Vermont Best Restaurants 2010

Best Use of Local Flavors
BELTED COW BISTRO, Essex Junction
Try the two-bite “sliders,” made with local pork and served with spicy kimchee slaw and ginger- and-scallion relish. Another seasonal highlight: butternut-squash soup, enhanced with a whisper of maple syrup. 4 Park St. 802-316-3883; beltedcowvt.com

Best Community-Owned Restaurant
THE BEE’S KNEES, Morristown
When this hippie-ish eatery almost went under, townspeople purchased thousands of dollars in meal vouchers to keep it alive. Now they sup on organic beer, mac-and-cheese ($8.95), and other comfort foods, listen to local folkies, and entertain their kids with shelves of toys and books. 82 Lower Main St. 802-888-7889; thebeesknees-vt.com

Best New Restaurant
THE RED ROOSTER AT THE WOODSTOCK INN, Woodstock
Despite a century of superior service, no one would ever accuse The Woodstock Inn of being hip–until now. A long blond wood bar leads into an airy space bubbling with a minimalist fountain. Fresh New England cuisine is similarly au courant. 14 The Green. 800-448-7900; woodstockinn.com

Best Diner-Car Dinners
T. J. BUCKLEY’S UPTOWN DINING, Brattleboro
Creased cloths on five tables, a polished wood-and-chrome interior, and chef Michael Fuller chopping and sizzling in an open kitchen mere feet away: These elements transform a 1927 Worcester dining car into a nightly stage for intimacy. But it’s the artistry of Fuller’s meals–such as seared venison with eggplant caponata–that makes dining here memorable. 132 Elliot St. 802-257-4922

Best Local Gathering
WAITSFIELD FARMERS’ MARKET, Waitsfield
“Market” is a misnomer for the weekly produce carnival staged in the Mad River Valley every summer Saturday–with jam bands, raffles, artisanal pottery, and neighbors of all stripes. 100 Mad River Green. 802-472-8027; waitsfieldfarmersmarket.com

Best Dinner With a View
NORMA’S AT TOPNOTCH, Stowe
Sunset over the mountains never looked as good as from behind a wall of picture windows, with a perfectly pink steak on the table. 4000 Mountain Road. 800-451-8686; topnotchresort.com/dining-normas.php

Best Cult Brunch Spot
PENNY CLUSE, Burlington
Not much gets a college kid out of bed before noon, but this brunch mecca has drawn generations of UVM students, who dig into fish tacos, peanut-ginger tofu scram, and gingerbread pancakes. 169 Cherry St. 802-651-8834; pennycluse.com

Best Szechuan Dining
A SINGLE PEBBLE, Burlington
A simple storefront serves traditional Szechuan recipes that are about as different from deep-fried Americanized Chinese food as Vermont is from China. 133 Bank St. 802-865-5200; asinglepebble.com

Best Bakery
RED HEN BAKING CO., Middlesex
The gorgeous artisanal breads are fresh and certified organic, and you can see the wonderful creations being made right in front of you, thanks to the large window that separates the cafe from the bakery. 961B U.S. Route 2. 802-223-5200; redhenbaking.com