On my way to the Adirondacks, I made an overnight stop in Burlington, and at the last minute made reservations for breakfast Friday morning at Shelburne Farms. It is a lovely spot, and I’m eager to find an excuse to spend some more time there.

I was introduced to the farm a few months ago at a Slow Food Portland event where Melissa Pasanen & Rick Gencarelli read from their cookbook: Cooking with Shelburne Farms: Food & Stories from Vermont. So when I saw their brochure at the rest stop late Thursday night, I gave them a ring

It’s an incredibly beautiful spot- located on a penninsula in Lake Champlain- and was built in 1886 by William Seward and Lila Vanderbilt Webb as a model agricultural estate. In 1972, it was founded as an educational nonprofit. Its 1400 acres are now home to a farm camp and Children’s Farmyard, a lovely inn and restaurant, educational programs, a farm store and welcome center, a working dairy and cheesemaking facility, as well as public walking trails.

My time there was brief, but I was impressed, and the breakfast was really tasty (especially the bacon from Vermont Smoke and Cure). The restaurant participates in the Vermont Fresh Network. A quick walk in the garden, overlooking Lake Champlain, sealed the deal- I’ve got to come back!