HELP! Woodstock/Queechee/Killington, VT

[cheereeo70]

I have searched the topics for info on Vermont and Woodstock and everything appears to be really ancient or talks all about Burlington. Please help!

We will be driving up from Southwestern CT to Vermont in July for a Saturday Noon wedding at the Killington Grand Resort in Killington, Vermont. My husband and I figured we'd drive up early Friday and perhaps stay in the Woodstock area because it is on the way and it appears to be a nice place to visit/quaint shops, etc. Any other suggestions are welcomed. Currently, we are booked at the Killington Inn, but I am worried that it is in the middle of nowhere!

I have to tell you a bit about me and my husband. We don't get to get away for a romantic night alone a lot (we have a 4-year old). We are a biracial middle-class couple. (Sorry, I hate to have to tell everyone this but even in this day and age it can sometimes effect the way we are treated at restaurants and hotels.) Anyway, I am a major foody, my husband just loves to eat. Not big drinkers. We don't mind high prices for a great meal--we live close to NYC and are used to expensive places. We want to avoid Italian since it is so good in our area. No Mexican. Not a huge fan of Prix Fix. We'd like a continental type place that is not overly pretentious (no table sweeping please). Need help with both one-night great restaurant and one-night hotel stay.

Please help. I am desperate for someone who knows good food and a nice place to stay. So far, my research has lead me to The Jackson House Inn & Restaurant, Hemingway's in Killington. How far of a drive is Woodstock to Killington? Does it make sense to stay there the night before and then drive to Killington the next morning for the Noon wedding.

Feel free to direct me somewhere else. I've done the Tripadvisor thing. I'm reading mixed reviews on some of the hotels and restaurants. Just cannot be snobby; my husband will hate that.

Thank you all so much in advance.

[opinionatedchef]

egullet is great at many things but chowhound.com is the best source for up to date restaurant info. you will find lots about your vt. areas.

[Scargo]

Hemingway's is excellent and I don't consider them snobbish; but the service was good. They may clean the crumbs... We ate in a semi-private alcove off the diningroom and had a wonderful, romantic experience. We are 60 YO active, experienced travelers.

We have had several really good, high-end meals at Birch Ridge Inn, (http://www.birchridge.com/) in Killington. You could stay there, too.

I have posted a number of times about the area so you might want to look at my posts. I would like to help more but I lost my list of restaurants in a PC crash.

Choices, in Killington is OK for a decent meal but beware of those saying "fine dining" if they don't have the reviews or reputation. We were burned a number of times when we winged it.

Look for a small, chef owned and operated place around Killington. There was one that we ate at several times, and enjoyed. Usually the service is very personal, but not stiff.

Most of our experiences are during skiing season so I can't help further with accomodations.

[cheereeo70]

I will definitely check out Chowhound. I did further research last night and found a chef-owned inn and restaurant that looked really good--Parker House Inn and Restaurant in Quechee. I may inquire, but please keep any others coming. www.parkerhouseinn.com

I also had noted Birch Ridge Inn, so that is a good sign.

Glyn: I must say that I checked out your profile in order to read your past VT posts and you look great for "60s." See, too, you are from New Haven area; any new finds recently--went a second time to Kudeta, and it definitely was better than my first visit--can't beat the atmosphere, although I still don't think their thai offerings are very authentic.

Edited May 22, 2007 by cheereeo70 (log)

[Margo]

There's no getting around it: you are going to the middle of nowhere.

Simon Pearce in Quechee is good, although I should say I've only been for lunch and some time ago.

[nixienox]

I can second the Simon Pearce recommendation. Plus, my husband and I loved http://www.woodstockfarmersmarket.com/ for carryout. Great coffee and sandwiches and baked goods. We ate the first evening in the tavern room at the Kedron Valley Inn. It was just fine to eat an unfussy meal by a fireplace. The rest of our Woodstock stay we didn't really find any good food, perhaps because we were avoiding like the plague anything that might be stuffy.

[Scargo]

Glyn:  I must say that I checked out your profile in order to read your past VT posts and you look great for "60s."  See, too, you are from New Haven area; any new finds recently--

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I updated my photo to a real picture of me. I am 60. At one time I thought disguising myself was important if I wanted to anonymously review restaurants....

I have not been out much lately since I became a "gentleman farmer". I put in a vegetable garden (25 X 35) and an herb garden (30 X 20) this spring so I have been very busy at home and I usually cook about 12 meals a week. We can now live off all the lettuce and spinach it is producing.

I can't remember my last memorable meal in the New Haven area! I guess I can't complain too much about the lack of egullet participation for our area anymore. I do plan on visiting some farmer's markets in the Seymour area, to fill in the blanks for what I am not growing, and will report back on that.

Oh, I remember; my last memorable meal was at the Somers, CT chili cookoff!

[GordonD]

I live just down the road, and the Inn at Long Trail could cover either the stay or the restaurant. The dining room there has an oatmeal-crusted chicken with a maple-lemon cream sauce that is fabulous, and the Guinness stew served in the bar has been written up in Gourmet.

There's also a place a little further down the mountain called Heli's that does pretty good German/central European food. I've had some really great veal there.

[Scargo]

GordonD,

Good to see you're still at it. I remember you gave me a recommendation for The Panda Pavillion here on EG in March of 2005! I guess you are still the local paper's food editor? Do restaurants vary from spring through winter or do they stay pretty consistent (and open)?

[GordonD]

GordonD,

Good to see you're still at it. I remember you gave me a recommendation for The Panda Pavillion here on EG in March of 2005! I guess you are still the local paper's food editor? Do restaurants vary from spring through winter or do they stay pretty consistent (and open)?

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Most of the places around here are open year-round, though some on the mountain will close for a month or two in the summer.

Did you wind up going to the Panda?

[pkeibel]

We ate last year at Hemmingway and had the tasting menu. I would not recommend it. For the price of the dinner the meal was not spectacular and the flow of the service left us waiting, at one time we waited 40 minutes between courses. I would second Simon Pearce and have heard but not verified that Three Clock Inn in Londonderry is good