Dining (Area Code 802)

The top dining experience (and the most expensive) is the Inn at Sawmill Farm (464-1130; $$$–-$$$$), which holds a Wine Spectator Grand Award. Ask to see the wine cellar.

The Hermitage (464-3511; $$–$$$), under new ownership as of May 2004, serves an eclectic menu with entrees such as angel hair and pesto topped with a red-wine roasted duck and shiitake mushrooms or hand-cut Black Angus steak. Both the intimate dining room at the front of the inn and the very large banquet room in the back are comfortably decorated with the new owner's rustic antiques.

Soft jazz and candlelight set the tone at Le Petit Chef (464-8437; $$–$$$), a chef-owned French bistro in a 19th-century farmhouse. Another fine dining choice is Two Tannery Road (464-2707; $$$). Doveberry Restaurant (464-5652; $$$) is small and intimate with a Northern Italian menu; the husband-and-wife chefs have worked in Nantucket and San Francisco. The Deerhill Inn and Restaurant (464-3100; $$$; above) in West Dover, has won awards for its American cuisine and boasts a strong wine list.

Locals head to Hennessey’s (464-9361; $$$), a local steakhouse, for consistently good food.The White House (464-2135; $$; below) with its 30-foot buffet table, is the choice for Sunday brunch, but the French-accented dinners are excellent too. Locals tell us The Inn at Quail Run (464-3362; $$) serves the best brunch in the valley.

The Roadhouse (464-5017; $$) is normally packed. It serves large portions of steak, chicken, ribs, swordfish and trout.

Dot’s of Dover (464-6476; $) in the Mountain Park Plaza, serves breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, plus an excellent Sunday brunch. The chili has won awards. Also enjoy dinner daily at Dot’s Restaurant, on Rte. 9 in Wilmington (464-7284; $).

For economical eats, try Poncho’s Wreck (464-9320; $$), a local institution with an eclectic dining room serving Mexican food, steaks, lobsters and fresh fish.

Anchor Seafood (464-5616; $$), specializes in surf and turf. Cafe Tannery (464-2078; $–$$) offers lighter fare such as burgers, burritos and salads, and does take-out. The Vermont House (464-9360; $–$$) on Wilmington’s main street, serves good food for cheap prices and is another of the locals’ favorites.

The Maple Leaf Brewery (464-9900; $–$$) also on Main Street in Wilmington, brews 16 types of beer on-site and serves pub fare. TC’s Family Restaurant (464-9316; $–$$), owned by Olympic gold medalist Kelly Clark’s parents, has inexpensive family fare.

For groceries, head to Shaw’s on Rte. 9 in Wilmington, east of Rte. 100.

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