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Manchester, Vermont: Essentials Edition
Manchester Vermont is a rural village that acted as a crossroads for travelers with many taverns and inns in the 1700s. Like other Vermont towns in the mountains, it became a tourist destination at the end of the 19th century, with the Equinox Hotel playing a big role. The architecture in Manchester is varied, and represents a wide array of styles demonstrating the growth of a resort community.
Furthermore, if I belonged to a large family, Manchester Vermont strikes me as a town that would suit everyone’s needs. For skiers, it is close to Stratton Mountain. Shoppers will appreciate the wide array of stores in the downtown area. There are great restaurants for those who enjoy local cuisine. For the artist, it is home to the Southern Vermont Arts Center, and for the history lover, Hildene, the Lincoln Family Home, sits just outside of town. Among all of the exciting things to see and do in Manchester, I will share some of my favorites.
This bookstore is one of the best I have ever come across, and is why I mention it first in this post. It is MASSIVE. It’s the size of a chain bookstore while being family-run and independent with all of the special touches that a small bookstore contains. I love when bookstores write summary snippets about the book. They do that here on a large scale. The Northshire also has the largest food literature section I have ever seen thus far. Everything from international food literature, to wine books, to every cookbook you could imagine—it’s here. One could pretty much spend the entire day roaming the two floors of this bookstore.
Hotels
The Equinox Hotel is a long-standing inn in the town of Manchester with a long history dating back to the Green Mountain Men of the American Revolution. It is a quintessential cozy inn with all of the amenities. It is especially lovely to spend time on the back patio in the warmer months. The Taconic Hotel is new in town. It is modern, but with classic Vermont touches like an inviting lobby area, with a daily reception of wine and hors d’oeuvres. Their restaurant, the Copper Grouse, is pretty tasty also. The Equinox might be where you want to stay if you’re spending the week, and want a historical experience, where I think the Taconic is great for a couple of nights. Both have lovely accommodations.
There are a good variety of restaurants in Manchester, such as the Silver Fork, Mistrals, Seasons, and The Ponce Bistro. But perhaps my recommendation would be the Mystic Cafe and Wine Bar. The food is great, but it is also nicely laid back, which a lot of the other restaurants do not offer. The atmosphere is bright and airy, with comfortable couch cushions lining the seats. Lunch offers a great variety ranging from delicious, traditional soups and salads and warm grain bowls, to Vietnamese banh mi’s and avocado toast. I very much enjoy their tuna poke. Dinner offers tasty pastas and flatbreads, as well as tempting appetizers like tuna poke nachos, and grilled octopus. On busy weekends there can be a bit of a wait, but it is worth it!
Antiques? And Wine? Together? I dare say that I cannot think of a better combination. Comollo Antiques and Wine has a carefully handpicked selection of wine from the owner, Barbara. There is some great stuff there. The whole atmosphere of the shop, with it’s ruby red carpet and antique fixtures hanging above is quite the experience!
Fortuna’s Sausage and Italian Market
I don’t need to say much for this generations old, family run business, as it has been written up in publications like the Wall Street Journal, The LA Times, and Martha Stewart. The Fortunas are third and fourth generation sausage makers. Their sausages are handmade with old-world drying techniques. They also sell imported Italian products and wine.
I love finding Scottish or Brittish specialty stores. They sell items that are not easily found elsewhere like black treacle for baking delicious sticky toffee puddings. My heart almost leapt out of my chest upon discovering this gem. Besides some Scottish staples like biscuits, teas and haggis, they have lovely apparel and gift items. It is so much fun to wander about this store.