ST. ALBANS, Vt. (WCAX) – It’s called the Rail City for its historic ties to the railroad industry and the maple capital of the country because it’s surrounded by so many producers and hosts the big Maple Fest each year. About 6,900 people call St. Albans home, and as Darren Perron reports in this week’s Vermont’s Own, it recently received a functional facelift.
The steaks are money at Cafe Monette. St. Albans’s newest restaurant is on fire, with diners giving rave reviews.
“I cook the food I want to eat,” said the cafe’s Adam Monette.
And apparently others want it too. Accolades are pouring in. It just got nominated for a James Beard Award, the Oscar of the food industry, for best new restaurant in the country.
“The most support and interest was here,” said Monette.
Monette taught culinary classes at the local tech center, then picked St. Albans to put down his restaurant roots. Everyone seems to know who he is, and that’s what he likes about it. “Now it’s our home. We can’t imagine being anywhere else,” said Monette.
Not far from their Main Street location is 14th Star Brewing, which has been serving up suds for nearly 15 years.
“There’s a real neighborly feel to this place. We’re all in it together,” said 14th Star’s Steve Gagner. “We wouldn’t exist without the community we have here.”
The beer company, the brain child of Gagner and a fellow veteran, came up with the company’s concept in the war zone in Afghanistan. The name was inspired by former WCAX anchor Marselis Parsons during Channel 3’s bicentennial coverage. “{He} had a segment called First Republic 14th Star, and that name just kind of stuck with me,” Gagner said.
The brewery, which used to be a bowling alley, is a great example of how the city is reinventing itself. In fact, the bar is made out of lanes three and six. “It’s a really different town and it’s really cool to see,” Gagner said.
The city is now buying old buildings and turning them into new opportunities.
“We buy it to turn it into what we envision, what we want it to be,” said St. Albans Mayor Trudy Cioffi. She says that includes rental units, retail, and restaurants. They even bought the old movie theater, which is now run by the rec department. “We are getting involved so we can steer the direction of development we want in our city.”
And it’s working. Cioffi says the city added $160 million to its tax base in the last 15 years. And right now, there’s only one vacancy on the main drag. The few empty storefronts are becoming businesses soon. “We sometimes have to partner with private developers and private companies to make projects happen. We’ve done that, it’s worked,” she said. “We have our challenges like every other community, but overall, we have supportive community members who show up and make a difference and make the community better. And we like to have fun.” She points to the city’s plethora of festivals in the park as examples.
“It’s been really great to see,” said local resident Mariah Mandigo. “You know, there’s a lot of opportunities for a lot of different people here now and I’m seeing it.”
Another big goal as part of the building-buying program is to create housing they can also sell.
On next Wednesday’s installment of “Vermont’s Own,” Darren Perron will hit the road again. If you have an idea for your town, don’t be shy, send us a note about the places, people, and events that embody the place you call home.
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Dining and Cooking