Just over an hour south of Montreal, the North Hero House Inn and Restaurant is another Lake Champlain Islands favourite. The fare is straight-forward New England comfort food (clam chowder, anyone?) done right, with options like a burger made with locally-raised beef, topped with Cabot Vermont cheddar, and house-made pickles. Then there’s pork tenderloin crusted with blue cheese from the nearby Boucher Family Farm, served with whipped sweet potatoes, and honey-glazed roasted beets.

Located in the summer-destination town of South Hero in Vermont’s Lake Champlain Islands, this down-to-earth bistro has seasonal hours, so check those in advance. It’s open for dinner year-round, with chef Phoebe Bright offering a menu of approachable Vermont comfort food that includes grilled rib-eye steaks with local cheddar mashed potatoes, burgers, and monthly Sunday brunches. In summer stop by for a lobster roll with french fries, or crab cakes with tartar sauce and mango chutney.

A summer destination, open May through October, this preserved 19th-century Vanderbilt mansion offers panoramic views of Lake Champlain. One of Vermont’s original farm-to-table fine dining restaurants, the historic inn’s menus are created based on the properties’ garden harvest. Expect to see the farm’s acclaimed aged cheddar, plus local lamb and pork. If you have extra time, visit the farm itself, meet the cows, feed the calves, and see how the delicious cheese you just ate is made.

Part of Burlington’s reputed Farmhouse Group, Guild Tavern offers the same high standards of food and service the group in known for, albeit a little further away in neighboring South Burlington. The menu is everything a Vermonter could want on a cold winter day: poutine with hand-cut fries, cheddar cheese curds, and drenched in gravy, wood-grilled tenderloin tips drizzled with demi-glace and served with Brussels sprouts and creamy whipped potatoes. Burgers are made from local Shelburne LaPlatte beef topped with roasted mushrooms and Jasper Hill Farm’s famous Bayley Hazen blue cheese. It’s also an excellent choice for a romantic dinner date — try the prime sirloin for two, which is carved tableside, and served with caesar salad. It’s rounded out with classic cocktails featuring local spirits and beer on tap.

The Essex Resort and Spa has been a culinary destination since it opened decades ago. There are several dining options on site, the most notable being Junction. This high end dining room centres around an open kitchen designed to entertain patrons as they enjoy main courses like confit rabbit leg over butternut squash purée, and braised bison short rib over heritage Abenaki corn polenta.

This homey bistro is located in a historic brick farmhouse originally built in 1795 by Vermont’s first governor Thomas Chittenden; it was later used as a stop on the Underground Railroad. Chef owners Lara and Steve Atkins bring experience from La Toque in California’s Napa Valley, and here, they’ve earned semifinalist nods from the James Beard Awards for several years in a row. The couple sources ingredients from a community of neighboring farmers and foragers, with the exception of fresh herbs, which are grown in the bistro’s garden. They make use of the summer bounty in colder months by preserving summer fruits, vegetables, and foraged mushrooms. The end result is comforting dishes like cider-steamed mussels with grilled bread, smoked bacon, and aioli — perfect after a long day of skiing at nearby Bolton Valley.

This historic Civil War era lodging house is a now a Relais & Chateau property. Beyond featuring the areas’s most luxurious accommodations, the Pitcher Inn recently renovated its restaurant, creating a modern-yet-cozy green-walled dining room complete with a wood-burning fireplace, cherry wood tables, and a thoughtful yet simple menu of locavore fare. An award-winning 500-bottle wine selection and craft cocktail program pairs well with chef Jacob Ennis’ creative cooking (he regularly uses the dining room’s fireplace to roast ingredients). Alternatively, for a more casual experience at the inn, head downstairs to Tracks for burgers, charcuterie, couches, and cocktails.

Chef Eric Warnstedt opened the original Waterbury location of this now-famed restaurant in 2005, putting Vermont on the national culinary map with multiple James Beard Foundation Awards for his groundbreaking farm-to-table menu served within the walls of a restored historic grist mill. Warnstedt and co-owner William McNeil transformed that mill into a warm modern dining room with a patio overlooking the rushing waterfalls of Graves Brook. Fifteen years later, the menu still draws locals and tourists alike, while paying homage to an array of local farms, cheesemakers, and more. The food may be uncomplicated, but experiencing dishes like local fried rabbit with sunchokes, crème fraîche and grilled radicchio is nothing short of extraordinary. The bar is just as much of a reflection of this ethos and quality with a beverage program offers locally-sourced beer, wine, and an impressive list of craft cocktails.

This chef-owned restored 1820s farmhouse in Waterbury Center offers locally-sourced fare from acclaimed Swiss-born chef Michael Kloeti, with front-of-house operations by his wife Laura. Kloeti, who formerly worked at legendary restaurant Lespinasse in New York’s St. Regis Hotel, brings his European roots and a refined approach to this rustic-romantic dining room, with dishes like spice-roasted venison loin with red wine braised cabbage and chestnut spätzli. The Kloetis routinely collaborate with their farmer friends to discuss upcoming menus and plan the growing and cooking seasons — and they’re serious about it. Case in point: The list of nearby cheese makers (including Sage Farm Goat, Barn First and Jasper Hill) is so long that the restaurant rotates it constantly to feature them all.

Produce is the muse and the star at this charming State Street restaurant in Vermont’s capital city of Montpelier. But don’t be swayed by chef Crystal Madiera’s focus on plants: She proves that local and sustainable meat and fish have a place on the table as well, with dishes like venison dumplings with ginger, soy, and cranberry balsamic. Madiera’s famous savoury bread pudding is available soaked in both beef or vegetable bone broth, and is always oozing with Vermont cheeses.