Thirty-three years ago, a young Irish-American glass artist named Simon Pearce settled in Quechee, VT, near the New Hampshire border, on the roaring Ottauquechee River. Pearce created one of the first hydroelectrically powered plants in the U.S., to fuel his operation, and has been crafting his signature hand-blown glassware and pottery here ever since.
The elegant Made in Vermont pieces have represented American craftsmanship from U.S. embassies around the world to the Academy Awards. If you are in the area (it’s not far from the beautiful Dartmouth College campus, in Hanover, NH), you won’t want to miss a tour of the artist’s studio, an opportunity to shop for glass collectibles in the gallery and enjoy a fantastic meal at the eponymous restaurant, one of the region’s finest. Nab a window seat directly overlooking the river and take in the lovely view as you relish the chef’s deeply satisfying and inventive organic cuisine. The menu changes seasonally, with ingredients sourced through a web of local organic farmers.
simonpearce.com –Rona Berg