Downtown Portland, where you can check out everything from Harvest on the Harbor (Oct 21-23) to Maine Foodie Tours.

Fall Weekend Getaways

Portland, Maine

Yes, we know: Nothing beats summer in Maine. But we’d argue that fall is just as sweet, with appealing festivals, fewer crowds, and, of course, trees stained with burnt orange and crimson hues. Foodies, this is your time to visit, especially for intimate food-prep classes at Browne Trading Company, the renowned seafood supplier to some of the finest restaurants along the Eastern seaboard. Long weekend? Show up on Thursday nights, when Browne’s staff schools visitors on wine tasting and selection.

We’ve fallen for the Maine Foodie Tours, a delicious romp taken in three possible ways: by trolley (taste samples inside the trolley, then stop by three restaurants as you learn about the town’s restaurant scene), on foot (visit seven venues in Old Port and learn about its history) or by beer sips (a paradise for microbrew fans, the half-mile jaunt showcases esteemed brew pubs and the processes its owners use to create rich ales and lagers).

Arguably among the best-kept festival secrets in New England, the town’s Harvest on the Harbor (Oct. 21–23) lures the palate with a food- and wine-tasting marketplace and keeps your culinary imagination fueled with cooking demonstrations and seminars.

New bites worth checking out: Sonny’s, in the handsomely renovated old Portland Bank building, serves up tastes of Cuba, Brazil and the American Southwest (try the jerk-spiced mushroom manchego burger or the tamales jardinero—corn husk stuffed with corn masa and cheese); and The Corner Room, from Harding Lee Smith, the mastermind chef and owner of The Front Room. His new spot offers rave-worthy homemade pastas and artisanal breads.

Getting There

Daily nonstop flights to Portland on United Airlines from Dulles International and on US Airways from Reagan National.

Philadelphia

Brotherly love is one thing, brotherly accommodations with flair are quite another. Hotel Palomar Philadelphia, a new 230-room Kimpton property that resides in the historic Rittenhouse Square neighborhood in Center City, flirts with themes such as fashion, dance, literature and design. Translation: Be prepared for a visual masterpiece. Cuisine doesn’t take a backseat to the stylish surroundings, as locals flock to Square 1682, headed by chef Guillermo Tellez. Our menu favorites include duck sausage cassoulet, vegetable lasagna and roasted squab. 

Le Méridien, one block from the Pennsylvania Convention Center and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, is another new example of the city’s hip quotient. The property features 202 guest rooms in a 10-story Georgian revival building.

Philly’s dining scene is light years away from its steak-and-cheese heyday; the city’s options continue to impress. Stephen Starr has landed in Philly with El Rey, a south-of-the-border joint packing more fun than a Yucatan bender. Start with a five-buck Modelo, transition to quesadillas laced with zucchini blossoms, corn and Oaxaca cheese, and share a plate of short-rib enchiladas with amigos. Save a little time to step inside the Ranstead Room—part speakeasy, part bartender’s dream—for inventive cocktail shaking under the watchful eyes of Starr recruit Sasha Petraske. With low lights, candles and jazz riffs, you’ll swear you’re in an underground cocktail bunker in New York or Paris.

Bobby Flay has even gotten into the game by opening a Bobby’s Burger Place, the celebrity chef’s gussied-up answer to processed patties. Flay tops his meaty creations with everything from fresh goat cheese, watercress and Meyer lemon honey mustard (Napa Valley burger) to queso sauce and pickled jalapenos (Santa Fe burger).

Getting There

Daily nonstop flights to Philadelphia on United Airlines from Dulles International and on US Airways from Reagan National.

Boston

Culinary maestro Barbara Lynch (No. 9 Park, Stir, B&G Oysters) just opened Menton, named after a French village near the Italian border, offering two menu formats: a four-course prix fixe and a seven-course chef’s tasting option. The Old World wine list will impress.

Another new spot worth the stop, especially if you’re near the Hynes Convention Center: Towne Stove and Spirits, the brainchild of chef, author and restaurateur Jasper White and star chef Lydia Shire. The $9 million, 14,000-square-foot restaurant features three outrageously fun bars. We love the global cuisine, including the 15-course lobster-tasting menu, tandoori meats and Peking chicken.

And since the almighty bar sometimes defines Boston, we’ve scouted some new hangouts, including City Bar (Lenox Hotel) for its sophisticated vibe accented by some of the most inventive drinks in town. You’ll also like the venue’s alluring menu from City Table—share the grilled shrimp skewers and the fig and duck prosciutto flatbread pizza. Red and romantic with a seductive soundtrack, Noir (Charles Hotel) features black-clad waitresses who hand out wee flashlights so you can navigate a drink menu brimming with “film noir” cocktails. Dive into high-backed black banquettes with someone you love.

Comfort marries design at the new 30-room Hotel Veritas, where you’ll adore the Anichini linens and towels and the Simple Truth—the stunning lounge featuring a limestone fireplace, wines, artisan cheeses and charcuterie.

The Fairmont Battery Wharf transforms the city’s historic warehouse and shipyard area with a 150-room juggernaut of style. Hang around for dining: Sensing, created by Michelin chef Guy Martin, deserves a standing O.

Getting There

Daily nonstop flights to Boston on jetBlue and United Airlines from Dulles International and on American, US Airways, Delta and, beginning in November, jetBlue from Reagan National.

Burlington, Vt.

Vermont-based scribe James Tabor, whose new book, “Blind Descent” (Random House), explores the Everest-like underworld of Mexican caves, isn’t shy about where he’d rather be in September and October: his hometown along Lake Champlain. “The lake’s temperatures are in the low 70s in September, and you can have it all to yourself.”

Before you immerse yourself in those fine waters, rent a bike from the Ski Rack and pedal on the Burlington Bike Path, a 7.6-mile trail that runs from the southern end of town at Oakledge Park to the northern end at the Winooski River before its rendezvous with the newly built bridge to the Colchester Bike Path. The entire trail hugs the shoreline and offers views of the Adirondack Mountains to the west, and Tabor suggests riding all the way to the old railroad cutback (this was a rails-to-trail project) that wanders a half-mile into Lake Champlain.

For a quick bite after your ride, Big Fatty’s BBQ pulls off its Southern imitation with aplomb, serving up barbecue, grits, hushpuppies and its colossal hot dogs.

The Burlington waterfront has gone through an architectural and destination rehab over the past few years, with the addition of new shops, restaurants and the recently opened ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center at Leahy Center for Lake Champlain. The Center houses a 7,000-gallon aquarium and delves into the biological and cultural history of the region.

Oh, yeah, there’s campus life in town, too. And one of the most overlooked gems is the University of Vermont’s Robert Hull Fleming Museum (uvm.edu), which showcases delightful Americana (including Winslow Homer and Stuart Davis) in its permanent collection and never ceases to surprise and engage with its new exhibits (through Sept. 12, “Picture Yourself: The Photobooth in America, 1926–2010”).

Getting There

Daily nonstop flights to Burlington on United Airlines from Dulles International and on US Airways from Reagan National.

Toronto

Hockey lovers unite at the new luxury boutique hotel Le Germain Maple Leaf Square, located just steps away from Air Canada Arena. Inside the hotel, you’ll find modern décor and high-tech amenities (think flat-screen TVs and Bose stereo systems) in each room. And if you’re looking for a rowdier environment to take in a game, check out the Victor Bar & Restaurant, home to Chef David Chrystian, one of the city’s top chefs. Climb aboard Toronto’s most unique bed and breakfast, Making Waves Boatel, located at the Waterfront and open until Sept. 30. A fully equipped floating B&B, the Boatel offers the experience of living on the water while being close to cultural festivals at the Harbourfront Centre.

Take in the gems of the Queen City with Toronto Architecture Tours. Guided walking tours showcase fabulous building design by local and internationally renowned architects. Our favorite: the Skyscrapers of the Financial District tour, which highlights the soaring towers that marked the “race to the top” in the ’60s and ’70s. The new commercial and residential development Maple Leaf Square is at the epicenter of Toronto’s entertainment district and shares its footprint with Air Canada Centre, home of the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Toronto Raptors.

Enjoy outdoor dining at The Boiler House, where a sprawling patio and outdoor cabana lounge provide plenty of space for a la carte dining in Toronto’s Historic District. Sample classic Canadian fare (we love the chili-dusted diver scallops and baked Quebec goat cheese) while taking in live music each night. Acclaimed chef Tom Rainer joins the Toronto team at the award-winning Ritz-Carlton (ritzcarlton.com), where he brings his farm-to-table philosophy to the menu.

From Oct. 28 to Nov. 1, Art Toronto 2010 showcases some of the finest local and international artists in an exhibition and sale of modern and contemporary art. You can also attend seminars and exhibits at the show. Another artsy must-see: the 2010 Shaw Festival, which runs from April through October. Choose from 10 productions (two of which are by—you guessed it—George Bernard Shaw) at the Festival’s four Niagara-on-the-Lake stages.

Getting There

Daily nonstop flights to Toronto on United Airlines from Dulles International and on Air Canada from Reagan National.

Miami

Holed up in the 67-floor Marquis building, The Bar at Tempo Miami
may look sleek, but the atmosphere is low-key. Servers sling $4 beers and no-nonsense drinks—and 30-foot windows showcase views of the bay. Plus, it’s located across from the AA Arena (home of the Miami Heat), making it a great spot for pregame cocktails. Kill Your Idol (222 Espanola Way; 305/534-1009) offers quirky décor (think zebra-striped stairs, pinball machines galore and a life-size Bruce Lee) and $3 PBRs.

Miami’s newest artsy attraction, the Hotel Urbano, sits in the city’s Financial District. Partnering with Art Fusion Galleries, the 65-room boutique hotel features exhibits that change seasonally; a tropical, free-form swimming pool and waterfall; and a South Florida/Cuban fusion restaurant. Located on the private Fisher Island, the Fisher Island Hotel & Resort has recently completed the first phase of its $60 million restoration project, providing visitors with newly renovated vacation cottages, villas and suites, and an updated golf course and tennis center. And, for a bit of history, visit the hotel’s centerpiece: the historic Vanderbilt mansion.

Jumping on the farm-fresh bandwagon, Jeannetti’s Indulgent Journeys: Culinary Creations From Farm to Table is a new dinner series at The Palms Hotel. These four-course specialty menus, available only on Fridays and Saturdays, feature local, organic, sustainable and seasonal fare. Mokai, one of South Beach’s most celebrated lounges, recently reopened with cherry-red sofas, black lacquered walls, hot-pink panels and an array of fairytale-inspired chandeliers.

Check out the Dig the Beach Volleyball National Championship at Lummus Park Beach, Sept. 11–12. The oldest and largest series in the Southeast, the national championship is the culmination of nine tournaments including more than 200 teams. Stop by the 9th Annual Miami International Wine Fair Oct. 14–17, featuring more than 1,500 wines from 20 countries, at the Miami Beach Convention Center.

Getting There

Nonstop flights to Miami on American and United Airlines from Dulles International and on American Airlines from Reagan National.

Virginia's Wine-Inspired Weekends

Loudoun and Fauquier counties are in Washington Dulles International Airport’s backyard, and with hills that leap and scramble among horse farms and vineyards, it’s ripe for exploration—especially during harvest days. Our favorites for the temperate days and chilly nights ahead:

The Ashby Inn and Restaurant, located in Loudoun County, sits in the village of Paris, Va. (population 67) and manages to straddle the traditions of its 19th-century bones with modern flourishes, most notably in a new menu from former Goodstone Inn and Estate chef Tarver King, including rockfish ceviche, braised rabbit leg and pork belly. We also love the Inn’s wine dinners; the next ones are slated for Sept. 17 and Nov. 4. Savor the views: The rear of the inn overlooks Sky Meadow State Park.

The Wine Kitchen in Leesburg, Va., figures everyone winds up in the kitchen at parties, so that’s how its owners have set up this place, complete with flights of local, Italian, Spanish and Australian wines. A seasonal tasting menu (don’t miss the lamb sausage) complements a lengthy wine list.

The Restaurant at Patowmack Farm, named after George Washington’s trading company, sprouted from an herb farm and is quite literally farm to table (try the five-course seasonal tasting menu), with the tables sitting inside a glassed-in space perfect for watching moonrise. If there’s a finer bucolic setting for a meal in the mid-Atlantic, we’d like to see it. (Cooking workshops this fall: fish, Sept. 18; chocolate, Nov. 13.)

Wine tasting on the agenda? October is Virginia Wine Month, with tastings, festivals and lots of tours. Some of our favorite stops include Breaux Vineyards, Delaplane Cellars, Barrel Oak Winery and Lost Creek Winery/Hiddenbrook Winery.

For a roundup of all Virginia vineyards, check out virginiawine.org.