The bar that doesn't advertise. The Tuesday-night dinner you'd never find by Googling. The donut shop that sells out by ten.
The Northeast Kingdom's oldest dive bar, tucked off Main Street behind a red gate with a patio that fills up for weekend live music — bluegrass one night, straight rock and roll the next. This is where the after-work crowd goes rather than the tourist crowd, and the cocktail list is better than a dive bar's reputation would suggest. No dedicated website; call ahead if you need to confirm a band is playing.
Full-bar neighborhood pub on Mt. Vernon Street, a few minutes from the waterfront crowd — sit-down lunch and dinner with the kind of menu that doesn't change to chase a trend. Sunday hours start at 10 a.m., which makes it a workable stop after a morning on the water rather than just a dinner spot. Locals outnumber visitors here on any given Tuesday.
Farm-to-glass brewery on top of Coburn Hill in Newport Center, about 15 minutes from the lake — Brian and Jenn Cook brew with maple sap and spruce tips off their own land, and the spent mash feeds their Black Angus herd. Wood-fired pizza and live music run the indoor-outdoor Brewcabin most weekends. Open Friday and Saturday only, so this is a planned trip, not a drive-by.