Our Story

We have been deeply involved in the culinary industry for our entire adult lives, working in a long list of hotels and restaurants on both coasts. When our first son was born, we were living in New York City and Vince was working at the Andaz 5th Avenue as the Executive Chef. Read more about Vince’s 25-year career as a chef here. The Andaz had a strong farm-to table philosophy, which sparked our interest in sustainable food systems and led us to begin visiting local farms in the area. One of these was Stone Barns, which inspired us to get further involved in a healthier food economy.

As chefs and homesteaders, our logical next step was to open a restaurant. When our second son was born, we were living in California where Vince was teaching culinary arts. A friend invited us to visit his farm in Mad River Valley, at which point we fell in love with Vermont. In this state we saw a potential for a balanced life in a wonderful community that emphasized playing outdoors and respecting the earth. We also saw potential for a new business.

The Hippie Chickpea

Shortly after moving to Vermont, we met Patrick and Melissa from Ananda Gardens. Vince and Patrick had an instant farmer-chef connection, and they began talking about a collaboration. When 41 Elm Street became available, The Hippie Chickpea was born. We saw a need for Mediterranean food in Central Vermont and Vania designed the restaurant with the goal of creating a place where community members would be nourished – not just by the food, but also by the welcoming environment.

We believe that good food shouldn’t be a luxury. That’s why our dishes are affordable while still being made to order with the highest quality local ingredients we can find. We only use cage free eggs and local chicken from birds that are free to roam outside. All our meats are as local as possible and always antibiotic-free. We are dedicated to sourcing fresh, organic and seasonal ingredients. Everything on the menu is always delicious because it is made from scratch and with love.

 We also believe that good food should be available to everyone. Although we make a mean lamb gyro, we also take pride in offering tasty vegetarian and vegan fare. Many of our dishes are gluten-free and since everything is made to order, we can accommodate a variety of dietary preferences. Just tell us what you need! We are happy to feed our friends, family and neighbors healthy, flavorful food. Bring your little ones because we are family friendly and we have a kids’ menu just for them.

We support Ananda Gardens, Pete’s Greens, Littlewood Farm, Kenyan Farm, and our lamb is from BoBolink farm.

We truly appreciate the support that our community has shown us since we opened in September of 2018. Stop by for a bite sometime soon!