

Get Away from it All Two Stellar Nordic Skiing Centers

Photo courtesy of Trapp Family Cross Country Ski Center

By Lin Stone

W

e were enthusiastic Nordic skiers from another state, but when we came to visit Vermont our hearts were stolen; here we found beauty bigger than life and storybook true. We had gone skiing for the day at the Trapp Family Cross Country Ski Center in Stowe. The weather, the woods, the well-groomed, long, rambling trails took us far, far away from it all, to a place where we could clearly see the world around us for what it was: magnificent.

Skiers from around the globe also visit Vermont to escape the hubbub of working life and to enjoy the immense natural beauty of the Green Mountains, and to cross country ski. Although Vermont offers thousands of acres and hundreds of miles of well-groomed terrain and wonderful cross country ski centers, there are two distant lodestars in Vermont’s constellation of Nordic ski escape offerings: the legendary Trapp Family Lodge and Cross Country

24 www.destinationvermont.com

Ski Center and the Blueberry Hill Inn and Cross Country Ski Center.

The Trapp Family Lodge and Cross Country Ski Center is perched high on the Mountain Road overlooking the bustling small village of Stowe. It is the site of the original farm purchased

by Captain von Trapp for his family after fleeing from the Nazis in Austria during WWII. The von Trapp’s musical largesse combined with the moving story of their dramatic escape and safe landing in the Green Mountains in 1942 inspired the making of the musical The Sound of Music. Today, the Trapp Family Lodge is still the Trapp family’s lodge: Johannes von Trapp, Sam von Trapp, and other family members manage the resort and share their family’s heritage with visitors. The Cross Country Ski Center at the Trapp Family Lodge was the first cross country ski center in the country and today it stands as one of the finest.

The Cross Country Center’s vast and varied terrain offers 60 km of groomed trails and 100 km of backcountry skiing for all ages and abilities. In this

writer’s pleasure-seeking opinion, one of the many enticing highlights of cross country skiing at Trapp’s (second only to the area’s breathtaking natural beauty), is a 5 km ski in to Slayton Pasture Cabin. The log cabin is nestled in the mountain’s wooded trails to assuage winter’s chill and your hunger with a come-hither call to warm yourself by its blazing hearth and eat your fill of hot soup, sandwiches, and cocoa.

To get away from it all even further, there is the more intimate inn and cross country ski center at Blueberry Hill, located amidst Moosalamoo National Recreation Area’s 22,000 acres and near the very small hamlet of Goshen at the foot of Romance Mountain (no foolin’).

Informal and cozy, the charming 1800s inn and Nordic center is celebrating forty years of great cross country skiing.

Blueberry Hill’s ski center has 70 km of trails groomed for both classic and skate skiing. It also boasts a trail rated as one of the most scenic (Hogback Trail), and another that is Vermont’s highest groomed trail at about 2,800 feet

(Romance Trail). Blueberry Hill is where you go to forget about your cell phones (no reception) and to ski under a bright canopy of stars and the light of the moon at night. There is a wood-fired sauna to warm you from nose to toes, four-course dinners at the inn, hot soup, and out-ofthis-world homemade cookies served at the ski center at lunchtime. At Blueberry Hill, adults and children can step back to a simpler time and place to enjoy the rich pleasures of full days spent out of doors in winter’s vast and wonderful natural playground. And then at day’s end, step back inside to the waiting warm pleasures of great homemade food, good company, and a big comfy bed.

Blueberry Hill Inn’s guests can warm up in this log cabin’s wood-fired sauna.

See page 31 for crossword puzzle

Blueberry Hill’s Cross Country Ski Center offers 70 km of groomed trails, ski lessons, rentals, and warm lunchtime fare.

Photos courtesy of Blueberry Hill Cross Country Ski Center

A 5 km ski into the woods at Trapp Family Cross Country Ski Center reveals Slayton Pasture Cabin where visitors can warm up with hot soup and relax by the fire.

Below, the Austrian-style Trapp Family Lodge is a storybook winter getaway for big and little visitors.

Photos courtesy of Trapp Family Cross Country Ski Center

February / March 2011 Destination Vermont 25

Unsung Heroes of the Mountain A History of the Ski Patrol “If you can ski the east you can ski anywhere”

By Kathy Howard

S

Photo courtesy of the Vermont Ski Museum.

kiing has long been synonymous with Vermont. People from all over the world visit Vermont just to take a run or ride down some of the most challenging terrain. It is not challenging in the traditional steep black diamond sense, but challenging in the sense that narrow trails require expert timing on turns, and mountain woods are part of the downhill route. Local legend has it that “If you can ski the east you can ski anywhere.”

26 www.destinationvermont.com

It takes a village, so to speak, to keep the mountain slopes running smoothly, safely, and efficiently. Lift attendants, ski school instructors, and mountain maintenance staff all work together to make the slopeside experience a positive and memorable one. But the unsung heroes of the mountain might arguably be the ski patrol.

Founded over 75 years ago, this organization takes its creed of “service and safety” seriously.

And if you have ever had the “privilege” of riding down the mountain in a toboggan after a nasty fall, rather than on your snowboard or skis, you would likely be most thankful for that commitment.

Mount Mansfield in Stowe established the first ski patrol in the country in the 1930s. Charles Minot “Minnie” Dole had been on a ski trip to the mountain when he fell and broke his ankle. He spent hours stranded on the side of the mountain before he was able to make it to the bottom of the hill for medical attention. A few weeks later, Dole’s best friend was skiing on another mountain and he too had an accident. He was not as fortunate as Dole and he died; however, had there been medical personnel available nearby he likely would have lived. The combination of the two events propelled Dole to take action.

Dole organized the first ski patrol through the Mount Mansfield Ski Club. In March of 1938, the president of the National Ski Association, Roger F. Langley, came to Stowe to officiate a ski race. Langley was so impressed by Dole’s organization that the two men collaborated and the National Ski Patrol (NSP) was born. During World War II, Dole was also responsible for the establishment of the infamous 10th Mountain Division of the U.S. Army. This military unit consisted of soldiers who were skilled mountaineers and skiers who patrolled the mountain regions of Europe, which saw much of its fighting activity in Italy, and played an instrumental role in the defeat of the Germans.

Applicants for the 10th Mountain Division were screened by the NSP and resulted in the recruitment of more than 10,000 skiing soldiers.

Spurred in part by veterans of the 10th Mountain Division, the sport of skiing grew rapidly after the war as did the need for ski patrols. Initially, ski patrols were volunteer organizations but they quickly evolved into a paid profession. Today, the organization is composed of more than 27,000 members serving on more than 600 patrols. The first paid ski patroller, Fritz Kramer, had been a member of the 10th Mountain Division and spent the winter of 1940-41 living in the Stone Hut atop Mount Mansfield. Today he is a member of the Vermont Ski Museum Hall of Fame.

An immediate response to a slopeside collision.

The first rescue toboggans were made simply from a piece of corrugated tin and patrollers had a limited knowledge of first aid techniques.

Winter sports now include snowboarding, snow skating, tubing, and backcountry skiing and require the development of new equipment and rescue techniques to accommodate the changing terrain of outdoor winter recreation. Ski patrollers are required to have certified Emergency Medical Training (EMT) to keep abreast of new approaches in outdoor emergency medicine and rescue techniques. However, some things have not changed since Dole’s founding days, and that is the ski patrols’ commitment to providing outdoor safety services and emergency care to everyone who enjoys winter’s snowy mountain slopes.

Trained professionals hard at work.

February / March 2011 Destination Vermont 27

fabulous fare

Asian Thoroughfare

Szechuan, Hunan, Mandarin, Vietnamese and Thai Cuisines

Chef Leu’s House

O

Chef Leu’s steaming hot bowl of Chinese vegetable soup helped take the sting out of January’s frost-bitten air.

Photos by Molly Stone

28 www.destinationvermont.com

By Lin Stone

n a recent January evening, the temperature was -7 Fahrenheit when we returned home after dinner at Chef Leu’s House. Vermont or not, that’s really cold. On such a bitter evening, all that many of us can think about is a warm cozy home and a little comfort food. Now I don’t usually think of Chinese food as fitting that mid-winter baked mac and cheese kind of calling, but tonight I was in for an ethnic surprise: Thai curry.

A very warm and delicious golden Malai Chicken Curry with zig zags of zucchini. It was mild but richly flavored with coconut milk, cumin, coriander, and transparent, crispy, whole basil leaves floated atop the dish. It was the perfect food foil to a frigid night. My daughter Molly took refuge in her perennial favorites at Chef Leu’s: vegetarian egg roll, Chinese vegetable soup, and you guessed it, vegetable Lo Mein.

Molly particularly loves the soup broth and the bowl is full of crunchy Chinese vegetables. In terms of Chef Leu’s Lo Mein, both of my daughters have ordered this dish

Chef Leu’s Crispy Szechuan Duck is seasoned and fried to a golden brown with spiced salt.

at every Chef Leu’s outing for almost twenty years…Doesn’t this alone qualify it for the comfort food category? May Wang, a co-owner of the restaurant with her husband and chef, Kevin Ke, had suggested we try her favorite dish—the Two Side Yellow (Hunan style) Lo Mein with pan-fried noodles topped with baby shrimp, pork, chicken and vegetables.

We ordered this dish too, counting on my colleagues at Wind Ridge Publishing to help finish the remaining and rather enormous portion the following day.

Molly and I drank the contents of a full silver pot of hot, slightly smoky, Chinese tea. At this point I could finally remove one layer of my winter security sweaters. Before bracing ourselves to head back out into the cold-cold night, we relished the civilized note with which Chinese dinners traditionally end: a few bites of fruit and a fortune cookie, followed by a moist and lightly scented facecloth to wipe our mouth.

This time of year is a special time to dine at Chef Leu’s: Chinese New Year. The two-week celebration begins Feb. 2 and runs through Feb. 20. Chef Leu’s previous owner, Nancy Leu, and present owners Wang and Ke have maintained the New Year festivities for the community for the last 17 consecutive years. Ke will prepare auspicious traditional New Year dishes such as lucky golden ball appetizers, peach bun with lotus seed filling, shrimp dumplings, and of course, a sweet and sour crispy whole fish served with Ke’s secret sauce. Wang explained that fish are always prepared and served whole at the Chinese New Year. According to ancient Chinese beliefs the use of knives

was considered unlucky at this time of year, and to use a knife could sever the family’s good fortune. Fish is also never eaten entirely in order to ensure that the family will have an excess of good fortune through the year. Celebrate the Year of the Rabbit at Chef Leu’s House, 3761 Shelburne Road in Shelburne.

The restaurant is open Monday through Thursday 11 am to 9:30 pm, Friday and Saturday 11 am to 10:30 pm, and Sunday 11:30 am to 9:30 pm. Or call (802) 985-5258 for reservations. And don’t forget to leave a little fish on the plate; it’s bound to be a good year.

fabulous fare

February / March 2011 Destination Vermont 29

Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are. —Marianne Williamson 30 www.destinationvermont.com

Photo courtesy of Blueberry Hill Cross Country Ski Center

viewpoint

while you wait... crossword

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68. Timid or unsure February / March 2011 Destination Vermont 31

INFO@ 160 Ban k Street Burlington, VT

802.859.0888

LOCALLY GROWN LOCALLY SERVED Farm-to-table gastropub featuring gourmet local burgers, housemade Charcuterie, local cheeses and farm style comfort food all with a goal of supporting our many talented Vermont farmers and food producers. Rare and prized beers from Vermont’s backyard and beyond offered at the bar, in the outdoor beer garden, and in the downstairs speakeasy.