Wood-fired pizza$$church-street-marketplace
Paul Sayler and Rob Downey opened American Flatbread Burlington Hearth in 2004; in-house brewery (Zero Gravity's original home) and an upper-deck patio.
Signature: Wood-fired flatbreads, Punctuated Equilibrium IPA, Local salads
Order: The New Vermont Sampler with house cheese and maple-fennel sausage, plus a Punctuated Equilibrium IPA.
Tip: Weeknight walk-in only; weekends take a Resy waitlist. Upper deck opens late spring.
New American, farm-to-table$$$church-street-marketplace
Jordan Ware and Cindi Kozak (both Hen of the Wood alumni) opened Frankie's in April 2024 in the old Penny Cluse Cafe space. Daily farm-to-table menu.
Signature: Daily-changing menu, Vermont blue crab, Pickled sweet corn
Order: Whatever is on the daily menu; the kitchen leans into peak Vermont produce.
Tip: Open daily 17:00-22:00 with last seating 21:00; reservations open 60 days out on Resy and book the same day.
New American sandwiches and market$$winooski
Aaron Josinsky and Laura Wade opened Misery Loves Co. in Winooski in 2012. The 2024 reset made it a daytime bruncheonette with market and natural-wine bar.
Signature: House-cured pastrami sandwich, Daily market plates, Natural-wine flight
Order: House-cured pastrami sandwich plus whatever the daily market plate is and a natural-wine pour.
Tip: Daytime only; lunch and grab-and-go from the cold case. The sister restaurant Onion City Chicken and Oyster runs dinner two blocks away.
Fried chicken and oysters$$$winooski
Aaron Josinsky and Laura Wade's sister restaurant to Misery Loves Co. opened in August 2022 in the historic Block Building at the top of the Winooski rotary.
Signature: Fried chicken, Shucked oysters, Hot-honey biscuit
Order: The fried chicken half-bird plus a half-dozen Vermont oysters and a hot-honey biscuit.
Tip: Bar takes walk-ins; book the dining room on Resy. Dinner 16:00-21:00 daily; weekend brunch 10:00-15:00.
American barbecue$$old-north-end
Bluebird Barbecue runs from an early-1900s farmhouse on Riverside Avenue overlooking the Winooski River. Featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
Signature: Smoked brisket, Smoked wings, BBQ ramen
Order: The brisket plate by the pound, a basket of smoked wings and a side of cornbread.
Tip: Closed Monday through Wednesday; book Thursday-Sunday or arrive at 16:30 opening for a counter seat.
Vietnamese$$old-north-end
Pho Hong is the family-owned Vietnamese counter on North Winooski Avenue that locals queue for. Pho with rich aromatic broth, fresh banh mi, vermicelli bowls;
Signature: Pho tai with rare beef, Banh mi, Vermicelli bowls
Order: Pho tai with rare beef and meatballs; add fresh herbs and a squeeze of lime at the table.
Tip: Closed Sunday and Monday and cash-or-card both accepted; BYOB and the lunch rush after 12:30 clears fast.