Inside Chittenden County

Winner
Misery Loves Co.

Runner-Up
Bluebird Barbecue

Outside Chittenden County

Winner
The Blue Stone

Runner-Up
Cornerstone Pub & Kitchen

People have been calling Winooski “Burlington’s Brooklyn” for years. But now, with its flourishing restaurant row right in the heart of the hipster-heavy roundabout — let’s call it the “Snarknado” — the Onion City truly seems to deserve the nickname. Just as New York City’s outer borough has gained a reputation for the Big Apple’s most delicious, creative food, Winooski has become an off-the-beaten-path culinary destination.

Misery Loves Co. helped cement that identity when it evolved from a food truck and occasional pop-up business to a full-on restaurant late last year. Lunches feature exceptional sandwiches and fluffy donuts. Dinner offers small plates that adapt daily to include the freshest food available. Be sure to save room for a meat-and-three dinner, with fried chicken, steak or lamb and a choice of three sides.

SEVEN DAYS: From salt cod with olive-anchovy relish to eggplant-two-ways with basil pesto and house ricotta, you’ve got some pretty eclectic sandwiches on your lunch menu. Have you ever come up with one too quirky for customers?

NATHANIEL WADE, CHEF/CO-OWNER: I don’t think we’ve gone there yet. Of course, I don’t think we really cook like that. We definitely don’t have that college-town kind of food. We try to come up with things that are amazing and not scary.

—Alice Levitt