"Saap chef and co-owner Nisachon (Rung) Morgan hails from a small rural village in northern Thailand’s Isan region and features its cuisine at her Vermont restaurant; think sai krok, pork sausage with lemongrass, dill, chile, and garlic; khanom jeen nam ngiao, a spicy noodle soup; and laap, a flavor-packed salad of minced chicken or pork with toasted rice powder and lime. On tap, a concise list of mostly Vermont beers. Heading up from Boston? It’s about 150 miles north — a bit less than three hours by car." - Rachel Leah Blumenthal