if you’re even the slightest bit hungry, i’d suggest skipping this post and coming back later…
this lovely family is the mack family. laura, in the blue scarf, was one of my roommates in my senior year of college and she’s still one of my best friends. the macks own the inn at baldwin creek & mary’s restaurant, as well as lu.lu ice cream, both located in the stunning bristol, vermont. when laura asked me late last year if i’d like to come visit & take some photos of the businesses for some upcoming projects, i jumped at the chance. you might not know this, but food is one of my favorite things to photograph, and i don’t often get the chance to do it. plus, i hadn’t seen laura in forever, so it was definitely the right time for a trip to snowy (and freezing!) vermont.
i spent most of my trip photographing – and eating – some fantastic food, all made with local (or housemade) ingredients. doug has his own chickens whose eggs they use in many dishes (and in lu.lu’s ice creams), and he makes his own breads, mustards, sauces, and tons of other ingredients. anything not housemade is from local farms and businesses, and i think it’s a fantastic way to run a restaurant. plus, everything is delicious. that grilled cheese up there? one of the best i’ve ever had. aged cheddar & gruyere, ham, caramelized onions, chopped pickles, housemade jalapeno mustard, and tomato jam…just typing it out is making my mouth water.
best gimlet ever. no, really. if you like gimlets, just go to vermont and have one at mary’s. please.
one of my favorite things about mary’s restaurant is that they keep card games (and cards from board games) at the bar, so if you’re just hanging out with some friends, you have a really fun variety of activities. it just makes the restaurant feel so homey.
that’s doug’s famous cream of garlic soup – it’s so popular that they even sell pints to take home. mmm. (i kinda miss living somewhere that soup weather exists.)
on the second to last day of my trip, i finally got to go to lu.lu and try some of the ice cream i’ve seen tormenting me on my facebook feed for months. just like at mary’s, they only use local & housemade ingredients in their ice creams – there’s even a list of the farms & businesses they work with on their menu board.
on the left, that yellow scoop on top is “slumdog curried peanut.” i don’t like curry but i thought the yellow was perfect to photograph. i ended up tasting it after that shot, and it was so delicious that i ate the whole scoop. all of their flavors are so creamy and just…fantastic. my other two favorites were probably the salted caramel (we had it for dessert one night at mary’s) and the basil, made with basil from a local farm. so, so good.
the rest of these shots are just some of my favorite random frames i took while i was in vermont…
if you live in vermont, or you ever visit there, or you’re looking for a new place to get away for a weekend, please consider going to stay at the inn at baldwin creek for a few nights. the rooms are so cozy (mine had a fireplace, which i loved!), the service is amazing, and the food is some of the best you’ll ever have. you can also like the inn & mary’s, and lu.lu, on facebook, to keep up with what’s going on (and be on the lookout for photos taken by yours truly!).
