Montpelier’s Ondis Simplifies Its Menu After Chef Departure

Hand-cut fries with housemade garlic aioli, a kale Caesar and a dirty martini at Ondis Credit: Courtesy

After the departure of James Beard-recognized chef Max Vogel, Ondis in Montpelier has scaled back its food menu to snacks and small plates. Co-owner Emma Sanford said she decided against seeking a new full-time chef. She’s working in the kitchen at 207 Barre Street to turn out casual but satisfying dishes to go with the cocktails, wine, beer and nonalcoholic drinks on offer in the intimate space.

Sanford’s current menu includes hand-cut fries with housemade garlic aioli, a kale Caesar dressed with aged Parmesan and cured egg yolks, local tomatoes and burrata, and a bread plate with house pickles and 5th Quarter rillettes from Waitsfield. The fries and Caesar pair perfectly with her favorite “shaken and swampy” dirty martini, Sanford said.

Sanford, 35, and her partner, Christopher Leighton, opened Ondis in December 2023. Leighton also owns Après cocktail lounge in Stowe, where he spends most of his time.

“Restaurants are such an undertaking. Staffing is incredibly hard, and finding someone as talented as Max was going to be even harder,” Sanford said. “I’m stripping back to basics, focusing on simple done really well.” She added that Ondis is open to hosting chef pop-ups.

Vogel ran Ondis’ kitchen from its debut until August 15. In January 2026, he was among three Vermont chefs named semifinalists in the James Beard Awards’ regional Best Chef: Northeast category for his dishes such as sea scallops with pancetta, beech mushrooms, bok choy and cognac-miso beurre blanc.

Vogel confirmed by text that he has moved to a position as sous chef at Barr Hill’s cocktail bar in Montpelier. Also new to that kitchen is chef Jordan Atwood, formerly of Salt & Bubbles Wine Bar and Market in Essex. The colleagues are collaborating on a new menu of “elevated bar snacks and share plates,” Atwood wrote by text, “trying to lean more seasonal and local while still putting out a balance of hearty and fresh that will pair well with the cocktails.”