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Fall EDITION 2015
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PINE STREET TASTING ROOMS BURLINGTON BIKE PATH THE GREAT VERMONT CORN MAZE ART // CULTURE // FOOD // MUSIC // PEOPLE
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Destination VT is a quarterly publication produced in Shelburne, Vt. by Wind Ridge Publishing, Inc. along the shores of Lake Champlain. We strive to provide for Vermont natives and transplants, day-trippers and vacationers, a snapshot of the Green Mountain State’s artistic and cultural landscape. Please direct all inquiries to: PO Box 752, Shelburne, VT 05482 (802) 985-3091 advertising@windridgepublishing.com
PUBLISHERS HOLLY JOHNSON GREG FORBER EDITOR LYNN MONTY CALENDAR EDITOR MATT KELLER ADVERTISING SALES TERRY WETMORE MOLLY TREVITHICK MEG CARRINGTON DORI SHARP DESIGN GREG FORBER CONTRIBUTING WRITERS CHEA WATERS EVANS LYNN MONTY MATT KELLER LIN STONE KEITH MORRILL PHYL NEWBECK BEN SARLE CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS CRAIG THOMAS LYNN MONTY MATT KELLER BEN SARLE GREG FORBER Printed by Dartmouth Printing Co. COVER IMAGE // craigthomas.net
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Art Hop 2013. Photo by Greg Forber
CONTENTS FALL // 2015 Calendar 6 The South End 12 Meet Adam Brooks 14 Tyler Vendituoli of Conant 16 Mastering the Segway 18 Alexis Lathem: Ghost Writer 20 Burlington Bike Path 22 Tasting Rooms of Pine Street 26 The Joys of Getting Lost 29 Myer’s Bagels 32 Puzzle 35 FALL // 2015 Destination VT
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FALL 2015
Ongoing Events NOW TO NOV 29
REVOLUTIONARY AND CIVIL WAR TOUR, Manchester Local historians will walk you through the area’s historical significance to the Revolutionary & Civil Wars. More than 25 points of interest. Group size, 2-10; comfortable tour vehicle. Advance reservations necessary. Call 802-362-4997 for tickets. Tours leave from the Manchester Visitors Center, at 39 Bonnet St., and run from 9:30-11:45am. Tickets are $35 per person.
NOW TO HALLOWEEN
QUEEN CITY GHOSTWALK, Burlington Choose from assorted themed tours and get all the history, mystery, and spooky fun you could ask for. Tours leave from convenient locations in downtown Burlington that are within walking distances of most hotels. Visit the website for up-to-date schedule and rates. www.queencityghostwalk.com
NOW TO NOV.
BURLINGTON SEGWAYS TOURS, Burlington. Tours run as long as the weather will allow. The only Segway tour of Vermont’s largest city, Burlington Segways offers one and two hour tours of Burlington. The tour is part sightseeing, part historical, and can be enjoyed by anyone over the age of 12. No prior experience is necessary as training is included in the tour. One hour tour is $62 and two hour tour is $94. Tours can be booked online or by calling 802-489-5113. www.burlingtonsegways.com
NOW TO OCT 10
BURLINGTON EDIBLE HISTORY TOUR, Burlington Part food. Part history. Get a taste of Burlington with the Burlington Edible History Tour. This 2-mile leisurely walking tour takes you back in time to connect the history of Burlington’s early immigrant groups to their food traditions when farm to table was a way of life. Sample dishes at 5 restaurants committed to serving farm-fresh foods. Through stories from original research, discover the various cultural groups that built the Queen City. Tours are scheduled for Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 1 to 4pm. Tickets must be purchased by 1pm the day before at the FlynnTix Regional Box Office or the Tour’s. www.burlingtonediblehistory.com
September SEPT. 1
SIERRA LEONE’S REFUGEE ALL-STARS, South Burlington Enjoy good music for a good cause. Tickets are $16 for pre-order and $18 at the door. Doors open at 7pm and the show starts at 7:30. 1214 Williston Road, South Burlington. Check the Higher Ground website for more information. www.highergroundmusic.com
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Nectars Segway tour group on the Burlington waterfront. Photo by Lynn Monty
SEPT 4 TO 12
VERMONT STATE FAIR, Rutland 175 S Main St in Rutland. Attractions include a circus, animal petting, pig races, a magician, trick basketball shots, a demolition derby, a bluegrass band, a Pink Floyd cover band, and local artists drawing caricatures, among many other activities. Kids six and under are free. Tickets for adults are between $10-$12, depending on the day. The fair opens at 5pm on Friday, Sept. 4 and runs from 10am-10pm on Sept. 5, 6, 7, and 12. It runs from 12-9pm on the 8, 9, and 10 and 12-10pm on Friday Sept. 11. Tickets are available now. They can be purchased by calling 802-775-5200 weekdays between 9am-4pm or by email at vermontstatefair@ outlook.com.
SEPT 5
DAVE KELLER BAND: SOUL & BLUES FROM MONTPELIER TO MEMPHIS, Stowe One of the finest blues and soul men of his generation, Dave Keller is a first-class singer, guitarist, and songwriter. He’s a seasoned performer, creating fun and inspiring experiences. His new CD, Soul Changes, earned a 2014 Blues Music Award Nomination for Best Soul/Blues Album. Event starts at 8pm at the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center and tickets are $25 for regular seats and $35 for premium seating. www.sprucepeakarts.org
SEPT 5
BIG MEAN SOUND MACHINE, Burlington The Ithaca, NY based band is playing at Nectars, the legendary music venue at 188 Main St. in downtown Burlington. 21+. Doors open at 9pm. Tickets can be purchased at the door. www.liveatnectars.com
SEPT 11 TO 13
SPRINGFIELD STEAMPUNK FESTIVAL come celebrate Steampunk, which is a science fiction genre inspired by 19th century industrial steam powered machinery. The festival takes place at the Hartness House Inn, which is located at 30 Orchard Street in Springfield. Tickets $50 per adult for the weekend. www.springfieldvtsteampunkfest.com
CALENDAR SEPT 11 TO 13
23RD ANNUAL SOUTH END ART HOP, Burlington Come down to Pine Street in Burlington as the South End’s art studios open for a weekend of food and festivities. Local businesses are refit as art galleries and exhibition spaces for the more than 500 participating artists. Over 30,000 attendees are expected, most of them from outside of Burlington. Admission to most events is free. www.seaba.com
SEPT 12 TO 13
GRAND POINT NORTH MUSIC FESTIVAL, Burlington Hosted at Burlington Waterfront Park, this is a huge music festival that coincides with ArtHop. Concert will feature Mike Gordon, Grace Potter, The Flaming Lips, and the Shakey Graves. Box office opens at 11am both days. Single day tickets are $59 and can be purchased online, at the Higher Ground box office, or by calling 877-987-6487. www.grandpointnorth.com/tickets
SEPT 12
CAROL ANN JONES QUARTET, Stowe Carol writes songs that are full of energy and life. She sings about the fun and foolishness of life, the joy of relationships and the experiences we share. This is their third amazing concert at Spruce Peak — come to listen, sing along, and dance. Her all-star band includes Will Patton on mandolin, steel guitar, dobro and upright bass, Dono Schabner on electric guitar, Gary Spaulding on cajone (an acoustic drum box,) and Carol Ann Jones on acoustic guitar and vocals. Tickets are between $20-$35. Performance starts at 8pm at the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center. www.sprucepeakarts.org
Art Hop 2013. Photo by Greg Forber
SEPT 17 TO 20
TUNBRIDGE WORLD’S FAIR, Tunbridge Vermont Chamber of Commerce 2013 “Top 10 Fall Event”. In addition to numerous venues and vendors, there are also walk-around clowns. This year the festival will include harness racing and pig races. Tickets range between $10-12 and can be purchased online. www.tunbridgeworldsfair.com
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SEPT 13
KILLINGTON HALF MARATHON AND 5K, Killington Both races start at the Foundry at 63 Summit Path in Killington. Registration for the half marathon is $70 through Sep 12 and $80 day of. For the 5K it is $35 through Sep 12 and $40 day of. Tee shirts and goodie bags will be provided to participants. www.killingtonhalfmarathon.com
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SEPT 19
BALLETS WITH A TWIST: Mint Julep and Other Spirited Dances, Stowe Mint Julep and Other Spirited Dances reinvents the glamour and excitement of classic entertainment with an original mix of charismatic choreography, intoxicating music and exquisite costume design. It’s an enchanting adventure for all ages to enjoy. Recommended for ages 7+ years. Performance is at 7:30pm at the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center. Tickets start at $20. $48 and $55 for regular tickets and $59 for premium seats. www.balletswithatwist.com
Bristol Harvest Festival
SEPT 26
BRISTOL HARVEST FESTIVAL, Bristol. Free fun for the whole family from 10am4pm on the Bristol town green. Don’t forget to stick around for the Best Ever Apple Pie contest. www.bristolharvestfest.com
OCTOBER OCT 2 TO 4
19TH ANNUAL STOWE OKTOBERFEST, Stowe The town of Stowe Events Field will be transformed into a Bavarian village for a weekend full of music, dancing, and great beer. www.stoweoktoberfest.com
SEPT 19 TO 20
OCT 3 TO 4
VERMONT COMIC CON, Burlington at the Sheraton Hotel at 870 Williston Road in Burlington. The premier Comic festival in the country makes its annual stop in Burlington. See artists, actors, directors, and much more from 10am-7pm on Saturday and 10am-5pm on Sunday. Pre-registration is Friday from 5-9pm. Tickets are $20 for a day pass and $35 for the weekend. Discounts are available for students, seniors, and military members. www.vtcomiccon.com
27TH ANNUAL VERMONT WOOL AND SHEEP FESTIVAL, Tunbridge This event features an animal barn with sheep, goats, alpacas, llamas, and rabbits. It also has a marketplace with more than 70 vendors selling wool-related products. Located at Tunbridge fairgrounds. Tickets are $5. Festival starts at 10am on Saturday. www.vtsheepandwoolfest.com
SEPT 26
FRANCESCA BLANCHARD, Stowe Twenty two year-old Francesca Banchard has been called a profound, mature talent who displays guile and artistic sensitivity that would be the envy of many tunesmiths twice her age. Her intimate shows influences ranging from Norah Jones and Carla Bruni to Eva Cassidy and Francoise Hardy. Francesca has opened for Suzanne Vega, Caravan Palace, the Parkington Sisters, and performed at the prestigious Francofolies Festival in Montreal in 2013. Performance is at the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center at 8pm and tickets range from $20-$25. www.sprucepeakarts.org
SUSAN WERNER, Stowe Called the empress of the unexpected by NPR, Susan Werner composes skillful songs that effortlessly slide between folk, jazz, and pop, all delivered with sassy wit and classic Midwestern charm. Her latest CD, “Kicking The Beehive,” features Vince Gill, Keb’ Mo’ and Paul Franklin, features 11 of her songs that are provocative, lyrical, poignant and honest. She is the composer of the musical “Bull Durham” opening this fall on Broadway. Performance takes place at Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center at the Stowe resort and tickets run $20-$45. www.sprucepeakarts.org
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OCT 3
OCT 7
ARLO GUTHRIE, Burlington For the first time in a decade, folk icon Arlo Guthrie performs his 18-minute anti-establishment anthem The Alice’s Restaurant Massacre and other Guthrie favorites in a unique multimedia show with over 75,000 photos. Show starts at 7:30pm. Flynn Theater – Main Stage. Tickets are $40-$60. www.flynntix.org
OCT 8
NANO STERN, Burlington Stern, a Chilean singer/songwriter who Joan Baez called “the best Chilean songwriter of his generation,” will be performing at the UVM Recital Hall located at 384 S Prospect Street. Tickets are $20 for the public and $10 for UVM students. Show starts at 7:30pm. Tickets can be purchased online. www.uvm.edu/laneseries
OCT 10 TO 11
CIDER DAYS, Belmont Village Capture the essence of a Vermont autumn. Fall foliage, fresh cider from a vintage press while you watch, fresh baked apple crisp with ice cream or Crowley cheese, or enjoy 30 local artisans, bakers, farmers and food vendors. Other activities include a book sale, our calendar photo contest, and an “all you can eat” roast beef supper. For more information call 802-259-2562.
OCT 10 TO 11
54TH ART IN THE PARK FESTIVAL, Rutland The second oldest art festival in New England. 90 to 100 fine art vendors of several mediums, live music, performances, demonstrations, children’s activities, raffles and a food court. Call 802-775-0062 for more information.
CALENDAR OCT 22
BULLETS OVER BROADWAY, Burlington Based on the screenplay of the acclaimed 1994 film by Woody Allen and Douglas McGrath, Bullets over Broadway is the hilarious musical comedy about the making of a Broadway show. It’s the story of a young playwright who, in desperate need of financial backing for his next show, accepts an offer he can’t refuse from a mobster looking to please his showgirl girlfriend. Nominated for six Tony Awards. Show starts at 7:30pm.Flynn Theater Tickets are $50-$70. www.flynntix.org
OCT 16
COMEDIAN PAUL REISER, Stowe Comedian, actor, and bestselling author, Paul Reiser’s national comedy tour highlights the funny things about life, love, and relationships, continuing to delight comedy fans all over the country. In the movies, he co-stars in the Golden Globe and Oscar winning film Whiplash, opposite JK Simmons and Miles Teller. He starred in the NBC series “Mad About You” and the FX series “Married,” and was a featured actor in the HBO movie Behind The Candelabra. Tickets are from $20-$42 and can be purchased online. The show is at 8pm at the Spruce Peak Performing Arts Center at Stowe Mountain. www.sprucepeakarts.org
OCT 16
WOODSTOCK DIGITAL MEDIA FESTIVAL, Woodstock all events are within walking distance on the town green. Specific venues TBD. This is a festival celebrating the use of digital media in the public interest. 3.5x2.3_UmallAd.pdf 1 www.woodstockdigital.com
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OCT 23 TO 25
OCT 23
HEATHER MALONEY PERFORMANCE, Burlington She first came to the public’s attention in an extraordinary amateur video in which she sings Joni Mitchell’s Woodstock with the band Darlingside. It is a revelatory performance: really the first time since Joni that you can hear the true range and timbre of that song that so captured the late 60’s Zeitgeist. She’s gone on to become a hit at SXSW and to release a new CD, Making Me Break, which is receiving rave reviews. Show is at UVM Recital Hall, 384 S Prospect Street, and tickets are $25 for adults. Performance 2/13/15 10:14 AM starts at 7:30pm. www.uvm.edu/laneseries
VERMONT FALL ANTIQUE EXPO AND SALE, Essex Junction The antique show brings established antique and vintage collectible dealers and individual sellers together. Champlain Valley Exposition has been the home of antique shows for over a decade and that tradition continues with this locally produced show. Friday 12-6pm. Saturday 9-6pm. Sunday 10-4pm. Call 802-878-5545 or visit online for more information. www.cvexpo.org/fallantique
Shopping Variety & Convenience
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155 Dorset St. South Burlington, VT FALL // 2015 Destination VT
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NOV 20 TO 22
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OCT 23 TO NOV 1
29TH ANNUAL VERMONT FILM FESTIVAL, Burlington Festival HQ will be in the Lake Lobby of the Film House on the 3rd floor in Main Street Landing Performing Arts Center. There, you’ll always find volunteers or VTIFF board members ready to help you with any questions. We invite you to hang out in the Atrium where we’re installing a cafe with delicious snacks, or come to the Lake Lobby for the tasting receptions before the early evening film, thanks to our generous sponsors. Wherever you are you’ll find other filmgoers to chat to and argue about the merits of a film you’ve just seen. Hang out, eat and drink, and catch the next film.1 Main Street in Burlington. Visit the website for more information. www.vtiff.org
THE REVIVALISTS, South Burlington at the Higher Ground B allr oom at 1214 W illis ton Ave in South Burlington. The formation of The Revivalists was all about chance, but everything since then has been a combination of hard work, awesome music, and friendship. The septet has been playing nonstop since 2007, crafting a genre-hopping sound that rounds out tr aditional rock instrumentation with horns and pedal steel guitar and mixes the divergent backgrounds of its individual members with the humid, funky undercurrents of the b and’s Ne w Or leans home. D o or s op en at 8 pm . Show starts at 8:30pm. Tickets are $12 Pre-order and $15 day of show. www.highergroundmusic.com
An Apple a Day ... at Shelburne Orchards
Enjoy the apple harvest! Pick apples, have a picnic, or shop at the Cider House Farm Market. We grow locally so that you can buy locally. SEaSonal HourS (aug.-oct.) Monday-Saturday 9-6, Sunday 9-5 216 orchard road, Shelburne (802) 985-2753
NOV 16
COODER-WHITE-SKAGS, Burlington In an amazing line-up featuring masters of American roots music, Ry Cooder, Ricky Skaggs, and Sharon White come together for an evening of blues, gospel, and bluegrass. An infrequent live performer, Cooder is a virtuoso roots guitarist and six-time Grammy winner called the “eighth greatest guitarist of all time” by Rolling Stone. Show starts at 7:30pm. Flynn Theater. 153 Main St. Tickets from $43-$66. www.flynntix.org
CRAFT VERMONT, Burlington The 63rd annual Craft Vermont show is coming to the Sheraton Conference Center in Bur lington. All things craft for the weekend before Thanksgiving. C om e w ith y our f amily and warm yourself up. www.vermonthandcrafters.com
NOV 19
THE ART OF TIME ENSEMBLE, Burlington Barenaked Ladies founder and lead singer Steven Page, along with Andy Maize (S k y di g g e r s) , G l e n P hil l ip s (Toad the Wet Sprocket), and Craig Northey (The Odds) join internationally renowned concert pianist Andrew Burashko and Toronto’s Art of Time Ensemble in a re-imagining of the Beatles’ groundbreaking album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hear ts Club Band. Flynn Theater Main Stage. 153 Main St. Starts at 7:30pm. Tickets are $30-$45.
OUR TOWN
OCT. 7 - OCT. 31
NOV 27
CHURCH STREET SANTA PAR ADE AND LIGHTING CEREMONY, Burlington Santa makes a quick trip to the Marketplace during his busy season to kick off the annual Holiday Parade. There will be a performance of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’ as well as a full Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony. Church Street. Downtown Burlington between Main and Pearl. www.churchstreetmarketplace.com
MARY POPPINS NOV. 18 - JAN. 3
SEE PAGE 35 FOR PUZZLES
www.shelburneorchards.com
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EXPERIENCE PROFESSIONAL THEATER IN OUR NEW THEATER, THE BARRETTE CENTER FOR THE ARTS $20 Tuesday and $15 Anytime Student Tickets Available
74 GATES STREET | WHITE RIVER JUNCTION, VT 802.296.7000 | WWW.NORTHERNSTAGE.ORG
www.destinationvt.com
DestinationVT
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estination Vermont is distributed to over 20,000 residents and travelers each quarter. Vacationing couples pick it up where they dine and shop, in the lobby of their favorite hotel, after a flight into Burlington International Airport, and at rest areas across the state. Millennials sipping coffee in downtown cafes read it between classes. Young families browse the glossy pages before jumping into their car, boat, or hiking shoes for weekend adventures. Each issue features local restaurants and activities, talented artists and writers, socially-responsible Vermont companies, and a calendar of Vermont happenings that can also be followed online at destinationvt.com and on Facebook and Twitter.
To advertise call: (802) 985-3091 or email: advertising@windridgepublishing.com
DESTINATIoN VT www.destinationvt.com
summer EDITION 2015
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ART // CULT URE // FOOD // MUSIC // PEOPLE
ART // CULTURE // TOURISM // PEOPLE // FOOD FALL // 2015 Destination VT
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The South End of Burlington: Where Art and Progress Meet Words // Chea Waters Evans Photos // Craig Thomas
It’s a summer Friday night in the South End of Burlington, and grill smoke, delicious smells, and the sound of live music wafts through the air and onto Pine Street. In a parking lot behind an unassuming brick building, there’s a party going on. Hipsters abound, with their bushy beards and darkrimmed spectacles, but there are also older couples out on a summer date night and young families with babies in slings and toddlers wiggling out of strollers. This is Truck Stop, sponsored by ArtsRiot, a local bar, restaurant, gallery, and community space. Every Friday night, May through October, food trucks from around the state and farther afield gather in their parking lot to provide tasty bites, good drinks, and a unique experience to hundreds of diners.
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Events like this are typical in the South End, a part of the city known for its artistic and culinary edge. The mention of Pine Street today conjures up images of Vermont-brewed hard cider, soy frozen yogurt, surf shops, yoga studios, and art galleries. Almost two centuries ago, though, this lakeside section of town was known for manufacturing and industry. Though there are no official boundary lines, most agree that the South End is west of Route 7, from the Queen City Parkway up to around Maple Street; Pine Street is the north-south thoroughfare that connects these roads. This corridor was originally developed because of the lumber industry; from the mid-19th century until the 1920s,
lumber yards and shipping companies dominated the area. Proximity to the lake made this an ideal spot for importing and exporting lumber from Canada and the forests of Vermont. Once new tax laws made the lumber business less lucrative, other industries moved in, and over the following decades, the South End was home to Citizen’s Coal, the Welch Brothers Maple Company, The Lane Press, the Kilburn and Gates Mill, and many other types of manufacturing. By the end of the 20th century, these industries had all moved elsewhere, though, and the South End was at a standstill. Slowly, drawn by the quirky spaces and inexpensive rents, artists and other creative workers began to gravitate to the area.
The physical appearance of the Pine Street area mirrors its eclectic personality. The large, sleek Dealer.com building on the northern end represents the modern, technology-based industry that supports the area economically. Old, almost-ramshackle brick buildings, many of them still standing from the days of lumber and gas, house artist lofts and musicians’ practice spaces. As is to be expected, there is some tension between the artists who work and collaborate in the South End, the business owners who have a lot of financial clout in the area, and the city government itself. The city of Burlington recently unveiled a development plan for the area, called planBTV South End. They hope to develop a central community hub that allows artists to keep their inexpensive workspaces, yet add housing that would appeal to those who work at Burton Snowboards and Dealer.com, two big employers in the area who are interested in attracting and retaining corporate talent. City Market, a local natural foods store, is planning to expand in the area, and Lake Champlain Chocolates, a longtime fixture in the neighborhood, recently added a restaurant to their factory and chocolate shop. Progress is in-
evitable; the city government and area residents are working together to guide its direction. The art community is worried about being displaced by high rents and wealthy people infiltrating the area; local businesses are eager to attract more patrons with new parking options and pleasant, walkable streets. The most popular event in the South End each year is the ArtHop, which was founded in 1993 and is held every September the weekend after Labor Day. Presented by the South End Arts & Business Association (SEABA), this threeday celebration draws more than 30,000 visitors to the area. This year’s ArtHop hosts a fashion show featuring clothing from local designers, installations from over 300 artists, special events for children, a juried show, and an Artist Market Extravaganza where attendees can shop for affordable art. The ArtHop weekend is a fun, festive affair, with families and tourists and neighborhood residents mingling to experience the creative output that this unique part of the city has inspired. There is a fiercely independent streak to the people who live and work in the South End; unfortunately, a common side effect of gentrification is that those who made it so cool in the
first place might not be able to afford to stay. Growing pains are inevitable, but the happy crowds, eager to support the artists and enjoy the creative atmosphere, are a clear indication that no matter how it changes over the coming years, the South End has a permanent place on the cultural map of Burlington.
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VT PEOPLE
Meet Adam Brooks, Executive Director of SEABA Words and Photo // Lynn Monty A quirky mix of makers call Burlington’s South End their entrepreneurial home, and that was by design. Decades of mindfulness and planning have taken a stronghold in what now thrives as a designated Arts District. Fusing art and industry is a daily mission for Adam Brooks, Executive Director of South End Arts and Business Association, or SEABA as it is better known. This native Vermonter works to pave the way for an eclectic blend of passions to develop in one special area of Vermont’s largest city. Working with SEABA, a small non-profit, has been the best use of his skills, Brooks said. He has a background in education and previously worked with the Greater Burlington YMCA, and the Lake Champlain Chamber of Commerce. His move to SEABA four years ago was a natural transition, born from a deep desire to work within a small community toward implementing positive outcomes, to brand the South End as a hub for the entrepreneur, and that is precisely what has been happening, he said. We spoke with Brooks on Aug. 6. DestinationVT: Burlington’s South End has grown to be a unique area of artisanal products, food, music, and distinctive businesses. What has taken place in Burlington that paved the way for such innovation? Adam Brooks: SEABA has been around for 29 years. In the past, the South End was not as vibrant as it is today. There were a lot of empty warehouses and buildings. Large businesses were moving out. We worked with the Community and Economic Development Office to expose the public to those buildings, similar to what is going on with the Moran Plant now. We invited people down and showed them what we have. It was a movement
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to transform. Some of the buildings and warehouses have turned into art studios, and office buildings like in the Maltex Building. We did a fashion show in the Specialty Filaments building to expose the public to that space, and soon after Dealer.com moved in. A big portion of what SEABA has done over the last three decades is a really positive reuse of buildings. DVT: What is your favorite South End spot, and why? AB: I really enjoy the antique and vintage shops. Those places bring me back. I’m a huge history buff, so looking at something that was used or created years and years ago has a pull to me. I also love the natural locations. The little park in front of Great Harvest Bread, and Callahan Park. Open green spaces are a nice change of pace. The South End is one of those places you need to visit and explore. It’s about finding that next interesting thing around the corner, or in one of the buildings. It’s a really great experience for any demographic. It’s a chance to see something unique that you won’t see anywhere else. DVT: What is your position on the South End’s growth and what would you like to see happen in the area in the next five years? Ten years? AB: The next five to ten years here are going to be extremely important. There is going to be a lot of change both in development, and traffic. I am interested in preserving a little bit of the old, green space, artistic vibrancy, and really keeping it a hub for entrepreneurs and makers. I would like to keep folks in Burlington to explore arts and culture. I think develop-
ing the South End could be a huge asset to the City of Burlington, if it’s done right. DVT: What is SEABA’s mission with this development? AB: Burlington has completed a draft plan for the South End. I was pleasantly surprised that they pulled everything together the way they did. They covered a lot of the different issues that face the South End. We are in a commentary feedback period. Revisions will go before City Council by the end of the year. We are teaching sessions based on each of the different components in the draft plan. We really want the community to ask questions, and get their questions answered, so they can provide constructive feedback. There are a lot of points of concern and excitement in the draft plan. Champlain
Parkway is one of the top points of concern, primarily because of the construction that it will cause, and the potential for increased traffic on Pine Street. There has to be a plan to slow traffic down or divert traffic. We are looking at a ten percent increase in traffic, and as it is, 4:30 on any given day, traffic is backed up. And adding ten percent to that would really mean some issues for pedestrians and business owners. The second point of contention is the Enterprise Zone. This zone is strictly for light manufacturing. People there make things, they roast, and brew, work with steel, or wood, or chocolate. The city is looking at changing some of the zoning to allow for other uses like housing and other types of development through Form Based Code. We feel like there needs to be a portion of
the city that is reserved for businesses to expand, and move down here. If some of the land is used up for something else like housing, or a Starbucks, or something like that, then it doesn’t really bode well for the community. The best thing for the South End is to see continued vibrancy in the maker movement. Art has been used here to drive people to underutilized or forgotten areas, and that has been great for business. The Art Hop is a prime example. That event puts art work, and sculpture, and fashion in 150 buildings and drives about 35,000 people into those businesses. It’s really an economic boom. It brings in over $1 million into the local economy annually. DVT: Is there anything else you would like people to know?
AB: We are here to help the South End thrive economically. It’s a collection of great businesses and property owners that believe in this area. Artists down here make their craft a full-time job, and that is pretty remarkable. When you can produce amazing work, and continue to handle the business, and the marketing aspect of the job, when most of their business comes from out of state, that’s not a simple task. Vermont is not really a great art buying market. The fact that these business owners can make a living out of what they really wanted to do with their lives, I think is just an amazing thing. For more information visit SEABA at 404 Pine Street in Burlington, or call (802) 859-9222 or visit www.seaba.com.
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VT ARTISTS
Tyler Vendituoli of Conant lights up Burlington design scene Words and Photos // Matt Keller
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Tyler Vendituoli had been on the traditional AP track through his junior year in high school, mostly because it was what everyone expected of him. “My senior year, I completely reversed course and took as many arts classes as possible,” he said.
asked Vendituoli to prove himself. “They decided to bring me in and give me a shot,” Vendituoli said. “It was riveting chairs, and they gave me a couple weeks to work on it. It was a test to see if I had the skill, as well as the determination.”
Vendituoli is a native of the Northeast Kingdom who went on to major in fine arts at the University of Vermont where he studied sculpture and metals. He paired that up with geology and the idea of being a jeweler. “I did that for a summer and realized most of the work took place sitting at a desk all day,” he said. “I knew then that wasn’t what I wanted to do. It wasn’t what I imagined my life being.”
Now Vendituoli makes metal and light come to life for Conant on a regular basis. He has ascended quickly. Still in his 20s, Vendituoli has already designed a handful of well-known pieces in Chittenden County. They include a rhinoceros, a giraffe, a woman in a yoga pose near Winooski falls, and a bike rack with an ironic fake meter just a few blocks down on Pine Street.
That was when he focused in on Conant Metal & Light on Pine Street. “I started designing pieces in school that incorporated lighting, and I would figure out things that I thought would fit the brand.” The day came when Steve Conant, the owner of Conant Metal and Light,
He has risen to the level of Project Manager and deals directly with clients and architects to custom design small and large scale projects. Conant said, “Every once in a while someone comes along who’s hungry for creative challenges, learning opportunities and professional development at work. Tyler is one of those people.”
His latest project is designing a series of cone-shaped lights for a brand new building at Champlain College. He says the variety of the projects are what make his job so enjoyable. He has worked on projects for hotels, restaurants, breweries, tasting rooms, colleges, and private homes, among others. He has also done pieces for Chris Martin from Coldplay and the actor Bruce Willis. “I get inspiration out of working with the seven other people in this shop,” he said. “It is a very collaborative process.” Conant Metal and Light has been around for more than 30 years. Steve Conant, and long-time employee, Jonathan Ward, are well-known throughout the industry and have built a welloiled machine at 270 Pine Street. The cachet, industry reputation, and access to good jobs already existed at Conant when Vendituoli walked in the door. What he has done is blend art with commerce and design and functionality in a new and refreshing way.
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VT BUSINESS
Leaning into Burlington’s waterfront history: Mastering the Segway with Rick Sharp
Words and Photos // Lynn Monty
Burlington Segways owner Rick Sharp, 62, of Colchester
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n the 1980’s Rick Sharp, 62, of Colchester, envisioned greater public access to Lake Champlain, and set out to help form the Burlington Bike Path, now ranked number one of 64 things to do in Burlington on TripAdvisor.com. Today Sharp’s livelihood depends on not only the bike path, but on his longevity in the Queen City. Sharp’s Burlington Segway Tours opened in 2013, providing him a platform to share his wealth of local political, environmental, and historical knowledge with anyone who will pay to listen. Tours start with a training session at Burling-
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ton Segways on Pine Street and proceed up the bike path to Waterfront Park. Burlington Segway tourists take in views of the Adirondacks while getting a jampacked narrative of Burlington from its birth to present day. Segway tours are available in hundreds of cities worldwide, and Sharp, along with his business partner and wife, Ruth Masters, introduced the machines to Burlington for the first time. “They allow visitors to see parts of a city they would never get to see otherwise,” Sharp said. Prior to opening Burlington Segways,
Sharp and Masters had taken Segway tours in cities as close as Boston, as far away as Queenstown, New Zealand, and in a dozen cities in between. Burlington has become a destination for tourists from around the world because of its accessible waterfront, bike path, and pedestrian-friendly downtown district. Segways, electrically powered two-wheeled, self-balancing, zero emission personal vehicles, are a no-brainer for the city, Sharp said. Especially since they are well-suited for urban environments and people with disabilities.
Photos are of Segway tour group on the waterfront at Perkins Pier in Burlington on July 17. Burlington Segways owner Rick Sharp, 62, of Colchester and tour guide Jonathan Joffe, 21, of Burlington lead the group.
Segway tour group on the waterfront at Perkins Pier in Burlington on July 17.
Burlington Segways has eight employees who are trained to teach Segway operation and give tours. Unlike a bicycle, the Segway balances for the rider. It’s as simple as standing on the five-foottall gadget with handles and leaning in a desired direction. Lean forward and it moves forward, lean back and the Segway comes to a stop. Sharp and his crew taught about 800 people to ride Segways in Burlington last year. Business is good. In fact, business tripled in 2014, Sharp said. And they are on track to triple again this year. Married couple Denise and Craig Potter of Mentor, Ohio, were not at all surprised to hear of their success. They visited Burlington Segways while on vacation in July.
was sooner,” she said. “The experience was awesome. In our two weeks of travel, it was my favorite activity.” Helping people enjoy time in the city is a big part of enjoying his own life, which is a top priority for Sharp these days. An unforeseen accident almost ended his life in 1996 when he ran a paragliding tour in California. He was testing conditions for a tour group and broke two vertebrae in his neck and his right leg. “I did damage to my perineal nerve in my leg so I can’t lift my toes on my right foot. That forced me to use a cane and it’s difficult for me to walk more than about 100 yards,” Sharp said. “I tried a Segway in 2008 and really enjoyed the mobility it gave me.”
“Our vacation goal was pretty unstructured, the Northeast and Boston, so we tried to find cities that had a reasonable travel distance between them and had something interesting to see or do. Burlington fit that criteria,” Denise Potter said.
From there he bought his own and started using it at home and on the Burlington Bike Path. “Segways are great for people with disabilities, but they are also a lot of fun for the able-bodied as well,” he said. “They allow people to cover five or six times the territory they could on foot.”
They had never tried Segways before. Potter said her Segway was easy to handle. “Now I wish I had known how fun it
Sharp and Masters also own two rental properties in downtown Burlington, and operate a Christmas tree farm in Milton.
Sharp practiced law in Vermont from 1978 until 2013. It was a general practice with a concentration in environmental law, taxation and real estate. He gave up his law practice in order to devote his time to the Segway business. “It’s more fun to ride Segways about the waterfront than it is to spend time indoors, or in court, on a nice summer day,” he said. Sharp still teaches paragliding with Masters at Sharp Park, a 101-acre property they own in Milton. “We enjoy the smiles on their faces as they learn, and we get a kick out of teaching high-risk recreation safely,” Sharp said. More than 2,000 Segway tours were given at Burlington Segways and Sharp Park in 2014. The Sharps plan to be the biggest Segway dealer in the Northeast within five years with a network of ski area and recreation facility partnerships. “We expect our tour business to double or triple again in five years,” Sharp said. Burlington Segways can be found at 277 Pine Street in Burlington. For more information call 802-489-5113 or email burlingtonsegways@comcast.net.
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VT AUTHORS
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Alexis Lathem: Ghost Writer Words // Lin Stone Alexis Lathem is an accomplished poet, an environmental journalist and activist, as well as an English and writing instructor at the Community College of Vermont; however, according to Lathem, the writer’s biography is not important to what is on the page. She refers to the first poem in her debut book collection, Alphabet of Bones, as her ars poetica (a poem about writing poetry), where she likens the poet’s craft to that of a ghostwriter—literally.
worked for some time on farms in England, Scotland, and France. As she became more involved with the natural world, she became more interested in the environmental movement.
an area that was entirely without roads, except for one rugged dirt road—it took a 19-hour hitchhike and a ferryboat to get to the Innu community—a full two weeks of travel, she said.
What matters about the poet is that they learn their craft, she said. “Writing good poetry requires us to live in a certain way—it’s not an activity we just do at our desks,” she said. “It asks for a lot of diligent hard work to live in a different, more attentive way, and to hold a moral engagement with the world. This is why I put this poem, The Ghost Writer, first; it reminds us to stay close and to stay close to death. Someone once said ‘all of poetry is about death,’ which I trust to mean the fully human recognition of our mortality.” What Lathem reads, studies, thinks and feels is in her poetry. She worries about the planet and lack of consciousness about what is truly happening in the world, she said. “Planet earth is in the midst of mass extinction—enormous changes and upheavals in our ecosystems, and I fear we don’t even notice it.” Personal experiences led Lathem to write poems about the environment. She grew up in Brooklyn and London, but wanted to get away from her urban life to explore more uncharted areas. She
Lathem remembers being on the northern coast of Labrador with a small group of people in a tiny rickety boat travelling along a lonely three-hour stretch of coast: no houses, no piers, and no other boats, only wild marine lands. “We would stop to let whales pass,” she said. “Night was falling and the driver of the boat was getting nervous because it was overcast, there were many reefs and rocks, and we could not see. Then the clouds lifted and stars lit our way. There was a big luminescent organism flashing in the water below and overhead, the aurora borealis appeared. And we were there, rocking on the water, alone, surrounded in a pageant of swooping phosphorescent colors— immersed in luminous light from above and below. The most amazing experience of my life.” Poetry contributes to her life and her environmental activism. Poetry is not a passive function, Lathem said. “It is something we actively do,” she said. “We need to grieve what was lost and cannot be restored. We also need the ability to see the beauty of the world. But that recognition and appreciation follows the ability to grieve.”
Eventually she came to Vermont, and in the 1990s, traveled to Quebec to learn firsthand how Hydro Quebec would affect that area. She made several extended trips and visited communities near Sept-Îles, Quebec, which is the land of the Innu people. Later, she went further north, to Labrador, into
“These areas were so remote that the world was not watching them,” she said. “So I wrote a newsletter. I wanted to get the Innu people’s voices out; they were extraordinary interviews. The people snowshoed, pursued caribou, and caught wild salmon. They’re the last generation to live like that.”
Poetry is an interior spiritual journey for Lathem. Images well up from some emotional landscape with deep feelings about her relationship to the natural world, she said. “I trust that this can be included in not just [environmental] journalism, but also in what literature and poetry does too.”
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Burlington Bike Path Queen City’s enduring core artery undergoes renaissance Words // Keith Morrill Photos // Craig Thomas I’m always up for new adventures—new trails to hike, new waters to swim, new paths to travel. But there’s something to be said for looking at old things with a new perspective. This summer I set out to find something novel in my old haunts around Vermont, and with so many things going on in and around the Burlington Bike Path, it seemed an obvious place to start. As a lifelong Vermonter, I’ve trodden the path so well running, walking, biking, and a shameful stint in the late 90s rollerblading, that I was starting to feel like the bike path had little left in the way of surprises to offer. For those not in the know, the Burlington Bike Path runs for nearly eight miles along Burlington’s waterfront, from Queen City Park Road in the South End of Burlington to the mouth of the Winooski River. The path is a recreational artery that not only offers gorgeous views of Lake Champlain and the Adirondack Mountains in New York, but also grants access to a number of off-path venues for dining, relaxation, and entertainment. The bike path is experiencing a renaissance right now. After roughly 30 years in existence, it is undergoing an extensive rehabilitation project intended to accommodate the growing number of bike-path users and extend the path’s longevity.
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It had been a few years since I put in some serious time on the bike path, so there seemed no better time to reacquaint myself with all the path has to offer. I started at Oakledge Park and headed north, spending little time looking at the familiar things like beach loungers and bike riders, and more time poking around off-path. It turns out the bike path is a recreational artery with a network of sometimes-hard-to-spot dirt trails branching out from it. At Oakledge this led me to a clifftop somewhere above a colony of sun-tanners and swimmers draped on the rocks. The locale was secluded and offered a choice view of the lake. As I continued my explorations, I discovered more of these side trails, and each offered a bit of solitude and some new views. All of the trails were dirt, and
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either poorly marked, or not marked at all. Few people on the path seemed to be able to tell me much about them, so I turned to Burlington Parks and Recreation for answers.
the south end of the path at Oakledge Park, he recommends checking out the same clifftop I visited. He notes that the nearby concrete slab was once the overlook of a homesteader.
Cory Campbell, bike path and trail maintenance specialist for Burlington Parks and Rec, knows the path like perhaps no other, and he offered some answers. While some of these ancillary trails are sanctioned, others are what he called “social trails,” paths that run through private property and create gray areas for both recreation users and land managers. “It’s an ongoing issue that we are slowly resolving on a case-by-case basis,” Campbell said.
Roughly at the midway point of the trail, the area around North Beach is rich with opportunities for those willing to leave the paved confines of the bike path itself. About a half mile past North Beach exists an unmarked trail head on the right that accesses the Arms Grant Trail System, four-miles of trails traversing multiple ecosystem types. Campbell said it is quiet, and one of the few spots along the bike path where you won’t run into people or be able to hear traffic.
Campbell was able to point me toward some trails that were both legit and a bit off the paved path. If you’re on
At a locale near the Burlington Bike Path’s terminus at the Winooski River is Starr Farm Park. According to
Campbell, in the woods just beyond Starr Farm’s dog park and playground is a network of mountain biking trails built and maintained by locals and featuring a number of sweet jumps and whoop-de-doos (biking lingo for moguls), all of which can be accessed via a few unmarked side trails. Not too far away is Starr Farm Beach, a stretch of sand unmanaged by the city and which, Campbell said has “enough driftwood to build a small town.” Though the beach is frequented by locals, it still offers a quiet lakeside experience. In the past, I’d always been a bike-path tourist, sticking mostly to the path and treating it as a convenient way to count mileage on a walk or a run. Yet when I took the time to slow down, to explore, and to ask around, I found new enjoyment in the hidden diversions and tangents to which the bike path has given rise.
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Touring the tasting rooms of Pine Street Words // Matt Keller Photos // Craig Thomas
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In the past two years, Pine Street, in the South End of Burlington, has seen an influx of on-site tasting rooms connected to popular breweries. Just in time for Art Hop, we toured them all and have the 411 on everything you need to know about Zero Gravity (716 Pine Street), Citizen Cider (316 Pine Street), Queen City (703 Pine Street), and Switchback (160 Flynn Ave – off of Pine). If it weren’t for the eye-level windows behind the bar providing a sneak peak to the production facility at Zero Gravity Brewery, and the industrial size metal doors leading out back, we wouldn’t have the slightest idea we were at their home brewery while enjoying a few samples at
Photo by Matt Keller
Photo by Matt Keller
their street-facing tasting room. We arrived on a recent picturesque Thursday morning to begin an afternoon of sampling some of the finest beer and cider in a city at the forefront of the craft brewing movement. The goal: to enjoy the full experience of all four tasting rooms on Pine Street in a single afternoon. My designated driver and I walked into the Zero Gravity tasting room, the newest addition to the South End, and immediately agreed that the space was worth the time it took to build. Modern and unfussy, with an open floor plan and an inviting patio, the design is the brainchild of co-founder Matt Wilson, who worked with the South End firm Se-
lect Design to perfect the feel. “It is great to start with a blank canvas,� said Wilson.
Gravity a must-see for anyone looking for the full Burlington beer experience.
The space is perfect for an afternoon meeting or an evening of revelry, with a brand new production facility out back, pumping out fresh beer for the tasting room and for consumption around Vermont and beyond. Led by the friendly and attentive staff, I tried a series of beers served in a flight of five 5-oz pours: the Gruit, the Green State Lager, the Bob White, the Conhead, and the Brethead. Expect the lineup of beers to change at Zero Gravity, but not the freshness, quality, or attentive service. Either the beer or the location would be worth a trip on its own - the combination makes Zero
Next we switched gears, away from beer and into the world of craft cider. We arrived at Citizen Cider at ten past one and were immediately greeted by co-founder and co-owner Kris Nelson, who led us on a tour of the facility. New, ultra-modern equipment dominated the space. It was down-to-earth, and impressively efficient. According to Nelson, the facility has ten production employees, will produce about 300,000 gallons of cider in 2015, and uses more apples than can be sourced in the entire state of Vermont. Citizen uses whole fruit in their cider, rather than concentrate, and occasional-
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ly will need to source fruit from New York State rather than lower their standards. I tried ten different ciders the tasting room keeps on rotation, served with a plate of to-die-for house cut French fries. At Citizen Cider tasting room, come for the cider and stay for the food. An underrated, bar-style menu is served day and night. If you think you know what cider is supposed to taste like, this place will change your mind, like it did for me. The freshness and variety of the different ciders on rotation, especially Unified Press and The Dirty Mayor, was a pleasant surprise. Each of the ciders on tap offers a distinct taste profile. Come with an empty stomach and an open mind. We headed south on Pine Street to Queen City Brewery. Set back from the street, Queen City is an upstart alternative to industry heavyweights Switchback and Citizen Cider, but their smaller size doesn’t mean a sacrifice in quality. Queen City combines their production facility and tasting room into one large space, so you can see the beer being brewed as you sip. The U-shaped bar is complemented by several surrounding high-top tables. The beer is darker and richer than any other on the tour, mostly in the English style. From the vintage pickup truck suspended above the bar to the lengthy beard of the bartender, Queen City exudes a low-key, non-threatening atmosphere with a max capacity of 75. Don’t miss the unique, smoky Rauchbier or the relaxed, smooth Hefeweizen. Last but not least on our tour is a stop at Switchback, the granddaddy of South End brewing, for a tour with none other than Switchback founder Bill Cherry, a legend of Vermont craft brewing. After a tour of their extensive brewing and bottling facilities, the size of which dwarfs any other brewery on Pine Street, we take a seat at their busy, warm tap room. The space is already full on Thursday at 4:30, with local workers and vacationers alike enjoying the beautiful afternoon. The bartenders swear there is no difference, but the beer poured into flights specially made by Burton trays tastes even fresher than the bottles found in local stores. It is the perfect ending for day spent experiencing the forefront of the craft beer movement, but for Pine Street, it was just the beginning.
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The Great Vermont Corn Maze: The joys of getting lost
Words // Phyl Newbeck Photos // courtesy of the Great Vermont corn Maze
Mike and Dayna Boudreau have day jobs as Physical Therapy Assistants, but in the fall they become puzzle masters. The Boudreaus’ puzzle is a little different than most; it’s made of corn. The first year they built the maze, it was only five acres, but drew more than a thousand people. Mike Boudreau realized he was on to something. Seventeen years later, the now 10-acre Great Vermont Corn Maze attracts 6,000 people annually.
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Boudreau spends his winters plotting the theme for the maze (last year was dinosaurs). The couple plants at the end of May, and in June they take out a tape measure and start cutting the corn. Later, they rototill the ground and rake it smooth and then put up bridges, doors, exits and other attractions. The maze includes punch poles where visitors can punch a card and determine if they’re moving forward or retracing their steps. Once they’ve completed the maze, they can compare the order of their punches to the route on the map. As the season progresses, Boudreau swaps out the punches so those who have already been to the maze can’t give advice to later visitors. Bridges spanning the maze are the perfect place for Boudreau and his son to stand to figure out who needs help and who doesn’t. Some people are at their wits’ end and want clues while others insist on figuring things out by themselves. The maze includes a shorter, scenic version of the course which crisscrosses it and allows visitors to see some of the main attractions like a beached 28-foot cabin cruiser, but keeps them on track without getting lost.
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Visitors come from all over the world, including Europe and South America. Some are couples who come to the maze year after year, including those who have been divorced and now arrive on separate days, Boudreau said. For children, there are several attractions including a petting zoo, a kid village, barnyard golf and a hide-and-seek forest. The maze has a strict prohibition on drinking and smoking to ensure that it’s family-friendly and the children’s attractions are decidedly low-key with no electronics. “Families recharge and reconnect,” Boudreau said. “Some of them spend six to eight hours on the property.” Last summer Kelsey Harrington of North Pomfret, then 19, visited the maze with her father and boyfriend, spending roughly two and a half hours amid the corn. “It was fun because it required some effort,” she said. “Even with three of us, it took a while.” Harrington found the punch poles useful. “You could tell whether you were making progress or going in circles,” she said. “I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a good challenge.”
Opening day was Aug. 1, when the corn is typically 12 feet tall. Most people arrive later in the season, but Boudreau would like more visitors to take advantage of the early days when the corn is still green. August is also when the “hardcore mazers” as Boudreau describes them, come to visit. “I can’t give a clue away to those people,” he said. “I just stand on the bridge and socialize. The hard-core mazers don’t want to get out in less than one and a half hours. If they do it in less time they’re glad they beat me but they’re also upset because their time in the maze was so short.” There are days Boudreau thinks about quitting the maze gig, but the thought doesn’t last long, he said. He knows he has a loyal band of followers, as well as newcomers just discovering the joys of getting lost. “We’ve seen so many visitors year after year, and now we’re seeing their children bringing their children,” he said. “It’s a tremendous amount of work, but it’s also a tremendous amount of fun.” Great Vermont Corn Maze: 1410 Wheelock Road, Danville, 802-748-1399, www. vermontcornmaze.com.
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Montreal-style spices up B-Town Words and Photos // Ben Sarle
T
he year was 1981 when he got kicked out of school. “That’s when I started making bagels” said Lloyd Squires, Myer’s Bagels founder and co-owner, as he darted between the bagel hearth and front counter – wearing more than a little flour. After one bite of Myer’s unique brand of bagel, these 34 years of experience are immediately apparent. Tucked into one
“Sophisticated yet comfortable dining in a relaxed, cosmopolitan atmosphere.” Across from historic City Hall
156 Church Street 802-540-3040 Tu-Sat 4-11 pm | Sun 4-10 pm | Closed Mon @CHURCHANDMAIN
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/CHURCHANDMAINVT
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of Burlington’s quirkier pockets, Myer’s Bagels sits between Barge Canal Market and Speaking Volumes on Pine Street. On a recent visit, the enticing aroma of freshly-baked, Montreal-style bagels hung in the air as late breakfast and early lunch customers steadily flowed through this South End staple. Locally roasted coffee, sweet treats, and a wide variety of creative bagel sandwich options are
all available; but the star of the show that maintains and grows their loyal customer base are the bagels themselves. And it is much more than the size of these delicious circles that sets them apart. “Our bagels are different than the other seven bagel places in Chittenden County,” said Adam Jones, who joined Lloyd as co-owner in 2013 to expand their wholesale operation as well as create a café.
On the horizon, in addition to expanding the reach of their wholesale operation, Myer’s has also recently found themselves to be an unlikely hit with a new group of consumers. “In the last eight months, that’s been a kind of hidden notoriety here,” Squires said. “Unbeknownst to us, a lot of gluten-free apps and social networks have featured us.” A surprising hit for Jones and Squires in a market they hadn’t intentionally tried to target, “We only sell those here, and at farmer’s markets and the hospital once a week,” Squires said. “But we don’t wholesale those, because we’re not a certified gluten-free facility.”
There are three major distinctions between their Montreal-style and a New York style bagel. First, the preparation of the dough — Myers hand rolls all their bagels. “That’s why they come out a little thinner,” Jones said. “We make our dough, and 45 minutes later we’re rolling and baking.”
And lastly — baking, using 100 percent wood for the energy sets Myers apart. “Wood bakes evoke a flavor you won’t find in a standard oven,” Jones said. “There’s a little smokiness there.”
This is in stark contrast to New York style bagel producers whose process starts the night before, and allows the dough to sit, or proof, overnight. “That’s why ours is a denser product,” Jones said.
What started decades ago in Montreal with only sesame and poppy has blossomed into more than 15 varieties of bagel currently being produced daily. Their most popular and perhaps what Myer’s is best known for, is the Montreal spice bagel. “What’s kind of the irony of things is that Montreal spice does not exist in Montreal,” Jones said.
Second, the Myers boil, but add honey to the boil. People say it adds sweetness, but really what it does is create a different texture on the outside, allowing more toppings to stick, Jones said. “Take our sesame, or everything bagel, place it next to another, and you’ll see the difference,” he said. “Our coating is encapsulating 360 degrees. It’s kind of like the Ben & Jerry’s model, you won’t have a bite without chunks.”
Years ago, Squires knew that the palate of American consumers was much different than his Canadian clientele. One day he was eating a steak with Montreal Spice Steak Rub, made by McCormick, and realized it would be good on a bagel. After some experimenting, he created his own proprietary blend by mixing other herbs in with the steak rub, to diffuse the saltiness of the original blend, making it much easier on the mouth.
While Myer’s product is indeed 100 percent gluten-free, and they do make their gluten-free bagels in a completely separate area of the bakery, the FDA criteria for certifying a gluten-free facility are too strict for Myer’s operation at the moment. Which means they don’t bag them or distribute, but they do have a very active gluten-free customer base who come to their location — they produce 200-300 gluten-free bagels weekly, and they sell out quickly.
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“I never found a companion that was so companionable as solitude.” — Henry David Thoreau
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PUZZLES & STUFF CROSSWORD
THEME: WORLD GEOGRAPHY
DOODLES BY JAMES LASELL MORSE
There are two sides to art, including the sides. Jim Morse has lived in Vermont since 1958 and resided in Charlotte since 1971. He has been married for 47 years and has two daughters and five grandchildren. A Vermont Supreme Court justice for 14 years, Jim captures life’s Zen, irony and wit in observations and sketches on topics from art to war. His sayings are philosophical, skeptical, practical and funny.
SUDOKU
ACROSS
1. *City on Seine 6. Sun Tzu’s “The ____ of War” 9. Sign of a saint 13. Rome’s Colosseum, e.g. 14. African migrator 15. Analyze 16. Religious devotion 17. Pillbox or tricorne, e.g. 18. Trojan War military action 19. *It has largest number of independent nations 21. *World’s largest Non-Polar desert 23. Beatle bride 24. Clinton or Gates 25. ____ along to a song 28. Movie “____ Girl” 30. Fish food unit 35. *Four Corners state 37. Captain ____ 39. Wasted on the young? 40. Former Attorney General of the U.S. 41. Streamlined 43. Cowboy’s prod 44. Circular gasket 46. “Happily ____ after” 47. Left or right 48. Ni 50. Carrie Underwood, e.g.
52. Clinton ____ Rodham 53. Cry out loud 55. As opposed to yeses 57. *Largest country 60. *Deepest lake 63. Infamous biker 64. *Dead or Black, e.g. 66. Implied by actions 68. Passion 69. Emergency Medical Services 70. Former anesthetic 71. Feline noise 72. French street 73. High-pitched
DOWN
1. OB-GYN test 2. “Summertime” or “Porgy and Bess,” e.g. 3. *Australia is famous for it 4. Preface 5. “Haste makes waste,” e.g. 6. Turkish honorific 7. Biochemistry abbr. 8. Hutu’s opponents, 1994 9. *Largest continent 10. One who takes drugs 11. Indian music 12. Reply to #37 Across 15. Olsen twin
20. “Too many ____ in the kitchen” 22. One of The Alps 24. Harass 25. *Second-largest Great Lake 26. Embryo cradles 27. Bouncing off the walls 29. *World’s longest river 31. Red ink in finance 32. Harry Potter’s professor Remus ____ 33. Short composition for solo instrument 34. *Number of capitals in South Africa 36. Goose cry 38. Owner’s acquisition 42. Swedish money 45. *Old Faithful, e.g. 49. Floral necklace 51. Hang around 54. Used in some surgery procedures 56. Type of edible ray 57. Of low density 58. Backward arrow on keyboard 59. Flat-bottomed boat 60. 1st, 2nd or 3rd in baseball, e.g. 61. Advil target 62. German song 63. Rapid escape 65. 2nd largest bird in the world 67. Give it a go
PUZZLE SOLUTIONS ON PAGE 10 FALL // 2015 Destination VT
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