I also recommend the Village Butcher (tel. 802/457-2756), at 18 Elm St. (right next to the Gillingham & Sons general store), for big picnic sandwiches and great homemade desserts. For something a bit fancier yet still unfussy there's the newish Off the Green Tavern, on Central Street (tel. 802/457-4455); it's got good atmosphere, cocktails and draft beers, a sidewalk dining area (very rare in Woodstock), and a menu that goes far beyond pub food -- wraps, sandwiches, grilled chicken, duck, lamb. Just east on Route 4, in Quechee at the complex sprouting up around Quechee Gorge and its state park, the Farmers Diner, 5583 Woodstock Rd. (tel. 802/295-4600), serves blue-plate specials using ingredients mostly from local Vermont farmers.
Getting Your Daily Bread . . . and More -- Famished from sightseeing? Right off the village green on Central Street is a snackalicious little foodie's row of eats. First up is the Off the Green Tavern at 71 Central St. (tel. 802/457-4455), described above, with very good food, draft beers, cocktails, and sidewalk tables. Next comes Pane e Salute, hidden upstairs at 61 Central St. (tel. 802/457-4882), an award-winning bakery and catering operation that specializes in delectable Italian breads and meals. The chef/owner couple, former dancers who learned Italian cooking on their honeymoon and subsequent trips to Italy, now also serve gourmet dinners from Thursday to Monday nights. Downstairs is Allechante, a wedding-cakery that also makes great pastries and sweets (tel. 802/457-3300); it's open daily. And Woodstock Coffee & Tea (tel. 802/457-9268), at 43 Central St., is just the place for a finishing cup of java or tea.
