Hemingway's was a restaurant in Killington, Vermont that pioneered the concept of gourmet farm-to-table cuisine, paired with fine wines, in a rural setting, modeled after such restaurants in the French countryside. Owners, Theodore and Linda Fondulas, opened the restaurant in 1982. The restaurant became increasingly written about in food and wine magazines until, in 1992, it was declared one of the top 25 restaurants in the country by Food & Wine magazine. Thereafter, it remained on lists of top American restaurants until it closed in 2011.
History
editAfter an extended trip to Europe engendered the Fondulases' interest in food and wine, they began careers in the restaurant industry in New York, California and New England. In 1982, they purchased a former French restaurant in Killington, which they opened as Hemingway’s with Theodore as the chef.[1] The building was a former coach stop from the 1860s.[2]
The restaurant featured three dining rooms: a stone-walled wine cellar, a brick-walled garden room, and a vaulted space. The cuisine featured fresh farm-to-table ingredients, foraged mushrooms, and other delicacies, including pheasant and deer.[2][3]
Julia Child speaking before the Vermont Culinary Institute in 1984 inspired the Fondulases to develop a wine program for their dining customers.[4] Child had co-founded the American Institute of Wine & Food;[5] with the establishment of the Vermont chapter of the institute, both Fondulases were appointed to the chapter's board.[6] Child would dine at the restaurant when her birthday coincided with visits to relatives in nearby Woodstock, Vermont.[7]
The restaurant closed in 2011, following the economic downturn in 2008, because of flooding from Tropical Storm Irene, which damaged much of the property.[8] Having been sold several times since, the building has been converted into apartments.[9] Since the restaurant's closure, the Fondulases became active in a business that sources farm-to-table products.[8][1]
Recognition
editHemingway's gained recognition over time, as the Fondulases evolved its offerings. In the 1980s, the restaurant's pairings of wine and food received recognition from Nation's Restaurant News,[10] Wine Spectator magazine,[11] and various trade magazines.[12] From the 1990s onward, it was receiving recognition as one of the top restaurants in the United States from such publications as Food & Wine magazine,[13] Esquire,[14] Bon Appétit,[15] The New York Times,[3] Travel + Leisure,[16] Nation's Restaurant News,[17] Condé Nast Traveler,[18] The Burlington Free Press,[19] and Robert Mondavi.[20] Additionally, the restaurant's special-diet menus were cited in the Vegetarian Times[21] and Sully's Living Without.[22]
References
edit- 1 2 "Ted Fondulas & New[h]all Farm". Great Chefs. Retrieved 2025-12-21.
- 1 2 Hayes, Linda (December 2000). Restaurant Critique: Hemingway's. Ski. p. 46.
- 1 2 Lash, Rochelle (21 November 1993). "What's Doing In: Northern Vermont". The New York Times. pp. Section 5: 13. Retrieved 21 December 2025.
- ↑ Trzaskos, Todd (2015-09-14). Wines of Vermont: A History of Pioneer Fermentation. Arcadia Publishing. pp. 16–17. ISBN 978-1-4671-1813-2.
- ↑ Snodgrass, Mary Ellen (2004-12-29). "Julia Child". Encyclopedia of Kitchen History. Routledge. pp. 199–200. ISBN 978-1-135-45572-9.
- ↑ "AIWF Cooks up New Chapter". Keeping Tabs. February–March 1992 – via Vermont Lodging and Restaurant Association.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: date format (link) - ↑ "Ludlow Rotary speakers talk about the History of Hemingway's". The Vermont Journal & The Shopper. 2021-01-18. Retrieved 2025-12-21.
- 1 2 Edwards, Bruce (2013-05-06). "Hemingway's: Four-stars to auction block". Rutland Herald. Retrieved 2025-12-21.
- ↑ "Commercial Renovations Breathe New Life | Mountain Times". 2022-04-06. Retrieved 2025-12-21.
- ↑ "NRN competition reveals promising wine programs", Nation's Restaurant News, vol. 23, no. 45, New York, New York: Lebhar-Friedman, November 13, 1989
- ↑ "Great Restaurant Wine Lists", The Wine Spectator, New York, New York: M. Shanken Communications, p. 34, 1990
- ↑ "New & Notable / Tastings At Hemingway's", Market Watch, New York, New York: M. Shanken Communications, June 1988
- ↑ Simon, Mary (August 1992), "The Top 25 Restaurants in America", Food & Wine, New York: American Express Publishing Corporation, pp. 41–43
- ↑ Mariani, John (October 1999), "Perfect Tables", Esquire, vol. 132, no. 4, New York, New York: Hearst Corporation, p. 58
- ↑ Mariani, John (December 2002), "Postcard-Perfect Feasts", Bon Appétit, New York, New York: Condé Nast, p. 68
- ↑ von Bremzen, Anya (February 1997), "Green Mountain Statement / An American in Paris", Travel + Leisure, New York, New York: American Express Publishing
- ↑ Lee Allen, Robin (May 18, 1998), "1998 Fine Dining Hall of Fame", Nation's Restaurant News, New York, New York: Lebhar-Friedman, pp. 124–126
- ↑ Sheraton, Mimi (January 1993), "Condé Nast Traveler's Distinguished Restaurant Awards", Condé Nast Traveler, vol. 37, no. 136, New York, New York: The Condé Nast Publications, Inc., pp. 112–121
- ↑ Salomon, Debbie (August 14, 1999), A four-star vision, Burlington, VT: Burlington Free Press, p. 1C
- ↑ Biever Mondavi, Margrit (May 4, 2001), 2001 Robert Mondavi Culinary Award of Excellence, Oakville, California: Robert Mondavi Winery
- ↑ "Vegetarian Food Hits the Slopes.", Vegetarian Times, no. N209, Tamaqua, PA: Vegetarian Times (Active Interest Media, Inc.), January 1995
- ↑ Bonner, Mary (Fall 2001), "A Special Diet Restaurant Guide", Sully's Living Without, vol. 4, no. 4, Northbrook IL: Peggy A. Wagener, pp. 18–26