By Michell Eloy, Chicago Tribune
Originally published: 06/13/2013

The National Hockey League Stanley Cup Finals kicked off last night in Chicago, pitting the Blackhawks against the Boston Bruins in a best-of-seven battle on the ice. And this series looks to be a nail-biter, given the three-overtime opening game Wednesday night. Naturally, Bruins and Blackhawk fans alike will need to stay nourished as the series moves forward, so for visiting Bostonians, we in Chicago have compiled a list of places to eat while visiting our fair city:

Pequod's -- Most first-time visitors (or second-time, or third-time) to Chicago have one thing on their culinary to-do lists upon arriving -- deep dish pizza. While places like Uno's and Giordano's have popularized the pies outside of Chicago, Pequod’s in Lincoln Park, with its "caramelized crust" and charred-cheese pies, is a more local option that captures the quintessential Chicago deep dish pizza. (2207 N. Clybourn Ave., 773-327-1512)

Frontera Grill -- James Beard Award-winning chef Rick Bayless' casual Mexican restaurant hasn't lost any of its popularity in its more than 25 years of existence. As one of the restaurants that helped make Chicago a culinary destination, Frontera Grill should be a must on any visitor's list of places to eat. But if you're pressed for time and can't do the hour-plus wait, some of the local taquerias, like Arturos (2001 N. Western Ave.) in Bucktown and El Taco Veloz (1745 W. Chicago Ave.) in Ukranian Village, will satisfy any taco cravings. (445 N. Clark St., 312-661-1434)

Goose Island Brewpub -- Chicago has become a destination for craft beer lovers. And as the local brewery that arguably started it all, Goose Island Brewpub in Lincoln Park is an ideal spot to sample local drafts while taking in the game or calming those overtime nerves. (1800 N. Clybourn Ave., 312-915-0071)

Superdawg Drive-in -- What list of Chicago places would be complete without suggestions for where to get a Chicago-style hotdog? Superdawg's pure beef dog is served on a traditional poppy seed bun with all the typical fixings: yellow mustard, relish, onions, a dill pickle and a hot pepper. A word to the wise: Don’t ask for ketchup. Especially if you're wearing a Bruins jersey. (6363 N. Milwaukee Ave., 773-763-0660)

Davanti Enoteca -- The small-plate trend has exploded in Chicago over the last few years. For those looking to sample some of the area's best offerings, Davanti Enoteca, run by Chicago restaurateur and chef Scott Harris, has an excellent wine selection and an array of inventive Italian plates -- think pastas, cheeses, oven pizzas and cured meats -- that have elevated it among other restaurants in the same vein. (1359 W. Taylor St., 312-226-5550)

Doughnut Vault -- No longer the dining choice of police departments, doughnuts are making a bid to take over cupcakes as the trendy "gourmet" food item in Chicago. Doughnut Vault (pictured) serves some unique spins on the fried confectionary, like pistachio and strawberry shortcake, along with the more traditional cake and vanilla doughnuts. We recommend getting there early, as the shop closes as soon as the doughnuts sell out. And they sell out quick. (400 N. Franklin St.)

Text and photo courtesy of our friends at the Chicago Tribune. Doughnut Vault photo by José M. Osorio/Chicago Tribune.

By Patricia Borns, Glove Correspondent

As April 20-28 marks National Parks Week, there's still a short window to visit Everglades National Park before it's swallowed in mosquitos and uber high humidity. As you roll along SW 192nd Ave. toward the park's most visited Arnold Coe entrance, keep an eye peeled for Gator Grill, where a Brooklyn, NY transplant is cooking up the best gator bites around.

Sal "like the movie star" DeVito brought his love of food to South Florida 35 years ago where he evolved what he calls "CIA cusine -- Cuban, Italian and American."

Then, in 2010, a local farmer Sal Mucumeci offered him a spot near the Everglades agricultural buffer to start a business. The location offered a steady stream of Glades traffic and a standout neighbor: the wildly popular exotic fruit smoothie stand Robert Is Here, a short hike down the road.DeVito jumped at the chance, and voila, or should we say, ecco: a menu of farm-raised gator and locally sourced frog legs done every which way except fried was born, with South Florida's best Italian meatball sub thrown in for good measure.

Recently I tried the popular gator tacos served with crispy shredded slaw and DeVito's delicious cream sauce ($9.95), outstanding. You might equally like the grilled gator kabob ($9.95) or the area's only local frog legs served in wine and garlic butter sauce instead of a fried basket ($9.95). For the less adventurous, DeVito has gourmet burgers in the $6.00 range including a vegan version, a local fish sandwich and sweet potato fries.
Even breakfast.

As I chowed down at one of the outdoor picnic tables, a glimpse of Glades wildlife in the form of an invasive cannibalistic tegu lizard slithered from behind an out building and tried to cross the road!

Spanish Aracena doesn't have the "eat" reputation of Italy, but its Tuscan gold sunlight and Mediterranean larder are no less. A British couple Sam and Jeannie Chesterton discovered this in a tiny village on the edge of Sierra de Aracena National Park. They turned their arful hands to creating an organic homestead and guest house, Finca Buen Vino, where they've farmed, fed guests and taught them to cook for 20 years. Whether raising their own branded Iberian pigs, gathering chestnuts and mushrooms in the hills or spreading a picnic in an open field, everything they do is touched with rustic beauty.

Now their friend Tom Clinch, a Conde Nast travel and food photographer, is teaching 3- and 5-day photography workshops there in the fall and spring (schedule and prices). Put it all together, and you'll forget about Mr. (or Ms.) Wrong.

Meeting the single Brazilian business exec? Remains to be seen.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Fans of Bravo’s popular series “Top Chef” take note: Guests of The White Barn Inn in Kennebunk, Maine can cook alongside some of the country’s most notable chefs, during The White Barn Inn’s 7th Annual Guest Chef Series, where Grand Relais & Chateaux Chef Jonathan Cartwright welcomes new chefs to cook with him for weekends.

Executive Chef Dale Talde from “Top Chef” season four and “Top Chef All-Stars,” who runs Talde in Park Slope, Brooklyn, comes to The White Barn April 12-14. Executive Chef Manuel Trevino from season four, and Marble Lane at Dream Hotel in New York City, is on tap for April 26-28, and Chef Kevin Sbraga, winner of season seven, and owner of Sbraga in Philadelphia, comes May 3-5 to The White Barn Inn.

The White Barn Inn is offering a package to allow guests to mingle with the chefs as well as learn their tips through cooking demos and hands-on cooking classes. The package includes two nights lodging, daily extended continental breakfast, afternoon teas with finger sandwiches, pastries and scones, welcome cocktail reception with Cartwright and a guest chef, cooking demo  on Saturday mornings at Keys TO, a private beach house; optional hands-on Saturday afternoon class; a nine-course tasting menu for two at The White Barn Restaurant on Saturday night; a signed cookbook; and a White Barn Apron.

Price is $1,282 for two nights, based on double occupancy. For info, check out www.whitebarninn.com

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, many spring school vacations have been shortened as schools try to make up for missed days. Kimpton’s The Muse hotel in New York City is offering a package, “Mini-scape to The Muse,” for those looking for a quick getaway in the Big Apple. Through the end of April, the package, with rates starting at $379, includes an overnight stay, free breakfast with specialty children’s menu (think chocolate pancakes, for one thing), and a $20 Metro subway card. The hotel also offers children’s welcome gifts on check in, such as Matchbox cars, coloring books, popcorn packages and more. In addition, Ginger, a Pomeranian pooch, and the hotel’s “Director of Pet Relations,” welcomes other dogs to stay at the hotel with their families.

The hotel’s NIOS restaurant is also celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this year, it being steps away from the city’s famous St. Patrick’s Day Parade scheduled for March 17. The restaurant, starting March 15, will have drink specials and an Irish-themed menu, through the weekend. For information on the hotel’s package deal, visit www.themusehotel.com and use rate code MSCAPE.  For more information on the restaurant, visit www.niosrestaurant.com.

By Patricia Harris and David Lyon
Globe Correspondents

If the journey along the Wine & Cheese trail in central Massachusetts described in the October 21 Travel section has inspired you to check out the state's wineries and cheesemakers, you might want to purchase a $2 Massachusetts Wine Passport at one of the participating wineries. The 19 wineries in the Passport cover the state from the tip of Cape Cod to the southern Berkshires and produce a range of grape and fruit wines. Once you have had your passport ''stamped'' at 15 wineries you will be eligible to enter a January drawing for the grand prize of 15 cases of wine.

For more information, see masswinery.com and massvacation.com/pdf/winecheese.pdf.

Jenn Samek-Lutkus of Hardwick Vineyard and Winery holds a Massachusetts Wine Passport. (Photo by David Lyon for the Boston Globe)

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

If you believe in ghosts, and even if you don't, this is the time of year where things going bump in the night seem to get bumpier. The Kennebunk Inn in Maine celebrates its haunted heritage this Halloween season with a special harvest dinner and overnight stay for those willing and eager to experience the paranormal activity at one of the state's most historic inns.

On Oct. 27 and 31, guests can attend "A Spirited Evening Harvest Dinner" with internationally known psychic Vicki Monroe, starting at 6:30 p.m. with a three-course dinner with appetizer for $68 per person, which gets you a choice of three entrees and dessert. The fun stuff, all eating aside, starts during the "Dueling Spirit" dessert created by Chef Shanna O'Hara, featuring an aptly named devil-dog ice cream sandwich and angel food cake with strawberry balsamic compote. Monroe will be your spiritual messenger for the evening, revealing, hopefully, the inn's source of ghostly activities over the years as she shares insights into the spook world she purports to know so well.

The 200-year-old Kennebunk Inn has two former employees - Cyrus, an inn clerk who died in the mid-20th century and lets his spirit self be known via falling wine glasses and other objects that mysterious take flight, and Silas Perkins, a night watchman and published poet. There is a third spirit in the mix, Sara Emily, identified by Monroe, who inhabits the main stairwell and waves to guests as they enter the building. Most do not see her, but she is said to be playful and enjoys knocking on guest room doors. The inn's room 17 is said to have the most paranormal activity.

Some dinner guests whose spirits connect with Monroe will get a personal reading during the program, and all can stay for a "Meet and Greet" with her in the lounge after dinner. For those guests wanting to take part in the inn's restaurant, Academe's award-winning cocktails to enhance their paranormal sightings, the inn offers a 25-percent discount off room rates in the Adams, Jefferson and Madison suites. Prices overall start at $79 per night (not including dinner). Reservations must be booked by phone only, inn officials said, by calling 207-985-3351.

Book soon, inn officials said; last year's event sold out quickly, prompting them to add the second date this year. For information, visit www.thekennebunkinn.com

 

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The Blackstone Valley Tourism Council is hosting its annual Fall Foliage and Shopping Train Excursion Oct. 20 aboard the Providence and Worcester Railroad, which leaves the Woonsocket train depot in Rhode Island at 9 a.m. and returns at 4:30 p.m. The foliage train travels through historic Blackstone River Valley to the many antique shops, restaurants and gift shops in Putnam, Conn., where there will be an arts and crafts fair, music, sidewalk sales, a pumpkin festival, bazaar and luncheon, at the Putnam Congregational Church. The train leaves Putnam at 2:15 and chugs back to Woonsocket by 4:30 p.m.

Ticket prices run from $28 to $58. There is a snack bar on the train, and passengers can also bring their own, though no alcoholic beverages are allowed. For information and reservations, visit www.tourblackstone.com or call 401-724-2200.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

If pork is your thing, you must consider taking in the fourth annual "Hogtoberfest" Oct. 13 and 14 on Nantucket. Chefs Michael LaScola of American Seasons on the island, and Matt Jennings of Farmstead in Providence (James Beard nominee for Best Chef-Northeast and three-time Cochon 555 winner), pair up for a back-of-the-house carving demo on Berkshire-Tamworth hogs, hand raised on Nantucket's The Faraway Farm. They then use each cut throughout the weekend for beer/charcuterie tastings and a multi-course meal of inventive pork dishes paired with American Seasons' small-production American wines.

The weekend lineup includes the carving demo which will show head-to-tail carving and showing diners how to harvest and use each part of the animal; a beer and charcuterie master class; an "All-Things Pork" dinner, featuring a range of pork specials at American Seasons.

For complete pig-out information and reservations, visit www.americanseasons.com/hogtoberfest.html or call 508-228-7111.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

I've never been a huge football fan, but given the chance to talk to Don Shula, one of football's most beloved coaches, winner of back-to-back Super Bowls with the Miami Dolphins, while at the same time chowing down a world-class burger at a new restaurant bearing his name, you think I'm gonna say no?

The occasion was the opening earlier this year of the first Shula Burger at the Postcard Inn in Islamorada (formerly Holiday Isle, a legendary hotspot of the Florida Keys back in the day). The burger joint is the newest part of the Shula culinary empire, which consists of Shula's Steak Houses, Shula's 347 and Shula's 2 Steak and Sports.

"We had a lot of success in restaurants, starting in Miami Lakes where we live, then on to Tampa, then outside Florida," said Coach, as I found myself respectfully calling him as everyone does, a title he'll righteously never lose despite not having coached for years. "We'd never done it before, but my wife, she has a great business mind."

So does his son, David, who runs the food empire, and who also had coached for the Cincinnati Bengals. Opening night at Shula Burger, David was explaining to rapt football fans the details of a play scrawled on one wall, one of his dad's plays from the Super Bowl years that was found on a yellow legal pad Coach had drawn. Sitting near the wall bearing the play writ large was a familiar face: Bob Griese, fabled Dolphins quarterback and winner of said Super Bowls, and long-time great and food friend of Shula.

Coach looked great, still fairly active at 83, though not as much as he'd like: A balky back had sidelined his golf game, he grumbled. I asked where the next Shula Burger would be opening.

"I don't know," he shrugged, as we sat on the outside patio of the restaurant. "They don't tell me anything."

"But Coach, you're the face of the franchise," I offered. He just smiled.

And he's still good dealing with reporters bearing loaded statements.

"Coach, I have to say, you have a way better personality than Bill Belichick," I teased about the sour-pussed Pats coach.

He laughed and held up one hand, Super Bowl ring flashing, as if about to make a point, but diplomatically stopped, talking instead about what a great receiver Wes Welker was for the Pats and calling Tom Brady "a great quarterback, just so cool under pressure." Just a few feet away sat Griese, one of the greatest and coolest of all time.

Shula Burger is a lovely place with, naturally, a football motif, and an impressive menu of burgers of all stripe, the buns fresh and fluffy and branded - literally - with the Shula name. My fave was Coach's as well, "The Don,"which has an all-beef hot dog, split and grilled, served atop a burger with pickles, onion, sauce, cheese and mustard served on a branded brioche-style bun.

"You go to a barbecue, what do you get?" the Coach asked, setting up the punchline as easily as Griese set up in the pocket all those years ago. "A burger and a dog. Why not put 'em together? Makes perfect sense."

Coach was looking a little tired, but remained gracious despite my blabbering, but I moved on as he moved inside, to pose with the staff, Griese, his son, his wife, anyone who wanted his time and chance to pose with him and talk burgers or football. But mostly football.

Now, I wish I had his ear, I'd love to know what he thought of the replacement officials in the NFL. I'm sure he'd have plenty to say - between bites of "The Don" that is.

Photos from Shula Burger. Top photo, from left, Bob Griese, Mary Anne and Don Shula

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

It was such a hit the first time around, they decided to do it again: The 2nd annual Stowe Restaurant Week is on tap Oct. 21-27, celebrating the local Vermont culture. Restaurants will offer a prix-fixe, multi-course menu with prices of $15, $25 or $35 per person (in some cases per couple). Lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch menus are available as well as wine, beer and other cocktail options. Some restaurants are offering a new menu each day, and others will have the same fare throughout. Participating restaurants include Cactus Cafe, Charlie B's Pub and Restaurant, Harrison's Restaurant and Bar, Pie in the Sky, The Whip Bar and Grill and Winfield's Bistro.

Overnight accommodations are available from $85 a night during the week. Call Stowe's central reservation line at 800-467-8693 for lodging info. For the skinny and all that good food for restaurant week, visit www.gostowe.com/restaurantweek

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The Epicurean, a 137-room boutique hotel in Florida has a targeted opening date of November 2013, with groundbreaking slated for this October. The hotel, located in the Hyde Park historic distric of South Tampa, will feature a large, state-of-the-art culinary classroom, high-end bistro, wine shop, rooftop lounge, full-service spa and a retail and production bakery and pastry shop. Developers call it a "food-focused hotel."

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

I've probably driven up and down Memorial Drive in Newport a million times, and have long heard of the upscale Chanler at Cliff Walk, but never put two and two together and realized the Chanler was so close to Cliff Walk. OK, so it's smack dab on Cliff Walk, but my reason for not knowing that is a big one: It is completely hidden behind a giant hedge, affording it remarkable privacy and quiet despite being steps away from one of Newport's busiest streets. Set back on a cobblestoned drive, it is a magnificent building, loaded with charm, elegance and a pretty neat history: Built in 1865 as a summer home for New York Congressman John Winthrop Chanler and his wife, Margaret Astor Ward, it was the first mansion built on Cliff Walk and hosted the likes of President Theodore Roosevelt and poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It was later a museum and then a girls' school before becoming a hotel in the 1940s.

We had the occasion to stay there one night and got the Empire Room; each of the 14 mansion rooms in the main building are decorated and named for an historical period based on the furniture design and architecture of that time, themed from Gothic to English Tudor to Greek Revival. One of the many beauties of this place is no two rooms are alike. And throughout, some of the furnishings from the Chanler Museum are sprinkled throughout. There are also three separate garden villas and three ocean villas.

Our Empire Room in the mansion was gorgeous, on a corner facing Easton's Beach and Cliff Walk. The room had a sizable living room with a two-person Jacuzzi on the far wall, which doesn't exactly befit the historical period on which the room is based, but was a very relaxing respite after a long stroll on Cliff Walk. Here, for an extra cost, a butler will come in while you're at dinner, run the bath and leave rose petals strewn about, and lighted candles surrounding the tub set in a mirrored alcove. A more romantic setting we could not imagine.

The fireplace mantel is of antique slate, taken from a mansion in Michigan and painted to look like granite. Empire decor, inn officials said, often used a faux treatment of materials to look like granite or marble. Several antique tiles with figures on them in ochre and lime green are embedded into the mantel, making it more unique and interesting. The room itself is unique; being on the corner, the ceiling height varies from corner to center, from around six feet to more than eight, with a stained-glass skylight in the ceiling. The room's feel is decidedly Victorian but with modern touches such as a triple-head shower in the gold-hued granite bathroom, and iHome docking station.

The main culinary draw is the Spiced Pear, a restaurant with incredible ocean views, some of the best in Newport, and cuisine to match. Give the Spiced Pear martini a shot, with Absolut pear vodka, Amaretto DiSaronno, pear nectar, cinnamon and lemon juice. We also had local chilled oysters, wild burgundy escargot, Narragansett Bay striped bass and the menu's highest priced item, the exquisite butter-poached Maine lobster for $42, worth every melt-in-mouth cent. Before and/or after a meal like that, a long jaunt down nearby Cliff Walk is almost a necessity. Or you could wait until the next day, because breakfast here is insane, too; check out the salmon and goat cheese omelet.

We retired to the bar of hand-rubbed mahogany for a nightcap before heading back to the room where that rose-petal strewn tub awaited, and got more proof of how renowned the Chanler is: The following weekend, it would be closed to the public, privately booked for the wedding of the creator of the Facebook logo. And yes, Mark Zuckerberg was scheduled to attend.

Newport used to go to sleep in the off season, but no more. At the Chanler, a fall two-night special ($425 per night) includes full breakfast, a bottle of Spiced Pear sparkling wine, two tickets to a Newport mansion of your choice, and one, three-course meal for two in the Spiced Pear. Wait until winter and you can get the two-night "A Chanler Christmas," ($375 per weekday night, $430 per weekend night), available Nov. 28-Dec. 29 which gets you the same as the fall special, minus the bottle of wine; instead you get a minted Chanler Christmas ornament. All prices include room taxes, food taxes and dinner gratuity. And if you want to check out other parts of the city, you can get a free ride any place in Newport, up until 11 p.m., first come, first served. Check it out at www.thechanler.com

All that behind a hedge? I have to start paying attention where I'm going.

The addition of "Gaston's Tavern" to the newly-revamped Fantasyland in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom raised some eyebrows recently due to the theme park's long-standing ban on alcoholic beverages. What's in a name though, right?

As it turns out though, alcohol will not be served at the forthcoming restaurant. It will, however, be served at "Be Our Guest," which opens Nov. 19, sparking a debate as to why the ban has been lifted at the most family-friendly of Disney's four theme parks.

"As part of the overall theming, we wanted to offer wine that enhances the guest experience and complements the French-inspired cuisine," beverage director Stuart McGuire told the Disney Parks Blog. "The wines focus primarily on France's famous wine-growing regions, including Champagne, Alsace, Loire, Rhone, Burgundy and Bordeaux.

"We'll also offer the leading French beer, Kronenbourg 1664," said McGuire. "And, staying in the general region, we'll also offer Belgian beers."

Beer and wine has been served for years at Disney's Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot, where some visitors have even made it a day's challenge to sample beverages from around the World Pavillion, but the Magic Kingdom has always been treated as something of a sacred jewel in that regard by Disney. The quiet admission yesterday did not go unnoticed by many.

Previews of the new Fantasyland, which has already debuted a few attractions, begin in November, prior to its grand opening on Dec. 6.

By Hilary Nangle, Globe Correspondent

In Great Britain, afternoon tea is a tradition, a relaxing way to recharge the body's batteries while savoring a three-tiered silver tray usually laden with three-bite sandwiches; scones ready to lavished with clotted cream and jam; and exquisite pastries and chocolate bonbons.

While gadding about on a BritRail pass, I used afternoon tea as a way to immerse in the United Kingdom's rich heritage and indulge in five-star experiences, without coughing up $500 or more for a hotel room. Almost anyone willing to ante up 15 quid (about $30) can do the same. Even better for the budget bound, afternoon tea can substitute for a late lunch or an early dinner. I experienced each of these properties simply by sipping afternoon tea. You can, too.

The Arch, London: On the exterior, these seven Georgian townhouses facing Great Cumberland Place appear quite ordinary and stiff upper lip British. But inside this five-star boutique hotel, just a couple of blocks from Hyde Park and Oxbridge Street and across from Madonna's London pad, designers let loose with contemporary vigor, vibrant colors and patterns, and original works by emerging British artists.

After a boutique binge in Marylebone or along Oxford Street (where you might get lucky and see Princess Kate), celebrate your finds over afternoon tea in the casual yet chic Library, where you can thumb through art books, or in the tony Le Salon de Champagne, with its champagne ceiling mural, modern armchairs, and secluded leather banquettes. Be sure to wander the public rooms to check out all the art - and see who might be lounging about.

Bodysgallen Hall, Llandudno, Wales: The stone pine tree in front of Bodysgallen Hall, one of three historic hotels owned by The National Trust, is approximately 600 years old. The hotel's oldest section was built in the late 13th century as a guard tower for Conwy castle. Over the centuries, it's expanded to a 220-acre estate with wooded parklands and an exquisite, private, 20-acre formal garden, dating from 1678.

Book afternoon tea and be rewarded with a double treat: Experiencing Bodysgallen both inside and out. Sit in the entrance hall or upstairs drawing room, both with elaborate fireplaces, magnificent oak paneling, and stone mullioned windows. Request a copy of the historical brochure from the front desk, and browse through the history while sipping and nibbling. Afterwards, mosey through the other public rooms. Having tea entitles you to explore the gardens and parklands, usually reserved for overnight guests. Highlights include a rare 17th-century herb-filled boxed hedge parterre, rockery with a water cascade, walled rose garden, several follies, and 17th-century Terrace Walk with views to Conwy Castle and Snowdonia.

Plas Maenan Country House, Maenan, Wales: After a day poking around the Conwy Valley countryside, finish up with tea at James and Caroline Burt's masterfully restored Edwardian manor house overlooking Snowdonia National Park and the Conwy River. Tea is served in the elegant living room, near doubletake-producing life-size faux sheep lounging by the fireside. I shared tea with Paul Wakely of Cambrian Tour Guides, who introduced me to slathering clotted cream and jam not only on the scones, but also on the homemade shortbread, "brilliant!" as the Brits say. If the service seems a bit royal, that might be because James is retired from service to the Queen.

Plas Maenan has an interesting history, but perhaps most intriguing is that it is home to one of the largest colonies of endangered lesser horseshoe bats in the British Isles. If you stick around until dusk, you might see as many as 500 emerge from an old tunnel complex under the hotel's terrace. About that tunnel complex: Reputedly, it was used to store treasures from the National Gallery during World War II.

Chester Grosvenor, Chester, England: Top-hatted doormen welcome guests to this five-star hotel, owned by the Duke of Westminster's family and located within the walls of Chester, a city with a history dating back to its origins as a Roman fort in the first century. The hotel's black-and-white timbered facade fits in well with Chester's numerous Tudor buildings, some original, others Victorian-era restorations. Inside, the décor is contemporary, but accented with a half-ton, 28,000-crystal Georgian chandelier and original artwork selected from the Duke's collection.

Afternoon tea at the Arkle Bar And Lounge or upstairs in the gallery is a treat. While the Traditional Afternoon Tea is a decadent offering of scones, finger sandwiches, and sweets, the Gentleman's Afternoon Tea is a far heartier affair, with crusty sandwiches, addictive chips (fries), Cheshire cheese, and more substantial sweets, and it's not limited to men. A friend and I ordered one of each tea to share, which resulted in a decadent and quite filling meal. Afterwards, even if you're full, pop into Rococo Chocolates, the only non-London shop for one of England's finest chocolatiers.

Great Fosters, Egham, England: The royal connections for the mid 16th-century main house (converted to Elizabethan design in the early 20th century) are deep - witness the original royal crest of Queen Elizabeth I inscribed above the main porch and dated 1598 Great Fosters served as a hunting lodge by King Henry VIII, so there's some irony in taking tea in the Anne Boleyn Room, where the magnificent 16th-century ceiling include Boleyn's personal crests.

While the interior is reason enough to visit, the gardens are the real calling card. A moat, likely of 6th-century Saxon origin, now forms a border for the gardens, including yew hedges and a knot garden created in the 1920s in the Arts and Crafts style. Cross the wisteria-dressed Japanese bridge over the moat, and arrive in the circular sunken rose garden, a masterpiece that when in full bloom is an especially sensual treat. Keep wandering to find hedges with secret rooms.

Want to linger at any of these properties? Specials, off-season rates, and online deals often bring room prices down to within splurging range: I've found rates of less than $250/night double, with breakfast.)

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Nantucket has always been a rather forward-thinking sort of place - abolitionist Frederick Douglass gave his first speech before an all-white audience there in 1841.

So the Nantucket Project seems a good fit, it running Oct. 5-8, a veritable think tank which brings together big-brained types from many disciplines, such as writer and businessman Jack Abramoff; CNN political analyst David Gergen; Eric Schmidt, Google chairman; Henry Louis Gates, Harvard professor of black culture; John Abele, founder of Boston Scientific; and Doug Melton, founder of the Harvard/MIT Broad Center for Stem Cell Research. For full information and ticket pricing, visit www.nantucketproject.com/#blank

The Nantucket Project is one of a few cool things happening on Nantucket in the off season, a time with still lots of sun but lower temperatures and prices. For cheaper fall stays, check out the "Hot Dates, Cool Rates" program. Nantucket Island Resorts is offering discounted fall nightly rates, including at places like Jared Coffin House, with rooms going for $125. Check it out at www.nantucketislandresorts.com/hotdates.php

There are a lot of great restaurants on the island, and many are showing their stuff during the Nantucket Restaurant Week Sept. 24-30, including Topper's at the Wauwinet, home of a notable butter-poached lobster, and Brant Point Grill at the White Elephant, known for its duck confit Bolognese. Visit www.nantucketrestaurantweek.com/ for complete information.

The 10th annual Cranberry Festival is scheduled for Oct. 6, when the Milestone Cranberry Bog and Nantucket Conservation Foundation host a festival celebrating the island's historic bogs. Events include cranberry foods of all stripe, bog tours, hay rides, and sheep-shearing workshops. Check www.nantucketconservation.org/page.php?section=3&page=cranberry_festival for more info.

And rounding out the season, the Brant Point Grill offers a New England Thanksgiving and on that morning, the island hosts the 11th Annual Turkey Plunge on Children's Beach. For information on all, visit www.nantucketislandresorts.com or call 800-475-2637.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Sonoma County, the birthplace of California wine, hosts the Sonoma Wine Country Weekend from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2, an event now in its fifth year. The weekend's co-producer, Maureen Cottingham, said the three-day event is "a world-class celebration of the vineyards, wines, cuisine, culture and characters that have made Sonoma County the ultimate wine country destination."

The 2012 Sonoma Wine Country Weekend features Taste of Sonoma at MacMurray Ranch; the 20th annual Sonoma Valley Harvest Wine Auction held at a new venue, Chateau St. Jean; the new Sonoma Starlight Supper Club at Francis Ford Coppola Winery; and various small, exclusive winery lunch and dinner parties at locations throughout Sonoma's wine country.

Proceeds from the weekend support Sonoma County non-profit organizations; to date, more than $10 million has been donated directly to Sonoma non-profits by the local wine community.

Ticket prices range from $85 to $500 per person. Presenting sponsor, Visa Signature, is offering its cardholders even perks and savings. For reservations and information visit www.sonomawinecountryweekend.com

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The last time I was in the Oak Room at the old Copley Plaza in Boston, a glorious haze of cigar smoke hung from the giant ceiling. So when I walked into the Fairmont Copley Plaza in late July, the new look took me by surprise, and most pleasantly since no matter how romantic the image of a smoky Boston bar may be, it just stinks and isn't healthy.

The Fairmont Copley just finished a $20 million renovation, in celebration of the historic building's 100th anniversary. The renovation included all 383 guestrooms, suites and the Fairmont Gold Lounge, and also the introduction of eight themed suites, which hotel officials call "Mini museums," each celebrating one of the city's iconic institutions, such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston Pops, The Freedom Trail and the JFK Library and Museum.

Most noticeable are the public areas, including the lobby lounge, the walls of which are graced with signed lithographs by Matisse, Picasso and Chagall. Catie Copley, the hotel's canine ambassador, has a new custom-made dog bed as part of the renovation, and adjacent to the lobby, in Peacock Alley, the original hand-laid mosaic tile floor from 1912 was restored. Also new is the hotel's rooftop health club, some 3,000-square-feet in size, with TechnoGym gear, floor-to-ceiling windows affording Back Bay views and an outdoor deck.

And that old smoky room is now the OAK Long Bar + Kitchen, a neoclassical space with vaulted ceilings, original beaux arts plaster and restored copper mullions which contrast a lighter, more contemporary cerused oak palette - which officials said is the first real oak to actually be brought into the space. Fireplaces sit alongside a state-of-the-art wine room and tufted leather bar stools sit next to a most impressive, 83-foot copper-topped bar. 

The 100-year-old space has been many things over the years - The Oak Room and Oak Bar most recently, and also Plaza Bar & Dining Room, Merry-Go-Round Bar and Copley Cafe - and was redesigned into its current iteration by designers Dayna Lee and Ted Berner of Powerstrip Studio in Hollywood. There is also a seasonal patio, with bistro tables custom made in France, with rattan seating under umbrellas, and lantern lit at night. For more information, visit www.oaklongbarkitchen.com

All that luscious dark moodiness is now light and airy thanks to 17-foot Palladian windows and original stained glass, and the menu reflects that new lightness, said Suzanne Wenz, director of public relations. The old menu here was meaty, literally, heavy on steaks and such. The modern American menu is now much lighter, with a wide range of seasonal, locally sourced food, she said, heirloom ingredients from regional farms. The day I visited we had a whopping charcuterie platter with tasty meats including prosciutto and porchetta, regional cheeses and Copley-brined olives, and I ordered a Kobe American burger, sans bun, that was simply the best ever. The kitchen is run by Chef Stefan Jarausch, a native German, who once cooked at the Ritz-Carlton Boston.

The hotel, which opened on Aug. 19, 1912 with Mayor John F. Fitzgerald presiding over a reception, is known for industry firsts: The first completely air conditioned hotel in the city, the first hotel with an international reservations system and the first to accept credit cards. It was built on the original site of the Museum of Fine Arts and named for painter John Singleton Copley at a cost of $5.5 million.

For reservations and information on special events marking the hotel's 100-year anniversary, visit www.fairmont.com/copleyplaza or call 800-441-1414.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Wayland Square in Providence's East Side has come a long way since its days as a drive by Brown University and RISD to get to downtown. Now it's a very desirable residential district with a myriad of boutique stores, great restaurants and specialty shops. It's also a fun spot in warm weather to wine and dine outside. New England-style bistro, La Laiterie, and attached artisanal cheese/gourmet foods shop Farmstead host a "Patio Pour" program this summer, featuring boutique wines, housemade charcuterie and unique, local cheeses. The patio pours are held every Tuesday and Wednesday from 5-7 p.m., and on WaterFire Saturdays, the next one of which is Aug. 18. Both culinary entities are run by the husband-and-wife team of Matt and Kate Jennings. Cost is $10 per person for one glass of your choice of featured wine, one featured cheese and one featured charcuterie item. The program runs until Labor Day weekend.

The pours feature unusual and small-batch producer wines, the Jennings said, most of which are rarely available outside the bottle, including Stefano Massone Masera Gavi, Valdesil Montenovo Godello and Glatzer Blaufrankisch. Matt Jennings, a three-time Cochon 555 champion (a popular culinary event that has chefs creating "snout-to-tail" menus from heritage breed pigs), creates charcuterie including the unique pig-ear bacon, hoof and snout terrine and fennel and preserved orange cotechino.

The Farmstead's curated cheese selections include spirit-washed originals like the Drunken Providence, a Gouda-style cheese from Narragansett Creamery that's washed with Thomas Tew Rum from Newport Distilling, and aged for two months in Farmstead's street-level cheese cave, and other creations from Matt Jennings and his team of three cheesemongers.

Matt and Kate Jennings have run La Laiterie and Farmstead for the past 10 years. Matt Jennings is a two-time James Beard Foundation award nominee, and the couple has earned kudos from Food & Wine, Bon Appetit, Travel + Leisure and Saveur, as well as mention on the Cooking Channel's "Unique Eats" program.

For more info, visit www.farmsteadinc.com, or call 401-274-7177.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

If you're in Newport on Wednesdays this summer, check out Vanderbilt Grace's summer movie rooftop series. The hotel has turned its roof terrace into an outdoor theater, and starting July 11 will be showing old favorites and classics, including "The Great Gatsby," "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl," "Double Indemnity," "Citizen Kane," "Chocolat" and others. The movies air every Wednesday at 8:30 p.m., through the end of August. Cost is $15 which includes truffle popcorn; champagne is available for purchase. Reservations aren't a bad idea but not required, hotel officials said, by calling 401-846-6200.

Down below, the hotel's upscale restaurant Muse has a "Vintage Vanderbilt" menu that was unveiled in May, modeled on a Vanderbilt family menu from 1912 created by Grand Chef Relais & Chateaux Jonathan Cartwright. The menu includes cream of mushroom and lobster broth; oysters with mignonette sauce; and a main course of turkey supreme with roasted potatoes or sea bass with hollandaise and grilled asparagus. Vintage dessert options include chocolate meringues with coffee ice cream or roasted peaches with cinnamon ice cream.

A "Vintage Vanderbilt Experience" package is now being offered, with pricing starting at $995 for two, and including a two-night stay, welcome gift, daily champagne breakfast for two, a Vintage Vanderbilt five-course dinner for two with wine pairings, and two Newport mansion passports to tour five mansions. If that's too pricey, the hotel offers a $599 option for a one-night stay, which includes the package components and one Newport mansion tour.

Check it all out at www.vanderbiltgrace.com

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Anyone who knows Providence knows what a varied and tasty food scene the capitol city has. From July 8-21, the best will be on display during the seventh annual Providence Restaurant Weeks, when you can experience why Providence was named the number-two food city in America by readers of Travel + Leisure in its "America's Favorite Cities" poll last year.

Nearly 100 restaurants from across the state will offer three-course, prix fixe lunches and dinners for $14.95 and $29.95, respectively. Some are offering two-for-one deals and other promotions as well. All that is offered can be found at www.providencerestaurantweeks.com

Some of the participating restaurants include Andino's Restaurant, one of several from the city's best-known culinary district, Federal Hill; Bravo Brasserie across from Trinity Repertory Company, and popular with the theater crowd; Cook & Brown Public House on the East Side, which opened two years ago, fashioned after European gastro pubs; Sawaddee Thai Restaurant near Brown University, with authentic Thai food; and La Laiterie at Farmstead on the East Side, recognized locally and nationally for best "haute farmhouse cuisine."

New sponsoring partnerships this year include yelp.com and foodspotting.com, which adds a new interactive component to the event. "Yelpers," a community of online reviewers, can check in at participating venues to get special offers good for return visits, all done via smartphone. Foodspotting, a popular website and mobile app that focuses on dish reviews, is promoting the event to its online community, and those who upload photos of their recommendations at any of the venues will be eligible to win gift cards from participating restaurants.

"Working with social media partners allows the event to take on a virtual life of its own," said Martha Sheridan, president and CEO of the Providence Warwick Convention & Visitors Bureau, which organizes the event. "The high-tech element balances nicely with the simple pleasure of enjoying a beautifully prepared meal."

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

The 99th annual Tour de France bicycle race is underway, and Brasserie JO, located at the Colonnade hotel on Huntington Avenue in Boston, celebrates French cuisine with the creations of executive chef Nicholas Calias, inspired by each region of France the fabled bike race passes through. During the race, Brasserie JO televisions will be tuned to the race. The Tour de France is run in stages, and Calias's menu items are as well, such as the Stage 5 offering July 7-9 of eggs Meurette (poached eggs with red-wine sauce, it's so rich, so French and so good), crispy pork belly and brioche. For reservations, book at www.brasseriejo.com or call 617-425-3240.

Patrons can also enter a raffle to win a $1,500 racing bike (no purchase necessary). After the eggs Meurette, a little bike exercise wouldn't be a bad idea.

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

From one man -- Leon Leonwood Bean -- came an eventual $1.4-billion empire. And now a party to celebrate it all.

In honor of its centennial, L.L. Bean is hosting a 100th Anniversary Hometown Celebration on Main Street in Freeport, Maine, from July 4-7, a four-day event that includes free daily concerts in L.L. Bean's Discovery Park, the 35th Annual L.L. Bean 10K Road Race, family friendly outdoor activities and more. The event ends with a fireworks display.

Fun stuff along the way: Freeport Fourth of July parade, featuring the L.L. Bean Bootmobile; free Outdoor Discovery School demos, including kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding; appearances by Red Sox legendary shortstop Rico Petrocelli, Wally the Green Monster and the Sox World Series trophies; a Muddy Bean Boots ice cream sampling, a flavor created by Gifford's for the anniversary; outdoor games with Olympic gold medalist snowboarder Seth Westcott; music from Chris Isaak and Jo Dee Messina; farmer's market; free concerts by regional artists; and all-day street festivals with local crafts, food and live entertainment.

Bean started his company in 1912, a one-man operation catering to those lovers of the great outdoors, starting with the waterproof "Bean Boot," which remains an iconic symbol of the company. L.L. Bean still makes the boot -- and a lot of other things, outdoorsy and fashionable.

For a complete schedule and more information, visit www.llbean.com

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

If you get a room at Hotel Viking in Newport on the Fourth of July, you'll be entitled to some pretty neat seats for fireworks that night. The hotel's rooftop lounge, the Top of Newport, is reserved for guests that night, at $100 per ticket, to check out the show in the sky. Hotel rates start at $269. The ticket price for the lounge includes a raw bar, grilled hot dogs, burgers and chicken, a dessert station and two drink tickets. Local band Second Nature performs from 6-9 p.m. For information and reservations, visit www.hotelviking.com, or call 401-847-3300.

The rest of the summer, the lounge is open to all, and features musical entertainment, barbecue food, chilled plates and signature cocktails like the Viking Green Tea. To check it out on Twitter, use @HotelViking, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/hotelviking

By Paul E. Kandarian, Globe Correspondent

Cape Cod's culinary scene has always had a big seafood flavor, but one major tourism player, the upscale Chatham Bars Inn, is trying something different. It has reopened its traditional eatery, The Main Dining Room, as STARS, with a steakhouse-style menu offering midwestern grain-fed and dry-aged beef. Topping the steak menu is a 22-ounce prime dry age porterhouse for $78. And you know how some places let you pick out your own lobster for dinner? A new very cool thing for beef lovers at STARS is a steak cart that travels the restaurant offering custom sizing, for which you are charged per ounce. Rib eye runs $2.40 an ounce, New York strip $3.20 an ounce and tenderloin $4.70.

If you don't care for beef, other options include things like Fire and Ice, which combines a selection of chilled shellfish with grilled lobster, and "Bacon and Eggs,'' a appetizer that marries grilled pork belly with a poached egg and bearnaise aioli, and lots of other seafood options, all of which you can wash down with a choice of more than 30 local craft beers. Check it all out at www.chathambarsinn.com