Our interview with Ali Vigneau Ewald from Round Hearth

We interviewed Ali Vigneau Ewald from Round Hearth Cafe in Stowe!🍳🥗🥪 Enjoy!♥️

Q: Favorite breakfast menu item and why?

A: “Oh my gosh, probably our Blueberry Pancakes! They’re delicious and they’re the best pancakes I’ve ever had…or our Hayride Breakfast Sandwich, which has got avocado, spinach, tomato, egg, and cheddar…which are all good things!”

Q: Favorite lunch menu item and why?

A: “The Balsamic Blueberry Spinach and Brie, because it’s not only our most delicious item, but it’s also a very unique sandwich that I’ve never seen anywhere else.”

Q: Can you tell me a fun fact about Round Hearth Cafe?

A: “We were a ski dorm for 32 years, and we had 150 bunk beds. We catered to high school ski trips, and we had to pivot when the pandemic hit because we couldn’t ask 8 kids to sleep in a room anymore. So we ripped out the bunk beds and repurposed our dining room. We had the kitchen, so we based our designs off of the kitchen to see what we could do. So we decided to open up the cafe, as a result of the ski dorm going away and needing to bring new life into the building. It’s been in our family for 34 years now! The rest of the building is an antique and artist market.”

Q: What’s your favorite part about being the manager at Round Hearth Cafe?

A: “That it’s our family business! I get to work with my family every day, and we get to open up a space for people to come in, have good food, and have a space to hang out and build community!”

Q: What’s the best season to visit Round Hearth Cafe in?

A: “It depends on what you’re looking for…the summer is fun because we have a ton of outdoor dining. There’s plenty of space to hang out and play cornhole. But the winter is probably the nicest with the fireplace going… Or the fall when the leaves are changing and the fireplace is going, and you can still hang out outside but can hang out inside… Every season, there is no bad season here!”

Q: When you’re not eating at Round Hearth Cafe, where’s your favorite place to eat?

A: “Oh, I can’t answer that! There are too many good places. Anywhere down Mountain Road…Right now my favorite is Moog’s in Morrisville…and then in town, Piecasso is wonderful, Bench is wonderful, and Doc Ponds is up there with my favorites. It depends what you’re looking for! We had dinner at Cork last night, that was fabulous! There are a ton of great places in Stowe, so that’s a hard question! Plus, I love the community and I support everyone I can!”