6 Best Restaurants in Central Vermont, Vermont

The organically grown flour and vegetables—and the wood-fired clay ovens that unite them—take the pizza here to another level. In summer, you can dine outside around fire pits in the beautiful valley. Have a moment to take in the surroundings; this spot is located in the heart of Lareau Farm, one of the Mad River Valley's first when it was founded in 1794.

If you love pizza, you're in for a treat. Wood-fired clay domes create masterful thin crusts for innovative, delicious pizzas with a distinct Vermont attitude and an array of locally sourced ingredients.

Chef Chy Tuckerman was raised in Cambodia, Thailand, Oregon, and New Hampshire until moving to Woodstock in 1997 to continue learning the art of baking at local Mountain Creamery. A decade later, he opened his sunny, BYOB restaurant just off Route 4, where he fuses the Cambodian and Thai cooking of his heritage into mouthwatering dishes like ginger chicken stir fry, Khmer curry soup, and traditional luk lok made with beef from nearby Cloudland Farm. Save room for dessert, such as silky mango custard and delicate cheesecake, to experience Chef Tuckerman's 20-plus years of baking knowledge.

Robert Barral, the former executive chef of the New England Culinary Institute, graces Brandon with this informal eatery one story above the main street. Flowered seat cushions, dried-flower window valences, and other hints of Barral's Provençal birthplace abound, as do his eclectic, farm-fresh dishes.

Since opening in 2011, chef-owner Donald Billings has created a locavore restaurant driven by ingredients made within miles of the dining room. Humanely raised livestock and Vermont-grown produce is the inspiration behind menu favorites like laden cheese boards, braised pork belly, and homemade Parker House rolls served warm with Vermont butter. Save room for dessert, including the daily-changing crème brûlée.

Modern French and American fare with a Vermont accent is the focus of this candlelit Colonial restaurant off the town green. Three-course prix-fixe meals cost $53, but a less expensive bistro menu is available in the lounge.