Driving Dinner Tour #2 – Southern NEK
| 06.24.19From the Sea to the Green Mountains – Restaurants in Caledonia County
Southern Driving Tour: Featuring restaurants in St. Johnsbury and restaurants in Lyndonville
Updated June, 2022
In Caledonia County there are a number of restaurants that are spread out and off the beaten path. In the winter, this tour skips a few popular places, but other locations will keep you full. To start we take you outside of Saint Johnsbury, to a little pizza shop that also offers Greek specials.
Stop at House of Pizza on Portland Street were you can grab a small pie, or one of the home-made Greek items typically on special.
Or, if you feel like a snack as you head to the next location on our driving tour, order from New Century Chineese – their appetizer combo, crab rangoons, and bee terriaki sticks are our favorites.
From here, take the back roads past beautiful farms, to Lyndonville.
Go all the way through town, and park close to the village (street side or in one of the parking lots close by) There are a few great restaurants to try in the downtown district as well as a number of fun shops to browse while your food settles.
The Freighthouse Café, housed in an old railroad depot, offers breakfast and lunch, as well as ice cream all day. Their little store is filled with wonderful Vermont treats from maple to pickles to jarred jams and jellies. A great light menu, and a dining room that faces the railroad tracks will have you invisioning times long past, adding a bit of romantic fantasy to your lunch.
The Freighthouse is also the only Starbucks in the NEK.
Another stop in the village is Sweet Basil’s Café. Serving dinner Wed. – Fri, and dinner only on Sat. (check their Facebook page for hours, reservation needs, or take out only times due to Covid) this restaurant features an eclectic blend of American and Mexican inspired items.
The Village Pizza restaurant, a sandwich shop run by the local store (White’s Market), Asia’s Chinese Restaurant, and a wonderful drive thru/take out spot – Mosaic- are all within walking distance so there are plenty of munchies to take advantage of.
When you are finished in town, make your way to Juniper’s Restaurant and the SpokeEasy Lounge. Both spots are located in the Wildflower Inn. A fantastic menu filled with local produce and meats, a view that can’t be matched anywhere, a wonderful outdoor dining experience, and even a small beer garden. This is one of those spots you just want to be at on a warm Vermont summer’s day. Read up on the wonderful treats we tried at Juniper’s Restaurant– their menu has also gotten a facelift post Covid so we will be re-visiting them soon
Ending your tour at on Darling Hill Road means sampling delicious deserts and trying a few of their signature cocktails while watching the sunset behind the mountains – a satisfying finish to a day filled with Vermont pleasures.
This driving tour does feature a little walking about if you’re interested in trying a few lunch places, but the walk does get you into a few shops and helps you work up an appetite between Riley’s and Junipers. Other options are checking out a number of covered bridges in Lyndonville, spending some time in the park, or even scoping out a few of the local antique places.
Enjoy!
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