A Capital Idea

     It was nearly noon and I was almost in Montpelier, Vermont's state capital.  So I decided to take a break from driving and look for a place to eat lunch.  Coming off the interstate I drove down State Street past the capital building with it's impressive golden dome:

 

Vermont is the only state in New England that does not border the Atlantic Ocean.  With a resident population of only 626,431 it is the 2nd least populated state and the 45th in area, 9,620 square miles.   Doing the math on those stats equates to a mere 67.7 people per square mile.  The capital, Montpelier, has a minute population of 7,855 making it the least populated state capital in the nation.  But at one time Vermont was an independent nation in unto itself.  Before becoming the 14th state it was known as the Republic of Vermont.  It's name is derived from the French verde mont, meaning "Green Mountain."  And it is no surprise that Vermont is the leading producer of maple syrup.  But more about that later.

     So as I looked for a place to park my car I spied an interesting little cafe right on Main Street.  I quickly parked on a side street and walked up to La Brioche.  And I came to discover that it was run and operated by the students of the New England Culinary Institute. 

What a serendipitous happenstance!  I got in line and ordered up a cup of soup and half sandwich and began to learn about this premier institution that was founded in 1980.  The foundation of their educational philosophy is experiential knowledge, or as they proclaim, "learn by doing."  They operate a number of eating establishments in Montpelier as well as providing the food service for nearby Vermont College.  With a small student body of only 500 students the student/faculty ratio is an impressive 10:1.  Through instruction and experience the students pursue both degree and certificate programs including on line courses.  Perhaps one of their most noted graduates is Alton Brown who hosts his own show, "Good Eats!" on the Food Network Channel.  He received his degree at NECI in 1997.

     There was one other reason I wanted to stop in Montpelier.  It was the home of a close friend and fraternity brother from college and I enjoyed my visits with Stan Murray and his family over the years.  I wanted to drive past the farmstead one more time and take a nostalgic look at the place.  So after lunch I drove over to Upper Main Street to see if the house and barn were still there.  And they were.  But in the intervening years since I was there last the acreage had been sold and a very nice collection of houses now occlude the once commanding view of downtown Montpelier.  And fittingly the location is now known by the following sign: 

     So it was a very worthwhile stop in Montpelier for me.  I had learned something new and had remembered something old.  Soon I was back on the road on my way to Stowe.