New England's Hidden Culinary Gem Is A Food Lover's Destination

1. New England's Hidden Culinary Gem Is A Food Lover's Destination I‟ve lived in Vermont for over 20 years, and while there are some great places to eat in the Green Mountain State, I‟ve never seen anything quite like the restaurant at the Lincoln Inn in Woodstock. Well, not here at least - I‟ve seen plenty of similar concepts but they‟ve mostly been in Europe. “We call these gastronomic destinations or „Restaurants with rooms.‟ It‟s an accepted concept in the United Kingdom, you go someplace to have a special dining experience and then you stay there, enjoy it and don‟t have to drive. We‟re trying to bring thathere,” said Chef Jevgenija Saromova, who speaks from personal experience - she‟s a veteran of Michelin-starred eateries in the United Kingdom, most recently the 2-star Yorke Arms (with lodging) in England, and she relocated to Vermont just a couple of years ago. Several renowned European chefs including Alain Ducasse, Raymond Blanc, Ferran Adria and most recently Gordon Ramsay have their own hotels to accommodate diners after lengthy (and often exhausting) tasting menus, usually accompanied by wine pairings. Our country also has a handful of hotels or resorts that are as famous as or more famous for their food than lodging, such as the White Barn Inn (Maine), Blackberry Farm (Tennessee), and Inn at Little Washington (Virginia). But it is a novel concept in Woodstock, or anyplace in Vermont, to have a restaurant with no a la carte menu - ever- that only features dinners with 4, 7 or 12 courses of chef‟s choices (Vermont‟s famed Forbes 5-star luxury boutique hotel Twin Farms, which you can read about here, also features only set menus, but it is all- inclusive and not open to outside guests). For more details about Top Rated Restaurant, Visit http://lincolninn.com

2. About Lincoln Restaurants Chef Saramova and her partner wanted to replicate the European model she was familiar with, and after searching, they found their venue. The Lincoln Inn has been an upscale fixture in Woodstock, Vermont‟s highest profile tourist town and home to the state‟s only National Park, for years - Paul Newman was a longtime regular whose private dining room is now used by guests to enjoy Saramova‟s lavish meals. But it is completely different under the new ownership. The most basic offering is a four-course prix fixe menu with a few choices/options, but for the real shebang, the meal worth coming to Vermont for, guests turn themselves over completely, with no choices, for a seven or twelve course chef‟s menu (though they inquire about allergies when you make reservations, and can accommodate special dietary needs including gluten free). I had the seven-course option, and while I am a picky eater, every single selection dazzled. They are also exceptionally beautiful on the plate, and Chef Saromova told me that when she creates a new menu item, she first imagines what the dish will look like, then draws a sketch of it, and then figures out the flavors and recipe components. “When you eat, first you see it with your eyes, then you smell it, then you taste it. I construct it that way, but it‟s not complete until you‟ve had the last bite.” Visit Lodging In Woodstock VT, for romantic dining.