A DOZEN OUT-OF-THE-BOX DINING EXPERIENCES IN MT WASHINGTON VALLEY

From a train to Spain, Mt Washington Valley is filled with uncommon dining surprises

North Conway, NH –If you’re seeking unique experiences that push the envelope, travelers and foodies will find a variety of uncommon dining experiences throughout Mt Washington Valley. With 75 restaurants to choose from, it’s no wonder that every budget, every discriminating taste and every travel group will find a number of options to enjoy in the Valley. Yet, when it comes to those with a keen sense of culinary adventure, there are several options that stand out for those who appreciate the fork less taken.

Wine and Dine

Say goodbye to the traditional dining room (although that is an option here – with a view of the mountains too). Say hello to customized Wine Cellar dinners at the Inn at Thorn Hill. Known for its luxury accommodations, dining here is equally fine, especially when you arrange with the innkeepers for a very special and private dinner in the wine cellar. The cellar is accessible down a wrought iron staircase from the main dining room and is available as an exclusive option for intimate groups or couples. The ambiance is cool with warm lighting and natural woodwork stacked with bins of vintages. Hand laid brick floors add to the romanticism of the space and details abound in the one-of-kind space. With over 2000 bottles surrounding the diners, the Inn at Thorn Hill can provide a full-service menu for two by candlelight or provide dining up to 40 with the wall to ceiling glass paned dining space, including the original oak bar that survived the Inn’s devastating fire 15 years ago! The Inn at Thorn Hill also offers four-course wine pairing dinners. The inn pairs with Klinkerbrink Wineries, Rose Dinners this summer and a Cabernet dinner coming up in November. Info: www.InnatThornHill.com.

Dine around the world

For more than 25 years, the Appalachian Mountain Club has taken adventure seekers on a culinary journey quite literally around the world. Throughout the winter, join the Appalachian Mountain Club on Wednesday evenings for their annual International Dinner and Adventure Series at AMC Pinkham Notch Visitor Center/Joe Dodge Lodge. Each week a unique four-course menu featuring foods from a different country is served – from fresh baked breads to dessert. Beverages are included, and diners may bring their own adult beverages – especially if they coincide with the country of the night. All menu items are prepared fresh in the AMC kitchen. Then after dinner, a program featuring a cultural and inspirational adventure to the country of the nightis presented by local and regional guides, explorers, or travelers. Dinner is traditionally served at 6:00pm, and the program follows dinner. There is a cost for the dinner, but all programs are free and open to the public. Reservations are recommended as this dinner series has quite a following. Info: http://www.outdoors.org/.

Rail & Kale

Relive the aura of yesteryear and the allure of railroading aboard theConway Scenic Railroad’selegant Dining Car “Chocorua”. This is truly a “dinner with a rolling view” experience.Built in 1929 for service as a coach on the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, “Car 2570” was remodeled and put into service on the Conway Scenic RR in 1992. During the busy season (June 9-October 22, 2017),lunch is served daily in the Chocoruaon the 11:30 a.m. departure to Bartlett (1 3/4 hr.) and on the 1:30 p.m. departure to Conway (55 min.) The contemporarylunch menuincludes an appetizer, a variety of entree selections, and dessert. On selected evenings, partake in fine cuisine and a leisurely 1-3/4-hour journey “over the river and through the woods” of the Mt. Washington Valley countryside on a “Sunset” departures from North Conway to Bartlett. The four course dinner menu includes appetizer, salad, a choice of entree and dessert prepared by the culinary team at Attitash Mountain Resort especially for the railroad. Twice a year, the Conway Scenic Railroad also presents a Murder Mystery Dinner, complete with a four-course meal and whodunit that involves every diner. Not only will you dine in costume, but each bite will be “outside the play” as you get closer to solving the make-believe murder. The next Murder Mystery Dinners occur October 20, 21, 27 and 28, 2017. Info: www.ConwayScenic.com.

And speaking of rail dining, venture to Red Parka Steakhouse and Pub in Glen, NH and you just might choose to dine in the caboose. This private dining room is converted from a real working caboose, and perfect for those trainiacs who just can’t get enough railroading history, along with a great steak too. Info: www.redparkapub.com.

Farm to Table

Dine on food from whence it came, as much of the food you’ll enjoy at White Gates Farm’s Farmhouse dinners will have been grown literally just steps from the dining table. This Farm-To-Table dinner and tours feature a multi-course farm dinner experience showcasing 100-percent farm-fresh organic produce and meats, complemented by tours of the farm and its operations. You’ll be greeted upon arrival with a glass of fresh lemonade to take with you on a walking tour of the farm. During the tour, you’ll be introduced to White Gates Farm’s biodiesel operation, the starter house and greenhouses, cows in the field, layer hens, broiler chickens in the field and chicks in the brood house. Tours will be conducted by the knowledgeable farmers themselves, who will entertain as well as inform. Then return to the farmhouse because you are invited to stay for dinner on the farmer’s porch for a dinner featuring locally sourced and grown goodness. Sign up quickly because space is limited and these dinners sell out quickly. In fact, some already are. Upcoming dinners with space include August 25, September 3, October 7, October 20, 2017. Info:Click here.

Chop Chop: Taste and stay

Attend the Taste of the Mountains Cooking School at the Bernerhof Inn B&B in Glen, NH, and not only will you make your own dinner, you’ll take home new kitchen prowess too. Whether you’re already a foodie or aspiring to be one, you’ll learn from the kitchen masters here. Taste of the Mountains Cooking School instructors are local and visiting chefs all continuing the tradition of the inn’s culinary school over the years. TheTaste of the Mountains Cooking Schoolhas a New Hampshire legacy. It started in 1981 in collaboration with Chef Steven Raichlen, a classically trained, multi-award-winning chef, author, journalist, cooking teacher, TV host and five-time James Beard award-winner for his cookbooks. Each three-hour, hands-on cooking class focuses on a seasonal cuisine or technique, making at-home cooks into chefs and entertainers extraordinaire. Each class includes a three to four hour, hands-on instruction class, recipes from the menu for that day to take home, A Taste of the Mountains Cooking School apron, food tastings/meal from the recipes prepared, wine, beer or iced tea to accompany meal and a photo with the Chef/Instructor. Guests of A Taste of the Mountains Cooking School can combine an inn getaway with a gourmet experience plus take home a wonderful collection of recipes, new skills, and a few gifts from the inn too. In addition to the hands-on cooking classes A Taste of the Mountainsoffers wine classes and private cooking parties too. Info: Click here.

Grab a lift to a new (l)attitude

Talk about dining with a view. Latitude 44°Restaurant at Bretton Woods Resortoffers a 360-degree expansive view from the deck surrounding the restaurant. Take in the magnanimous mountain vista including steam from the mountain-climbing Mt Washington Cog Railway chugging its way up Mt Washington, as you dine on the deck. But it’s not just about the view. The only way to get here is via chairlift from the bottom of Bretton Woods Ski Resort, unless you want to hoof it up to 44° on the mountain.Yet that’s half the fun – take a lift up the mountain and hike back down in the summer or ski down in the winter. Located mid-mountain at Bretton Woods Resort, take the Bethlehem Express Hi-Speed Quad to the Latitude 44° Restaurant and you’re treated to delicious food topped off with the spectacle of Mt. Washington and the Presidential Range from the summit of the ski resort. "Lat 44" offers a sit-down lunch, with fast service and a menu rich with wholesome and filling fare. Great burgers, hearty sandwiches, soups and a full bar featuring the signature Latitude 44° beer. Note: lift tickets must be purchased during the ski season; chairlift rides are free for diners in the summer. Info: Click here.

And speaking of needing a lift to scenic dining experiences, the Meister Hut at Cranmore Mountain Resort has a new offering. Cranmore’s mountain top Meister Hut now serves as a satellite tasting room for the local Tuckerman Brewery, which is located on Hobbs Street in Conway. Flights of five Tuckerman samples areavailable for sale here, along with single tastings and full pints, and flight purchases include an exclusive souvenir pint glass. In addition, the Meister Hut serves lunch daily along with ice cream from 11:00am-4:00pm. Scenic chairlift rides open for the season Saturday, June 17, run daily through Labor Day and weekends only after Labor Day through Columbus Day. While those interested in visiting the Meister Hut can walk up, single ride scenic chairlift rides must be purchased for $13 per person if one wishes to ride the lift up. To encourage local residents to visit the summit, 2 for 1 scenic chairlift rides will be available for residents for Carroll, Coos and Oxford Counties; must show proof of permanent residency to redeem. Info: Click here.

Beef & Beer

While many restaurants offer a view of the mountains (and this one does too, from certain angles) the prominent view from Moat Mountain Smokehouse and Brewing Co is a bit more steely. Sit in the bar overlooking the stainless-steel tanks creating Moat Mountain Brewing’s brews, and try one of the specialty ales and lagers brewed on site at the restaurant. The 174-seat restaurant and brewery features a range of in-house smoked, vegetarian and gluten free options. Info: https://www.moatmountain.com.

And for those who like their beer fresh, dining in the same location where it’s brewed, another option is the Sea Dog Brewing Company located in North Conway. The restaurant’s large, horse-shoe shaped bar serves 14 beers on tap, including special cask conditioned ales brewed on the premises in the restaurant’s own nano-brewery. Info: www.Seadogbrewing.com.

Another option for beer tasting happens down the road in Conway, NH at the Tuckerman Brewing Company Tasting Room. Enter the tasting room and you’ll immediately see and smell the scent of warm malts and hops and spy the beautiful 43-foot-long bar. Tuckerman Brewing staff are on hand to serve you up a flight of beer samples, some of which are only available in the tasting room. After your tasting, be sure to get in on the guided explanation of the brewing process. And while there’s no food served in the Tasting Room, you’ll find guest caterers on site during the Tuckerman Brewing Co Music Series with concerts scheduled throughout the summer and fall taking place right at the brewery on Hobbs Street in Conway, NH. Info: http://www.tuckermanbrewing.com.

Dine at an Original

Look for the yellow plate and fork flag hanging outside 25 restaurants in Mt Washington Valley and you’ll know you’ve chosen an original. The Valley Originals is a group of locally owned and operated restaurants that have joined together to share the mission of cooperative competitiveness and what a true local eatery should be like. Each Valley Original restaurant is locally owned and non-affiliated with any other eating destination. Food is prepared fresh daily, often from locally sourced purveyors and farms. Dine at a Valley Original and the owner will likely be on the premises to respond to your dining needs and hear your ideas. Best of all, when you dine at a Valley Original restaurant, you’re giving back to the Mt Washington Valley community. Each Valley Original restaurant guarantees to donate portion of your bill to a worthwhile local charitable organization in the Valley. In 2016 alone, The Valley Originals donated over $316,000 to local organizations, thanks to the patronage of their guests. Valley Originals restaurants run the gambit from the ultra casualJoseph’s Spaghetti Shed and J-Town Deli and Country Store and The Local Grocer to family oriented places like Delaney’s Hole in the Wall, Horsefeathers, and Traditions Restaurant & Pubat Purity Spring Resort to fine dining at inns like the Notchland Inn, Max’s Restaurant and Pub at Snowvillage Inn, Oxford House, Old Saco Inn & Pub, Palmer House Pub at Inn at Crystal Lake,Christmas Farm Inn, and Darby Field Inn. For a complete list of participating Valley Originals restaurants and info, visit http://www.thevalleyoriginals.com.

For a complete list of all the dining options in Mt Washington Valley, click here. To plan your next culinary getaway to Mt Washington Valley, visit www.MtWashingtonValley.org or call 800-367-3364 (800-DO-SEE-NH) to get advice on restaurants to fit your fancy. To explore dining and travel options in New Hampshire, go to www.VisitNH.gov.

Chop Chop: Taste and stay

Attend the Taste of the Mountains Cooking School at the Bernerhof Inn B&B in Glen, NH, and not only will you make your own dinner, you’ll take home new kitchen prowess too. Whether you’re already a foodie or aspiring to be one, you’ll learn from the kitchen masters here. Taste of the Mountains Cooking School instructors are local and visiting chefs all continuing the tradition of the inn’s culinary school over the years. TheTaste of the Mountains Cooking Schoolhas a New Hampshire legacy. It started in 1981 in collaboration with Chef Steven Raichlen, a classically trained, multi-award-winning chef, author, journalist, cooking teacher, TV host and five-time James Beard award-winner for his cookbooks. Each three-hour, hands-on cooking class focuses on a seasonal cuisine or technique, making at-home cooks into chefs and entertainers extraordinaire. Each class includes a three to four hour, hands-on instruction class, recipes from the menu for that day to take home, A Taste of the Mountains Cooking School apron, food tastings/meal from the recipes prepared, wine, beer or iced tea to accompany meal and a photo with the Chef/Instructor. Guests of A Taste of the Mountains Cooking School can combine an inn getaway with a gourmet experience plus take home a wonderful collection of recipes, new skills, and a few gifts from the inn too. In addition to the hands-on cooking classes A Taste of the Mountainsoffers wine classes and private cooking parties too. Info: Click here.

Grab a lift to a new (l)attitude

Talk about dining with a view. Latitude 44°Restaurant at Bretton Woods Resortoffers a 360-degree expansive view from the deck surrounding the restaurant. Take in the magnanimous mountain vista including steam from the mountain-climbing Mt Washington Cog Railway chugging its way up Mt Washington, as you dine on the deck. But it’s not just about the view. The only way to get here is via chairlift from the bottom of Bretton Woods Ski Resort, unless you want to hoof it up to 44° on the mountain.Yet that’s half the fun – take a lift up the mountain and hike back down in the summer or ski down in the winter. Located mid-mountain at Bretton Woods Resort, take the Bethlehem Express Hi-Speed Quad to the Latitude 44° Restaurant and you’re treated to delicious food topped off with the spectacle of Mt. Washington and the Presidential Range from the summit of the ski resort. "Lat 44" offers a sit-down lunch, with fast service and a menu rich with wholesome and filling fare. Great burgers, hearty sandwiches, soups and a full bar featuring the signature Latitude 44° beer. Note: lift tickets must be purchased during the ski season; chairlift rides are free for diners in the summer. Info: Click here.

And speaking of needing a lift to scenic dining experiences, the Meister Hut at Cranmore Mountain Resort has a new offering. Cranmore’s mountain top Meister Hut now serves as a satellite tasting room for the local Tuckerman Brewery, which is located on Hobbs Street in Conway. Flights of five Tuckerman samples areavailable for sale here, along with single tastings and full pints, and flight purchases include an exclusive souvenir pint glass. In addition, the Meister Hut serves lunch daily along with ice cream from 11:00am-4:00pm. Scenic chairlift rides open for the season Saturday, June 17, run daily through Labor Day and weekends only after Labor Day through Columbus Day. While those interested in visiting the Meister Hut can walk up, single ride scenic chairlift rides must be purchased for $13 per person if one wishes to ride the lift up. To encourage local residents to visit the summit, 2 for 1 scenic chairlift rides will be available for residents for Carroll, Coos and Oxford Counties; must show proof of permanent residency to redeem. Info: Click here.

Beef & Beer

While many restaurants offer a view of the mountains (and this one does too, from certain angles) the prominent view from Moat Mountain Smokehouse and Brewing Co is a bit more steely. Sit in the bar overlooking the stainless-steel tanks creating Moat Mountain Brewing’s brews, and try one of the specialty ales and lagers brewed on site at the restaurant. The 174-seat restaurant and brewery features a range of in-house smoked, vegetarian and gluten free options. Info: https://www.moatmountain.com.

And for those who like their beer fresh, dining in the same location where it’s brewed, another option is the Sea Dog Brewing Company located in North Conway. The restaurant’s large, horse-shoe shaped bar serves 14 beers on tap, including special cask conditioned ales brewed on the premises in the restaurant’s own nano-brewery. Info: www.Seadogbrewing.com.

Another option for beer tasting happens down the road in Conway, NH at the Tuckerman Brewing Company Tasting Room. Enter the tasting room and you’ll immediately see and smell the scent of warm malts and hops and spy the beautiful 43-foot-long bar. Tuckerman Brewing staff are on hand to serve you up a flight of beer samples, some of which are only available in the tasting room. After your tasting, be sure to get in on the guided explanation of the brewing process. And while there’s no food served in the Tasting Room, you’ll find guest caterers on site during the Tuckerman Brewing Co Music Series with concerts scheduled throughout the summer and fall taking place right at the brewery on Hobbs Street in Conway, NH. Info:http://www.tuckermanbrewing.com.

Dine at an Original

Look for the yellow plate and fork flag hanging outside 25 restaurants in Mt Washington Valley and you’ll know you’ve chosen an original. The Valley Originals is a group of locally owned and operated restaurants that have joined together to share the mission of cooperative competitiveness and what a true local eatery should be like. Each Valley Original restaurant is locally owned and non-affiliated with any other eating destination. Food is prepared fresh daily, often from locally sourced purveyors and farms. Dine at a Valley Original and the owner will likely be on the premises to respond to your dining needs and hear your ideas. Best of all, when you dine at a Valley Original restaurant, you’re giving back to the Mt Washington Valley community. Each Valley Original restaurant guarantees to donate portion of your bill to a worthwhile local charitable organization in the Valley. In 2016 alone, The Valley Originals donated over $316,000 to local organizations, thanks to the patronage of their guests. Valley Originals restaurants run the gambit from the ultra casualJoseph’s Spaghetti Shed and J-Town Deli and Country Store and The Local Grocer to family oriented places like Delaney’s Hole in the Wall, Horsefeathers, and Traditions Restaurant & Pubat Purity Spring Resort to fine dining at inns like the Notchland Inn, Max’s Restaurant and Pub at Snowvillage Inn, Oxford House, Old Saco Inn & Pub, Palmer House Pub at Inn at Crystal Lake,Christmas Farm Inn, and Darby Field Inn. For a complete list of participating Valley Originals restaurants and info, visit http://www.thevalleyoriginals.com.

For a complete list of all the dining options in Mt Washington Valley, click here. To plan your next culinary getaway to Mt Washington Valley, visit www.MtWashingtonValley.org or call 800-367-3364 (800-DO-SEE-NH) to get advice on restaurants to fit your fancy. To explore dining and travel options in New Hampshire, go to www.VisitNH.gov.

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