This culinary adventure is brought to you in partnership with the Manchester Business Association, connecting you with the businesses and experiences that make Manchester, Vermont, a premier adventure destination.
The twice-baked potatoes are perfectly golden, stuffed with Vermont cheddar and scallions. The maple mustard salmon glistens on its bed of sautéed spinach. And the famous Howling Wolf - that aromatic curry creation that's been a customer favorite since her restaurant days - sits ready to reheat in containers sized for busy families who want something extraordinary for dinner tonight.
You might remember Amy Chamberlain from her appearances on Food Network or her award-winning Perfect Wife restaurant that drew crowds to Manchester for over two decades. What you might not know is that she's traded the 90-seat dining room for something more personal: bringing restaurant-quality food directly to Manchester families, event hosts, and anyone who believes dinner should be delicious without the fuss.
After winning Vermont Chef of the Year in 2010 and building The Perfect Wife into a Manchester institution, Amy made a choice that surprised many in the industry. She stepped away from the packed restaurant life to focus on what she loves most - cooking - while giving herself the flexibility to actually enjoy Vermont's summers, catch a music festival, or spend time with her teenage son.
"I can still plan a vacation or go see music," Amy explains. "And the trade-off is that I get to work directly with people on exactly what they want."
That personal approach has created something unique in Manchester: access to professional culinary expertise without the typical barriers. No reservations, no formal dining rooms, no inflated prices that come with restaurant overhead.
Amy's weekly email menu reads like a greatest hits collection from her restaurant days. The schnitzel that customers drove from Albany to try. The beloved maple mustard salmon. The Howling Wolf curry that uses the same sauce she served with those legendary eggplant fries at her food truck.
The system is beautifully simple: Amy sends out a weekly email featuring what she's prepared that week. Customers order online and pick up from her Manchester Valley Road kitchen. Everything comes portioned for one to two people and ready to reheat at home. No meal planning, no grocery runs, no cleanup - just restaurant-quality food when you want it.
The weekly offerings might include her signature three-cheese lasagna, PEI mussels in tomato and garlic broth, or Vermont turkey schnitzel with lemon-sage sauce. Prices reflect the quality of ingredients and expertise without restaurant markup - that twice-baked potato costs $5, the maple mustard salmon is $36 for two generous portions.
Amy's timing couldn't be better for Manchester's evolving demographic. The families moving up from the cities who aren't used to, or wanting to, cook for themselves every night. The retirees who want quality food without the effort. The busy professionals who value good eating but not grocery shopping.
"I really want [...] the families, you know, the people who moved from New York," Amy says. "They're looking for an alternative to spending hundreds on a private chef, but they want quality."
Her partnership with In Motion gym showcases this perfectly. Every Thursday at 10 AM, Amy drops off healthy, nutritionist-approved options in the gym's refrigerators. Recent offerings included salmon burgers with sweet potatoes, chickpea falafel, and her popular chicken salad - all designed for people who take their fitness as seriously as their food quality.
Here's where Amy's restaurant background really shines: her catering operation. While she's stepped back from managing large events (no more 200-person weddings), she's found her sweet spot in intimate gatherings of 8 to 40 people.
"That's my wheelhouse," she says. "Dinners where I can create multi-course plated meals or just make beautiful trays of chicken piccata and beef bourguignon for pickup."
The flexibility is everything. Want Amy to handle the full event with staff for setup, serving, and cleanup? She can do that. Prefer to just pick up professionally prepared food and handle hosting yourself? Perfect. Need something in between? She'll work with you.
Recent clients rave about the stress-free experience. Julia of Pawlet hired Amy for a five-course meal for 30 people and said: "The service felt like dining in a fine restaurant. Amy and her team exceeded our expectations and left our kitchen spotless. I'm already looking for an excuse to hire her again."
For Alicia in Dorset, Amy handled both a black-tie wedding and a garden cocktail party: "Amy is a genius. She delivered incredible food on budget, handled everything with grace and good humor, and made both events absolutely seamless."
Walk into Amy's current kitchen and you'll find the same attention to local sourcing and seasonal ingredients that made The Perfect Wife special. The same commitment to handcrafted food that earned her five Food Network appearances. The same willingness to customize for dietary restrictions or personal preferences that kept customers loyal for decades.
What's different is the intimacy. Instead of managing a 90-seat restaurant, Amy works directly with each client. The couple with strict dietary restrictions gets personalized weekly meal prep billed by the hour. The family hosting an anniversary dinner gets menu planning that considers their guests' preferences and budget.
"I love being creative in the kitchen and making delicious and healthy food with local, seasonal and sustainable ingredients," Amy explains. And now, without the restaurant overhead and staffing challenges, she can focus entirely on that craft.
Ready to try restaurant-quality food without the restaurant hassle? Start by signing up for Amy's weekly email menu at Amy’s On The Road new website or browse her current takeaway offerings. You'll get early access to each week's offerings - and trust us, the popular items do sell out.
Planning an event? Contact Amy at (802) 558-1977 or [email protected] at least 72 hours in advance, or explore her catering and party options. She'll work with you to create a menu that fits your style, guest count, and service preferences.
For private chef services, Amy offers two options: meals prepared in her kitchen for pickup (groceries plus $75/hour) or cooking fresh in your home ($150/hour). Learn more about her private chef services. Either way, you get fully customized meals designed around your tastes and dietary needs.
Whether you remember Amy from her Perfect Wife days or you're just discovering what she brings to Manchester's food scene, one thing is clear: she's made quality cooking more accessible than ever. And in a town where good food matters, that's something worth celebrating.
Amy's on the Road
53B Manchester Valley Road, Manchester Center, Vermont 05255
Weekly prepared meals, catering, and private chef services
(802) 558-1977
This culinary adventure is brought to you in partnership with the Manchester Business Association, connecting you with the businesses and experiences that make Manchester, Vermont, a premier adventure destination.
