good eats in central vermont

Had two great, and very different, meals in central Vermont earlier this month. The first was at the Birdseye Diner in Castleton -- the real thing, a restored 1940s diner with excellent meatloaf, unsweetened ice tea, and homemade pie. The second was at the Red Brick Grill in Poultney (a couple of blocks from the excellent Hermit Hill used bookstore). From the looks of it, the space is a converted railway station, and it's a simple and pleasant setting. But the food is the reason to go -- beautifully prepared local ingredients. We loved the squash blossoms filled with cod and potato, duck confit tarts, and lamb cooked in a tagine with preserved lemons.