The Bryant House in Vermont

Weston, Vermont
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​This cute little red house with curtains in the window, could have lured me to lunch anywhere. But, there was a lot more than food happening around The Bryant House Restaurant.  

 
Vermont Country Store

Sitting about 50 feet from the restaurant, was the original Vermont Country Store. I've never known much about the business, but I've gotten plenty of those funny, little Vermont Store catalogues over the years.

Mildred and Vrest Orton opened their store in 1946, selling Vermont cheddar and real maple syrup. Customers came from far away and they started selling food. Today the store and Bryant House Restaurant, are owned and operated by 4th and 5th generation Ortons.

Floors in the Bryant House
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After doing some fun browsing at the old store, Don and I got hungry and headed over to the restaurant.  

Just looking down at the floors, made it easy to believe we were in a 190-year-old house. The home had belonged to the Bryant family until 1959, when the Ortons purchased the property.

​Bar in the Back
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The "Eating Rooms" in the front of the house were full, so we headed to the pub in the back. No, we didn't know the man with the broken arm, sitting at the old bar, but he posed nicely.

Curious Stuff

​Don and I managed to get a table near the window. It took a while to get a menu, but there was lots to look at. The soda fountain from 1878 was pretty amazing.

The complicated looking thing was crafted with silver and Italian marble and ebony. But really the more interesting thing, was the wooden, label creation that listed the available flavors. I liked the soda flavor, "I Don't Care".
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Lots to Read
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We also had a lot of reading entertainment at our table. We had a store catalogue and lots of news clippings and photos and even a telegram, shellacked right onto the table top.

​Cozy Table

​We enjoyed our meal on our cushioned captain's chairs, using cloth napkins. I'm sure all can be purchased in the store.

We made sure to order some good Vermont foods. Don had a wonderful grilled cheese sandwich with Vermont cheese.

My Plate
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I loved my plate of comfort foods. My salad was the healthy thing and my New England clam chowder (with homemade crackers) was the Vermont thing. My Johnnycake with butter, was the totally fun thing.  

Why Hello There!
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At one point we looked up and there was my sister Jennifer and her wife, Kate. They were sitting at the old bar. That would have been a mighty strange thing, since they live in Oregon. But we were actually traveling with them. We were just on slightly different shopping and eating schedules. So we finished up, while they started and we of course we snapped pics of each other.

Nap After Lunch
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After we finished lunch, our waiter encouraged us to head up the stairs to see the Bryant's lovely bedroom. The couple's bedroom set (purchased at the Philidelphia World's Fair) was set up like a little museum. So I guess you can say we ate lunch in a museum. If it hadn't been roped off, I might have taken a nap after my lunch.

Gliding Time
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Before leaving the grounds, my sister and I had to try out the glider & table creation! It was tempting to buy an ice cream sundae from Mildred's Dairy Bar, a few feet away. We could have really tested out the whole rocking/dining set up! Or we could have bought the whole creation for $1,512.00. Maybe next time.