Where the town of Waterbury sits right now was once the shared border between the native Mahican and Pennacock peoples. Those were the oldest settlers of the region, but the modern settlement can be traced back to a 1763 charter granted by King George the Third. The town got its name from the settlers who largely came from Connecticut and named it after the town from which they had relocated. Waterbury is nestled in the Winooski River Valley and, like many of the towns along the river, the economy was based upon those products a river provides such as lumber, wood products and even alcohol. Like most rural communities, the local economy changes over time, and timber gave rise to orchard and dairy farming.
In 1984, a couple of ice cream entrepreneurs named Ben & Jerry were looking to expand their fledgling ice cream business. They wanted to keep the unique “Vermont-ness” of the company and sought out a place to establish a large factory[1]. In Vermont fashion, Ben & Jerry found a novel way to raise the money for their new plant. The duo would sell shares in their company, but with a caveat. They would only sell to residents of the state of Vermont, Vermonters. You had to be a native to buy the public offering, keeping the money in state and in the family, per se. Looking around, Ben & Jerry saw Waterbury with its access to local dairy farms as an ideal location for their factory. A fully functioning factory, the Waterbury location operates five days a week producing ice cream, including limited batch flavors. Factory tours can be arranged and end with a scoop of free ice cream.
Waterbury is a prime tourist attraction for many reasons, including its proximity to ski resorts such as Stowe and also its close location to Ben & Jerrys and other attractions like the Cabot and Lake Champlain Chocolate outlets and the Cold Hollow Cider Mill. The Cabot Outlet is must stop if you’re hungry. Free samples can be had, and it is amusing to see everybody, toothpick in hand, shuffle around a table to sample each delectable cheese, one after the other. Another “can’t miss” is the Cold Hollow Cider mill further down the road. It is part functional cider mill, where you can observe them mashing and pressing apples for cider (free samples there as well), part roadside shop where you can pick up Vermont gifts such as maple syrup and maple candy. Make sure you get a cider donut and try a cider steamed hot dog!
Right off of route 89, as you make the turn into the town of Waterbury, Vermont, you will find the little restaurant Maxi’s. Maxi’s has a small footprint, but the owners have done a lot with their limited space. You’ll have to wait for a table during rush times of the day, but the friendly staff is prepared. There’s even a small desk and supplies to entertain your restless child as you wait to be served. Look around as you wait. A long bar goes the length of the restaurant, and beautiful tin ceilings and local art adorn the interior. There’s a community bulletin board that is helpful not only to locals, but to tourists who may want to venture a little further off the beaten path than Ben & Jerry’s. Maxi’s started its life as a Vermont farm until the original building was destroyed in the flood of 1927. Tom Flannery sought to rebuild it and turned it into a market. Bought by Homer Ryle in 1945, he promptly named it Ryle’s Market until he sold it to Maruice Lemay in 1951. The name remained the same until 1953 when Maxfield “Maxi” Irish and Walter “Bud” Deal bought the market and had the unique idea of renaming it as “I’Deal Market,” a play on both their names. Bud ran the business for 51 years until it was sold and turned into a restaurant. Deciding to remain faithful to the history of the market, they decided to name the restaurant “Maxi’s” and keep the name in the local history and memory.
Maxi’s serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Not your typical diner or greasy spoon fare, Maxi’s serves breakfast with modern flair. Nods to local products can be found, from hot cider on the menu next to coffee and tea to local brews, Maxi’s strives to keep it as Vermont as they can.
Maxi’s’ onion rings are hand cut, lightly battered, fried and served in golden brown, generous portions, light and sweet, not too heavy or greasy.
RING RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars
[1] They had run out of room and were over-taxing their Burlington, Vermont location.
photo credit: David Wilson / CC BY (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)
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