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Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Burlington / Music Trippy and Drippy: Music by Phish, Dinner by Hen of the Wood
Posted
By Sally Pollak
on Tue, Mar 31, 2020 at 2:56 PM
If your last pint of Phish Food disappeared at midnight and you’ve had one too many grilled cheese sandwiches, here’s to hoping you’ve got some mushrooms lying around.
If so, grab some bread, crack an egg and crank up your computer: It’s time to pair trippy Phish with a drippy egg for this week's installment of “Dinner and a Movie.” The weekly online event, which airs Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m., pairs a live show from the Phish archives with a recipe shared by the band that fans can make themselves — surely, a suitable form of entertainment in the stay-at-home age.
If so, grab some bread, crack an egg and crank up your computer: It’s time to pair trippy Phish with a drippy egg for this week's installment of “Dinner and a Movie.” The weekly online event, which airs Tuesdays at 8:30 p.m., pairs a live show from the Phish archives with a recipe shared by the band that fans can make themselves — surely, a suitable form of entertainment in the stay-at-home age.
Friday, March 27, 2020
Restaurant News Poco Restaurant Pivots to Groceries With Poco Mercato
Posted
By Jordan Barry
on Fri, Mar 27, 2020 at 12:41 PM
Vermont restaurants are doing all kinds of things to stay open during this worldwide pandemic. Among other innovations, they're offering cocktails to-go in quart containers, drive-up curbside pickup, and heat-and-eat meals for the whole family.
Restaurants are adapting, trying to support their employees and their communities, and aiming to make money however they can — all with the goal of, hopefully, reopening as their former selves when it's safe for people to gather again.
With a kitchen full of food, Poco restaurant owners Stefano Cicirello and Susie Ely have pivoted to stocking pantries. The Burlington eatery, open on lower Main Street for just under a year, is temporarily operating as an online grocery store.
Restaurants are adapting, trying to support their employees and their communities, and aiming to make money however they can — all with the goal of, hopefully, reopening as their former selves when it's safe for people to gather again.
With a kitchen full of food, Poco restaurant owners Stefano Cicirello and Susie Ely have pivoted to stocking pantries. The Burlington eatery, open on lower Main Street for just under a year, is temporarily operating as an online grocery store.
Wednesday, March 25, 2020
News Vermont Foodbank and Others Get the Food Out to Those In Need
Posted
By Sally Pollak
on Wed, Mar 25, 2020 at 4:32 PM
Last week in Winooski, a Vermont Foodbank mobile produce distribution program called VeggieVanGo provided food to 647 families. Typically, the program serves about 400 families at that site, said John Sayles, CEO of the Vermont Foodbank.
His organization witnessed a similar phenomenon in St. Johnsbury, where the number of families seeking food at the local VeggieVanGo doubled from 200 families to 400, Sayles said.
With portions of the local economy shutting down due to the spread of the coronavirus, the need for food is on the rise in Vermont, he said.
His organization witnessed a similar phenomenon in St. Johnsbury, where the number of families seeking food at the local VeggieVanGo doubled from 200 families to 400, Sayles said.
With portions of the local economy shutting down due to the spread of the coronavirus, the need for food is on the rise in Vermont, he said.
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Business So Much Goodness to Go in the World
Posted
By Kristen Ravin
on Tue, Mar 24, 2020 at 4:03 PM
On Friday, Good To-Go’s customer service team received emails from hungry Vermonters wondering when their takeout orders would arrive at their doors. A few senders, apparently, mistakenly contacted the food company in Kittery, Maine, instead of Good To-Go Vermont, Seven Days’ new online directory of local takeout options for the coronavirus era.
Those who browse Good To-Go Vermont will find listings for Green Mountain State eateries offering takeout, delivery and curbside pick-up while restaurants remain closed to in-person diners in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. Folks can search by town and region to find establishments serving up everything from pizza to sushi to alcoholic beverages for takeaway.
Visitors at the Maine-based company’s website, goodto-go.com, find a different type of offering: dehydrated meals made from high-quality ingredients.
“Our target audience really is outdoor people,” said Good To-Go cofounder David Koorits in a phone interview. “People who are traveling or adventuring who need a quick and easy meal on the go.”
Those who browse Good To-Go Vermont will find listings for Green Mountain State eateries offering takeout, delivery and curbside pick-up while restaurants remain closed to in-person diners in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. Folks can search by town and region to find establishments serving up everything from pizza to sushi to alcoholic beverages for takeaway.
Visitors at the Maine-based company’s website, goodto-go.com, find a different type of offering: dehydrated meals made from high-quality ingredients.
“Our target audience really is outdoor people,” said Good To-Go cofounder David Koorits in a phone interview. “People who are traveling or adventuring who need a quick and easy meal on the go.”
Friday, March 20, 2020
Restaurant News Chamber of Commerce Urges State Action to Help Restaurants
Posted
By Jordan Barry
on Fri, Mar 20, 2020 at 8:10 PM
Updated, March 23, 2020
On Thursday, Vermont Chamber of Commerce president Betsy Bishop sent a letter to Gov. Phil Scott urging further action to support restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The letter requests the immediate abatement of the February and March meals and rooms tax payments, the February installment of which is due on March 25. It also requests freezing the unemployment insurance experience rating for restaurants, extending the state tax filing deadline by 90 days, as well as the appropriation of an extra $2 million in tourism advertising to draw visitors to Vermont in the future.
The governor's office declined to comment to Seven Days on the Chamber's requests, stating it would respond directly to Bishop.
The Chamber of Commerce is the only restaurant association in Vermont, representing more than 330 establishments. In the letter, Bishop wrote, "We are very concerned about the economic impact the closure of these businesses will have on our rural communities and downtowns."
New Hannaford to Open Saturday
Posted
By Sally Pollak
on Fri, Mar 20, 2020 at 3:15 PM
The Hannaford supermarket on Hannaford Drive in South Burlington that closes on Friday at 9 p.m. is separated by three tenths of a mile and countless rolls of toilet paper from the one that will open on Saturday morning at 935 Shelburne Road.
The new store’s opening celebration is canceled — no giveaways, no samples — to comply with public health guidelines for COVID-19. The fully stocked supermarket will open without fanfare on Saturday, March 21, at 7 a.m. No festivities, that is, unless shelves of Charmin, Scott and Quilted Northern Ultra Soft & Strong are cause for celebration. The toilet paper aisle and its competitor in the new world order of necessities — the cleaning supply section — are both fully stocked.
The new store’s opening celebration is canceled — no giveaways, no samples — to comply with public health guidelines for COVID-19. The fully stocked supermarket will open without fanfare on Saturday, March 21, at 7 a.m. No festivities, that is, unless shelves of Charmin, Scott and Quilted Northern Ultra Soft & Strong are cause for celebration. The toilet paper aisle and its competitor in the new world order of necessities — the cleaning supply section — are both fully stocked.
Wednesday, March 18, 2020
Burlington / Restaurant News Restaurants Rescued Me When I Was Down
Posted
By Sally Pollak
on Wed, Mar 18, 2020 at 8:07 PM
A week ago, I texted a relative who’s a student at Middlebury College: “When all else fails, we can eat!” Lucy texted back a heart.
We made plans to meet at the Arcadian, an Italian restaurant alongside Otter Creek, with four of her college friends and another cousin — seven people in all. The students had been told to leave school in a matter of days because of the threat of COVID-19. We wanted one more hangout.
By text, we called the last-minute meal — where we drank Negronis on tap and shared plates of pasta — a “midd blowout.”
Forty-eight hours later, on Friday, March 13, we wouldn’t have made such a plan or eaten together.
Tuesday, March 17, 2020
Restaurant News Vermont Restaurants Good To-Go Amidst Coronavirus Challenges
Posted
By Jordan Barry
on Tue, Mar 17, 2020 at 5:31 PM
Restaurants and food businesses throughout Vermont have been doing their best to adapt to the fast-changing reality of life during a pandemic.
On Monday, Gov. Phil Scott ordered the closure of Vermont bars and in-person dining at restaurants, effective 2 p.m. on Tuesday, March 17, through at least April 6.
Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger announced a 24-hour mandatory closure for Tuesday earlier that day to prevent large gatherings on St. Patrick's Day. These orders are similar to others around the country and the world, aiming to “flatten the curve” of the virus.
Related Good To-Go Vermont: A Directory of Takeout Options During the Coronavirus Era
Good To-Go Vermont: A Directory of Takeout Options During the Coronavirus Era
Now that Vermont's coronavirus restrictions are lifting, dining establishments are once again changing their operations and it's time for us to retire our Good To-Go directory.
Food + Drink Features
Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger announced a 24-hour mandatory closure for Tuesday earlier that day to prevent large gatherings on St. Patrick's Day. These orders are similar to others around the country and the world, aiming to “flatten the curve” of the virus.
It's hard to tell what larger effects COVID-19 will have on our food systems in the long run, especially as many service industry workers lose their jobs, bars shutter and supply chains are disrupted.
The good news is, the governor's order does not ban restaurants from offering food to-go, whether through takeout, curbside pick-up or delivery. Vermont's restaurants are coming up with all kinds of creative ways to feed our communities safely during this crisis.
The good news is, the governor's order does not ban restaurants from offering food to-go, whether through takeout, curbside pick-up or delivery. Vermont's restaurants are coming up with all kinds of creative ways to feed our communities safely during this crisis.
Saturday, March 14, 2020
Health UVM Economist Sara Solnick on COVID-19, Fear and Consumer Behavior
Posted
By Sally Pollak
on Sat, Mar 14, 2020 at 9:30 AM
Sara Solnick is associate professor and chair of the Department of Economics at the University of Vermont and has expertise in applied microeconomics. Seven Days asked her about the coronavirus and its possible impact on restaurant dining. She replied by email from London, where she's visiting her daughter.
SEVEN DAYS: How does consumer behavior typically change when people are worried or fearful? Is there research that applies specifically to eating out?
SARA SOLNICK: There is research on food safety specifically and dining out, and, as you would expect, people who are worried about food safety or who’ve had a bad experience are less likely to dine out. But in that case, people could avoid specific foods or a particular restaurant. This is a very unusual situation that combines concerns about health and concerns about income, because, for people who are not on salary, their income may be disrupted, and people with investments and retirement accounts have seen the markets drop.
SEVEN DAYS: How does consumer behavior typically change when people are worried or fearful? Is there research that applies specifically to eating out?
SARA SOLNICK: There is research on food safety specifically and dining out, and, as you would expect, people who are worried about food safety or who’ve had a bad experience are less likely to dine out. But in that case, people could avoid specific foods or a particular restaurant. This is a very unusual situation that combines concerns about health and concerns about income, because, for people who are not on salary, their income may be disrupted, and people with investments and retirement accounts have seen the markets drop.
Friday, March 13, 2020
Restaurant News Vermont Restaurants Scramble to Keep Up With COVID-19
Posted
By Sally Pollak
on Fri, Mar 13, 2020 at 6:10 PM
At Butch + Babe’s in Burlington's Old North End, the ketchup is now served in individual ramekins, not communal squeeze bottles. In Middlebury, servers at the Arcadian deliver forks on a tray to diners, who pick up the utensils themselves. Hen of the Wood is offering its food to go.
These measures — and rigorous, repeated cleanings — are among the practices that Vermont restaurants are instituting to help protect staff and customers from the coronavirus and to assuage anxiety as the global pandemic makes its emergence in the state.
Local restaurants are announcing their cleaning routines online, along with messages about the importance of confronting the public health threat as a community.
These measures — and rigorous, repeated cleanings — are among the practices that Vermont restaurants are instituting to help protect staff and customers from the coronavirus and to assuage anxiety as the global pandemic makes its emergence in the state.
Local restaurants are announcing their cleaning routines online, along with messages about the importance of confronting the public health threat as a community.
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