Vermont’s Worthy Kitchen Is Coming to Brookline

Worthy Kitchen in Woodstock, Vt. / Photo provided

Worthy Kitchen, a comfort food and craft beer haven in Woodstock, Vt., is definitely a worthy destination for food fans. But later this year, the drive up Interstate 89 will no longer be necessary, Boston Restaurant Talk just reported. The Worthy restaurant group is expanding to Brookline Village as early as this fall, co-owner Jason Merrill says.

The “farm diner” debuted in 2013, from executive chef Merrill, CFO Kurt Lessard, and beer consultant Dave Brodrick, the trio that opened the destination Worthy Burger in South Royalton in 2012. Broderick, who also founded the landmark Blind Tiger beer bar in New York City, is behind a coveted draft program at both Vermont restaurants, which highlights top tier local brews, mainly from Vermont. At the original Worthys, Jack’s Abby, Maine Beer Co., and other New England offerings are flanked by sought-after suds from Vermont producers Hill Farmstead, Lawson’s Finest Liquids, Foley Brothers, and more.

Brodrick is consulting on the Boston-area beer program, Merrill says. The Brookline restaurant is smaller in general than the Woodstock outpost, and the bar will streamline the number of drafts from 18 to about a dozen, he adds.

“We’re going to focus on local beers, and whatever Vermont beer we can get down there,” Merrill says.

The Vermont Worthys have kombucha and a few sodas on draft; those offerings could come to Brookline, too. Elsewhere behind the bar, there will be a cocktail program, wines by the glass, and cider options.

To start, Worthy Kitchen will serve Merrill’s current menu, with snacks like Worthy poutine doused in duck fat gravy with confit pork belly and cheddar; and Worthy wings, in flavors like maple bacon and root beer Sriracha barbecue. Other favorites, like the Farm Diner burger; buttermilk fried chicken sandwich with sweet potato puree, pesto chevre, fire-roasted vegetables, and garlic honey syrup; and a Korean-style bulgogi burrito will also make it to the Boston area. But the team, which also includes Boston-area partner Richard Enderlin, has hired a local chef who will put his own spin on the food in due time, Merrill says.

Worthy Kitchen will seat about 72 inside, at a mix of high-top, bar seating, and communal tables. Merrill hasn’t finalized the service style, but he expects it to be some form of “modified” table-service, like in Woodstock.

The team has also submitted plans for a 40-seat rooftop deck that’s subject to licensing from the city of Brookline, Merrill says. Assuming that moves forward, expect to watch sporting events al fresco, as your soon-to-be-favorite Brookline Village hang plans to project the action onto a neighboring three-story building.

Conveniently, some of the company’s investors own the Washington Street property, the co-owner says. Merrill is be coming to Boston later this week to go over the submitted plans with interested parties in Brookline, and he also has a couple other meetings lined up with Boston-area developers interested in bringing the beer bar to other neighborhoods.

“We’re looking to expand the Worthy brand,” Merrill says.

Worthy Kitchen, coming to 202 Washington St., Brookline Village, in 2016, worthyvermont.com.