Garden Atrium

Nobody likes hospitals. Or at least no one sane. I’m sane (mostly) and therefore I don’t like hospitals.
Unfortunately, I’ve spent a lot of time at UVM Medical Center over the past two months. And food is definitely a comfort to me, so I’ve checked out all the dining options.
The Garden Atrium is the kind of place that almost makes you forget you’re in a hospital. The menu features fresh ingredients, many of them local, and the presentation is as good as any upscale restaurant. The staff there seem to be well-​versed in kindness — they greet you with a smile and a gentle tone. Really, if any staff happen to read this, THANK YOU for making my day brighter.
You can get food to-​go or order in. If you order in you get a device to put on your table that has a tracker in it and the staff can find you by it. That means once you order you can just kick back and relax. There are some books to peruse if you so choose.
The breakfast items range from pastries to eggs to french toast. Lunch offers up soups, some unique salads, sandwiches, and a few tapas-​style small plates. They have different, unique specials after day.
The first item I got was the tomato bisque which came with a piece of bread. The soup was decadent without being overly rich and was even organic! Super tasty and comforting. The grilled cheese was what I had next visit. The grilled cheese was perfectly gooey with local cheddar, cream cheese, and veggies served with a grain-​based salad. Third time I got the breakfast special which had kale and onions over toast (I opted out of the bacon) with two poached eggs on top and red pepper drizzle over the whole concoction. All three I would happily eat again. And the prices were really, really reasonable.
Again, I don’t think people go hang out at hospitals for fun. With that in mind, another thing to note is that the Atrium space is open to anyone, several hours after the actual food stops being served. There’s a fireplace, comfortable seating, and lots and lots of outlets so people can charge their devices. For someone who’s coping with supporting others through medical issues, being invited by staff to stay as long as I needed to was a huge weight off my shoulders. There is plenty of seating everywhere in the hospital but it has the usual hustle and bustle going by and the Atrium is a bit more subdued.
I would love for there to be later hours — closing at 4:00 means that people who are at the hospital late don’t have the best of options — but beggars can’t be choosers and I’m just grateful that all of the restaurants at UVM Medical Center are at least decent. I’d also love to see a few more vegan options in the future. But really, I’m just grateful for this space.
Now if only the hospital could have a bar and a napping area…

Great place to have a civilized breakfast. There are not many sit down options in the area. Finally, eating-​in… they offer a daily baked egg special. The baked egg came with a piece of cornbread and slices of orange as a garnish/​finish.
Today’s baked egg was filled with fresh veggies, and sun dried tomatoes. The cornbread was on the drier side, but still very good and just a touch of sweetness.
The staff here are really pleasant, adding to the overall experience.

This is my go to place for breakfast and lunch! Staff are super nice, unlike most hospital food establishments, there’s a tracker system so you can sit and relax and they bring the food right to you! All foods are made from local items, it’s definitely more fancy then regular hospital food, I would even say it’s gourmet!
They have pumpkin custard which is to die for and a delicious version of grilled cheese with cream cheese, local VT cheddar cheese, onions and mushrooms. Food is almost as cheap as the Harvest Café!
Don’t miss breakfast from 7:30 am to 10 am, the Lost bread or Farmstead Eggs are my recommendations!