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Stowe 4 1st Time: Restaurants; Pubs; And Must-See In Area?

Cresskill, New...
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12 reviews
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Stowe 4 1st Time: Restaurants; Pubs; And Must-See In Area?
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We will be spending President's Day/ Valentine Day weekend for 3 nights in Stowe. Never been before. Can some of you please suggest the following? We are staying at the Green Mountain Inn and will have a car.

1) Besides skiing/hiking, what are some must-do/ must-see activities? I've read about Smugglers Notch, Trapp Family Lodge, Sterling Falls. Looking for places within 10-15 miles.

2) Restaurants: I've looked over Trip Advisor's ranking. But what are the REALLY great places! Our preference is Italian, American and Seafood. If you have time - please suggest places for: a) Casual lunch spots b) Fine Dining; and c) Casual Dining

3) Pubs/Drinks: What are some great spots for an after dinner drink? Any great, fun pubs/bars? Can be a restaurant with a big bar. Open to dive bars, Irish pubs, Lounges - whatever is welcoming.

4) Romantic Spots: We are a couple so is there a 'classic' New England spot we must hit? Bear skin rug/ fireplace in the background with a glass of wine kind of place?

THANK YOU in advance!!

Vermont
Destination Expert
for Burlington
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4,801 posts
10 reviews
21 helpful votes
1. Re: Stowe 4 1st Time: Restaurants; Pubs; And Must-See In Area?
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Fine dining -- Michael's on the Hill and Hen of the Wood, both on Route 100 heading down toward Waterbury.

Casual dining -- check out Prohibition Pig (also in Waterbury) and Piecasso in Stowe.

Spend an evening after dinner at The Matterhorn. You can look up Rusty Nail and see what's going on, but unless there's a particular band I want to see, I'd hit the Matterhorn.

Most of the winter activities in Stowe revolve around skiing and snowshoeing. You can look at the stowe.com website for a calendar of events and ideas for other things to do.

Port Republic, New...
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3,123 posts
9 reviews
2. Re: Stowe 4 1st Time: Restaurants; Pubs; And Must-See In Area?
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the Matterhorn is the apres ski spot.

you said hiking... hopefully not possible. snow shoeing or cross country skiing is what you want. think snow.

smuggs is very close, just the other side of spruce peak but the road through the notch closes in winter. it is about an hour to drive around the mountain

Vermont
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2,538 posts
39 reviews
51 helpful votes
3. Re: Stowe 4 1st Time: Restaurants; Pubs; And Must-See In Area?
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I have heard great things about 2 new restaurants in Stowe - Doc Ponds and The Bench. I hope to get over there soon to check them out myself!

Mill Spring, North...
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for Vermont, Ormond Beach
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11,962 posts
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4. Re: Stowe 4 1st Time: Restaurants; Pubs; And Must-See In Area?
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A must-do IMHO is the rec path. Great photo spots all along the 5+ miles. Walk it, or bike if it's bare.

Vermont
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575 posts
60 reviews
38 helpful votes
5. Re: Stowe 4 1st Time: Restaurants; Pubs; And Must-See In Area?
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Okay, first. The best romantic dinner type places would be Michael's on the Hill, just outside of Stowe on route 100. I would also suggest checking out Edson Hill. This will fit the fireplace, cozy dining description. I cannot comment on the food, but certainly a glass of wine kind of place. Also, the Stowehoff would be a very classic, cozy New England place for a drink.

The best bar for a apres ski scene is the Matterhorn, but it can get pretty packed by 4:00. The Rusty Nail is only open when they have a band booked.

The best beer selection hand down in Stowe is at Doc Ponds and The Bench. Great food and great vibe.

Where you are staying has good food as well. You can walk right across the street to Harrison's or Plate or eat in at the Whip. All great!

Activities: Skiing for sure. You can rent snow shoes and walk up the Notch road (closed in the winter). You can also go on a snowmobile tour of the area. Sign-up at Umiak. You can ice skate at Stowe Arena during public skate OR skate up at the Mountain at their new skating rink. There will be no hiking this time of year....However, you could try fat tire mountain biking by renting a bike at one of the local shops.

Plenty to do and see.

Stowe, Vermont
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38 posts
4 reviews
9 helpful votes
6. Re: Stowe 4 1st Time: Restaurants; Pubs; And Must-See In Area?
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Gostowe.com is the website for chamber of commerce, with events calendar. Stowe.com is the site for the mountain. Check it too, because they have events as well. Somewhere in that site, check Spruce Peak performing arts for "cultural" events.

Look into sleigh rides! That's romantic.

Alexandria, VA
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1,628 posts
71 reviews
40 helpful votes
7. Re: Stowe 4 1st Time: Restaurants; Pubs; And Must-See In Area?
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http://www.gostowe.com/thingstodo/sports/sleigh-rides

Chesapeake City...
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408 posts
112 reviews
23 helpful votes
8. Re: Stowe 4 1st Time: Restaurants; Pubs; And Must-See In Area?
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Rimrock's was a fun spot with pool tables and arcade games. Big bar area. We also enjoyed O'Grady's for beers and Piecasso for pizza. We attempted dinner at The Bench, but it was really busy at dinner (my indication that they have good food!). We had a drink at the bar instead. They have wine on tap, which I thought was neat!

Vermont
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575 posts
60 reviews
38 helpful votes
9. Re: Stowe 4 1st Time: Restaurants; Pubs; And Must-See In Area?
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Restaurant Update: O'Grady's is closed. As well as Grazer's and Pheonix. Crop has been taken over by the owners of Michael's on the Hill and renamed Idletyme Brewing Company with a new lower price point. Vermont Ale House is no longer, but Doc Ponds is there now.

Hyde Park, Vermont
1 post
10. Re: Stowe 4 1st Time: Restaurants; Pubs; And Must-See In Area?
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The Bistro at Ten Acres is a stellar, romantic spot for a great meal.

After dinner, you can switch it up and go to Burt's Irish Pub, which is a locals-only watering hole just down Luce Hill Road. It's a no-frills dive, but visitors who venture in always have a fun experience.

If you have free time during the day and you're sick of being outside and cold, check out Green Mountain Distillers, on Route 100 just outside of Stowe. The distillery makes several delicious products, and you can do a tasting and pick up a bottle to go! They are open Thurs-Sat 12-5.

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