THE SKI LAYOVER: On the Road Dinner in Waterbury, VT

Photo: Prohibition Pig

Northern Vermont has some of the most classic skiing in the United States. Picturesque towns, emerging backcountry scene, and lots of natural snow (although sometimes mixed with cold and rain).

Stowe, Sugarbush, Smugglers' Notch and Jay Peak are all on our must visit lists. When heading to or from these resorts (note Sugarbush would require a slight detour) may we recommend Prohibition Pig in Waterbury, Vermont.

Prohibition Pig is a barbecue joint with a specialty in pork, of course! They also feature their own Microbrewery that makes killer beers and they also carry a broad selection of other Vermont brews (Heady Topper is usually available). The Craft Beer Cellar is also right across the street so this is really your place to top up on all the great Vermont beers.

Before getting started, it's worth noting that the restaurant has a separate Brewery and Restaurant. The Brewery has some food (mostly tacos), but the more expansive menu is in the main restaurant where we ate on our most recent visit. No trip would be complete without visiting the Brewery to pick up a Crowler (more on that later).

The restaurant does not take reservations, but has a large bar area where you can wait. They will add your name to a list for the main dining room although the seats at the bar and a few high tops are truly up for grabs. Waits are likely to be a bit shorter than quoted by the hostess. While we waited we tried a few of their beers. Prohibition Pig will sell half pints so it’s easy to sample a lot. We had the Oktoberfest (a Marzen), the Pig Ella (a pale ale), and the Piggy Brown (a brown ale). My personal favorite of the three was the Pig Ella, which was light with some citrus flavors. A very fine pale ale.

The restaurant has a wide variety of starters to choose from. We had the Panko Fried Pimento Cheese with chili pepper jam, which was as delicious as you would expect fried cheese to be. We also had the Chick’n Biscuits from the Small Plates section of the menu which were equally as deep-fried and decadent, but at least there's some protein in there, right?

For the mains, we kept it simple and had the Chopped Pork BBQ Sandwich with moist delicious pork and the Duck Fat Fried French Fires. Prohibition Pig’s signature BBQ sauce is a Bacon BBQ Sauce, but I personally prefer the Eastern North Carolina Style or the Hot Sauce.

Sara, Orsden founder and my wife, had the Queen Bee, a bit more elaborate version of the Chopped Pork Sandwich (including honey, fried onions and coleslaw). Dare I say great?

After our meal we took the obligatory stop in the Brewery. They have many options for purchase, but the signature is the Crowler, a 32 oz can created right before your eyes with fresh beer.

We had the Pig Ella canned, so we could enjoy at home. It’s worth checking out the full explanation of the Crowler from Oscar Blues, the creator.

Northern Vermont is rich with culinary destinations, so expect more from us in the future. Even Waterbury alone has Hen of the Wood and the Ben and Jerry’s factory.

Feel free to contact me at steve@orsden.com if you have questions.