Vermont
Four Newish Restaurants Bring World Flavors to Chittenden County
As the Seven Days meals staff mirrored on the state of Vermont’s eating scene on the finish of 2022, one of many sudden highlights was an explosion of world cuisines. In a state the place farm-to-table tends to drive the dialog — and the place we’ve got wood-fired pizza popping out of our ears — a brand new wave of Afghan, Argentinian, Bosnian, Colombian, Dominican, Filipino, Haitian, Indian, Iranian, Iraqi, Jamaican-British, Korean, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Somali and Taiwanese pop-ups, meals carts, market distributors and eating places is greater than welcome.
Now that we have settled into 2023, we headed out to 4 newish brick-and-mortar spots that carry flavors from around the globe to Chittenden County, together with two which can be proper subsequent door to one another in Essex Junction. We did not even want our passports.
— J.B.
Flavors in Bloom
Laliguras Indian-Nepali Restaurant
146 Church St., Burlington, 800-1238, laligurasindiannepalirestaurant.com
On a current Monday round 3:30 p.m., a trio sat down for a late lunch at Laliguras Indian-Nepali Restaurant on the Church Avenue Market. Following the recommendation of supervisor Dhruba Lamsal, the get together of structure college students on a day journey from Québec ordered two of the Nepali specialties on the menu: vegetable thukpa noodle soup ($10.99) and vegetarian momos ($10.99).
They mentioned the soup and the dumplings, served with a calmly spicy and candy dipping sauce, have been new to them and really satisfying. “Pretty much as good as something in Montréal,” Victor Rifiorati enthused.
“The broth is like nothing I’ve ever had,” Saz Szatmári mentioned as she spooned up her soup. “It is the proper quantity of spicy.”
The guests have been precisely the kind of clients co-owners and brothers Raj and Kabi Adhikari have been hoping to draw once they opened Laliguras final June within the downtown restaurant beforehand occupied by the Rusty Scuffer.
“We now have lots of site visitors right here, lots of people who’re coming to see the city, strolling round,” Raj, 30, mentioned. “They usually discover the restaurant.”
Initially from Bhutan, the Adhikari household spent years in Nepalese refugee camps earlier than arriving in Vermont in 2011. The brothers labored in a variety of space eating places earlier than launching Laliguras, which they named for the purple rhododendron, the nationwide flower of Nepal.
Whereas Raj chatted in regards to the restaurant, his two younger sons sat within the sales space beside him, crunching fortunately on the cumin seed-speckled papadum crackers that every desk receives upon sitting.
Lamsal introduced out a scorching pan of tandoori rooster ($17.99) strewn with cilantro on a mattress of frizzled cabbage, carrots and onion. Jace Adhikari, age 4.5, might hardly restrain himself from sneaking a chunk of the just about luminously crimson charred and spice-rubbed bone-in meat that emanated mouthwatering scents mere inches from his face.
The moist, tender rooster is ready by a kitchen staff that features Raj; Lamsal’s spouse, Sabu; and Krishna Bhattarai. Lamsal runs the eating room easily, even when juggling a full home nearly single-handed. He recommended my desk of 5 on a current Saturday night to order the rooster momos ($11.99 for 10) steamed, not fried.
Among the many many momos now out there within the Burlington space, these stood out for his or her skinny, nearly translucent pores and skin. We additionally significantly loved the flaky paratha bread ($2.99) and malai kofta ($14.99). These vegetarian balls have been a toothsome and texturally nice mixture of cashew, carrot, paneer and potatoes simmered in the identical creamy, tomatoey sauce utilized in rooster tikka masala ($15.99), which Lamsal mentioned is a buyer favourite.
Diners who do not but have a go-to dish ought to attempt the vegetable or meat thali ($19.99 or $20.99), which is actually a tasting menu. The combo varies day by day, Lamsal mentioned. Our vegetable thali included small bowls of dal makhani (spiced black lentils), saag paneer (spinach with paneer cheese), aloo gobi (cauliflower and potato curry), chana masala (curried chickpeas), and white rice, plus a chile-spiked pickle and a single candy gulab jamun ball. The meat possibility features a dal, a vegetable curry, rooster tikka masala and the diner’s selection of a meat curry.
Any certainly one of these could possibly be your new favourite Laliguras order.
— M.P.
Filipino Fusion
Nagueños Filipino American Diner
34 Park St., Suite 8, Essex Junction, 871-5363, naguenosfilamdiner.com
Making mates as an grownup is difficult. Making mates who will allow you to select the restaurant, break up all the things on the menu and demand on dessert? Virtually not possible.
However I obtained fortunate within the new good friend division, as a result of that is exactly what occurred on a “good friend first date” at Nagueños Filipino American Diner. Attempting out the Essex Junction spot was all my concept, and we dove right into a slew of shared plates. My new pal Jamie instructed leche flan for dessert, sealing the deal.
Jerrymay and Paul Lopez and Emma and JR Perez opened Nagueños within the former Coronary heart n Soul by Mark BBQ location in mid-December. Their distinctive menu combines conventional dishes from the Philippines — the place JR, Paul and Jerrymay grew up and earned levels in resort and restaurant administration earlier than shifting to the U.S. — with American classics comparable to chef’s salad, burgers and Philly cheesesteak. In traditional Vermont vogue, they’re utilizing as many native components as attainable.
“We wish to give individuals good-quality meals with a twist of our Filipino tradition,” JR informed Seven Days forward of the restaurant’s opening. “And we wish to give individuals in Vermont one thing that they’ve by no means tried earlier than.”
On a current Thursday night, Jamie and I joined a number of different teams of diners within the small restaurant as a gentle stream of shoppers picked up takeout. (Nagueños doesn’t but provide supply, nevertheless it’s within the works.) We excitedly debated what number of dishes have been too many, deciding on each candy potato ($6) and pork ($8) lumpia (fried spring rolls), together with palabok ($15) from the merienda (snack) menu, Bacolod rooster Inasal ($16), and tortang talong ($15).
The menu will change a bit within the spring, Paul mentioned, in order that Nagueños can provide its clients much more dishes to attempt. For now, the lumpia and Bacolod rooster Inasal are among the many hottest dishes, together with Bicol Specific, a spicy pork stew from Paul and JR’s residence area.
Bacolod rooster Inasal is known as for a restaurant chain based in Jerrymay’s native metropolis and its namesake dish: grilled rooster skewers marinated in vinegar and spices, then served with atchara, pickled inexperienced papaya. We opted to improve to garlic rice ($2 additional), which added an additional punch to the already flavorful dish.
Palabok, which interprets loosely to “sauce,” is a rice noodle stir-fry coated in a wealthy bacon, garlic and shrimp sauce. The ample plate was greater than my concept of a snack, nevertheless it made nice lunch leftovers together with the remnants of tortang talong — fritters created from complete eggplant dipped in eggy batter.
We managed to eat a luscious slice of leche flan ($6) earlier than we admitted how full we have been. The custardy, caramel-topped dessert was a super ending to a enjoyable meal.
“It’s a must to inform individuals to return right here for the flan,” Jamie mentioned on our means out. From my new good friend’s lips to your ears.
— J.B.
Vegetarian Imaginative and prescient
Namaste Backyard
34 Park St., Suite 11, Essex Junction, 764-0767, namastegardenvt.com
The previous few months have been thrilling within the Essex Junction meals scene. With an inflow of growth, demand for foods and drinks has grown. And companies comparable to Nagueños and vegetarian Indian spot Namaste Backyard — which opened final September — are assembly it deliciously.
Boxcar Bakery co-owner Stacey Daley, whose neighboring biz opened simply after Namaste Backyard, summed it up completely: “Essex Junction is blowing up.”
I might heard solely good issues about Namaste Backyard because it launched within the former Meals Bar location. After a cold Sunday sap boil, I headed over to test it out and heat up with a little bit of spice.
My husband and I have been the one two eating within the restaurant once we arrived within the early night. It was turning right into a snowy evening, not very best for eating out, however the door stored swinging open with clients grabbing takeout and supply drivers choosing up DoorDash, Uber Eats and Seamless orders.
Co-owner Sharandeep Matri admitted to having been nervous about opening a completely vegetarian restaurant with vegan choices. “We did not know the way the neighborhood will assist us, as a result of, you understand, no meat. Folks love meat,” she mentioned with amusing. “However our enterprise is doing splendidly.”
As we thought of the prolonged menu, I quickly forgot that Namaste Backyard was “no meat.” We settled on appetizers I might order at any Indian restaurant: aloo tikki (deep-fried potato and pea fritters, $4.99) and samosa chaat (a north Indian road meals dish of crispy samosas topped with chickpeas, onion, yogurt and tangy sauces, $6.99).
I used to be thrilled to see the South Indian part of the menu. My sister-in-law is from Hyderabad and infrequently cooks South Indian staples comparable to masala dosa and idli sambar, however they seem to be a uncommon deal with in Chittenden County’s predominantly North Indian and Himalayan eating places. Namaste Backyard was out of the fermented lentil-and-rice dosa batter for the night, so I opted for the idli ($8.99). The pillowy, steamed muffins are sometimes a breakfast dish, however I did not care what time of day it was as I dipped them within the wealthy sambar (a veggie and lentil stew).
The vegetarian curry part of the menu was filled with intriguing choices, however we settled on a takeout traditional: paneer masala ($12.99). Massive chunks of soppy, home made cheese floated within the creamy tomato base; I mopped them up with probably the most garlicky garlic naan I’ve ever had. We would opted for medium spice on all our dishes, and every was spot-on.
On the finish of the meal, I walked over to peruse the totally stocked sweets counter, loaded with conventional gadgets comparable to ladoo and coconut cham-cham, all made in-house. I left with a container of spherical gram-flour ladoo, fudge-like chocolate barfi and golden kesar peda, created from milk, sugar, cardamom and saffron. I am saving the new gulab jamun for subsequent time.
“Folks see all of the sweets and respect that we carry one thing new to the neighborhood, to the state,” Matri mentioned. “They eat them for dessert, after which they need us to pack a field to take for his or her household.”
— J.B.
Style of Residence
Bamyan Kebab Home
65 Winooski Falls Manner, Winooski, 355-5488, bamyankebabhousevt.com
It has been a gradual and rocky highway for first-time restaurant homeowners and brothers Awran and Wazirgul Hashimi. Final June they opened Bamyan Kebab Home within the Winooski spot vacated by Shafer’s Market & Deli. After a few month of serving up grilled kebabs over spiced rice and a flaky, fried bread full of scallions and greens referred to as bolani, Bamyan needed to shut quickly on account of a scarcity of kitchen workers and issues with the availability chain for essential cooking tools.
Lastly, with a brand new chef staff, a working open-flame grill and a proper reopening deliberate for this week, there may be gentle on the finish of the tunnel — an acceptable metaphor for a restaurant whose title means “shining gentle.” That is additionally the title of the Hashimis’ native province in Afghanistan and its capital metropolis.
As Seven Days beforehand reported, Awran, now 30, got here to Poultney from Afghanistan in 2011 with a U.S. government-sponsored scholar alternate program. He stayed to attend the now-closed Inexperienced Mountain Faculty, after which he earned a grasp’s diploma in human sources and strategic administration from the College of Denver. His youthful brother, Wazirgul, joined him within the U.S., initially on a scholar visa.
The pair did not initially aspire to turn out to be restaurateurs, however after Vermont welcomed a variety of refugees from Afghanistan, Awran recalled, “We determined to open this area as a social area for them to get related, to really feel nearer to residence, in addition to to introduce Afghan tradition to Vermonters.”
The brand new chef, Raouf Khan, cooked at Bamyan in early February earlier than returning to Virginia to carry his household to Vermont. He and one other chef initially from Afghanistan will provide a menu that includes halal meats in dishes comparable to Qabuli palao: stewed lamb or beef on rice spiced with garam masala, saffron, cardamom and cinnamon ($23). Lamb chops marinated in olive oil and lemon juice will likely be seasoned with rosemary, thyme, oregano and garlic and served with rice and flatbread ($25). Hen, beef or minced lamb kebabs will likely be served with rice ($21 to $25), and stews of beef or lamb will likely be braised tender with housemade yogurt, tomatoes, onions and chile powder ($22).
Awran promised that mantu, the long-lasting Afghan dish of steamed, stuffed dumplings, will lastly make it onto the menu.
Hurdles stay, together with the issue of accessing some key components. Missing a trusted native supply of halal meat, Awran mentioned, “We go each week to Albany [N.Y.].”
However the younger entrepreneur stays optimistic. Some refugees who initially resettled in Vermont from Afghanistan have left for hotter and extra populous areas of the U.S., Awran mentioned, however he’s right here to remain.
“I just like the small metropolis. The persons are extra pleasant right here, extra supportive,” he mentioned. “You’ll be able to talk in a extra human means.”
— M.P.
SOUTH BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Three men are in police custody following a months-long Vermont Drug Task Force investigation.
Police conducted search warrants at the Anchorage Inn in South Burlington following the investigation into the distribution of fentanyl and cocaine in the Chittenden County area. The investigation consisted of several controlled purchases of illegal drugs and resulted in the seizure of fentanyl and cocaine base.
34-year-old Michael Rainey of Bensalem, Pennsylvania was charged with fentanyl trafficking and cocaine possession. 33-year-old Kenneth Wright of Philadelphia was charged with fentanyl trafficking and sale of cocaine. And 36-year-old Rajib Ingram of Philadelphia was charged with two counts of cocaine sale and fentanyl trafficking.
Copyright 2024 WCAX. All rights reserved.
Vermont
Vermont Conversation: Million meter man Noah Dines on his record-setting year of living strenuously – VTDigger
The Vermont Conversation with David Goodman is a VTDigger podcast that features in-depth interviews on local and national issues with politicians, activists, artists, changemakers and citizens who are making a difference. Listen below, and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify to hear more.
For Noah Dines, life has been an uphill climb. And that is his dream come true.
Dines, a 30 year-old Stowe local, is in the process of setting a new world record for human powered vertical feet skied in one year. The previous record had been 2.5 million feet set in 2016 by Aaron Rice, another Stowe skier. Dines broke Rice’s record in September, then surpassed his original goal of skiing 3 million feet in October, broke 1 million meters — or 3.3 million feet — in early December, and will wrap up the year having skied 3.5 million feet.
Uphill skiing is known as skinning, so named for the strips of material that attach to the bottom of skis that enable skiers to glide uphill without slipping backwards. They used to be made from seal skins, hence the name skinning. Skinning up ski area trails has become a popular form of exercise in recent years, and backcountry skiers also use skins to travel where there are no lifts.
Dines began his uphill skiing quest on New Years Day 2024 just after midnight. He turned on his headlamp, snapped on his lightweight alpine touring skis and quietly skied off into the night up the trails of Stowe Mountain Resort. He has spent this year chasing snow around the world, from Vermont, to Oregon, Colorado, Europe and Chile. He has skied all but about 30 days this year. A typical day has him skiing uphill about 10,000 feet. At Stowe, that means he skis at least five round trip laps per day, often more. He will finish his quest at the end of this month and will be joined in his last days by his father, who has never skied uphill before.
I met up with Noah Dines on December 17 at the base lodge at Spruce Peak at SMR. It was raining, but Dines was still skiing.
“If you bail when it rains all the time, then you’re not getting everything you could,” he said.
Dines explained that his record quest has required “a lot of saying no” to everything from friends’ weddings to having a beer, from which he has abstained. “Your response to anything has to do with, how will this affect my big year?” he said.
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Conceding that “the money has definitely been hard,” Dines has supported himself during his year of chasing snow through sponsorships from Fischer Skis, Maloja clothing and Plink electrolyte drinks. He also raised $10,000 through a GoFundMe and has drawn down his savings.
What has a year of living strenuously meant?
“Friendships. I’ve met so many incredible people. It’s meant learning how to persevere and work harder than I’ve ever worked before. It’s meant seeing beautiful sunsets in Chile. It’s meant cold mornings and crisp Alpine air. In Europe, it’s meant croissants on the side of a mountain. It’s meant more time with friends in Stowe.”
By pursuing a dream, Dines hopes that he can be a model for others. “I have a passion and I pursued it and I’ve pushed myself as hard as I can, and you can too,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be with sports or take a year, but there’s no reason that you can’t set goals and meet them, that you can’t push yourself just because you didn’t grow up doing it.”
What will the million meter man do to start 2025?
“Well first and foremost, I’ll take a little nap, at least for an afternoon.”
This commentary is by Mike Mrowicki, democratic state representative for the Windham-4 district.
As we head into the 2025 legislative session in January, I want to first offer congratulations to Gov. Scott, Jason Maalucci and the Republican campaign effort. They sure got it right about affordability.
Yes, property taxes / education funding are on people’s minds but the ongoing frustration about inflation/affordability also includes the price of eggs, the increase in health insurance cost and rising home insurance costs. Especially where there’s been flooding two years in a row.
So, Vermonters want action and there sure seems a broad sense of enthusiasm from legislators to come together and get the work done. To balance the competing needs of providing our kids a quality education and making it affordable. After all, the kids of today will be taking our blood pressure tomorrow and don’t we want them to be able to do it accurately, based on the quality education they got in Vermont?
At the same time, no one should feel that their taxes are a threat to staying in their homes. We need to make sure, especially for those on fixed incomes, that despite rising property values, property taxes should reflect ability to pay.
In the spirit of working together with the governor, then, I and other legislators are eagerly awaiting his ideas for fixing the property tax / ed funding dilemma. And, we are ready to hear what he has to say on the raft of other factors that challenge Vermonters’ sense of affordability.
Like the cost of health insurance. Blue Cross Blue Shield Vermont individual premiums will rise by 19.8% next year. There isn’t a budget this doesn’t affect: home budgets, town budgets, school budgets and state budgets. It’s a cost driver across the board and we’re looking forward to hearing the governor’s plan on how to make this more affordable.
Housing is unaffordable and, in many cases, unavailable, especially for our financially challenged neighbors. The lack of housing is the barrier to progress in so many sections of our landscape. It is the greatest barrier to growing our workforce and economy so, likewise, we’re looking forward to the governor’s plans on Housing.
The cost of transportation and maintaining our roads and bridges is also unaffordable. This is compounded by our gas taxes no longer providing sufficient funds to maintain our roads and bridges. Here’s another area where we’re waiting to hear the administration’s plan so we can work together to solve this.
And, of course, climate change is costing towns across Vermont unaffordable amounts to fix the damage from this year’s floods, and last year’s as well. Who knows what next year will bring, but these are costs that Vermont taxpayers are bearing right now and adding to the pile of issues that are making Vermont unaffordable. We’ll be looking forward to hearing from the governor and his administration how we make those climate costs affordable.
Legislators are ready to work together, as the 18-week session nears. To work together in the spirit of cooperation and keeping focused on how we can best help Vermonters.
As the late Mario Cuomo once said when he was governor of New York in the last century, “You campaign in poetry. You govern in prose.” A good way of saying the campaign is over, the hard work is ahead of us.
Vermonters work hard to make ends meet. We get that. Legislators will also be working hard to make sure Vermonters feel heard and see results. When we adjourn in May, here’s hoping the spirit of cooperation brings us to a better place for all the issues facing Vermont, so everyone’s hard work feels all the more worthwhile.
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