$199–$449; higher in foliage season. Rates include full breakfast. Pets allowed on limited basis ($50 per night). Amenities: Restaurant; pub; exercise room; Wi-Fi (free).
Where to Eat in the Bennington/Manchester Area
In addition to the selections below, most of the inns listed above offer good to excellent dinners on site in their dining rooms, often in romantic settings. For informal dining or a beer, locals head for Mulligan’s (www.mulligans-vt.com; 802/362-3663), a pubby family eatery on Route 7A near the Equinox Resort in Manchester. Mrs. Murphy’s Donuts ( 802/362-1874), a locals’ favorite on the outlet strip in Manchester Center, is a nice alternative to chain fast-food breakfasts.
Bennington
Blue Benn Diner DINER There are maybe a half-dozen true diners in Vermont. The qualification aficionados insist on is that a diner be prefabricated of stainless or enameled steel, and be delivered to its site. The Blue Benn, which rolled down the ways in Paterson, NJ, in 1945, fits the bill—and meets diner mavens’ culinary standards as well. Expect the classics: meat loaf, chicken-fried steak, liver and onions . . . and, since this is a college town, offerings include veggie burritos, falafel, and a Cuban pork sandwich. Daily dinner specials include soup or salad, rolls, pudding, and coffee or tea; breakfast, served all day, is a hearty and imaginative panoply of omelets and pancakes. No credit cards.
314 North St. (Rte. 7), Bennington. 802/442-5140. Breakfast $3–$7.50; sandwiches and entrees $3.50–$14; dinner specials $13. Mon–Tues 6am–5pm; Wed–Fri 6am–8pm; Sat 6am–4pm; Sun 8am–4pm.
Madison Brewing Co. AMERICAN Bennington’s first and only brew pub is a lively downtown spot where Bennington College types mingle with townies and travelers. The lunch and dinner menus—served in upstairs and downstairs, rehabbed 19th-century brick-and-beam dining areas—run to well-executed, tried-and-true comfort dishes such as pot roast, mac and cheese, fish and chips, flatiron steak, and generous sandwiches. Imagination flourishes in the house-brewed beer selections: You’ll find the IPAs that are practically written into the Vermont constitution, but also experiments involving maple, coffee, blackberries, and peanut butter. One seasonal stout, the “Nor’beaster Chocolate Imperial,” slides down like malted milk but packs a 10% alcohol wallop. Live music Friday and Saturday nights.
428 Main St., Bennington. www.madisonbrewingco.com. 802/442-7397. Lunch items $8–$15; main courses $12–$20 at dinner. Mon–Thurs 11am–9pm; Fri–Sat 11:30am–10:30pm; Sun 11:30am–9:30pm.
Pangaea INTERNATIONAL This upscale little culinary campus is a bit hard to find (tucked away in workaday North Bennington), but it’s worth trying to locate. Chef/owner Bill Scully offers his distinctive cuisine (using local and organic ingredients whenever possible) in a lounge as well as a fine-dining room. At the latter, start with Vermont boar-and-brie Wellington, or ricotta agnolotti with fines herbes butter. Entrees could include rack of lamb with mint pistachio pesto, pan-seared sea scallops over creamy adobe polenta, or herb-crusted baked halibut. Next door in the lounge, sip a Vermont beer or craft cocktail while deciding among items such as a Vermont cheese plate, fried oysters, Vietnamese spring rolls, and burgers available in beef, salmon, or black bean versions. The small card of desserts is notable, especially for the chocolate cake.
1-3 Prospect St. (Rte. 67A), North Bennington. www.vermontfinedining.com. 802/442-7171. Lounge items $9–$15; main courses $31. Tues–Sat 5–9pm.
Dorset
Barrows House Restaurant and Tap Room NEW AMERICAN The restaurant at the Barrows House (see p. 486) is a worthy manifestation of the modern gastropub, Vermont style. Start off in the pub with a flight of local beers or a craft cocktail, then settle down to study an uncluttered, satisfying menu built around starters (call them small plates if you aren’t heading on to an entrée) such as tandoori chicken tacos, beet carpaccio, and tuna nachos. Your main course might be built around house-made pasta; or go with tried-and-true steak frites or short ribs. There’s always a daily special flatbread, and; fish specials and vegetarian choices, too. A dessert standout is the sour cherry flourless chocolate torte.
Rte. 30, Dorset (in Barrows House). www.barrowshouse.com. 802/867-4455. Small plates $8–$15; main courses $26–$32. Daily 5:30–9pm.
Chantecleer CONTINENTAL First–rate continental fare finds a home in an atmosphere of rustic elegance at Chantecleer, which consistently serves some of the best food in southern Vermont—inside a century-old dairy barn. Just outside Dorset, the restaurant’s tidy exterior doesn’t hint at how pleasantly romantic the interior is, even if it feels almost Pennsylvania Dutch. The owner, Swiss chef Michel Baumann, changes his menu frequently. Appetizers lean toward seafood, especially shellfish (mussels, oysters, octopus, and escargot). For the main course, he might feature whole Dover sole, venison and duck breast medallions, veal sweetbreads, or a classic veal schnitzel with spaetzle. Whatever you eat, you must finish with Baumann’s delicious “Matterhorn” sundae—Vermont ice cream shingled with toasted hazelnut nougatine and topped with Toblerone hot fudge.
Rte. 7A (3½ miles N of Manchester Center), East Dorset. www.chantecleerrestaurant.com. 802/362-1616. Reservations recommended. Main courses $30–$49. Wed–Sun 5:30–9pm. Closed 1st 3 weeks of Nov, and Apr to mid-May.
Dorset Inn Restaurant NEW AMERICAN Menus at the Dorset Inn’s (see p. 486) restaurant and tavern strike an admirable balance between sophistication and down-home Vermont culinary values—with an emphasis on seasonal fare and locally sourced meats and produce. Start with house-smoked local duck pâté, PEI mussels, Maine crab cakes, or a plate of locally crafted cheese. The entrée card—changing with the seasons—might include a rosemary-and-garlic grilled pork ribeye, roast duck breast in a cranberry-maple demi-glace, or grilled trout with a Meyer lemon butter. Burgers rule the tavern menu, where the star side is sweet potato fries with cilantro lime sour cream for dipping. Desserts are also stellar, from New York–style cheesecake with fresh berries to maple crème brûlée, and New England bread pudding—also with maple. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday.
8 Church St. (Rte. 30), Dorset (in the Dorset Inn). www.dorsetinn.com. 802/867-5500. Reservations recommended. Brunch items $12–$16, main courses $22–$34. Mon–Thurs 8–9:30am and 5:30–9pm; Fri–Sun 8am–2pm and 5:30–9pm.
