If you’re looking for some outdoor winter adventures that conclude with a cozy bite to eat Marc Hurwitz, founder of Boston Restaurant Talk Blog, has his recommendations on winter spots in New England after a day outdoors.
In Massachusetts
The Wayside Inn
72 Wayside Inn Road, Sudbury
“Not too far outside of Boston, there are a lot of trails in Sudbury, Lincoln and Concord for cross-country skiing, hiking, or snowshoeing, and there actually are some trails within walking distance of the Wayside Inn, which is just a perfect place in the winter with the fireplace and the old school food like steaks and seafood. It dates back to the 1700s, so just a lot of character.”
Wachusett Brewery
175 State Road East, Westminster
“For those who like to do downhill skiing, this is a place I used to go all the time growing up. At Wachusett Mountain, just off Route 2, you can do a nice day of skiing or an evening of skiing and then you can go a few miles over to Wachusett Brewery, which has no connection to the mountain, and you can actually sit outside this time of year because they have heat lamps and fire pits. It’s a great place to go to sit outside and have a beer and some really good food.”
Outside Massachusetts
Emma’s 321 Pub
377 US-202, Rindge, New Hampshire
“At this time of year, you can snowshoe or maybe use microspikes to go up Mount Monadnock or any of the hills around there, like Gap or Pack Monadnock, and then afterward in Ringe, which is a nice little town on the Massachusetts border, there’s a place called Emma’s 321 Pub, which is right on Route 202, and it’s just one of those old school, rustic restaurants that you don’t really see much of in the Boston area. A lot of dark woods and just beautiful outside and old school food like burgers, wings, and pasta dishes. So it’s a throwback.”
Nubb’s Lobster Shack
591 Shore Road, Cape Neddick, Maine
“The cliff house at Cape Neddick, which is just outside of Ogunquit, has a seafood shack called Nubb’s. What you can do in the winter is walk the marginal way in Ogunquit, which is beautiful in the winter and right on the ocean, no one’s there this time of year. Then you can just head down to Nubb’s Lobster Shack at the cliff house for a lobster roll, maybe crab cakes. Beautiful views out the window of the Atlantic Ocean.”
The Abbey
686 Admiral St., Providence, Rhode Island
“Chase Farm in Lincoln, Rhode Island is a beautiful place to go for a walk. It’s hilly, with these old buildings from the 1700s. Then, you can drive a few miles to a place called The Abbey, which is a burger place, and you can just sit up at the bar and get burgers and beer after you did your walk.“
