When it comes to places to eat in Stowe Vermont, the options are as varied as they are plentiful. Despite the fact that it is a relatively small town, the ski resort nature of Stowe means that people from all over the world visit pretty much year round. The one exception would probably be the "stick season" which is the time between the leaves exit in the Fall and the entrance of the snow in the Winter.
It was actually kind of hard picking a single place to stop and have lunch after we drove through Smugglers Notch. We noticed that American Flatbread had a location in Stowe and as much as we enjoyed that meal, we wanted to try something new.
A couple other options we looked at were the Edelweiss Deli and the Trapp Family Lodge (yes, that Von Trapp family), but we eventually ended up at Idletyme Brewing Company.
From the road, Idletyme does a pretty good job of hiding just how large the facility is. It isn't until you get around to the back parking lot or walk inside the building that you really start to realize just how vast it is. It kind of reminded me of Legs Inn that 
Unlike Legs Inn, the inside was bright and a bit more modern than I would have expected. The eccentric flairs like the holstein cow bench you see above just added more character to the establishment.
This gave us a view of the outdoor patio area which I have to admit was sprawling. You can see it in the last photo above. The bar in the distance is only about halfway through the seating area. There is another whole section past that.
The hostess led us in the right direction because as our meal progressed, the outside area quickly started to fill in. Then the wind picked up and it got even colder and many of the people sitting outside started asking if they could be moved to an inside table.
Being a brewery, it was only natural that I would get some beers.
I decided to go with a six beer flight that showcased their six most popular beers. At something like $42 for the flight, it wasn't cheap, but I have to say each and every one of the beers were quite delightful.
If you look at the menu above, the flight consisted of the first six beers in the list. Just based on the description, I probably would have left off the Pink n' Pale, but as I got drinking it, I realized it reminded me of Brew Dog Elvis Juice and I actually found myself enjoying it.
My favorite was the Oktoberfest, which probably doesn't surprise many of you that have been following me for a while now. The Helles Brook was also quite good.
The Oatmeal Stout, was good, but I think on the back end, my favorite was the Scharz Bier. It's safe to say I was feeling pretty good by the end of our meal as I was finishing the last of my Pink n' Pale. So much in fact, that I pulled the keys out of my pocket and asked
As far as the food was concerned, this was probably
We started with these cheese fritters that had a jalapeno creme on them. Vermont is very well known for their sharp cheddar cheese with Cabot being one of the largest distributors. We actually passed one of their facilities on the drive to and from Stowe. It's right down the road from the Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream factory.
The fritters were basically heaven on a plate. We had them gone in record time. I was afraid the jalapeno creme might be a little too hot, but it worked really well with the cheese adding some brightness and freshness to the rich cheddar. They were fantastic.
I decided to go with the fish and chips and I have to admit, I was a little disappointed. I was going back and forth between the fish and chips and the smoked chicken wings and I ultimately decided on the fish.
I've gotta be honest, I was actually a little disappointed with my dish. I think I am starting to realize that the heavy beer batter isn't always my favorite when it comes to fish. Usually when I get perch it comes in a much lighter batter that I enjoy more than the heavy stuff.
In my opinion, the chips were the real stars of this dish. They were perfectly crunchy on the outside and soft and pillowy on the inside. The coleslaw was mid at best, but the homemade tartar sauce was delicious.
I don't recall what kind of fish it was, but it had a slightly "wet" texture which was a little weird. Usually with cod or pollock the fish is a bit dryer. It still had good flavor, but it wasn't my favorite. You might also notice in the photos above, that I found a couple of bones in my fish.
The bones really aren't a big deal for me. Growing up in Michigan, I have spent a fair amount of my youth eating panfish from many of the inland lakes. Finding a bone here and there is just a fact of life.
That being said, I feel like in a place like this, they have to be more careful. I would imagine some pretty rich people pass through Stowe at any given time and they would likely be much less forgiving than myself about something like this. I didn't even point it out to our waiter, I just left them on the side of the plate.
Another thing that I found interesting about our trip is the fact that many people assume we ate a lot of seafood while we were in Vermont. First of all,
This was the only seafood item I had our whole time we were in Vermont.
With
Be sure to check back on Wednesday for more of our adventures on our trip to Vermont!
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All pictures/screenshots taken by myself or