Category: Food & Wine

How to Make a Wine Room That Stands Out

Jessica's at Swift House Inn is known for our award-winning wine program. Thanks to David Herren, our resident Sommelier, the restaurant is only one of two in Vermont to currently hold a prestigious Wine Spectator Best of Award. But the vast 1,800-bottle wine cellar is located far away from the dining room in the basement and with only a remote set of stairs for access on the far opposite end of the house. Read More

coop store sign lunch tables

7 Great Lunch Spots in Middlebury

At Swift House Inn, we are delighted to start your day with the Vermont breakfast of your dreams. And although our own renowned Jessica’s is open for dinner from Thursday through Sunday (in the winter), we are not open for lunch. While you are out exploring, we want to provide you with 7 great lunch spots around Middlebury. We hope you enjoy our choices so much you'll want to come back. Read More

How We Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Buffet

A few months ago, we switched to a breakfast buffet to better serve guests’ needs and to solve a number of problems, particularly staffing. Everybody knows that labor shortages are hitting restaurants and hotels particularly hard during this post-Covid era. Swift House Inn is no exception, so we put our… Read More

woman working in garden

7 Vegetable Seeds We Want to Plant This Spring

It’s now January, and it’s way too cold to garden. The highs are in the single digits. And so we stay cozy inside, brew a cup of tea, warm up a muffin, and get out the gardening books for inspiration. We like American Grown: The Story of the White… Read More

Bottle of sparkling rose

The Second Saturday in June: National Rosé Day!

As summer begins in earnest, it’s only proper to celebrate the unofficial wine of summer: Rosé. In the decades following the Second World War, Rosés were the butt of jokes and disdain. Fast forward to today, and Rosé wines show all the full range of expert winemaking and world-class talent. Read More

entrance to country inn white paint

Support 5 Middlebury Businesses for AAPI Heritage Month

In honor of Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we’ve pulled together a list of our 5 favorite Asian American-owned businesses to support this May. As a brand-new Middlebury resident of Korean heritage, I’m excited to learn more about our town’s other entrepreneurs who trace their origins back to the… Read More

A smiling man folds his arms and looks out into the distance. He is standing on a green lawn. Red and yellow trees are in the distance.

Why Is Jessica’s Executive Chef Rob Fenn So Dang Shy?

Good news! Jessica’s at Swift House Inn has opened its doors after its annual cleanup. The restaurant crew were delighted to get a week off with fine, warm weather for chilling on the deck, catching up on yard work, and generally recharging to approach the busy holiday season.  Speaking of… Read More

Best of Award Logo for Wine Spectator

Jessica’s Wins the Wine Spectator’s Award

Jessica’s wins the Wine Spectator’s Best of Award of Excellence for our wine program! Many of you will have learned that as of July 1st, Jessica’s has been honored with the Best of Award of Excellence for our wine program by Wine Spectator Magazine. While our wine program has… Read More