Dining

Each lodge has a cafeteria that serves breakfast and lunch, and the food is quite good. For hearty sit-down meals, Hotel Jay's Alpine Room Restaurant serves breakfast and dinner. Although the atmosphere is rustic, the food is not. Entrees such as grilled maple mesquite pork loin and tequila roast duckling fill the menu.

If you're staying in a condo, townhouse or vacation home and want dinner delivered, call My Chef at Jay (988-4137). Marcie Kaufman, a classically trained chef from the New England Culinary Institute, will deliver to your door cuisine that's seasonally inspired. Order 24 hours in advance for delivery on Monday – Friday from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m., 9 a.m. – noon on Saturdays. A three-course meal runs $36/person; $22/person for a two-course supper.

Two local inns are renowned for their fine dining. Top dog is The Black Lantern Inn (326-4507; $$; above), where candlelight sets the mood and the menu changes frequently. The elegant cuisine, cozy atmosphere and wallet-friendly prices here rival any you’ll find across the border in Quebec. Lemoine’s, at The Inn on Trout River (326-4391; $$), is an intimate restaurant with a country Victorian theme. Try the raviolini stuffed with Vermont cheddar cheese and walnuts topped with pesto, or the medallions of pork tenderloin in a maple syrup demi-glaze sauce. For simpler fare, consider the pub menu at Hobo’s Cafe, also at The Inn on Trout River (326-4391; $$).

Ask at the hotel front desk to find out about favorite restaurants in nearby Quèbec. You’ll find French cuisine at affordable prices because of the exchange rate.

Dining Legend: $$$$–Entrees $30+; $$$–$20–$30; $$–$10–$20; $–less than $10