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BostonNowhere Does Autumn Quite Like New England. These Are the Best Things to Do There in Fall
By Chelsea StuartNew England may be all but ignored for three-quarters of the year, but each fall it gets its due recognition as leaf peepers infiltrate every corner of the region’s six tiny states.
More than just fiery foliage and quaint villages, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and Rhode Island have a lot to offer in the way of culinary know-how, boutique stays, and autumnal cocktails.
Here, a handful of the venues on our must-see list, as well as our take on what to wear while you’re in the neighborhood (and no—we’re not suggesting a stereotypical fleece).
EAT
Drifter’s Wife, Portland, ME
Peter and Orenda Hale’s East Bayside spot is a wine bar first and foremost. But aside from hand-harvested, all natural vino, Brooklyn-esque Drifter’s Wife serves up some mean seafood.
The menu changes daily, but you’ll find dishes like black bass topped with watermelon, creme fraiche, and mint, and hake with eggplant, cherry tomatoes, and radicchio.
Craigie on Main, Cambridge, MA
Just across the Charles from Boston, Craigie on Main whips up seasonally-inspired tasting menus with courses like prosciutto-cured yellowfin tuna and roasted local eggplant.
Though every dish comes straight from James Beard award-winning chef Tony Maws, his pièce de résistance is the off-menu, grass-fed burger which has enjoyed its unwavering status as one of Boston’s best since it hit the scene in 2009.
Oberlin, Providence, RI
Chef Benjamin Sukle first showcased his fine-dining expertise with intimate, tasting-menu-only Birch. But in 2016, he built off of his success there by opening 50-seater Oberlin, a seafood-centric wine bar. Drop by for killer dishes like raw mahi mahi with olive oil and lemon, and potato gnocchi with shellfish and chives.
The Restaurant at Winvian Farm, Morris, CT
The Restaurant at Winvian Farm does the farm-to-table trend one better with seed-to-table dining as they source fresh ingredients from their own organic gardens. Meals here are cozy as they come—rotating seasonal dishes like Guinea hen tortellini, roasted rabbit, and asparagus salad are accompanied by roaring fires in the spot’s candlelit 18th-century dining rooms.
DRINK
The Wallingford Dram, Kittery, ME
Maine’s cocktail culture got a much needed kickstart when the Wallingford Dram opened up shop in 2015. The Kittery watering hole offers beer and wine, but the five-page cocktail list is where things get interesting. Our pick goes to the Old Brown Turkey—a laundry list of a drink that includes bourbon, honey-fig liqueur, malt, pineapple, lemon, cardamon, chili, bitters, and apple coconut foam.
Eastern Standard, Boston, MA
This buzzy Kenmore Square brasserie and bar has been kicking for more than a decade, but that hasn’t put a damper on its popularity. Whether you settle into a red leather booth or saddle up to the marble bar, you’ll find an extensive cocktail list including fall specialities like previous years’ Bodhi Tree, a combo of house-made fig vermouth, Lemon Hart 151 Demerara Rum, allspice, and orange. (Stay tuned for this season’s updated options.)
The Black Trumpet Bistro & Wine Bar, Portsmouth, NH
If romantic and unassuming is what you’re after, Portsmouth has a few options. First on our list is Black Trumpet, a family-owned brick warehouse turned wine bar that overlooks the city’s historic harbor. Though the multi-page wine list can be distracting, don’t miss international bites from chef Evan Mallett, a James Beard award semifinalist, while you’re at it.
The Malted Barley, Westerly and Providence, RI
Craft beer and gourmet pretzels are a combination we’ll never tire of, and when in Rhode Island, low-key Malted Barley knows how to provide. Swing by the OG Westerly locale, or opt for the downtown Providence outpost—either way, regional drafts (and flights), sweet and savory pretzels, and foosball are on the menu.
SEE + DO
Vermont Icelandic Horse Farm, Moretown, VT
Mad River Valley is a New England must-see—especially come autumn when blazing foliage floods the valley and the air is crisp. Take to quaint backroads, sleepy meadows, and Green Mountain slopes on a trail ride atop a shaggy Icelandic horse. Riders of all experience levels can be accommodated.
Mount Washington Cog Railway, Bretton Woods, NH
In 1869, New Hampshire’s Mount Washington Cog Railway made history as the first mountain climbing train in the world. Today, visitors can chug up the mountain on a three-hour, round-trip ride to take in 360 degree views of NH backcountry as it lights up in fiery reds, oranges, and yellows. Don’t forget your camera!
Mohawk Trail, Athol to Williamstown, MA
Running roughly 69 miles from Athol to Williamstown, Massachusetts, the Mohawk is a leaf peeper’s dream. Taking Routes 2 and 2A, foliage fiends follow the trail as it runs parallel to the Deerfield River and over the Connecticut River, with astounding views of the Berkshires and Taconic Mountains all the while.
Drive cautiously as you might run into a bobcat or black bear, but what’s most dangerous is the trail’s infamous hairpin turn—Dead Man’s Curve.
Park Loop, Acadia National Park, Mount Desert Island, ME
When it comes to taking in Acadia’s best coastal views by car, this scenic 27-mile route is the only way to go. Starting at the Hulls Cove Visitor Center (just off Route 3 on the northern side of the island), the road loops past Sand Beach, Thunder Hole, Otter Cliffs, Jordan Pond, and 1,530-foot Cadillac Mountain—the highest point along the North Atlantic seaboard.
This article was published through a partnership with Jetsetter magazine. Read the original story: Your Fall 2018 Weekend Guide to New England by Chelsea Stuart, a regular contributor to Jetsetter.
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