| What do Charles Dickens’s Steak and Kidney Pie, Banana Leaf steamed halibut with Thai Curry, and Camarones de la Novia (shrimp on a bed of parmesan spinach with green chiles and chipotle light cream sauce) have in common? They’re all served in Stowe. In fact, striking as they are, those are just three delicacies of almost 1,500 delectable appetizers, soups, salads, entrees, and desserts served up by Stowe’s 40 fine restaurants. Those restaurants, between them, have garnered six Wine Spectator Awards for General Excellence, more than any other New England towns except Boston and Providence. Of course, together Boston and Providence have about two million more people than Stowe, pop. 4,300, so it’s really not a fair comparison. In fact, if Stowe were as big as Boston, it would now have 588 such awards to its credit. While that might be a bit fanciful, the quality, value, and variety offered by Stowe’s eateries are no fancy at all. “In Stowe’s restaurants, you really can get anything you want,” notes Stowe Area Association Executive Director Valerie Rochon, “and at any price, to boot.” In recognition of such superiority, in October 2004, SKI Magazine readers, for the umpteenth year in a row, named Stowe the #1 resort in the Eastern U.S. and, in addition, have voted its lodging and dining as #1 in the Eastern U.S., as well. Gourmet and Bon Appetit have both raved about Stowe. And as if that were not enough, in July, 2004, the editors of National Geographic Traveler and National Geographic Traveler for Kids, respectively, announced on the Today Show that Stowe is one of the greatest family resorts in North America. For families on vacation, dining is critically important, and those editors certainly knew that when conferring their praise. Thanks to all those fine restaurants (and the family ones, too) in Stowe, it’s easy to create the perfect beginning (breakfast), middle (lunch), and ending (dinner) for every perfect vacation day. |
