70 Essex Way, Essex, 802-764-1413

Since moving to Vermont 12 years ago, when I talked about heading to brunch I always followed up with the words "at the inn." The opulent buffet — complete with ice sculptures, charcuterie and made-to-order omelettes and waffles — reminded me of Sundays back in Greenwich, Connecticut.

When the New England Culinary Institute divorced from The Essex Culinary Resort & Spa last year, the buffet slowly dwindled to just a couple of tables, filled with fresh fruit and steam trays. Last month, my beloved buffet went the way of the dodo in favor of an à la carte brunch menu. After giving myself some time to grieve, I gave the new regime a try last Sunday.

A single page of somewhat pricey brunch items was tucked inside the breakfast menu. The reasons for the higher than average charges were quickly obvious — $16 for a Benedict doesn't sound so bad when there’s lobster involved.

The first fun surprise was the "Wake-Up” drink of the day: A glass filled with fluorescent green honeydew-fennel juice. The sweet melon got a rich, earthy undertone from the fennel, but remained the delicious top note. The standard offerings of coffee and orange juice (literally) paled in comparison.

I don't usually associate pasta with brunch, but the "Deconstructed Carbonara" (right) made me rethink my position. The widest pappardelle I've ever seen was cooked to chewy perfection. It was swathed in sauce made from Twig Farm tomme, a darkly sharp raw milk goat cheese. Thick, crispy chunks of local bacon and slices of fresh scallion were scattered throughout. The yolks from a pair of poached eggs seeped into the sauce, "reconstructing" it as I broke into each one.

Better still was the chicken and waffles (right). I was expecting legs and wings on the bone, but was pleasantly surprised to find a single gigantic boneless breast. The meat was pounded to an even thickness, which allowed it to remain extraordinarily juicy and flavorful. The light breading had southern-style spicing that would make the Colonel proud.

The breast was covered in thick yellow gravy that turned out to be heavily flavored with mustard. The mini waffles on the side resembled the ones I'd enjoyed over the years at the Essex — lightly sweet, with an airy center and crispy crust. I had to ask for maple syrup to dress my waffles — mustardy gravy didn't cut it. I would not have objected to some fruit or a small salad on the plate to give it a little color... and nutritional value.

I certainly didn't get my vitamins from dessert. Not that I minded. The molten chocolate “s'more” used a chocolate lava cake as its base. Below the cake (and on the side of it) were pancake-y rounds of homemade graham cracker. A healthy-sized blob of marshmallow was stuck to one side of the cake, bruléed to perfection. The balance was not quite right for something advertised as a s'more, but it was a buttery, chocolaty delight.

Based on the length of the nap I needed after brunch, though, next time I may skip dessert.

1705 Williston Road, South Burlington, 802-860-2009

I believe in second chances. If I try a new restaurant and it's less than great, I give it some time to grow before deciding its place on my very busy dining dance card. Often, there's not much change. Luckily, that was not the case when I made my second visit to the Vermont Sports Grill this Saturday.

The major attraction of the Sports Grill that night was simply that it was open. It was 10:30 p.m. and I was hungry. I asked the hostess how late they served food, expecting her to say they had already stopped. "Until around one a.m." she said. Who does that? Barely any downtown Burlington restaurants serve past 10, let alone those in suburban South Burlington.

Most late night food is strictly of the "open a bag and throw something in the fryer variety." Not at Vermont Sports Grill. My meal started with a bowl of freshly-popped corn, which my server happily refilled as needed. Most entrées at the Sports Grill fall somewhere between $6.99 and $11.95. That includes soup or a trip to the salad bar, and of course, unlimited popcorn.

Though it was hard to resist chicken pot pie soup, I chose to hit the salad bar. It might not be the most inspiring array of veggies I've seen, but the mix of greens, fresh cucumbers and both orange and yellow carrots did the trick, especially when lightly splashed with tangy Italian dressing.

30 Main Street, Burlington 802-658-9000

Vermont will never be like California or Texas. There are not a lot of Mexicans here, therefore, there's not a lot of authentic Mexican food. Or, for that matter, any authentic Mexican food.

I still get misty when I drive Shelburne Road and remember the earthy, sesame-speckled mole prepared by a real-live Oaxacan at the late, great La Carreta. But that era is over. I must sate myself with food prepared by gringos, and when I do, my choice is Miguel's on Main.

My meal at Miguel's began with homemade chips and some of the freshest, most flavorful salsa I've had in Vermont. The tomatoes and onions were seasoned with lots of lime and enough cilantro leaves to make for a day-glo taste. The saucy dip also had just enough spice to create a pleasant burn.

Most of us know carne asada as Mexican flank steak. It actually just means "roasted meat," and at Miguel's the dish (below right) is a combo platter. I call the mixed grill a mini trip to Souza's Brazilian Steakhouse, with a handsome chunk of beef, snappy chorizo and an enchilada. At my meal on Sunday, the steak was cooked beautifully medium rare, but was slightly chewy, not expected of a flank steak. The rugged-tasting beef was drizzled with a sour cream sauce and lots of herbs. The chorizo, plated in a comically phallic manner, reminded me at first bite of a juicy Nathan's hot dog. As I chewed, the spice of the thickly ground pork bloomed to an inferno. This was easily cooled by a taste of tangy carrot and jicama slaw, refried black beans or rice.

A cheese enchilada was a nice addition to the platter, though the sauce on top had dried to a crust. The cumin and chile powder-based punch worked better in a different dish, the chicken enchilada. The tortillas were filled with juicy little bites of meat which tasted of onions and citrus, a nice counterpoint to the deep, dark flavors of the red sauce. That meal also came with refried red beans, the same rice as the other dish and a small salad of iceberg lettuce and diced tomatoes.

I haven't tried it yet, but Miguel's has a mole on the menu. It now sits near the top of my to-eat list. Who knows, maybe soon, I'll miss La Carreta a little less.

3182 Shelburne Road, Shelburne, 802-985-2232

Not every business in the Vermont Fresh Network is fine dining. Scouring the list of restaurants that are members of the localvore association, I came across numerous joints that one might never guess would focus on serving local produce. Buono Appetito Italian Restaurant in Shelburne, better known as Buono's, was one of them. Who knew the family who owns the red-sauce Italian place had a passion for keeping things fresh? I had to give it a try

The dimly lit dining room was filled with grandmotherly types Sunday night. A mural on one wall depicted a Venetian scene, complete with a scarf-sporting gondolier. Our server brought menus and asked if we would like a cocktail before dinner, an invitation I heard repeated as each party arrived at the restaurant. She also made note of the special, a burger made of beef from LaPlatte River Angus Farm and Cabot cheddar. It was $14. Seriously. The Burlington area is rife with overpriced local burgers, but this was the most expensive I've seen yet.