American Flatbread Bakery-Waitsfield, VT

And just like that--it was August. How the summer flew, and I with it--from DC to NY to DC to NY to Iowa to Wisconsin to DC to NY to DC. Whew. Now I'm back in NY for good--after a much needed long weekend with J in the mountains of Vermont. A friend's parents were kind enough to lend us their cabin and we did nothing but read, cook, and wander the hills.

Our one meal out was at the lovely American Flatbread Bakery, which becomes a restaurant on Friday and Saturday nights. The set-up is simple: you put your name on the list, grab a beer and then grab a seat outside--round the campfire, in the grass, on the porch--as you wait for them to call your name. This was the only restaurant where I've ever been disappointed that our wait wasn't as long as promised--I could have sat in the cool summer evening sun, staring at the green trees for another hour. It was heaven.

There's one salad on offer, and a slew of flatbreads. We ordered the special--a clam flatbread topped with local cheese, oregano and pancetta. The dining room houses the wood-fired oven where the breads are baked, and the young guys manning the stove will show off by twirling their wooden paddles used for sliding the breads in and out. While you wait, you can attempt to read the history of bread & fire posted chronologically around the room, though the print is small. One flatbread easily feeds two; J and I finished ours, leaving no room for dessert.

If you're not planning a trip to Vermont any time soon, you can try to simulate the experience with a frozen American Flatbread--you can find them many Whole Foods or other natural food markets. Invite some friends over, sit in the backyard, drink some beer and try to forget that summer's almost over.