LODGING Best Country Place: RABBIT HILL INN, Lower Waterford A Greek Revival gem overlooking the White Mountains, Rabbit Hill defines romance. Most have fireplaces, and many feature double whirlpools and/or canopy beds. The inn also offers a farm-to-table menu in an elegant dining room. Rates: from $199, including afternoon tea and full breakfast. Three-course table […]
LODGING Best New Old Inn: WOODBOUND INN & RESORT, Rindge Aylmer and Cindy Given purchased this property in 2008 and immediately upgraded the interior of the circa-1893 main building to provide some unexpected urban flair at this classic New England inn. The main floor has been redesigned with a stately lobby, a sleek bar, and […]
LODGING Best Green-Friendly Stay: TOPIA INN, Adams The beauty and comfort of this solar- and biodiesel-powered B&B is proof positive that reducing the carbon footprint of your travels doesn’t require sacrificing a thing. Ten artist-designed rooms, unique in their exotic motifs, have been built and furnished exclusively with inert and organic materials. Rates: from $135, […]
LODGING Best Look at the Future: NYLO, Warwick With architectural details such as exposed chrome pipes overhead, this ultramodern hotel combines chic urban flair with a futuristic Jetsons feel. Each of NYLO’s 163 “guest lofts” have large windows and high ceilings; 42 are allergy-free rooms. The onsite gourmet restaurant serves up a fantasyland lounge (think […]
LODGING Best Compound: BREADLOAF MOUNTAIN LODGE AND COTTAGES, Cornwall Bridge Under the same ownership as Housatonic Meadows Fly Shop next door, yet far different. This 1780s lodge has been brought into the 21st century, with five lushly landscaped hillside cottages featuring cathedral ceilings, luxe baths, and dreamy sleeping porches. Rates: from $295. 13 Route 7. […]
DINING Best Catch: FISHERMAN’S CATCH, Wells It’s completely understandable why locals would rather keep the Cardinali family’s off-the-beaten-path chowder and fish joint a secret. This salt-marsh-view restaurant is renowned for its light, crispy, fresh fried fish as well as for its generous lobster rolls–but don’t even think about skipping dessert. The freshly baked blueberry pie […]
DINING Best Renaissance Downtown: NEWPORT, Newport Vermont’s northernmost city has shed its aging lumber port and turns a fresh face toward beautiful Lake Memphremagog. Stroll the boardwalk to the new Steamboat Wharf; then enjoy a meal at the lakeside BoatHouse Grill, lunch at laid-back Montgomery’s Café, or open-kitchen Italian style at Lago Trattoria. BoatHouse Grill, […]
DINING Best Ice-Cream Stand: MEMORIES, Kingston Step onto the wraparound porch to order flavors such as peanut-butter cup, chocolate-chip cookie dough, and Kahlua chip, all made on site at this farm. Then lap up the rural scene, where resident goats and a cow roam the grounds, and picnic tables under the trees offer a place […]
DINING Best Post-Theater Dining: MEZZE BISTRO + BAR, Williamstown This urbane restaurant’s refined wood-beamed and white-linen interior is the go-to spot for Williamstown Theatre Festival patrons and other loyal fans of dramatically good bistro fare. Deceptively simple yet full-flavored local lamb and beef draw rave reviews, and come apple season, it’d be downright criminal to […]
DINING Best Inn Breakfast:STONE’S THROW INN, Narragansett The lavish multicourse breakfast put on by hostess Pam Flavin includes fresh fruit and yogurt, followed by cooked-to-order omelets, baked-apple French toast, or Belgian waffles, with a choice of toppings, plus bacon, sausage, or ham–all served inside a 1902 Victorian cottage within walking distance of the expansive wraparound […]
DINING Best Companions for Your Coffee: ISABELLE ET VINCENT, Fairfield In Alsace the Koenigs ran a seventh-generation patisserie and chocolate shop; lucky for us, they moved here and opened a close facsimile a year ago. Individual pastries are all exquisite, all $4.50; notable among them are the melt-in-your-mouth mille-feuilles (napoleons), for which customers queue up […]
