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Bonz
97 Portland Street,
Morrisville
Bonz Smokehouse and Grill first opened its door in 1997. The name comes from an establishment in far-away Key West Florida, called “Bone’s Island.” Bonz is run by a group of “local boys.” One of them is Doric David Tallman II, or Dave for short. He handles a myriad of duties including tending bar, cooking, waiting tables, handyman tasks and public relations.
“We’re pretty diverse here,” Tallman said. The diversity is present not only in the food but also the entertainment. There is live music Wednesday through Saturday, with acts ranging from bluegrass and country to a Saturday night hip-hop dance party. Tallman said Bonz is also looking into karaoke.
“Saturday nights has been more of a younger crowd,” he said, “on Wednesday night you’ll have 8-year-olds to 70-year-olds.”
While Saturday nights focus on the bar aspect of Bonz and is only for those 21 and over, there is no cover charge.
“Just come listen to good music,” Tallman said.
Entertainment at Bonz is provided by acts including Liquid Dead, Jessica Albright, acoustic guitarists, and the Mud City Ramblers, who Tallman said have played at Bonz with a member of Phish. Entertainment generally begins between 7 and 9 p.m., depending on the performer.
As for the food, “it’s all fresh,” said Tallman. Fresh produce, meat, and seafood are brought in once or twice each week. According to Tallman, smoked meats are the house specialty.
“A lot of people love our smoked meats,” he said, “pretty much anything you can think of we try to smoke it.” This includes pork, beef, chicken and ribs. There are 50-cent wing specials as well as all-you-can-eat wings. For those less carnivorous, the vegetable stir fry is one of the alternative choices.
“We try to cater to everybody,” Tallman said.
He added, “Here at Bonz we smoke our own.”
Hours: Monday, Tuesday – 11a.m.- 9 p.m.
Wednesday-Saturday – 11a.m.- Close
Sunday 12 p.m.- Close
The Bee’s Knees
82 Lower Main Street, Morrisville
Morrisville resident Sharon Deitz opened the Bee’s Knees in July 2003. After repeatedly driving by the building, she said one day it came to her as an “intuitive flash.”
The name, Deitz said, comes from a 1920s expression for a good thing; similar to the cat’s meow. Also, she explained, bees carry nectar on what look like knees.
The typical Bee’s Knees crowd consists of those of all ages; families, students, and older people. Deitz said her intention for the Bee’s Knees experience was for people to feel as though they were visiting a good friend’s house.
“We wanted it to be like a community space where everyone would be comfy,” she said.
“I know students love to come here with the wi-fi,” Deitz said. “It’s the kind of place you can bring your parents when they’re in town.”
The Bee’s Knees serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There are vegetarian options, locally raised meats, organic greens, in-season local vegetables as well as beer and wine for the of-age bunch. Deitz said some of the house specialties were dishes such as pot pies and tofu burritos.
Of the Bee’s Knees musical lineup, Deitz said, “We have a range of music from Irish music on Sunday afternoon to blues, jazz, folk.”
Some special events include the Irish session on Sundays and a “Second Sunday Gospel” starting this month from 11a.m.to 2 p.m.
Music generally starts at 7:30p.m., with varying times on the weekend, and is provided by both locals and people traveling from out of state. Deitz said Anais Mitchell used to play the venue, and now acts like Tammy Fletcher and Gordon Stone entertain.
“Good music is good music,” Deitz said.
For Deitz, the communal feel is what makes the Bee’s Knees unique. She said the idea of “coffee house by day, music venue by night changes the atmosphere.”
In the near future, probably in April, the Bee’s Knees will close for about a month for renovations. “Hopefully in May we’ll reopen with a larger dining room and full menu,” Deitz said.
Hours: Monday- Closed
Tuesday- Friday- 6:30a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Saturday, Sunday- 8:00a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
The Bees Knees in Morrisville
photo by Tyrone Shaw
The Hub, in Johnson
photo by Jessie Forand
The Hub
21 Main Street, Johnson
The Hub is Johnson’s newest addition. Opened this past New Year’s Eve by Danielle Dolisie and Ernie Borsellino, it provides both pizza and live music.
The name, they explained, came about while flipping through random magazines. Borsellino defined a hub as a “center for all activity; a community center.” In addition, the Hub is short for Hubert Beard, who ran a hardware store in the location for 80 years.
Dolisie said the reason for choosing that particular location was because it was in the center of town. Borsellino added that it was an “easy location for people to come.”
The usual crowd at the Hub is anything but usual. Borsellino described it as “locals, families, college kids, studio center folk.” He explained that this went along with the definition of a hub.
For food offerings, the Hub has soup, salads, venison chili, appetizers, and hand-tossed, stone-baked pizza. There are between eight and 12 different beer selections- supporting local breweries, as well as a diverse wine selection.
The music is just as varied as the food. Types of music performed include rock, bluegrass, jazz, blues, indie, hip-hop, and reggae. “Once again, not excluding any one genre from the place,” Borsellino said, “so everybody can have a taste of what they want.”
Dolisie felt the atmosphere is what sets the Hub apart from other local venues. “I haven’t seen anything else like this around,” she said.
According to Dolisie and Borsellino, everything in the Hub is handcrafted. The sconces are pieces of local artwork. One interesting aspect is the curved bar, which Borsellino compared to a round table, where patrons can see and speak to each other comfortably.
On the weekend, the venue is 21-plus and the cover charge depends on the band. The Hub is currently open six days per week, but soon will open on Sundays as well, beginning with a Superbowl Sunday Party, Dolisie said.
The Hub’s reputation is quickly spreading. Soon it will be included in Seven Days’ music listing. Dolisie and Borsellino want the Hub to be enjoyed by all, and respected, noting there hasn’t been a tavern in Johnson for about one hundred years.
“We want everyone to come down and enjoy the place,” Dolisie said, “We’re giving thanks to the town of Johnson for letting us do this.”
Hours: Monday- Wednesday: 11:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Thursday- Saturday: 11:30 a.m.-2a.m.
Closed Sunday
Stella Notte
44 Desjardins Road, Jeffersonville
Stella Notte means “Starry Night,” and is a reference to Van Gogh’s famous painting. “My father and uncle came up with nicknames and they called me the Vermont Van Gogh,” said Jayme Bechtoldt, owner and chef of Stella Notte, and an art major in school.
Stella Notte opened July 24, 2003. “The building was for sale. It was the right place at the right time,” Bechtoldt said. The establishment has both a pub- the lounge downstairs- and a restaurant, with slightly different menu options.
Given the location, which is across the road from the Smuggler’s Notch village, it makes sense that Stella Notte is rather dependant on tourists. “During the seasonal times we see a lot more tourists,” Bechtoldt said, “In the pub area it’s mostly locals.” He explained that the locals usually wait for tourists to leave.
However, Bechtoldt said he is “trying to create an environment that would be both conducive to the tourists and locals.”
Shows at Stella Notte are 21-plus. Bechtoldt said that he’s been seeing a lot more college students; there have even been graduation parties held at the venue.
The music at Stella Notte ranges from jazz to reggae. “We’ve even had hip-hop DJs in here,” Bechtoldt said, and also mentioned that Johnson students play every other Friday at “Jazz on Tap.” One of the larger acts to play recently is Humanzee. Entertainment usually begins around 9 or 10 p.m.
The food, as described by Bechtoldt, is a base of Italian cuisine with variations brought in, including Asian and South American influences. Vegetarian and vegan options are available as well. Bechtoldt said that there are good portions, good quality, and everything is made fresh. In addition, there are 35-cent wing specials on Sundays and Mondays.
“We try to do things nice here but like it to be not overwhelming,” Bechtoldt said.
What sets Stella Notte apart from others is, according to Bechtoldt, “the quality of the food- that it is homemade and not processed.” He also mentioned the “very comfortable environment.”
“It’s a great place to come for food even if you’re not 21,” he said.
Hours: Lounge- 3:00 p.m.-Close
Restaurant - 4:30 p.m.-Close