Driving Dinner Tour #1 – Western NEK

Scenic Driving Leads to Culinary Art at these Vermont Restaurants

Western Driving Tour: Featuring restaurants in Hardwick, restaurants in Greensboro, and restaurants in Danville.

Updated June, 2022

This tour starts in Hardwick, VT. A great cross roads for those leaving the Kingdom and heading for Montpelier, Stowe, or Burlington, we decided to start our tour here because it is the first town coming into the Kingdom from the western part of the state, and for those in the Kingdom it is the farthest west you can go.

There are only a few restaurants in Hardwick village, but what you have to choose from is pretty spectacular.

Breakfast is served at the diner (Village Restaurant) and Connie’s Kitchen, a bakery in the historic Hardwick Hotel building, serves great coffee and fresh baked goods. Lunch and dinner options are available at Village Restaurant, Positive Pie, or the Scale House.

These restaurants offer completely different experiences.

Positive Pie serves up delicious pizzas, but pasta and appetizers are where it’s truly at on this menu. For a better idea of the dining experience here, check out our review of Positive Pie. A very comfortable restaurant with weekly specials there are plenty of affordable options that are perfect for kicking off a food tour. Depending on the time of day – start your trip here.

Then swing in just down the road to the Scale House. This restaurant offers fresh seafood brought straight from the ocean. More refined dining and a snazzy atmosphere, this restaurant knows how to do it right.

Being that you are on a food tour, keep it light. They have plenty of small plates to share. (NOTE: They are launching a new menu so stay tuned.)

From Hardwick, take the back roads into Greensboro, VT. The beautiful drive may help settle the food.

The Highland Lodge, overlooking Caspian Lake is a wonderful place to dine. This dinner spot has a cozy bar space and a wonderful atmosphere. Enjoy a few of their cocktails or order from their changing menu. They will also be updating their offerings in 2022. Check out our last review for more about the Lodge – they are under new ownership so we are excited to try out their new menu. Other nights they offer rotating food trucks so check their Facebook page to see what’s available.

While in Greensboro, check out the Hill Farmstead Brewery. Try some samples, and maybe buy some to go, but this award winning beer is hard to pass up. Right now they are offering curbside only – but stay tuned for lifted restrictions.

Once finished in the more rural areas of the Kingdom, head back towards Danville, VT (Take Rte. 16 to Rte. 15). There are a few great restaurants in Danville, but they are quite spread out.

Drive into Danville Village, and behind the old country store you’ll find The Creamery. This restaurant is also only open at the end of the week and has a changing menu, but everything is delicious and the chef takes a fresh approach to even the most traditional dishes. We like visiting the Creamery, it’s like a new restaurant every time – take a look at an older review here.

A third option is to drive all the way through the village and head towards St. Johnsbury. Just as you are almost to the town line GoodFella’s Restaurant is on your right. Stop here to finish up your food tour. They have a great menu with plenty to choose from: burgers, sandwiches, pastas, and salads plus full entrees like fish, seafood dishes, steaks, and more on their nightly specials board. A full bar and great cocktail line up make this overall culinary experience delightful. Take a look at our last review here – new review for their new menu in the works.

We love their spinach and artichoke dip and their fried Brussels Sprouts.

With this tour you’ll travel through a lot of the Kingdom. It is also a great candidate for splitting apart and taking the drive through Hardwic and Greensboro one day, and through Danville another.

 

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