THE AMIABLE TRAVELER - GUIDE TO WHISTLEPIG PAVILION IN STOWE, VERMONT
One of our family’s favorite New England winter traditions is enjoying a classic Swiss raclette grill at The WhistlePig Pavilion in Stowe, Vermont. The promise of winter comfort food smothered in melted raclette cheese on a snowy, winter day is well worth the 2 1/2-hr drive (each way). The aprés-ski atmosphere, the roaring fire, and good food shared with family makes our “Raclette Day” one we anticipate all year long.
“The Amiable Traveler Guides - Follow along with the Amiable Traveler Guides, if you, like me, enjoy pleasant travel with companionable people, the comfort of distinctive lodgings with thoughtful touches, seek out good baked goods and restaurants with quiet views, enjoy spending the day in nature but want a good meal and a comfortable bed at the end of it, like carefully curated shops run by cheerful shopkeepers, and like knowing the inside tips before you travel. Based in New England. Explore my day trip and getaway guides to the New England states. Exploring farther whenever possible!”
HISTORY OF RACLETTE
Stories of raclette meals are documented as far back as the 13th century. Raclette, from the French verb “racler” meaning “to scrape”, originated in alpine regions of Switzerland and France. Shepherds, needing a simple meal to carry with them, packed along potatoes and raclette cheese. They would boil the potatoes over an open fire and set the cheese near the fire’s warmth until it had softened and melted. Then they would scrape the cheese over the potatoes and enjoy their meal.
THE WHISTLEPIG PAVILION RACLETTE EXPERIENCE
The WhistlePig Pavilion in Stowe, Vermont is a true dining experience, and it’s great to take an entire day to enjoy it. It’s an easy day’s drive from New York, Massachusetts, or New Hampshire. The restaurant is situated in the midst of the ski village, just beyond the slopes and adjacent to the Spruce Peak Village Ice Rink. We start early in the morning and arrive around noon. We pack along our ice skates and spend an hour or so skating. (Skate rentals are available in the Adventure Center, just steps from the rink.) Then, having worked up an appetite and exhilarated from the cold, it’s time for a warming raclette meal.
Entering The WhistlePig Pavilion, you’ll find tall tables for smaller groups, long tables with benches for large groups, a bar featuring WhistlePig’s famous rye whiskey, and the centerpiece…a soaring rock fireplace, measuring 12-ft square at the base, where the main event takes place.
The WhistlePig Pavilion chef can be found beavering away, in and out of the fireplace, flipping sizzling steaks to the right doneness, warming jumbo soft pretzels, grilling wursts, adding wood to the fire, and spinning the large wheel of raclette cheese near the fire.
WHAT TO ORDER?
Order it all! We highly recommend that you collaborate on all the orders in your party and order a little bit of everything and share plates or bites around the tables. This works particularly well at The WhistlePig Pavilion because food is served as it comes off the fire. Your entire table will not be served at once, so it’s hunger satisfying and companionable to share food around the table.
Some of our favorites are: the Side Fire Pretzel Bites, the Wurst Raclette, The Classic Raclette, the Figgy Piggy, the Steak Whistler, and Alpine Venison Chili. And we love the Kaiserschmarnn for dessert, a tasty combo of caramelized pancakes with smoked apple butter and WhistlePig-soaked dried cranberries. Everything is hearty and warm…comfort food to leave you ooh-ing and ahh-ing all the way home and dreaming of your next visit.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STOWE, VERMONT
Some other highlights to enjoy in Stowe are:
snowshoeing in Wiessner Woods (don’t miss the mailbox stocked with dog treats for your furry friend)
Edson Hill for really lovely deluxe accomodations
sleigh rides
shopping in Stowe village
wine, cheese, baked goods, and coffee at Dedalus Wine Shop, Market & Bakery
