Few drives in Vermont are prettier than Route 100 south of Waterbury. After meandering through a handful of small towns, the road takes a series of curves that pass by cliffs, waterfalls and trees whose boughs bend over the road and obscure the sky. During foliage season, the route is exquisite.

But there's one important thing to do first: Make a pit stop at Canteen Creemee. Located in a shopping center in Waitsfield — the same one that's home to the original Mad Taco — the snack bar offers exceptionally delicious road food.

For instance, a BBQ burger ($9.50). Served in a classic cardboard "boat," the beef patty is topped with lettuce, cheese, fried onions and saucy pulled pork. The goods come on a classic soft roll sprinkled with sesame seeds.
Or, you could go for the three-piece fried chicken ($9.75), which arrives with slices of corn pudding, coleslaw and a scattering of pickled carrots and onions. The thin crust on the chicken is crisp and delicious, and the meat itself is well flavored. The corn pudding is delectable, sweet and salty, and particularly welcome to anyone who's chewed through too many squares of dry cornbread.
If you can spare another few bucks, go for one of the creative creemee sundaes, such as the Bad Larry ($6.25), which is as maple-y as food gets. The maple creemee is sprinkled with maple cookie crumbs and topped with a cloud of maple cotton candy.



Once you've licked the last bits of creemee from your hand, you can safely get back on the road again.

During leaf-peeping season, Canteen Creemee will be open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. When shoulder season hits, says owner Charlie Menard, he'll take a break until the holidays.

Dining on a Dime is a weekly series featuring well-made, filling bites (something substantial enough to qualify as a small meal or better) for $12 or less. Know of a tasty dish we should feature? Drop us a line: [email protected].