So, What Does Vermont Taste Like?

Do you ever get so depressed you wish Bin Laden had his besties fly that Boeing 777 straight through your front door? Well, that was my experience on March 1, 2025. Unemployed, alone, bored. And hungry. Obviously, I had slept until 4:30 p.m., so it was time for breakfast. To my delight, my friend invited me out to A Taste of Vermont, Canton’s newest endeavor outside of pizza. 

What does Vermont taste like, you ask? I can only assume a flannel soaked in an iced lavender oat milk latte made by someone named Kai. 

Located on Canton’s main drag, I am more than familiar with the hallowed halls of this delicatessen. Over the past 10 years, 11 Main Street has housed four different businesses. Stiles Bridges Associates was there for what I can only assume was a century until its doors closed in 2018. I worked as a secretary there when I was a senior in high school. When I wasn’t violating HIPPA by sending medical records to the wrong fax number, I was thinking that the building wouldn’t make for a great restaurant. It’s too narrow to allow a lot of traffic or seating options. And obviously I’m lying, I never thought that once. 

But despite that, three other restaurants have tried and failed to stand the test of time. The first being NOLAs, a New Orleans-inspired candy store that also sold mashed potatoes? The owner was mean to my dad on Facebook once, so I never gave them business. Then there was a Mexican restaurant that was so forgettable, I remembered it as I edited this. And then there was some Ogdensburg chain that tried to appeal to Cantonites. Obviously, it didn’t work because we have some fucking decorum around here. 

But A Taste of Vermont could very well be the lucky one, as the only other options around town in the realm of sandwiches are evangelical bagels and the wettest subs you can imagine. 

Upon entering, it’s very brown? The walls are red and brown brick, and the tables, chairs, and counter are all obviously from the same tree. The menu is written on a large chalkboard and features 20 sandwich options along with 2 to 3 daily specials. And if you have astigmatism, you better bring your readers if you’re thinking about seeing that menu. 

A child waited on us, which was awesome. I really love when a business supports child labor. 

My friend got the New Englander. Roast beef, cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, and horseradish served on a white roll. 

I ordered the Amazing Grace (turkey, cheddar, green apple, and mayo on wheat) and the spicy turkey panini (turkey, Dijon, lettuce, Swiss cheese which… gross, so I swapped for American, lettuce, tomato, and pickles on grilled white bread). 

Turkey sandwich from A Taste of Vermont

It took about 4 minutes for our food to come out. And all in all, they were good. All the meat and cheese is Boar’s Head so there’s really nothing to mess up there. But there were several little things that left a lot to be desired.

I’m of the mindset that all sandwiches must feature toasted bread. I love a soft untoasted bread in the context of dinner rolls or bread basket from The Cheese Cake Factory. I just can’t get on board with the concept of a squishy bread sandwich outside of tuna or pb&j sandwiches. 

My first issue was of my own accord. The Amazing Grace comes untoasted and sans lettuce. I opted for the bread toasted and some romaine added. Sorry for being healthy and thin? Didn’t know treating your body as a temple was a crime. 

Wires were crossed in the process of my request. The bread was not so much as toasted as it was put in a panini press. This made the entire sandwich slimy? The bread would not stay on top of the sandwich to save its life. I ended up having to take the top slice off and raw dog it bare fingered to the turkey like a heathen, violating this poor bird’s carcass. 

The flavor was delightful despite our textural difficulties. It’s hard to go wrong with a sweet and salty combo. The green apple and turkey on this sandwich might be the greatest flavor combination since honey crisp and spicy tuna stew. 

The cheese, however, was tasteless. Not sure what the hell happened but in the story of this sandwich’s life, the cheddar was at most, in the footnotes. 

The turkey panini had a similar issue in terms of slickness and cheese blindness. If we’re ranking lube I’m gonna say it goes these sandwiches, astroglide, and then replens. 

I discover by this point that the slime culprit is likely due to the lettuce being shredded rather than leaf. To me, that seems on par with pushing an old woman into the subway track. The water content is clearly going to be disrupted in that small form. Jesus Christ. 

But out of both sandwiches, I much preferred this one. It’s just a really good turkey sandwich even if it’s like holding a wet bar of soap. 

While the cheese isn’t super flavorful, the taste is a skosh more prominent. 

I’m not sure why Dijon mustard and Italian dressing are listed as separate ingredients because Italian dressing already has Dijon in it. I think they’re doing a wishbone moment and a Dijon spread because the sandwich is very Dijon forward. I know that sounds revolting, the idea of store bought salad dressing being poured over an innocent sandwich, but it adds a necessary acidity. 

As a Dijon connoisseur, I don’t think we were working with Maille because my nose didn’t burn nearly enough but it’s milder flavor allows for a wider audience to enjoy and sometimes appealing to the masses is not only okay, but warranted. 

My time talking about comorbidities and copper IUDs over three sandwiches with my friend was a delight and a half. Was it the sandwiches that made it wonderful or was it discussing disgusting and graphic skin conditions in an empty restaurant? I really don’t know.

If you can overlook the sandwiches seemingly prepared by Slimer from Ghost Busters, A Taste of Vermont is worth trying if you find yourself hungry and in Canton, New York.