target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.tjbuckleysuptowndining.com">www.tjbuckleysuptowndining.com. 802/257-4922. Reservations strongly recommended. Main courses $32–$45. No credit cards. Winter Thurs–Sun 5:30pm “til closing;” open Wed in summer and foliage season.
Near Mt. Snow
Dot’s DINER A casualty of catastrophic flooding brought on by 2011’s Tropical Storm Irene, but Dot’s was rebuilt and revived as a local’s favorite. The rule here is good, inexpensive food, served in a classic diner setting—pine paneling, swivel stools at the counter, and checkerboard-patterned linoleum tiles. It’s regionally famous for its chili (kicked up with jalapeño peppers), but other good choices include great pancakes, French toast, shakes, daily chicken specials, hot open-faced sandwiches, and the Cajun skillet: a medley of sausage, peppers, onions, and fries sautéed and served with eggs and melted Jack cheese. There’s now a second Dot’s—known as “Dot’s of Dover”—in Dover ( 802/464-6476), 7 miles north on Route 100.
3 E. Main St., Wilmington. No website. 802/464-7284. Breakfast items $3–$9, lunch and dinner items $4–$19. Beer and wine served. Daily 5:30am–8pm (to 9pm Fri–Sat).
Jezebel’s Eatery AMERICAN Ample portions of comfort food standbys, with an inventive twist, rule the menu at this downtown Wilmington spot nestled into the handsomely restored 1836 Lyman House. Settle into a big Windsor chair and tuck into a half-pound burger, overstuffed Reuben, or muffaletta sandwich at lunch; come back later (OK, the next day) and choose among entrees ranging from classics such as meatloaf, mac and cheese, and chicken and waffles, to herb-crusted prime rib and the not-so-subtly named “hunk of beef,” a big strip steak. Comfort takes on a slightly more sophisticated accent in butternut squash ravioli, a tapenade-stuffed chicken breast, and a vegetable-studded risotto. Equally hearty breakfasts, sad to say, are only served on weekends—look for house-baked muffins, heaps of corned beef hash, and plump omelets known to keep skiers off the slopes ’til noon. They’ll be back later—summer sojourners and leaf-peepers too—for Vermont beers and spirits at the cheery bar.
28 West Main St. www.jezebelseatery.com. 802/464-7774. Lunch items $9–$14; main courses $15–$29. Mon–Fri 11am–9pm; Sat 8am–10pm; Sun 8am–5pm.
Farther Afield
The Free Range AMERICAN Eight miles north of Grafton, on the town common in Chester, this showcase for local provender features chef Jason Tostrup’s take on standards like chili (made here with white beans and chicken), beef bourguignon (served with truffled mashed potatoes), and that now-ubiquitous vegetarian option, gnocchi, made with by-no-means ubiquitous buckwheat. Wash down brunch—go for the ever-changing hash bowl—with an “Ultimate Bloody Mary,” garnished with maple candied bacon and a shrimp. The well-thought-out wine list features 20 wines by the glass.
90 The Common, Chester. www.thefreerangevt.com. 802/875-3346. Brunch items $10–$16, main courses $17–$27. Tues–Sat 5–9pm; Sun 5–8pm. Lunch Fri noon–3pm; brunch and lunch Sat–Sun 10am–5pm.
Woodstock
Woodstock: 265 NE of New York City; 140 miles NW of Boston; 98 miles SE of Burlington; 16 miles W of White River Junction.
For more than a century, the resort community of Woodstock has been considered one of New England’s most exquisite villages, and its attractiveness has benefited from the largesse of some of the country’s most affluent citizens. Even the surrounding countryside is mostly unsullied—it’s pretty difficult to drive here via any route that isn’t pastoral and scenic, and by the time you’re here you’re already feeling as if you’re in another era. Few New England villages can top Woodstock for grace and elegance; the tidy downtown is compact and neat, populated by a handful of shops, galleries, and boutiques. The lovely village green is surrounded by handsome homes, creating what amounts to a comprehensive review of architectural styles of the 19th and early 20th centuries. You could literally throw a stone (but don’t) from the town center and hit a very attractive covered bridge.
A Preserved gem of a Village
One of Vermont’s most scenic and well-preserved villages, Grafton was founded in 1763 and soon grew into a thriving settlement. But as the agriculture and commerce shifted west and to bigger cities, Grafton became a shadow of a town—by the Depression, many of the buildings here were derelict.
Then something remarkable happened. In 1963, Hall and Dean Mathey of New Jersey created the Windham Foundation and began purchasing and restoring the dilapidated center of town, including the old hotel. This foundation eventually came to own some 55 buildings and 2,000 acres around town—even the cheese cooperative was revived. The village sprung back to life, and it’s now teeming with history buffs, antiques hounds, and tourists (instead of farmers and merchants). The Windham Foundation has taken great care in preserving this village, even to the point of burying utility lines so as not to mar the village’s landscape with wires.
Grafton is best seen at a slow pace, on foot, when the weather is welcoming. Unfortunately, none of the grand (and privately owned) historic homes you see in the village are open for tours; it’s a village to be enjoyed with aimless walks outdoors. Start at the Grafton Village Cheese Co. , 533 Townsend Rd. (www.graftonvillagecheese.com; 800/472-3866), a small, modern building where you can buy a snack of the great award-winning cheese and peer through plate-glass windows to observe the cheese-making process. (No tours are allowed for sanitary reasons.) It’s open daily, 10am to 5pm. Sometimes they sell big wheels of the cheese at deep discounts, too.
From the cheese shop, follow the trail over a nearby covered bridge, and then bear right on the footpath along a cow pasture to the cute Kidder Covered Bridge. Head into town via Water Street, and then turn onto Main Street, where white clapboard homes and shade trees are about as New England as it gets.
On Main Street, stop by the Grafton Historical Society Museum (www.graftonhistoricalsociety.com; 802/843-2584)—open Friday to Monday from Memorial Day to Columbus Day (daily in foliage season)—to peruse photographs, artifacts, and memorabilia of Grafton. The suggested donation is $5 per adult. Afterward, have a look at The Old Tavern at Grafton (see p. 498), the impressive town anchor that has served as a social center since 1801. Partake of a beverage at the rustic Phelps Barn Lounge or a meal in one of the dining rooms. If you’d like to see Grafton from a different perspective,
