Leaf Peeping & Private Dining: Planning the Perfect Fall Getaway in New Hampshire & Vermont

THE NEW ENGLAND PRIVATE CHEF SERIES | NO. 03

There is a reason people travel from all over to experience fall in New England.

The mountains begin to glow in shades of red, orange and gold. Country roads become destinations of their own. Farm stands overflow with the last of the harvest, mornings become crisp, and even a simple drive through New Hampshire or Vermont can turn into an entire afternoon because around every corner there seems to be another reason to stop.

We love this season. But as beautiful as the days are, we think some of the best moments happen after the exploring is finished—when everyone comes back to the house, settles in and gathers around the table.

BUILD YOUR DAY AROUND THE EXPERIENCE—NOT A RESERVATION

One of the joys of a fall trip through New Hampshire or Vermont is not knowing exactly where the day will take you.

Maybe you planned to drive for an hour but discovered a farm stand along the way. Maybe someone wanted to stop for cider. Maybe the foliage was too beautiful not to pull over. Or perhaps you found a little New England town you weren't planning to explore and decided to stay awhile.

That's part of the experience.

But a restaurant reservation can quickly become the thing everyone is watching the clock for. Suddenly, you're leaving the mountain, cutting the scenic drive short or rushing everyone back to the rental because you have to be somewhere at 6:30.

A private chef gives the evening a completely different rhythm.

Come home. Take off your boots. Pour something to drink. Light the fireplace.

We'll take it from there.

CHOOSE A VACATION PROPERTY MADE FOR GATHERING

When planning a New England fall getaway, it's easy to focus on the number of bedrooms, location and view. But take a look at the gathering spaces too.

Is there a dining table where everyone can sit together? Does the kitchen open into the living area? Is there a fireplace? Maybe there's a deck overlooking the mountains or a beautiful kitchen that made you save the property in the first place.

Those spaces can become some of the most memorable parts of your trip.

You aren't simply choosing somewhere to sleep. You're choosing the backdrop for your time together.

And when you've rented a beautiful property specifically so everyone can gather under one roof, there is something wonderful about actually staying there for dinner.

LET NEW ENGLAND INFLUENCE THE MENU

A fall dinner in New England should feel like fall in New England.

That doesn't mean putting pumpkin in everything. It means allowing the season—and what's particularly good during it—to influence the table.

Fall brings beautiful vegetables, apples, squash, root vegetables, fresh herbs, quality meats, seafood from our coastal waters, maple and the warmer flavors we naturally begin craving when the temperature drops.

Chef AJ's approach combines technique with an appreciation for ingredients that don't need to be hidden beneath unnecessary complexity.

When an ingredient is beautiful to begin with, our job is to respect it.

Menus can be personally curated around your preferences, dietary considerations, number of guests and style of gathering, or you can begin with one of Chef AJ's seasonal menu selections.

And when dessert arrives, there are few things that say New England fall quite like Chef AJ's signature New Hampshire Maple Bread Pudding.

VISIT THE FARMS—WE'LL HANDLE DINNER

One of our favorite recommendations for anyone traveling through New England is simple: stop at the farm stands.

Even if you aren't cooking dinner yourself, go anyway.

Buy the apples. Take home the maple syrup. Walk through the market. Pick up something you can't find at home. Talk to the people growing the food and take a few minutes to appreciate where you are.

Agriculture is part of the character of New England, and it has a strong influence on the way we approach our own menus.

When the season and menu allow, we source from local farms, farm stands, fish markets and trusted New England purveyors because freshness makes a difference you can taste.

You can enjoy discovering where the food comes from without having to spend your vacation figuring out how to turn it into dinner.

MAKE ONE NIGHT THE NIGHT EVERYONE REMEMBERS

Not every meal on vacation needs to be an event.

Find the little breakfast place. Grab sandwiches for the road. Eat cider doughnuts in the car. Stop somewhere completely unplanned because it looks interesting.

That's part of traveling too.

But choose one evening and make it special.

Have everyone come back to the house. Dress up a little—or don't. Open a good bottle of wine. Turn on some music. Put the phones away for a while and let someone else take care of dinner.

There is something wonderfully intimate about enjoying an exceptional meal without ever leaving the place you've chosen to call home for the weekend.

FOR FAMILIES, PRIVATE DINING CHANGES THE EVENING

Multi-generational trips can create some of the best memories, but coordinating everyone isn't always easy.

Grandparents may not want a late restaurant reservation. Young children may not want to sit quietly through a long dinner. Someone has dietary restrictions. Someone else needs to drive. And getting ten people out of the house at the same time can become an event all by itself.

A private dinner gives everyone more flexibility.

Children can be comfortable in familiar surroundings. Grandparents can relax. Nobody has to drive unfamiliar roads after dinner. And when someone wants to step away from the table, they're already home.

Everyone gets to simply enjoy being together.

FOR FRIENDS, IT GIVES YOU THE EVENING BACK

Maybe you've rented a mountain lodge with several couples. Maybe it's a birthday weekend, an anniversary, a friends' getaway or simply the first time everyone has managed to coordinate schedules in far too long.

Those are the nights that disappear quickly.

Instead of spending part of the evening getting everyone to a restaurant, waiting for a table and coordinating rides back to the property, you can spend the entire evening together.

Dinner happens around you rather than the evening happening around dinner.

Sometimes the real luxury of a private chef experience isn't what's on the plate.

It's getting your time back.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOUR PRIVATE CHEF ARRIVES?

Your dinner begins long before we knock on the door.

Before the event, we've already discussed your group, planned the menu and sourced the ingredients needed for your experience.

On the day of dinner, we arrive ahead of service and begin preparing in your vacation kitchen. We understand that vacation rental kitchens vary, so we come prepared with the cooking utensils and serving pieces necessary for the menu we've planned.

Chef AJ cooks. We take care of getting dinner to your table. And when the evening is finished, we handle the kitchen cleanup associated with our service.

You don't need to leave your vacation to experience a restaurant-quality dinner.

We bring the experience to you.

NEW HAMPSHIRE OR VERMONT?

We say both.

Vermont has its mountain towns, farms, villages, covered bridges and unmistakable countryside charm.

New Hampshire has the White Mountains, lakes, winding roads, historic towns and spectacular fall scenery of its own.

Each offers a slightly different version of New England, and both give travelers something increasingly valuable: a reason to slow down.

That same philosophy is at the heart of Coastal & Countryside.

Slow down.

Taste your food.

Sit around the table.

Talk to each other.

Stay awhile.

The best evenings rarely need to be rushed.

FROM THE COAST TO THE COUNTRYSIDE

Our name is a reflection of the New England we love.

From our coastal waters to working farms, mountain communities and countryside roads, the places around us influence the food we prepare and the hospitality we bring into our clients' homes.

We believe ingredients matter. We believe presentation matters. But most of all, we believe the experience around the food matters.

A private chef dinner isn't simply about having someone else cook.

It's about creating an evening where your attention can belong completely to the people sitting around your table.

END THE DAY AROUND THE TABLE

The foliage might be what brings you to New Hampshire or Vermont.

Years from now, though, what you remember might be the night everyone stayed in.

Dinner cooking in the kitchen. A fire going. Wine on the table. Everyone talking about what they saw that day. Someone asking for another serving of dessert.

Everyone together.

That's the New England experience we love creating.

PLANNING A FALL GETAWAY TO NEW HAMPSHIRE OR VERMONT?

Coastal & Countryside brings private chef experiences directly to vacation homes, mountain properties, intimate gatherings and special celebrations throughout New England.

Spend your day leaf peeping, exploring the countryside, visiting the farms or simply enjoying the property you've traveled all this way to experience.

You take the scenic route.

We'll take care of what's for dinner.

Coastal & Countryside Private Chef

Private chef experiences for vacation homes, gatherings and celebrations throughout New Hampshire, Vermont and New England.

Explore our menus, private chef experiences and availability at coastalandcountryside.com.

(Coming Sonn) CONTINUE THE SERIES → NO. 04

From the Slopes to the Table: The Private Chef Guide to a New England Ski Getaway