The fresh, airy atmosphere at this breakfast and lunch spot matches the food. Egg-centric dishes, salads, and sandwiches feature carefully curated local ingredients. The bakery case overflows with cupcakes and French macarons, just in case all that healthy eating gave you a sweet tooth. A must-visit cafe anytime, The Grove also earned further fame as a setting in the TV drama...

Located in the heart of the Amsterdamse Bos, Ridammerhoeve Goat Farm is the perfect place to take the kids for some fresh air and to use up some surplus energy. The organic farm has a fair share of (baby) animals — goats, chickens, cows, pigs, horses/ponies — and a number of activities to go with them, such as feeding the...

Kaidee name means “sells well” in Thai, and it’s an apt nickname for the owner of this small franchise of healthy Thai restaurants. She has become a culinary icon among foreigners for her vegetarian and vegan adaptations of classic Thai dishes like haw mokk and coconut curries. The pumpkin hummus with sticky rice is a local variation using a vegetable...

Salt is set in an historic brick building  and sitting at one of the patio tables you can watch the action on the Pearl Street Mall. With an open kitchen, seated at tables in the narrow restaurant, you can see what’s cooking. Chef Bradford Heap and his wife, Carol Vilate, designed SALT as a bistro, where locals would keep coming...

Burlington’s City Market, Onion River Co-Op has been a local institution for more than 40 years.  The member-owned store offers member discounts, as well as additional discounts for those who volunteer – either at the store itself or with one of its many partner organizations. They offer a wide variety of locally grown and Vermont-made products, and take pride in...

Burlington’s Intervale is a 700-acre area of lowland area where various community farms have set up shop, growing food for community-supported agriculture memberships and for local restaurants. The Intervale Center itself is a non-profit organization focused on strengthening community food systems. In addition to providing locally grown food to the Burlington area, the Intervale is a popular spot for community...

While not exactly off the beaten track, Magnolia Bistro is tucked away in a corner near City Hall Park. It usually doesn’t have the waits that some other popular breakfast spots do, but it does offer a great breakfast and lunch menu. The restaurant’s interior is a cozy affair with exposed brick pillars, and it also has a small, fenced-in...

Whether you just want to stroll around the beautiful grounds, buy some of the cheese produced on site, or stop for a drink at the Shelburne Inn, Shelburne Farms is a great spot to enjoy the Vermont outdoors and makes for a fun family outing. It’s a working farm that produces cheese, organic fruits and vegetables, and pasture-raised veal, lamb...

Every Thursday morning, rain or shine, farmers drift down from the lush, volcanic hills and converge on Byron Bay. But the weekly produce market is not just for locals bearing baskets and cloth shopping bags. There are plenty of home-grown delights for visitors too, from honey and avocados, to macadamias and blueberries (which always sell out fast, by the way), and...

Try to pick a fine-weather day to visit the Crystal Castle, a scenic 20-minute drive from Byron, because although the organic café, the psychic and astrological readings, the crystal displays, the gift shop and the aura photography sessions are all good reasons to visit, the Castle’s best features are outside. With its lush gardens populated with sculptures and boulders of...

Situated in the historic hamlet of Newrybar, 16km from Byron Bay, Harvest is the epitome of local, seasonal, sustainable dining with its on-site bakery, kitchen garden and deli (with cheese room), occupying three charming heritage-listed cottages. Cosy up in a leather armchair by the fire for coffee, have lunch on the timber verandah of the heritage-style timber restaurant under a...

Two tips: don’t eat before this tour, and try to do it early in your stay because you’ll discover places you’ll definitely want to return to. The brainchild of Byron Bay chef Nathan Sheehan, the three-hour Bay Gourmet walking tour (1.30pm Fridays) is a highlights reel of Byron’s edible delights, with tasting stops at cafes, restaurants and bars, including a...

The talk of the town since it opened in March 2015, The Farm really is a working farm, 34 hectares in all, albeit one with a massive visitor carpark and new corrugated-iron buildings: a flower shop, a farmhouse yoga studio and the enormous “shed” restaurant run by Three Blue Ducks, who also have an award-winning cafe-restaurant on Sydney’s Bronte Beach (near...

Besides coming here for all-organic goods (this is the first certified all-organic market in the state), the grill is pretty great. Weekend brunches range from Benedicts to bison burgers. You can also get milkshakes, grilled rib eyes, and tempeh enchiladas. Breakfasts favor healthy bites like yogurt bowls, as well as massive omelets. Lunches offer meat-lovers hearty burgers topped with fresh-as-can-be-produce....

This funky cafe serves some of the best organic vegetarian food (and non-veggie fare too) in the area. Throw in a fantastic selection of local wine and microbrews, coffee and smoothies and you see why locals flock to Cozmic Cafe. Being a former gold mine, diners can travel deep into the caves to enjoy acai bowls in the cool temperatures....

For Arcata locals, there is no better spot to soak up the sun with a cup of warm coffee and a fresh pastry. Families and young folks gather on the patio, or in the European styled innards. Expect organic pastries, farm-fresh sandwiches and salads, quiches. In the afternoons, the cafe morphs into a wine bar, which fills quickly. Occasionally there’s...

The finest inns in the area, this 1880s mansion is comprised of four restored Victorian buildings. The Hotel Carter houses 23 rooms and the amazing Restaurant 301, a mainstay in the Eureka dining scene. The Carter House itself is considered the stalwart of the property, with five gorgeous Victorian style rooms, an open parlor and a kitchen, making this a...

A little shack behind the gas station. That’s it. Here you’ll find Mexican cuisine made with love. The veggie super nachos are delicious. The fish tacos are consistently stellar. They also make a mean guacamole. Tacos are small, a nod to the traditional Mexican street taco. Know that they often have limited staff, making the wait times quite long. But...

You might wait for an hour to score a table in this wildly popular cafe. Sweet and savory crepes, like spinach and almond, or the Righteous Babe with raspberries, strawberries, and Nutella, rule the menu. Check the special’s board for interesting additions and soups. The décor reminds you why Arcata has its reputation for attracting artists and hippies—with large portraits...

When you are surrounded by redwoods, in a pristine environment, it’s an obvious choice to want a clean meal. This cafe focuses on organic and local cuisine whenever possible. This small room, beloved by locals, gets packed on weekends and during festivals. Breakfast is the highlight, with a slew of Mexican themed offerings. Lunches are fine as well, with Diestel...