ME-NH-VT Trip

Check out Kingdom Taproom (St J) and/or Parker Pie (West Glover) Friday

 

Hit up Lost Nation Brewing on you way from HF to Burlington\Waterbury.

 

Visit Bier Cellar on Forest in Portland. Awesome store!

 

I'd swap out 555 for Fore Street, Piccolo, Central Provisions or The Well @ Jordan's Farm [BYOB!] but that's just personal preference from a local. You'll have a stellar meal regardless. You're doing the food portion of your stay in Portland up right! Enjoy! If you're looking for some stuff for breakfasts I highly recommend Standard Baking, Ten Ten Pie, Scratch Bakery, or Holy Donut for pastry type stuff.

Be sure to check out Austin Street on the other side of that building Foundation and Bissell Brothers are in.

If you plan on bringing any WW with you and fancy an IP trade while you're in Portland let me know!

 

While in the white mountains Woodstock Inn Brewery is worth a pitstop. Also male sure to pick up some Most Mountain Iron Mikes Pale

 

Moat Mountain

 

Only possible additions I see are:

Rising Tide, which would best fit on Day One (half mile or so from Commercial Street via Franklin Street). If they have MIT Ale or Calcutta Cutter (double IPA) great, but even fresh Zephyr (IPA) is very good. Also they are attached to Maine Craft Distilling if you feel like some spirits, and Bunker Brewing & Urban Farm Fermentory are nearby.

Moat Mountain which MVP09 noted above. Great smokehouse and brews for lunchtime which I have personally hit between Portland and Hill Farmstead before. However this would take you out of your way if wanting to hit the Flume Gorge as noted. You would pass through a different state park (Crawford Notch) via US Rt. 302 towards Vermont, but my favorite short-ish hikes there (Arethusa Falls, Mt. Willard) are at least a few miles and not a roadside walk like the Flume is. However you would pass the Mt. Washington hotel with a great scenic overlook of the subject mountain and railway which ascends it.

 

Definitely second the Lost Nation recommendation. The food is as good as the beer and it's an easy place to pop in and out of if you just want to notch a quick visit for a snack or a sip.

And if you find yourself looking to change your Vermont dinner plans for whatever reason, my wife and I were super impressed with Hen of the Wood in Waterbury. Awesome ambience and service, a fantastic meal and Heady Topper on tap! Unlike a couple other places I've been in VT, it was actually worth the "big city" prices they charge.

Have a blast!

 

Lots of stuff to do for sure. I'll make one correction for you:

Day #1 (Wed) - Portland -- Arrive midday, sightseeing on Commercial Street, visit Oxbow's Portland Tasting Room, Dinner at Five Fifty Five, Nightcap(s) at Novare.

 

Hugo's is my personal favorite meal in town.

Of those I'd say Fore Street is the most seafood forward. If you're a fan of sushi I would highly recommend Miyake over that instead, some of the best you'll find on the east coast. For straight up seafood you can't go wrong with Eventide Oyster Co [same owners and right next door to Hugo's/Honey Paw], Old Port Sea Grill or head over to Two Lights Lobster Shack for some sight-seeing and lobster rolls for something less formal.

The Well @ Jordan's Farm usually only has a single seafood app and entree -- but it's an amazing experience. Just a bunch of first-come/first-serve picnic tables and gazebo's for large parties situated in the middle of a flower garden. It's cash-only and has "suggested prices" -- plus, it's BYOB! Big fan of doing bottle shares here.

 

This is great. I'll be in MA/NH/ME in July, too, and have been researching places to be sure to hit. Not sure if we'll get to VT or not. Coming from CA.

(there's a good chance I'll be drunk, or at least pleasantly tipsy, the whole trip.)

 

From HF you' might be better served beer and accommodation wise continuing on to Stowe/Waterbury. Nothing against St J but there isn't a ton going on there and it's not significantly more driving to keep heading west/not backtracking.

 

Since your wife is a vegetarian, go to Revolution Kitchen when you're in Burlington. Phenomenal food!

 

I'd recommend stopping at Schilling Beer Company in Littleton, NH while crossing the White Mountains. They're brewing some phenomenal and very unusual beers--all continental European styles--with great pizza in an old grist mill overlooking the Ammonoosuc River. Very different from some of the other places you'll be visiting, and very worth a stop while passing through.

 

If you have a chance for breakfast or lunch I would check out the palace diner. It's been getting some press but promise not to tell anyone else...... I can't argue with your beer choices. Have a great trip.