A Culinary Journey Through Saint Albans, Vermont

Why St. Albans? Millions of people have never even heard of this small city north of Burlington. Under two hours from Montreal and approximately forty minutes from Burlington, St. Albans offers tourists with the best of boutique shopping, culinary treasures, and an annual Maple Festival that everyone should experience at least once. Enough, however, about St. Albans in general, it is the restaurants of this small city that deserve praise.

Sadly, St. Albans seems to be becoming a mecca for Chinese takeouts and pizza places. Ignore these places, quite honestly they just are not worth mentioning for the most part. Only two area pizza establishments truly deserve any praise. The Chinese establishments are typical of any take out Chinese, so they are also not worth a visitor's time. St. Albans also has its share of fast food (KFC, Burger King, McDonalds, Subway, Pizza Hut, Wendy's, Quiznos) that should be skipped. The real gems are listed below.

Chow Bella

Chow Bella is an exceptional Italian restaurant on Main Street that focuses on local produce to create their succulent dishes. Serving lunch and dinner, Chow Bella is a little more expensive than other area restaurants, but the quality makes up for the difference in price. Lunches consist of items such as a Seafood burger with Wasabi mayonnaise ($8) or Chicken, Artichoke, and Roasted Red Peppers Marsala ($7.50.) For dinner, start with the Fresh Mozzarella & Tomato Panini ($6) and move on to Connoli Quatro Formaggio with Gorgonzola Sauce ($11) or Angel Hair Pasta with Jumbo Shrimp ($16.) All meals are served with homemade garlic bread. Chow Bella has an extensive wine list and daily specials (Pan seared Scrod with a ginger lemon grass curry sauce for $17 is fabulous!)

Main Street, www.chowbella.us, 802-524-1405

The Old Foundry Restaurant

Tucked down a block off of Main Street on Federal Street, The Old Foundry Restaurant celebrates twenty years in business. This cozy restaurant specializes in steak, chicken, seafood, and vegetarian fare. All meals come with a decent soup/salad bar that contains a nice mix of greens, pasta salads, and toppings from black olives to creamed herring. If red snapper is on the weekly special list, patrons will do will to select it. The chef's unique vision does red snapper justice every time! On the menu, patrons will find Prime Rib ($15), seafood platters ($13), and more.

802-524-9665, Opens at 4:30pm.

Jeff's Maine Seafood

Jeff's Maine is an excellent seafood restaurant. Per local gossip, the owner makes sure that seafood comes straight from the docks in southern Maine a few times a week ensuring the freshest seafood possible. Local produce and meats, including lake perch caught straight out of nearby Lake Champlain, is used whenever possible. The seafood burger is highly recommended ($9) and the calamari is to die for ($8.)

Main Street, 524-6135, Open for lunch and dinner.

McGuel's Irish Burro

This hidden gem has taken a few blows in the past months. After losing their liquor license temporarily, the restaurant patronage seemed to slip. Thankfully, things are looking up and the chef seems to be back in full swing. McGuel's serves blend of Mexican fare and traditional items like burgers, hot turkey sandwiches, and the likes for those who don't like the spicier foods. The French Dip ($7) is one of the best in northern Vermont, the Mexican platters are huge and leave you stuffed and carrying leftovers. The Loaded Nachos are excellent. A small easily serves four as an appetizer ($6). The large ($8) is best suited for larger crowds.

Lake Street (near the Courthouse), 527-1276, Open for lunch and dinner. Bar side serves the full menu as well.

Mimmo's Pizza

Mimmo's is the second best pizza in St. Albans. The crust is full of flavor and crunch. Topping choices are amazing with items like chicken, eggplant, roasted red peppers, and the usual hamburger, sausage, pepperoni, and more. Try a whole wheat crust pizza too! Simone's Special (Feta, meatballs, bacon, tomatoes, and garlic) is my personal favorite. At $17.25 for a large, it easily feeds six people.

Main Street, http://www.mimmositalian.com/,

Pie In The Sky

Per my opinion, Pie In The Sky is the city's best pizza. The flavorful crust is light and crunchy with a perfect balance of yeast and salt. They offer an excellent choice of tomato sauce based pizzas and white pizzas. Try the St. Albans, it is delightful. For around $14 for a large, the pizza comes topped with Granny Smith apples, sausage, sweet onions, and herbs. Pie In The Sky serves beer and wine. Try the Pie In The Sky Ale, it is slightly hoppy with a nice balance of malts and grains.

Highgate Shopping Plaza, 802-524-5442 , Closed Sundays.