Country Girl Diner: A Tasty Destination in Chester, Vermont

Last week, I took a day trip to southern Vermont, to pick up a Wagyu tenderloin roast, for my Thanksgiving dinner, at the Spring Fork Farm. We arrived in the town of Chester early in the morning, a place I wrote about last year, and decided to start the day by having breakfast at the Country Girl Diner. 

The diner is located in "an authentic Silk City Silver dining car (Serial #178) built in Paterson NJ, in 1944." The diner began its existence in Jaffrey, New Hampshire, but moved to Chester in 1966, 56 years ago. It appears to be in very good condition and is currently owned by Chef Paul Frasca and his wife Jessica.

I loved the ambiance of this place, which was also very clean. It provides a fine sense of nostalgia, and the walls have many signed photos of famous musicians, from all sorts of genres and artists, from Stevie Nicks to Elvis Costello. The restaurant is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 8am-2pm, offering breakfast and lunch.

The Breakfast menu has the traditional dishes, such as eggs & bacon, pancakes, French toast, and more, but they also serve some more unique dishes as well. Prices are reasonable, and many of the ingredients are sourced locally, from the eggs to the butter. Their pies and baked goods are also made in-house. 

I opted for the Savory Pancake ($7), which is huge, covering the entire plate, and is stuffed with ham and Vermont cheddar. What a delightful crispy exterior, and each bite was delicious, with tender ham, the fine flavor of cheddar, in the interesting vehicle of a crisp pancake. Why haven't more breakfast spots made such savory pancakes, rather than all of the sweet concoctions you usually find? This dish is highly recommended!

There's always room for a side of Bacon ($2.50), which was thick and cured country style. It was cooked perfectly, with a nice crispness to the meaty bacon. #BaconBeauty

The diner especially touched my heart when I found they served a French Toast Sandwich! As my readers know, I believe many more sandwiches should exist with French Toast as their bread, including burgers, chicken cutlets and even pastrami. The Killington Classic ($9.00) consists of a French Toast sandwich containing two fried eggs and 3 slices of bacon, and it too was delicious. The French toast was cooked perfectly, and would be a great vehicle for other sandwiches too. 

Overall, this was an excellent breakfast experience, and I would definitely return here again. Service was also excellent, attentive and personable. If you find yourself in the area of Chester, Vermont, then check out Country Girl Diner.