2 Best Restaurants in Waitsfield and Warren, Central Vermont

Stop by the takeout window of this new-wave snack shack for fried chicken, griddled burgers, and kimchi-stuffed grilled cheese. Stay for the homemade creemees, Vermont's answer to soft-serve ice cream; classics like maple are always on offer, as are seasonal specials like ginger, cinnamon, lemon, and fresh blueberry. The Bad Larry, a whimsical, Willy Wonka-esque sundae on a cone, tops a tall twist of maple ice cream with maple crystals, maple drizzle, maple cookies, and a cloud of maple cotton candy. And in typical Vermont fashion, most ingredients from beef to pickles are locally made.

The sky-high ceilings at this brewery's taproom and restaurant have earned it the nickname "the cathedral of beer" and IPA lovers have been lining up to get a Sip of Sunshine since Sean and Karen Lawson launched their namesake brand from a tiny mountainside brewhouse in Warren in 2008. This spectacular space—opened in 2018—is an appropriately sunny place to sit and enjoy a pint of the brewery's flagship brew, or something from the solid food menu designed to pair with beer: fancy grilled cheeses, local cheese and charcuterie boards, and a just-spicy-enough chorípan sandwich, with chorizo made just for the brewery by 5th Quarter butcher shop, located in the nearby Mad River Taste Place.