Think of New England and you most likely envision rocky coastlines, mountains covered in colorful fall foliage, an abundance of snowy skiing, charming white-washed villages and hard-working people.
When Chris Donnelly, owner of Vermont-based Sugar Tours and Creative Culinary Tours, thinks of New England he thinks of food – lush vineyards, coastal clambakes, Maine lobsters, natural cheeses, farm-produced maple syrup, and the region’s plethora of fresh fruits (such as blueberries) and vegetables.
Donnelly’s culinary programs have been in operation in Vermont for over five years, and their popularity has allowed them to expand to showcase areas and experiences from all over New England. Donnelly started Creative Culinary Tours as a division of Sugar Tours just over a year ago, but his experience in the food industry spans almost three decades – from his start in waiting tables at the age of fifteen to his more refined work in food and wine sales at the renowned Hermitage Inn in Wilmington, Vermont. Donnelly’s knowledge of food goes into to every one of his culinary programs. “Not only is it important to know the food,” says Donnelly, “but also where it came from and how it was produced.”
Each culinary tour Donnelly creates requires a year of planning and research in order to find the most exquisite restaurants, the most interesting farms and factories, and the most knowledgeable chefs and food critics on each region’s cuisine. Donnelly searches for and incorporates each area’s hidden treasures which include regional culinary delights, organic farms and dairies, and unique dining experiences.
On Donnelly’s “Culinary Journey of New England”, you will enjoy the scenic beauty of the region while sampling many unique and delicious foods from the area. Highlights of the week-long adventure include a visit to Newport, Rhode Island where you will enjoy Johnnycakes at Kenyon Cornmeal, a tour and wine-tasting at the Newport Vineyard, and a traditional Rhode Island clambake complete with Rhode Island chowder (clear broth), clam cakes, quahogs, and brown bread.
Your visit to Maine features a cruise on a lobstering vessel, a visit to a blueberry farm, a tour of a potato vodka distillery, a visit to a gourmet chocolate company, and a traditional lobster dinner. No visit to Maine would be complete without a stop at LL Bean’s flagship store in Freeport. Other stops include a boutique winery in New Hampshire and the Colony Mill Marketplace in Keene, NH.
Vermont highlights include a visit to a water buffalo farm (which produces fine yogurt and buffalo mozzarella cheese), a sugarhouse for traditional sugar-on-snow, a cider mill, an organic-cheese maker and – to complete your time as a Vermonter – a visit to the famous Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream factory in Waterbury. Another of the program’s highpoints is an evening at the beautiful Brandon Inn in Brandon, Vermont. This historic inn is chef-owned and operated, and it features wonderful cooking demonstration dinners.
Creative Culinary Tours’ “Country Inn Weekend Cooking Series” includes two nights at one of Vermont’s finest inns, four hours of cooking instruction taught by acclaimed professional chefs, a Saturday wine-tasting matched with the weekend’s featured cuisine, and two country breakfasts. Creative Culinary Tours has also partnered with Opryland Hotel in Nashville and offers many different “Celebrity Chef Weekends”.
Future programs are expected to showcase cities such as New York, Philadelphia, and Boston. Each of these cities has time-honored culinary roots. New York offers some of the best restaurants, delicatessens, and chocolate shops in the world; Philadelphia is famous for cheesesteaks, soft pretzels, and Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine; and Boston is known for its chowders, its intriguing Irish influence, and its North End Italian market.
www.creativeculinarytours.com
