New England - Editor’s Favorites

Vermont -- Breakfast From the Farm Down the Road Is Sure to Be Fresh

The Farmers Diner in Quechee has an admirably short motto: Food From Here. The ethos of the Farmers Diner is to serve fresh foods from nearby farmers and producers. The goal is to serve rich and wholesome food while putting the brakes on the waste caused by transporting food long distances from farm to table. What’s in it, you might ask, for the eater? The answer -- served in every plate -- is good taste and high quality. The Farmers Diner’s menu even offers local pedigrees for its offerings: Harpoon Handcrafted Soda, Strafford Organic Real Milkshakes, Champlain Orchards apple cider, Vermont Liberty Tea, meats from Vermont Smoke & Cure and PT Farms, flour from King Arthur Flour from Norwich. This is darn good food with a love-the-Earth and love-your-GI tract attitude. Phone: 802-295-4600.

Massachusetts -- Brookline Tour Unveils a Tasty History of Jewish Food

So you think you know Jewish food? You might be surprised by the treasures of this cuisine that await in Brookline. Join the Brookline Food Tour for a three-hour walking tour of Brookline's Harvard Street and Coolidge Corner, and for a chance to visit many of the town's treasured Jewish food stores and restaurants - including Zaftig's, Kupel's Bagels, and the Butcherie. Along the way, you taste samples of gefelte fish, matzo ball soup, latkes, falafel, and kosher wines, and you will discover traditions behind the food. You will learn about kosher rules, holidays, and the influence of different cultures on Jewish cuisine. You will feel the rich history of Jewish Brookline and hear anecdotes about the owners of the various establishments. Tour is held Sundays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., rain or shine. Participants meet in the intersection of Harvard Avenue and Commonwealth Avenue. Phone: 617-821-7667.

Rhode Island -- Ciao! However You Spell It, Federal Hill Is the Place for Italian Food

Food Network Chef Mario Batali calls Providence’s Federal Hill neighborhood “one of the five best” Little Italy neighborhoods in the United States. Federal Hill is one of the most densely populated and largest Italian settlements in the nation. Italian restaurants, specialty and gourmet food shops, bakeries, and boutiques, among other businesses, line a mile-long strip of Atwells Avenue through this historic and authentically Italian section of Providence. From downtown Providence, visitors enter Atwells Avenue by passing below an arch bearing an ornate iron image of La Pigna, the Italian symbol of welcome. Most businesses on Federal Hill are family-owned. Live chickens, traditionally strong espresso and cappuccino, pastries and biscotti, cuts of cheese, meats, wine, olive oils, marmalades are available, as are a diverse and authentic selection of excellent Italian restaurants. Among the many fine restaurants are Camille's, Cassarino's Restaurant, Pane e Vino, and the Blue Grotto Restaurant.

Rhode Island -- Clam Chowder Doesn’t Get Better Than This

In the Ocean State, clams are found along the shores of Narragansett Bay and in the many salt ponds and estuaries along Rhode Island’s 400-mile coastline. Quahogs, the larger variety of clams, are used to make the famously delicious clam chowder. The Rhode Island version of clam chowder is made with a clear broth – no cream – thereby allowing the ocean-salty flavor of the clams to take center stage. Even in Rhode Island, though, the creamy New England clam chowder and the tomato-based Manhattan clam chowder are also widely served. The city of Newport holds a yearly Great Chowder Cook-off competition, when cooks compete for the title of the best chowder. The Mooring Restaurant in Newport (401-846-2260) took first place in 2007, so that is a good place to begin your taste survey of clam chowder. Also, the Boat House in Tiverton (401-624-6300), in the East Bay region, has won awards for most creative chowder.

Maine -- Cold River Mixed with Potatoes Builds this Maine Vodka
 

Innovative Mainers are always on the lookout for ways to add value to their staple crops. This principle was the starting point for the creation of Cold River Vodka at the Maine Distilleries in Freeport, which transforms Maine potatoes into the crystal beverage. At Cold River’s distillery, visitors are welcome to attend tours of the distillery and watch the vodka-making process as it moves the spuds through grinding, cooking, fermenting, distilling, and blending. According to a January 3, 2008 Time magazine article about small liquor distilleries across the United States, "The microdistilling industry is exactly where the microbrew industry was 20 years ago." The distillery and its gift shop are open Tuesdays through Saturdays. The gift shop is well worth a browse. It is filled with unique, beautiful items, from vodka to etched glassware to gift baskets to Maine potatoes. Phone: 207-865-4828.

New Hampshire -- Balsams is Truly a Grande Dame of the North

A 15,000-acre resort set high in New Hampshire's White Mountains, the Balsams Grand Resort in Dixville Notch offers a spectacular setting and activities all year. Excellent dining is consistently named as one of the most popular guest activities. White linens, sterling utensils, heavy mahogany furniture, waiters donned in bowties and gold paisley vests set the stage for the main attraction, which is the exceptional food and drink. The resort has been included in the 2007 Conde Nast Gold List, which represents the top 700 hotels and resorts in the world. The Balsams is one of only several hotels in the entire United States that received a perfect score of 100 percent for its food from Conde Nast. If you would like to experience the best of the best in the culinary world, a visit to the Balsams Grand Resort dining room should be on your culinary to-do list. Phone: 877-225-7267.

Vermont -- Crowns for Cooks: Royal Standards Reign Here

America's oldest flour company, King Arthur Flour in Norwich -- founded in 1790 – is headquartered in Norwich in a large timber-frame building known as “Camelot”. The Bakery on the property has been named one of the "10 great places to harvest a bounty of artisan breads" by USA Today. For travelers who also love to bake and taste (and taste and bake…) a visit to Camelot is essential. The Baker’s Store offers hard-to-find ingredients, tools, bread machines and other appliances, gadgets, professional bake ware, and King Arthur Flour mixes. At The Baker's Store, visitors can sign up for classes, purchase a baking-related gift, and get baking tips from professional bakers. The Baking Education Center welcomes all bakers, regardless of skill level. Many classes are only a few hours or a day in duration – easy to fit into a vacation schedule. Phone: 802-649-3361.

Rhode Island -- Bakers and Dairy Farmers Working Hand-in-Hoof

To begin with, 130 Holstein cows give a lot of milk. Wright’s Dairy Farm and Bakery, a family-run operation in North Smithfield, milks that number of cows daily. The farm pasteurizes its own milk, which is sold at a retail store on the farm property, along with a luxurious variety of homemade baked goods like pastries, cookies, butter shortbread, éclairs, cakes, and tarts. Whipped cream made on the property fills the cream puffs, zeppoles, and rich chocolate cakes. The family business has been in continuous operation for more than 100 years and recipes for the baked goods have been handed down from generation to generation. Everything in the bakery is made on premises. The bakery doors open at 8 a.m. Visitors are welcome to come into the dairy barn from 3 to 5 p.m. daily, to watch the milking process and visit the animals. Phone: 877-227-9734.

Connecticut -- Dedicated Carnivores Should Visit this Brazilian Restaurant
 

Unabashed lovers of meat dishes need to make tracks for Churrascaria Braza in Hartford, a unique dining experience modeled after the Brazilian tradition of serving slow-roasted meats at tableside. This tradition originated in the south of Brazil in the 1800s. The concept is to serve a wide variety of different cuts of beef, pork, lamb, and poultry in succession at tableside. Menu is a fixed price for all you can eat. Dinner starts with a buffet of salads, peel-and-eat shrimp, grilled vegetables, and appetizers. To start tableside meat service, guests use a small disk with a green side and a red side. The green side signals waiters to begin service; red stops service. Dinner consists of 12 to 15 selections of different meats, seasoned carefully and slow-roasted over an open rotisserie. Just remember: leave your vegan friends at home. Phone: 860-882-1839.

Rhode Island -- DeWolf Tavern Is an East Bay Luxury of Food and Views

Rhode Island is blessed with an abundance of excellent restaurants as a consequence of its ethnic diversity, talented chefs, and the culinary arts program of Johnson & Wales University. One standout restaurant in the East Bay is DeWolf Tavern in the town of Bristol. The restaurant has a list of awards and commendations almost as long as its menu, including a recommendation in the February 2007 issue of Conde Nast Traveler. DeWolf Tavern is located in a historically renovated stone warehouse on the Thames Street Landing waterfront. Guests can enjoy the bay breeze on the patio in the warmer weather, or pop inside to enjoy the fireplace and a meal prepared by Chef Sai Viswanath. Chef Sai has created a cuisine that interprets contemporary American cuisine through the flavorful prism of Indian cuisine. Open daily, but call ahead for seasonal changes in hours. Phone: 401-254-2005.

Connecticut -- Downtown Chic Finds a Home in South Norwalk
 

Historic South Norwalk, better known as SoNo, is delightful mixture of classy and tasteful restaurants, shops, and clubs, museums and galleries. The neighborhood is anchored by the Maritime Aquarium on North Water Street, and it includes the Norwalk Museum, the Norwalk Hat Factory (now a traditional hardware store), Oyster Shell Park (with views of Norwalk Harbor). Our interest here is in food, and it is plentiful. Among the choices in this pedestrian-friendly area are Goccia Ristorante (Italian) at 203-642-3355, Barcelona Wine Bar (Mediterranean) at 203-899-0088, El Acapulco (Mexican) at 203-853-6217, Habana (Cuban) at 203-852-9790, Kazu (Japanese) at 203-866-7492, O’Neill’s Pub & Restaurant (Irish) at 203-838-0222, and The Loft (a martini bar) at 203-838-6555, as well as steak and seafood eateries. Keep an eye on local calendar listings for food- and history-related festivals at SoNo. They include the SoNo Arts Celebration (in August), the Norwalk Jazz Festival (July) and the Norwalk Oyster Festival (September).

Connecticut -- Elegance in Every Detail Describes Foxwoods’s Paragon
 

The word paragon means the tops, and the Paragon restaurant at Foxwoods Casino and Resort in Ledyard fits that description in any number of ways. First, it is situated on the 24th floor of the Grand Pequot Tower, with stunning views of the Connecticut countryside. Next, Paragon is one of only seven Connecticut restaurants to earn the AAA Four-Diamond rating. A French- and Asian-influenced menu tempts sophisticated palates with lobster thermidor, Wolfneck Farms organic ribeye steak and spring lamb rack. At Paragon, diners can indulge in caviar and select from tableside service of carved Dover sole or Chateaubriand for two. A comprehensive wine selection is also offered. An elegant setting for a pre- or post-show drink, the Champagne Bar offers more than two dozen champagnes by the bottle, half-bottle or glass as well as a variety of champagne cocktails and martinis. Is Paragon the tops? Hmmm... could be. Phone: 800-FOXWOODS.

Connecticut -- Feed Your Mind at This Book-Laden Eatery
 

Feed the belly; feed the brain. That could be the motto of the Traveler Restaurant in Union, in the northeastern corner of Connecticut. The restaurant is a combined eatery and used book bin, which, for many of us, is pretty close to heaven. In addition to the solid, satisfying American cuisine served year-round, Traveler welcomes every diner to take three used books from the restaurant’s collection. While waiting for your meal, you can browse and find just about anything you can imagine: children’s books (just say “no” to video in the car), fiction and non-fiction, cookbooks, you name it. About 5,000 selections are available for diners to browse and take. Downstairs, in the Book Cellar, you can choose even more selections, for a small price. The menu offers a variety of offerings, including vegetarian meals and a kids’ menu. For the head or the stomach, it’s all good. Phone: 860-684-4920.

Massachusetts -- Fruit Jams Take Center Stage at this Historic Kitchen

Vacation is not a time you want to find yourself in a jam, with one exception. The Green Briar Jam Kitchen in East Sandwich is a place to watch fruit jam being made as it was done in the early 20th century. The kitchen was founded by Ida Putnam in 1903 and today it is a living history museum. The kitchen still operates using Ida’s recipes; workers prepare the jams, jellies, relishes, and pickles the old-fashioned way, cooked in the oldest commercial solar-cooking operation in the country. You can even sign up for a jam-making workshop. The kitchen shares this property with the Green Briar Nature Center, which has natural history exhibits and nature trails through the Briar Patch conservation area, and the Thornton W. Burgess Museum, dedicated to Burgess, a Sandwich native and children’s book author. Open year-round; call for hours. Phone: 508-888-6870.

Maine -- Gift Baskets from this Pantry Are Fine-Tuned With Regional Delicacies
 

Gift baskets from Maine’s Pantry in Portland that are personalized by region make a great treat to take home from vacation. Baskets feature Maine’s wonderful regional specialty foods, like wild blueberry jam, maple syrup, stoneground mustard, and dozens of other delights that are made the old-fashioned way, from farmhouse recipes in small batches. Gift baskets with names like Vinalhaven Variety or Acadia Breakfast or Moose River Snack present treats with traditional connections to the region, like Bar Harbor Clam Chowder, Haven’s Salt Water Taffy, Maine-Made Maple Sugar Candy, and Wilbur’s of Maine Malted Milk Balls. Much of the business is mail-order, but the company has a walk-in retail store at 111 Commercial Street. The offerings are not only delicious, but beautifully packaged and fun to browse. It’s a natural way to take a bit of vacation home with you. Phone: 877-228-2028.

Maine -- Gritty McDuff Invites You to Raise a (Really Big) Mug
 

It’s is easy to love this place based on its name alone. The newest location for Gritty McDuff’s Brew Pubs -- after Portland and Freeport -- is in Lewiston/ Auburn on the banks of the Androscogging River, where the pub is a central figure in the revitalized waterfront of this historic community. The brew pub is a warm space in the classic Gritty style, with long tavern tables, copper bar top, and traditional brick work. The deck offers the best riverfront views in town. Hearty, authentic pub fare rolls out of the kitchen year-round. When the original Gritty's Brew Pub opened in Portland in 1988 it became Maine's first brew pub since prohibition and a leader in the state's microbrew revolution. Since then, local people and visitors from around the world have been enjoying the small-batch ales brewed on-premise and old world pub atmosphere. Phone: 207-376-BREW.

Vermont -- Harvest Market Offers Gourmet Choices With European Infusion

A down-home, pretty, rustic exterior greets shoppers at Harvest Market in Stowe, but that is only the start of the story. The proprietor brought to this gourmet food store her years of experience sampling food at eateries throughout Europe. Her knowledge of the Continent is on display in the many choices of cheeses, wines, olives and oils, condiments, and coffees. A wonderful option is the assortment of homemade meat and vegetable dishes and soups to take out. The breads, made in wood-burning ovens, are made from natural ingredients, and the desserts, made from scratch, are divine (look for the brownies and lemon squares). The lead coffee is the Green Mountain brand, of course. And the gifts! Gift baskets can be chosen by theme, like Breakfast Fare, Chocolate Lovers, or The Sushi Chef. The treats are ready to go even for the folks back home. Open daily, year round. Phone: 802-253-3800.

Maine -- Historic Diner Adds Updated Choices to Its Classic Fare
 

The town of Gardiner is home to a 1946 Worcester Lunch Car Company diner known as the A1 Diner. The A1 has been in continuous operation for six decades, serving traditional diner food made from scratch along with a newer menu of world and ethnic cuisines. In addition to the solid food and authentic setting, the A1 is a magnet for diner-philes for other reasons. Its history is told in a new book by Sarah Rolph titled "A1 Diner – Real Food, Recipes & Recollections." Also next door to the A1 is the newer A1 to Go, a grocery store / café / wine-and-cheese shop and coffee bar. The A1 has been featured on the Food Network and it appears on the 100 Best listings in the February 2008 issue of Saveur magazine. People who love diners need to place this on their must-do list. Open daily, year-round. Phone: 207-582-5586.

Rhode Island -- Archives of Cooking History Is a Fascinating Exploration

The Culinary Arts Museum at Johnson & Wales University in Providence is a unique museum devoted to preserving the history of the culinary and hospitality industries. The museum contains more than 500,000 culinary items like antique stoves, kitchen gadgets of all vintages, a display of presidential state dinners, and other culinary showpieces. Within the overall museum are several specialty museums including the stove museum and the American Diner Museum, and the New England Tavern. See cookbooks dating back to the 1500s, more are than 4,000 menus, art works, artifacts, silver, kitchen gadgets, advertisements, autographs, and culinary showpieces. Julia Child and other famous chefs, restaurateurs, and food and wine-related corporations from around the world have been donating pieces or entire collections to this museum since collecting began in 1979. Phone: 401-598-2805.

New Hampshire -- Home-Grown Vegetables and Local Seafood Leap Off the Menu

Portsmouth restaurant owners are becoming more and more inspired to create masterpieces using ingredients from the bounty of the sea caught just outside their doors and from the local farms just over the hills. The cuisine of Ben Hasty, chef at The Dunaway Restaurant at Strawbery Banke, has been receiving recognition and prestigious awards, including the Best of New England 2007 and Yankee Editors' Choice 2007. This chef, a former farmer from Maine, and his staff use the fish, fowl, vegetables, fruits, and herbs produced within a few miles of Portsmouth. In season they also include the herbs, fruits, and vegetables that they grow in their own kitchen garden. This restaurant is considered to be a hot spot so be sure to make reservations before heading over for your culinary delights. Phone: 603-373-6112.

Vermont -- If You’re Serious About Good Beers, Pull Over Here

A visit to the Flat Street Brew Pub in Brattleboro is a step into many pleasures, gustatory and visual and historic. The Brew Pub is located in the historic Latchis Building, a landmark structure built in 1938 and a beauty of the Art Deco style. The Latchis – in the heart of Brattleboro’s downtown – contains a hotel, a movie theater that shows commercial and art films, and charming small shops, in addition to the Flat Street Brew Pub. The pub offers food – try the Ploughman’s Lunch – and a large variety of beers. The Brew Pub features 20 beers on tap, including 10 from the Berkshire Brewing Company, and another 10 representative of Vermont and European micro-breweries. Some of the beer names alone are almost irresistible: Steel Rail, Lost Sailor, Shabadoo Black & Tan, Ommegang Hennepin, Allagash, and Oktoberfest Lager. Open daily at 4 p.m. Phone: 802-257-1911.

Rhode Island -- Italian-Jewish Cuisine Has Roots in Rome, Promoter in Providence

Even before cooking class begins, Chef Walter Potenza of the Walter's Ristorante d'Italia in Providence presents a history lesson about a community of Italian Jews who have lived since the 16th century Rome. Potenza explains, “Over the centuries, Italy's Jews were often isolated from other Jewish communities, so they developed their own traditions of cooking. Roman Jewish food may not conform to the traditions of the Sephardic Jews of Spain and the Middle East, but has a definite Roman influenced cucina.” Then Chef Walter takes people out of the history books and into the kitchen for his hands-on cooking classes and private cooking parties. This spring, the month of March is devoted to ragús and stews and April is the month for fish stews and soups from the Abruzzo region. You don’t need to be Italian or Jewish to join in; you only need to love good food. Phone: 401-273-2652.

Vermont -- Jewel of Colonial Inns Offers Cooking Classes for Guests

The Colonial-style Inn at Essex is a lovely lodging for vacationers and also the state’s premiere culinary resort, since it is home to the New England Culinary Institute. At the inn’s teaching restaurants, future world-class chefs prepare cuisine under the watchful eyes of chef instructors. Guests who have the itch to cook have many opportunities to get into the act. With the Chef Inn Training Package, guests may take part in a hands-on class and prepare a three-course meal as part of their overnight stay. With the Chef's Kitchen Vermont Vacation Package, you can enjoy a private, customized five-course menu prepared, demonstrated, and served by a chef instructor of the institute. Determine your menu theme in advance, and a chef instructor will do the rest. Each course will be created around your chosen theme. Stay, dine, cook, taste, and learn at this classic inn and cooking institute. Phone: 802-878-1100.

Rhode Island -- Johnny Cakes on the Menu Means You’ve Found the Real Rhode Island

In the early1600s, Rhode Island was home to more than 7,000 Native Americans and corn was one of their staple crops. The English adopted corn cultivation, including the practice of grinding corn into a flour-like substance. Corn flour is the basic ingredient of Rhode Island johnny cakes, a thin, crispy corn pancake. (The name is derived from “journey cakes” because they were often made for travel.) A fine place to taste johnny cakes and other breakfast treats is the Seaview Station Family Restaurant in North Kingstown. The food is abundant and good; the waitresses are friendly and attentive; and kids will enjoy the model train, its boxcars plastered with old-time ads for Rhode Island businesses, that travels on a track encircling the main dining room. Open for breakfast and lunch year-round and for dinner on Fridays and Saturdays in the summer. Phone: 401-295-8666.

Vermont -- Kitchen Store Courts Cooks With Demonstrations and Expert Advice

The story of this kitchenware store begins in the 1940s, with a customer list mostly of neighbors and friends buying cutting boards from the nearby woodworking business. From that early history of a woodworking factory’s sales of boards, knife racks, wine racks and spice carousels, the J.K. Adams Kitchen Store in Dorset has evolved into a three-level store of tools and resources for the home cook. The staff of 12 people can tell you anything you want to know about cheeses from the neighboring farms to the intricacies of the newest coffee brewer. Throughout the year, J.K. Adams offers tastings of products and demonstrations of the latest gadgets. From time to time, the store sponsors themed cooking workshops offering techniques for home cooks. During the cold months, the Dorset Farmers Market operates an indoor market in this store’s facilities. Phone: 866-362-4422.

Maine -- Kraut -- Tangy and Sauer – Leads a Big Selection of German Foods
 

Anyone who has tasted Morse’s Sauerkraut, produced in Waldoboro since 1918 according to one simple, four-ingredient recipe, raves over the clean, tangy taste and crisp texture. Historically rooted in the local German community that dates back to the 1600s, the barrel-aged sauerkraut was first produced in 1918 by Virgil Morse for his own family. One autumn, Virgil offered a barrel to the local food store, and demand from the public has not slackened since then. The present owners make the kraut with white cabbage, sugar, salt, a little water, and time. It is never pasteurized or canned. Morse’s also sells homemade coleslaw, pickled beets, baked beans, brown bread, sour mustard pickles, cheeses, and sausages. A restaurant adjoined the food store is open six days a week and is famous for its Reuben sandwiches. Morse’s is a spicy place with a credo of fresh, authentic quality. Phone: 207-832-5569.

New Hampshire -- Learn to Cook a New Creation in an Evening

If you are looking to perfect your cooking skills or maybe just learn some new tricks from seasoned professionals you may enjoy taking one of the many cooking classes offered at the McIntosh College in Dover, home to L’Esprit restaurant. Located in the Seacoast region, just north of Portsmouth, McIntosh College offers classes in the evenings from 6 to 9:30 p.m. With a little advance planning, the one-session classes are easy to fit into a vacation trip. The classes are taught by faculty who bring varied, long-term experience and expertise to their teaching. These classes are designed to be a hands-on learning experience and are open to people of all cooking experience levels. Students are encouraged to ask questions and to discover their passion for food and cooking. Artisan breads, soups, recipes with cheese, and creating a plant-based diet are just a sampling of some forthcoming class offerings. Classes are held at Atlantic Culinary Academy in Dover. Phone: 888-268-2777.

Connecticut -- Leffingwells Martini Bar Takes You Out of this World
 

Among the artistic delights of the spectacular Mohegan Sun in Montville is a jagged, three-story crystal mountain known as Wombi Rock. A zig-zag climb up several short flights of stairs through the mountain takes explorers to Leffingwells martini bar, serving 50 specialty martinis. In addition to the bar, tiny intimate clusters of plush chairs and cocktail tables tucked in cul-de-sacs all through the mountain allow you to snuggle up for a drink and small talk. Overhead is the 150-foot-wide planetarium dome that uses fiber optic technology to project displays of constellations, sun cycles, and clouds. Visitors can view the nighttime sky and constellations as they would appear on a late summer night. Several spots in the three-story mountain offer views of the vast gaming floor below – watch for James Bond to waltz into view. Open daily, 11 a.m. to midnight or later. Phone: 888-226-7711.

Maine -- Chef-Led Classes Offered at this Luxury Inn
 

From November through May, Michael Salmon, chef and owner of the Hartstone Inn in Camden, welcomes guests to a weekend lodging package that includes cooking classes. Classes with Chef Michael cover a wide range of topics, from regional and ethnic cuisines to seasonal offerings. Classes are informative, entertaining, and filled with delicious food. Weekend packages include lodging, meals, and enrollment in the cooking class. Recent topics have included Autumn Dinner, Holiday Hors 'Oeuvres, Dim Sum, Romantic Dinner for Two, Maine Seafood, Caribbean Cuisine, and Thai Cuisine. OK, say Dim Sum or Thai or are not your special interests. There is another way. Assemble a group of friends and schedule a private cooking class with Chef Michael. Choose from over 25 courses that Michael has put together or choose individual items from his cookbook. Private classes available November through May. Phone: 800-788-4823.

New Hampshire -- Macaroons in the French Tradition Means Almonds and More Almonds

A classic French almond macaroon might be a different taste adventure than what you expect (for one thing, ingredients don’t include coconut). These sweet delights are made by hand by the Price family, operators of St. Julien Macaroons at White Oaks Farm in Sandown. The French recipe dates back to the 1600s and the Price bakers stick to it religiously. Ingredients are crushed almonds, egg white, sugar and honey — no coconut, flour, shortening, salt, egg yolk, leavening or artificial preservatives. The egg white is kosher, and the absence of cholesterol, lactose, and gluten make the macaroons appropriate for many special diets. Don’t crumble at the price of these macaroons; almonds are expensive and only the finest ingredients are used. If you can stop by the shop in person, the almond-scented aroma will greet you before you open the door. The company also operates a mail-order service. Phone: 603-887-2233.

New Hampshire -- Marketplace Presents an Array of Fine Food (Even for the Dog)

If you are traveling in the Seacoast area be sure to stop into the Durham Marketplace for a trove of enticing fresh and prepared foods, many of them locally grown. This unique grocery store has a large selection of locally produced and organic food items, popular wines, an exclusive selection of Champagnes, and one of the best specialty food selections in New England. The prepared meals in the form of platters, like the Crab Claws and Dip Platter and the Gourmet Meat Platter, are works of art to the eye. Fresh seafood and meats are abundant, and the marketplace has a wide range of gift baskets with themes such as "Pepper-Head" with hot sauces and salsas, and "Laundry Baskets” for college students. Don’t hold back from taking home some of New Hampshire-made hot sauces, salsas, spices, trail mix, local honey or doggie treats. Phone: 603-868-2500.

Maine -- Moody’s Diner Serves Good Food, Without Phony ‘Quaint’
 

Moody’s Diner, Motel, Cabins, and Gift Shop on Route 1 in Waldoboro is not a place you patronize only for its food (even though the blueberry muffins won a gold medal from the Culinary Hall of Fame). You also go to Moody’s because the place has been around forever (well, 51 years), and it is family-operated, and it simply has heart. Moody's began in 1927 when P.B. Moody built three small cabins and a small restaurant near the highway. On its website, the diner’s owners assure us that the business is the real McCoy. They write: “Moody's is not a 'quaint-on-purpose' tourist attraction. It has survived, prospered and grown because of good food, reasonable prices and quick, pleasant service. There are people who eat at Moody's everyday, and those who come in every time they travel to Maine. All are made welcome.” Phone: 207-832-7785.

Vermont -- Never Miss a Chance to Taste More Vermont Chocolate

Almost every region of Vermont is home to many local chocolate producers. For a chocolate tour of the Northern region of the state, here are some do-not-miss stops. At Lake Champlain Chocolates Factory Store in Burlington (800-465-5909) you can take a free tour of the factory (daily except Sundays) and watch the creation of these delicious confections. Free samples are plentiful and a retail store on the property makes it easy to take the treats back home. At Laughing Moon Chocolates in Stowe (802-253-9591), open daily, customers can watch as chocolates are cooked and hand-dipped. Laughing Moon also makes its our own fudge, ice cream, and ice cream sauces; it serves baked goods and specialty coffee and hot chocolate. Demonstrations and workshops are available. Out on the Lake Champlain Islands you can find a smart chocolate niche at Vermont Nut Free Chocolates in Grand Isle (888-468-8373). These gourmet, hand-made chocolate truffles, fruit creams, caramels, raisin clusters and novelty items are free of nuts, opening a wonderful new world for people with nut allergies.

Connecticut -- New Haven – Inventor of the Pizza – Serves the Best Pies Anywhere
 

According to legend, the American version of the pizza was born in New Haven in the early 1900s, created by Frank Pepe, an Italian restaurateur (note to New York and Philly: we are not prepared to mediate any Creation Story disputes). As the New Haven story goes, Pepe opened his first pizzeria on Wooster Street and in 1938 his nephew left the family business and opened his own pizzeria, Sally's. Later, Pepe moved out of his original store, now called The Spot, and opened a larger restaurant. Today, Frank Pepe's Pizzeria (157 Wooster Street at 203-865-5762) and Sally's Apizza (237 Wooster Street at 203-624-5271) and Frank Pepe's The Spot (163 Wooster Street at 203-865-7602) are among the top choices of pizza connoisseurs. Note that these establishments are within burping distance of each other, so a comparison tour along Wooster Street is always a great option for a long Saturday afternoon.

New Hampshire -- No Longer Candy Counter Exists Anywhere (Guinness Says So)

Littleton, a little town with a warm, inviting Main Street, is home to Chutters, a general store that is reported to have appeared in the dreams of candy lovers. The central feature of Chutters is a counter loaded with an incredible amount of sweet and sour, tasty, old-fashioned and unusual types of candy. Measuring just a quarter inch shorter than 112 feet and holding 800 jars of treats, this candy counter has been certified by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest candy counter on Earth. You may not be able to try all the candy in one visit but you can get started on your claim to being the first person to have eaten a piece of every candy offered there. Taffy, caramels, Mary Janes, Pixy Stix, bottle caps, licorice twists, rock candy and so much more can be found at Chutters. Phone: 603-444-5787.

Massachusetts -- Portuguese Food Is a Spicy, Seafood-Rich Exploration

Fall River is the native stomping grounds of celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse, so this town had better know something about good cooking. This city also is home of a longstanding Portuguese community, so a visit to Fall River is the best way to discover (or re-discover) this spicy, fish-and-vegetable-rich Mediterranean cuisine. Start at Estoril, a five-star, European-style restaurant known for its unique, unpretentious comfort and great food. Named after a cosmopolitan beach resort town west of Lisbon, Estoril (esh"too-rēl') has a menu that makes it painful to have to make only one dinner choice. Examples from the menu: Shrimp Mozambique sautéed in spicy saffron seasonings with fresh garlic and wine; Portuguese soup with beans, carrots, kale, cabbage, chourico (a Portuguese sausage), beef, and potatoes; and the awesome paella, with littlenecks, scallops, squid, crab, shrimp, chicken, pork, and chourico in a mild yellow rice. Phone: 508-677-1200.

Massachusetts -- Red Lion Inn Preserves a Tavern Offering Hospitality Since 1773

For an authentic, high-New England experience, one of the top destinations is the Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge. Among the dining options here is the cozy Widow Bingham's Tavern, named for Anna Bingham, who, with her husband, Silas, established a general store in Stockbridge in 1773 on the road from Boston to Albany. The store soon evolved into a stagecoach stop, tavern, and inn under the sign of the red lion. Wayfarers who step into the Widow Bingham’s Tavern today will enter a cheerful room of wide-plank floors and dark paneling adorned with authentic historic signs, railroad lamps, and hunting prints. For the thirsty, the selection of beers is impressive. The menu brims with local highlights such as New England clam chowder, butternut squash bisque, local cider, and Equinox Farm field greens with maple vinaigrette from Ioka Farm in nearby Hancock. Phone: 413-298-5545.

Connecticut -- Rustling Wind Cheese Company Raises Cheese Making to Art
 

This story starts with a small dairy in Falls Village whose owner, Joan Lamothe, realized she had to ramp up the value of her milk in order to turn a fair profit. So, in 1998, Lamothe and Florence Brocklehurst, a British native and master cheesemaker, founded Rustling Wind Cheese Company. Cheeses such as Chesire, Wensleydale, and goat cheese are sold at the company store, which is open seven days a week. Along with cheeses, the business has expanded into making and selling jams and jellies, chutneys, pickles and relishes, maple products, goat’s milk fudge, goat milk soap, and hand-knit clothes from the farm’s own sheep’s wool. A relaxing springtime drive to Rustling Winds, located in lovely Litchfield, is a joy all by itself and the cheese and other foods are a superb treat to flavor the day. Phone: 860-824-7084.

Maine -- Simple Elegance and Fine Food Await at in Beautiful Acadia
 

Good, local, fresh seafood and other fine cuisine is only the beginning of the pleasures at the Brooklin Inn in Brooklin, a small coastal village on Eggemoggin Reach. The dinner menu is eclectic and features organic produce and Maine-raised meats and poultry. The inn’s specialty is fresh fish from nearby waters. The Irish Pub is open every day, offering shellfish, haddock sandwiches, Guinness beef stew, and more. One warning: don’t spend so much time at the groaning board that you lose the ambition to get outside and visit the town. WoodenBoat magazine and its school is headquartered in Brooklin, and Center Harbor is just a short walk away. The nearness of Eggemoggin Reach and the general well-kept flavor of the town make Brooklin a beautiful spot to visit. Also nearby are the historic communities of Blue Hill, Castine, all worthy of your time and curiosity. Phone: 207-359-2777.

Massachusetts -- Stir Welcomes Cookbook Browsers and Cooks Who Want to Learn

There are those who love to eat; there are those who love to cook; and there is a hard-core group that loves to simply browse through cookbooks. For all three, there is Stir, a demonstration kitchen and cookbook library in South Boston that is part of the No.9 Group of restaurants and food establishments, under the leadership of Chef Barbara Lynch. Stir offers two major thrills for foodies: the cookbook library, loaded with hard-to-find books, is open to the public. Also, three nights a week, the public can sign up for classes in which 10 to 12 guests sit around a center island in Stir’s kitchen and watch a professional chef prepare and serve a full meal and answer questions from onlookers. Check the website well in advance for class dates and for daytime operating hours. Also available for private events. Phone: 617-423-STIR.

Massachusetts -- Stowaway Sweets Offers Awesome Views, Terrific Chocolates

It is hard to replicate the breathless joy that customers bring to the subject when they describe their love affair with the confections produced (since 1929) by Stowaway Sweets in Marblehead. The smallish candy shop, attached to the cozy Stowaway Suites Bed and Breakfast, is located on a beautiful property boasting a goldfish pond and a wonderful view of the Atlantic. The central topic, though, is the chocolate. Various reviewers have their own favorites, but highlights include the dark chocolate, the Milk Chocolate Meltaway, the almond bark, and the chocolate-covered cherries. And if you really, really can’t bear to leave, the attached bed-and-breakfast in an old English country cottage offers suites, a comfortable sun room, a flower-lined patio, and other luxuries. And you might find a chocolate or two near at hand. Phone: 781-631-0303.

New Hampshire -- Sugar-Free Baked Goods Satisfy Any Sweet Tooth

People who love sweets but cannot eat sugar, take heart. Chatila's Sugar Free Bakery in Salem has conducted extensive research to create extraordinary products that taste great and are good for your body. This business pairs the best ingredients with exceptional recipes to create products that are sugar-free, gluten-free, low sodium, low fat, or kosher dairy-certified. Breads, bagels, pies, cakes, cheesecakes, pastries, muffins, doughnuts and chocolates are available. The bakery’s New Generation Muffins are made with organic almond meal flour; bagels are baked not boiled with very low sodium and there’s no yeast added; the fine Belgium chocolates are sugar-free; and the rich, creamy cheesecakes are sugar-free and gluten-free. Chatila’s is open daily. Phone: 877-619-5398.

Massachusetts -- Talented Boston Chefs Teach and Serve the Best Seafood Choices

Seafood dinners at an aquarium? Do they hang curtains in front of the tanks to ease anxiety by the gill-breathing residents? Seriously, though, the New England Aquarium in Boston offers this year a Celebrate Seafood Dinner Series, offering seafood choices that are good for both the palate and the ocean. This evening combines the talents of some of Boston’s best chefs with the aquarium’s experts on sustainable seafood for a unique dining experience and an introduction to making smart seafood choices. New celebrity chefs will be featured at each of the dinners. The dates are April 1, June 3, October 7 and November 18. Each dinner includes introductions, cooking demonstration, discussion, wine pairing, question-and-answer. These unique dining experiences are a great gift for the foodie, aspiring chef, or seafood lover in your life. The series is part of the aquarium’s effort to ensure that future generations will have plenty of fish. Space is limited and reservations are required. Cost is $75. Phone: 617-973-5200.

Vermont -- The Old Tavern Keeps Reinventing Its Skill at Good Food and Hospitality

Dining pleasure joins hands with historic beauty at the Old Tavern in Grafton, founded in 1801. Chef David Smith creates menus with seasonal ingredients to take advantage of the Vermont Fresh Network, a partnership of Vermont farmers, food producers, and chefs. The Old Tavern describes its food as inspired American cuisine that "explodes with flavor." The chef explains, “Our goal is to present contemporary food that is not only creative and fun, but also recognizable to both the first-time diner and the seasoned traveler. While many items may seem at first to be exotic or foreign, our service staff is extremely helpful and knowledgeable. They are eager to explain ingredients, methods and sources in for any guest.” To us, that means: hammer your server with questions and learn while you dine. Also, the Tavern’s wine list is one of the best in the area. Phone: 800-843-1801.

Rhode Island -- Milk and Honey Bazaar Features Delicacies from California to Europe

Cheese hounds will find a friend at the Milk & Honey Bazaar at Tiverton Four Corners. The neighborhood itself, containing about two dozen charming small specialty stores, is a cluster of buildings dating, in some cases, back to the 1750s. Visitors to the Milk & Honey Bazaar may sample some of the 100 varieties of cheese arriving from France, Spain, Wales, Normandy, Norway, England, Italy, Switzerland, Connecticut, Wisconsin, New York, California, and other cheese-making places. Milk and Honey Bazaar also carries pâtés, smoked meats, olive oils, vinegars, mustards, honey, flatbreads, baguettes, and an assortment of seasonal vegetables. Crackers are a favorite with cheese and the variety here is supreme. They include: Mustard Seed and Black Pepper, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Sea Salt Crackers, Celery Crackers, and Chive Crackers. The staff is happy to advise customers on the best matches of cheeses to crackers, breads and spreads. Phone: 401-624-1974.