Best Vermont Local Secrets 2011

BEST FREE WEEKEND FUN
Market Square Summer Series, Bennington
Dance to the music of live bands playing blues, folk, country, soft rock, and swing, Fridays from 5:30 to 7:30 and Saturday and Sunday afternoons, from July 22 through August 21 this year. Market Square. 802-442-5758; betterbennington.com

BEST SMOKED MEAT
Singleton’s Store, Proctorville
Puzzled about what to buy at this temple of smoked products, which has been serving up tasty treats since 1946? Opt for the “Sampler”: pepperoni, bacon, ham, and salmon. 356 Main St. 802-226-7666; singletonsvt.com

BEST LOCALS’ BAR
Skunk Hollow Tavern, Hartland Four Corners
It’s hard to find a place less touristy than this c. 1790 country tavern/restaurant where locals, and Dartmouth students from across the river, pack the downstairs pub. There’s a slew of New England microbrews on tap, and on Wednesday nights $14.95 buys you a half-pound burger and a pint. Regular live music, too. Entrees: from $12. 12 Brownsville Road. 802-436-2139; www.skunkhollowtavern.com

BEST ARTISANAL BREAD
Gerard’s Bread, Westford
Bread lovers eagerly await French emigre Gerard Rubaud’s phenomenally crusty sourdough loaves, delivered–still warm from his wood-fired ovens–several times a week to area stores, including Burlington’s lavish City Market (82 South Winooski Ave., 802-863-3659), South Burlington’s locavore-oriented Healthy Living (222 Dorset St., 802-863-2569, healthylivingmarket.com), and Cambridge’s Fletcher General Store (110 School Road, 802-849-6292).

BEST HIGHWAY DINER
P&H Truck Stop, Wells River
Trucks and cars practically steer themselves off I-91 toward this eatery, where American and Canadian drivers (the menu is in English and French) plow into homemade chowders, Yankee pot roast, thick slabs of bread baked on site, and big-rig-size pieces of maple cream pie. Jct. Route 302 & I-91 (exit 17). 802-429-2141