Same owner, new name. Fans of the Tip Top Café shouldn’t panic. The White River Junction restaurant’s name change to Thyme is just a reflection of owner Eileen McGuckin’s wish to have the name more closely match the eatery’s style. What followers love about it will stay the same.

Eileen says, “The name change has created some new energy and has been very well received. Many of our guests love the new name and feel it is a better representation of our space and our food. We change our menu seasonally and coordinated the name change with our spring menu. This menu included seasonal changes as well as some old favorites. Our hours and staff have remained the same.”

 Housed in the building where Tip Top Bread was made in the 1940s (85 North Main Street), the original café opened in 2001, offering coffee and light meals ordered at the counter. Eileen purchased the restaurant in 2013 after working there as the manager for five years.

Today, Thyme serves both lunch and dinner, featuring seasonal menus. Customer favorites include crispy fries served in a paper cone with fresh garlic aioli and a tomato–basil bisque. A Vermont summertime lunch could be the vegetable quiche with a spinach salad and tomato vinaigrette, or a BLAT, a twist on the traditional BLT with avocado added.

A summer dinner may feature selections such as the Vermont fresh pasta with roasted corn and smoked mozzarella ravioli, arugula, broccoli, and Marcona almonds in a celery root sauce with Parmesan cheese. Another favorite is the pork and ginger meatloaf with a duo of mashed potatoes and a red wine demi sauce.

Thyme is open Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30am to 2:30pm for lunch and 5 to 9pm for dinner. Reservations are recommended for dinner and can be made at lunch for groups of six or larger.