Idletyme is an ironic name for the Stowe brewery and restaurant, owned by Michaels on the Hill restaurateurs Michael and Laura Kloeti. With two bustling restaurants to manage – 'idle time' is not something the Kloetis have to spare! But the Stowe restaurant is perfect for a leisurely summer visit. The patio Biergarten (just off the Stowe Recreational Path) with lawn games, an outdoor bar, onsite gardens and apple trees - where the chef and brewmaster ‘shop’ for fresh produce – is the perfect setting to sip through a beer tasting and enjoy a relaxing lunch, dinner or snack.
Michael’s on the Hill is a consistent VFN Gold Barn Honoree and they have finely tuned their exemplary ambiance, sourcing and service. Though completely different style restaurants, carrying these core values over to Idletyme was imperative. “I love the strong relationship we have as sister restaurants.” Laura shared, “One thing that we are excited about is that our teams are working together quite a bit. We actually just did an Idletyme beer dinner at Michael’s and Will Gilson, Idletyme’s Brewmaster, came over to Michael’s and spoke about the pairings.” Will brewed a special batch spring dug chocolate-mint vanilla porter to go with a chocolate torte with white chocolate ganache and a chocolate-mint porter sorbet. “It was fantastic,” Laura recounted. Head Chef Jason Bissell at Idletyme is also a Michael’s alum and really grasps what the mini restaurant group is about. Both Chef Jason and Brewmaster Will are passionate about using local ingredients – especially from the Idletyme garden. What’s the favorite garden ingredient in rotation currently? That would be their gigantic lovage plant. “It tastes like celery on steroids but the stalks are hollow like a straw,” Laura described. You can find lovage in their Bloody Mary and Garden Gimlet cocktails.
When you visit…
We asked Laura for a perfect pairing – what beer with what bite?
Laura shared, "We actually use beer in a number of items on our menu to create lots of great pairs, and we also have a really excellentcocktail/mocktail and wine list because we want non-beer drinkers to feel right at home, too. Some nice beer/food pairings I recommend are:
Helles Lager Gruyere Onion Tart with our Helles Lager
BBQ Braised Pork Shank with Rustic Veg with the Maerzen German-style LagerS
Idletyme Pale Ale Battered Fish (or Tofu) & Chips with Malt Vinegar Remoulade and our Pale Ale"
Summer Specials:
- Live music on Sunday’s from 3-6pm from through mid-October
- Dollar Crispy Oysters every day from 3-4:30pm
- 'When It Rains We Pour!' $3 Drafts on Manager’s select drafts.
