INSIDERS’ GUIDE

Outdoor Escapes for All Ages

BUCKET-LIST TRAVEL DESTINATIONS NEW SEASON, NEW ADVENTURES Tastemakers & Entrepreneurs INSIDERS’ GUIDE LETTER FROM THE EDITORS WELCOME TO WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE Weekends with Yankee is produced by WGBH ’s Studio Six. Yankee readers have never been shy about letting us know EXECUTIVE PRODUCER: what stories they like best. And over the past few years, a Laurie Donnelly lot of their letters and online comments have been about SERIES HOSTS: Weekends with Yankee, our travel and lifestyle public television Richard Wiese and Amy Traverso series made in partnership with WGBH in Boston. These

Series funding for Weekends with Yankee sentiments—even from people who live outside New , is provided by State of New Hampshire which half of Yankee’s readers do—all share the same idea: Division of Travel & Tourism, Emerald Waterways, Office of Tourism, and They feel that the show brings them home. The Vermont Country Store. That was our inspiration from the start. Public television has a celebrated history of producing story-driven programs WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE that both inspire and educate, and New England has long been INSIDER’S GUIDE fertile ground for characters and narratives with the power

to make people everywhere feel connected to this region. EDITOR Mel Allen Through Weekends with Yankee, we’ve been able to showcase the stories of our six states in a visually exciting half-hour MANAGING EDITOR Jenn Johnson show. With Season 4, which debuted this past April, the connection it provides to people is stronger than ever, given SENIOR FOOD EDITOR how many of us have been seeking new ways to learn and Amy Traverso explore in an era of self-quarantine and restricted travel. DEPUTY EDITOR The show’s reach will also be expanded by the publication Ian Aldrich you’re reading now. Just as stories from Yankee have inspired

SENIOR DIGITAL EDITOR many of the segments on Weekends with Yankee, the show has Aimee Tucker influenced what we at Yankee do, both online and in print. With this special Weekends with Yankee: Insiders’ Guide, we’ve ASSOCIATE DIGITAL EDITOR Katherine Keenan brought together for the first time stories connected to all four seasons of the show. VP, PUBLISHER We sit down with comedian and author John Hodgman Brook Holmberg to talk about his Massachusetts roots, and we catch up with MARKETING DIRECTOR Maine chef Erin French for a peek at what it’s like to run Kate Hathaway Weeks the Lost Kitchen, where dinner reservations are some of the

SALES MARKETING MANAGER most coveted in the nation. We offer viewers a virtual tour Valerie Lithgow of New Hampshire’s best summer adventures—including a

MARKETING ASSOCIATE White Mountains hike once tackled by Weekends with Yankee Holly Sloane cohost Richard Wiese—then head south for a taste of the magical region of Rhode Island and Massachusetts known as NEW MEDIA DESIGNER Amy O’Brien the Farm Coast. Cohost Amy Traverso, Yankee’s senior food editor, explores the flavors of New England and spotlights the VP, SALES region’s tastemakers, including elite chef Jacques Pépin and JD Hale famed baker Joanne Chang. NATIONAL MARKETING So come along on a journey into the heart of New England Roslan & Campion Public Relations led by the folks who know it best. And as always, please do let Cover photo by Mark Fleming us know what you like about the show—and which adventures you’d like to see us take on next. Copyright 2020 by Yankee Publishing Inc.; all rights reserved. —The Editors

2 WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE LETTER FROM THE EDITORS CONTENTS

4 BEHIND THE SCENES 23A: Q& WHIT PERRY A chat with Laurie Donnelly, executive The maritime preservation expert producer of Weekends with Yankee discusses the legacy of the Mayflower 6 MEET THE COHOSTS: AMY TRAVERSO 24 SWEET SUCCESS How Joanne Chang came to be Boston’s 8 MEET THE COHOSTS: RICHARD WIESE most beloved pastry chef 10 CLIMBING THE KNIFE EDGE 26 BRANCHING OUT This heart-stopping trail draws hikers A New Hampshire family brings ingenuity from across the globe to Maine’s highest and entrepreneurship to their rural farm mountain, Katahdin 27A: Q& BARTON SEAVER 13 COME SAIL AWAY The Maine seafood expert weighs in Leave your cares on land with one of on sustainability (and the right way to these breezy New England escapes make a lobster roll) 14A: Q& JOHN HODGMAN 28 IN THE KITCHEN WITH JACQUES PÉPIN The humorist, author, and actor talks The world-famous chef shares a favorite about his Massachusetts roots and the New England seafood recipe challenges of middle age 30A: Q& ERIN FRENCH 15 SOAK UP THE LOCAL COLOR The chef-owner of Maine sensation Make the most of foliage season with The Lost Kitchen looks back on her these easy to moderate fall hikes unexpected path to fame 16 GET IN ON THE ACTION 31 THE ULTIMATE BLUEBERRY PIE From hang-gliding to surfing, summer The Portland, Maine, bakery Two Fat Cats adventures abound in New Hampshire shows us how it’s done 18 COLD CALLING 32 FEASTING ON THE FARM COAST When snow hits Vermont, the fun is just This picturesque region of Rhode Island getting started and Massachusetts is a foodie haven 20A: Q& PATRICK AHEARN 35 THE ADVENTURES CONTINUE The award-winning Martha’s Vineyard For recipes, videos, travel tips, and more, architect shares his thoughts on building head to WeekendsWithYankee.com a cohesive community 36 TUNE IN TO SEASON 4 21 OUT & ABOUT Your complete episode guide to Festivals and events to help inspire Weekends with Yankee’s latest discoveries a future New England getaway and destinations PHOTO: MARK FLEMING

WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE 3 As the camera rolls on Weekends with Yankee, cohost Richard Wiese (right) heads out into Sound for a sail on the tall ship Lynx. PHOTO: MARK FLEMING

4 WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE BEHIND THE SCENES Meet Laurie Donnelly, executive producer of Weekends with Yankee

What does being a New Englander mean to you? New Englanders are straightforward, honest, and resilient—and they are all, in my experience, proud to be from New England. People who live here tend to not leave, and if they do, they are drawn back again at some point in their lives. It’s a place that really feels like home.

What is it about lifestyle programming that has such broad appeal? We can take viewers to places they might never go. We inspire them. It’s aspirational and inspirational, and it takes them away from the grind of their daily lives. We always try to push the envelope in introducing them to content, people, and ideas they may never have seen before.

What are some of the surprising places that your career with WGBH has taken you? Through our programs we are given access to worlds that we might otherwise never see, whether it is a front-row seat at Carnegie Hall, as with From the Top … or following in the footsteps of people on spiritual journeys guided by Bruce Feiler in Sacred Journeys … or traveling around the world alongside a ver her long career in public television, Emmy- National Geographic photographer as he tries to save winning producer Laurie Donnelly has worked on one endangered species at a time in our series Rare: O several innovative shows, from Gourmet’s Diary of Creatures of the Photo Ark, with Joel Sartore. Through a Foodie to to Food Trip with Todd English. these journeys, I have had unique access to some of the Today, this California native turned New Englander most breathtaking, engaging, and inspirational places oversees Weekends with Yankee, a WGBH collaboration around the globe. with Yankee magazine that saw its fourth season premiere on public television stations nationwide this Weekends with Yankee is a celebration of all past April. Here, she shares some insights on Weekends the wonderful things people can experience in with Yankee, as well as her own personal take on New England. What are some of your personal New England. New England favorites? Eating Duxbury oysters, taking the cog railway up to What inspired you to partner with Yankee for this the top of Mount Washington, and having tea on Mount television show? Desert Island—there’s nothing like it. I also grew up Yankee is a New England institution that has been telling sailing, and there is no better experience to take you this region’s story for decades, which means that there away from it all than a windjammer cruise around the is no better partner to capture the people, places, and Maine islands. While I also am a tremendous foodie, stories that make up New England. Yankee’s stories it’s hard to pick among my “children”—New England is resonate not only with New Englanders but with people loaded with great restaurants! But give me a lobster roll

PHOTO: COURTESY OF WGBH across the country. anytime, and I’m a happy camper.

WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE 5 MEET THE COHOSTS: AMY TRAVERSO Yankee’s senior food editor has a knack for showcasing New England’s innovative chefs and iconic foods

s Weekends with Yankee’s resident food expert, Amy Traverso introduces viewers to New England flavors and recipes, as well as the farmers, chefs, and food producers who enliven the region’s food and dining scene. Amy A is the senior food editor for Yankee, and she brings the magazine’s insider knowledge to life and shares it with viewers nationwide. Previously, Amy was food editor at Boston magazine and associate food editor at Sunset. Her work has also been published in Saveur, The Boston Globe, and Travel & Leisure, and she has appeared on Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family, The Martha Stewart Show, Throwdown with Bobby Flay, and Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. Amy is the author of The Apple Lover’s Cookbook, which was a finalist for the Julia Child Award for best first-time author and which won an IACP Cookbook Award in the “American” category. She was also the editor of Yankee’s Lost and Vintage Recipes. Today Amy lives with her family in Greater Boston, which is home to no shortage of fine restaurants. But lately another city has been giving Boston a run for its money in terms of New England’s hottest dining scene. On the next

page, Amy shares some of her favorite places to eat in the foodie mecca of Portland, Maine. PHOTO: MARK FLEMING

6 WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE Clockwise from far left: Seafood delicacies at Eventide Oyster Co.; Amy and Richard chatting with Leigh Kellis, founder of The Holy Donut; a stack of The Holy Donut’s addictive pastries, which get their signature lightness from Maine potatoes.

3. CENTRAL PROVISIONS: “An always-packed restaurant/bar AMY TRAVERSO’S TOP 5 in a 19th-century former storehouse, Central Provisions brings small-plate dining to delicious new levels. My PORTLAND DINING PICKS advice: Order a few plates at a time, retain a menu on the table, and keep going until you can’t eat another bite.” 1. EVENTIDE OYSTER CO.: “Lobster shack classics are given a central-provisions.com creative spin with Asian and Middle Eastern accents at this nationally acclaimed seafood haven. I’m especially 4. MIYAKE: “The flagship of Masa Miyake’s mini empire— fond of their brown-butter lobster roll. You can also which includes the noodle-centered Pai-Men Miyake— sample Maine’s growing roster of oyster varieties from offers not only some of the best sushi in New England but the raw bar.” eventideoysterco.com also some of the most affordable.” miyakerestaurants.com

2. THE HOLY DONUT: “All 20-odd flavors at this Portland icon 5. DUCKFAT: “For those in search of gourmet comfort food, use Maine-grown potatoes in the dough, producing a Duckfat does it all. There are excellent renditions of dunker so light and moist, you’ll wonder why anyone panini, salads, charcuterie, and milkshakes, but you’re makes doughnuts without them. Don’t miss the really here for the Belgian-style frites fried in the flavorful dark chocolate sea salt doughnut.” theholydonut.com fat that gives the restaurant its name.” duckfat.com

BEFORE YOU GO: Since many restaurants may be adjusting their operations in light of COVID-19, please call or check online before making travel plans. PHOTOS: MARK FLEMING

WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE 7 MEET THE COHOSTS: RICHARD WIESE Though he’s spent years traveling the world, he still loves finding adventure right here in New England

s a world-class explorer, Richard Wiese brings a A seasoned traveler’s curiosity and appetite for discovery to his role as Weekends with Yankee cohost and expert guide through New England. Richard is also host of the Emmy-winning television series Born to Explore and author of the guidebook Born to Explore: How to Be a Backyard Adventurer. The youngest person ever to be named president of the Explorers Club, Richard has traveled to all seven continents and participated in numerous projects, including two expeditions to Antarctica, a cross-country skiing trek to the North Pole, and the largest medical expedition ever conducted on Mount Everest. But even though Richard has made his name as a global traveler, he loves spending time in his hometown of Weston, Connecticut. On the next page, he shares some of his favorite adventures in the

Nutmeg State. PHOTO: MARK FLEMING

8 WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE Clockwise from left: Chapman Falls at Devil’s Hopyard State Park in East Haddam; Richard gets ready to throw out the first pitch at a minor league ballgame in Norwich; after foliage season is over, it’s time to don skis and hit the slopes at a peak destination like Mohawk Mountain.

formations known as schist. Camp near the RICHARD WIESE’S TOP 5 park’s scenic waterfall in one of 21 wooded campsites.”

CONNECTICUT ADVENTURES FAMILY FUN: “Bring the family to a Norwich Sea Tigers game at Dodd Stadium in Norwich for a fun minor league HIKING: “Trout Brook Valley Preserve in Weston is a great baseball experience. If you like the thought of catching a place to hike and admire nature, with a nice variety of ball game —maybe with a hot dog and cold beer?—on a in-terrain difficulty. It’s also home to my favorite spot to summer night, this is tough to beat.” milb.com/norwich cross-country ski during the winter. The 1,756-acre Lucius Pond Ordway/Devil’s Den Preserve, in both Weston and FLY FISHING: “The Saugatuck River, which flows from Redding, is another favorite for outdoor exploring.” above West Redding to the Sound, is a perfect spot; the mammoth trout that dwell in a stretch CAMPING: “Macedonia Brook State Park in Kent is a just off Ford Road in Westport are a well-kept secret.” beautiful park where you can camp right along the brook. Silver Hill Campsite in Cornwall Bridge offers scenic SKIING: “Mohawk Mountain in Cornwall is Connecticut’s backcountry seclusion along with great sunrise views of best—and most affordable—ski mountain resort. the Housatonic. Finally, Devil’s Hopyard State Park in It’s ideal for beginners and just big enough to keep East Haddam is a cool state park with interesting rock advanced skiers interested, too.” mohawkmtn.com

BEFORE YOU GO: Since many parks and venues may be adjusting their operations in light of COVID-19, please call or check online before making plans. PHOTOS: DAN LOGAN/ISTOCK (PARK); COURTESY OF WGBH (BALLPARK); PEXELS/PIXABAY (SKIING)

WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE 9 A hiker on the Knife Edge Trail, a dramatic mile-long trek between Pamola Peak and Baxter Peak on Maine’s Mount Katahdin.

10 WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE CLIMBING THE KNIFE EDGE This heart-stopping trail draws hikers from across the globe to Maine’s highest mountain

ou’ve probably heard of Mount Washington, New England’s Y highest peak and “home of the world’s worst weather.” But one state over and 200 miles away there stands a mountain that tempts adventurers to the lush forests of Maine’s Baxter State Park and trails that seem more like a high-stakes game of hopscotch. It’s Mount Katahdin, one of the great pinnacles of New England hiking. The size and beauty of Katahdin does, of course, make it a very popular destination. There are multiple campgrounds and trailheads at which to park, all requiring online registration weeks ahead of time. Reservations are held The view from Baxter Peak, the summit of Mount Katahdin and the northern end of the Appalachian Trail. until only 7 a.m., though, so if you go in peak season, plan on arriving early enough to make it through the line of cars. Here, the Knife Edge Trail hike begins with a steep Katahdin actually encompasses several peaks, with descent down jagged boulders, only to be followed Baxter Peak, at 5,267 feet, being the tallest as well as by a steep ascent before flattening out into a narrow, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. There rolling ridge of rocks that often exposes hikers to are a number of ways to get to the top—all of them fiercely windy conditions. It’s tough, even scary, and strenuous—but for true adrenaline junkies, nothing requires focus, smart movement, and physical fitness. beats the Knife Edge Trail. Some spots are as narrow as four feet, with 2,000-foot While running just 1.1 miles from Pamola Peak to drops on either side (and yes, the trail has claimed Baxter Peak, the Knife Edge is an intense, often technical numerous lives over the years). Proper equipment, climb. And first you have to get there: From Roaring weather preparedness, and good decision-making are a Brook Campground, the Helon Taylor Trail starts out as necessity, even for just that one-mile stretch. a classic moderate trail with several areas of climbing. Above the tree line, though, it quickly becomes rocky, requiring careful footing and some hands-and-knees TUNE IN FOR MORE scrambling. You’ll gain 3,413 feet of elevation over the Explore New England’s highest peak, Mount

PHOTOS: JERRY MONKMAN/ECOPHOTOGRAPHY (PREVIOUS PAGE); CATEY MCCANN (THIS PAGE) 3.2-mile trail, which leads to Pamola Peak. Washington, in Weekends with Yankee season one.

WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE 11 The expansive view from Baxter Peak, the 5,267-foot summit of Mount Katahdin.

If you’re prepared and careful, however, it is a once- in-a-lifetime experience. The 360-degree view of the rocky trail, piled loose and high like Mother Nature’s TRAVEL RESOURCES delicate one-mile cairn, and the inner basin, rimmed with thousands of gray-toned rocks casting shadows • Staying at one of the campgrounds in Baxter State Park will get you into the bowl of thick forest beneath, is a sight that closest to the trails on the day of your hike. baxterstatepark.org relatively few people get to see. • The New England Outdoor Center is about a 45-minute drive from While not quite as rough, the rockiness of the hike the park and offers a range of cabins and lodges to stay in, plus does not ease up after summiting Baxter Peak. It’s plenty of other outdoor activities and a view of Millinocket Lake possible to descend to the Chimney Pond Trail and and Mount Katahdin. neoc.com Roaring Brook Campground via either the Saddle Trail • In the town of Millinocket, about an hour away from the park, or Cathedral Trail. Saddle is longer, but not quite as you’ll find a number of inns, cabins, lodges, camping, and bed- steep, and has loose-rock terrain. Cathedral is very and-breakfasts. millinocket.org steep with tough terrain, but a shorter distance. Either one takes about the same amount of time to connect to Note: Since many parks and businesses may be adjusting their operations Chimney Pond. Once you reach the Chimney Pond Trail, in light of COVID-19, call or check online before making travel plans. the hiking eases up considerably, with flatter terrain and lovely bridges. Four trails, nine miles, two peaks. In the end, it’s not mental imprint. It’s sitting at the summit and just just about going up and down, or even across, over, breathing. And then, it’s eating a delicious snack when above, and below. It’s pausing on a teetering boulder you’re all done and feeling thankful you know that, just just to feel balance. It’s stopping to look at a never- like life, hiking is less about the ups and downs, and

ending landscape you wish could be a permanent more about the nuances in between. PHOTO: CATEY MCCANN

12 WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE COME SAIL AWAY Leave your cares on land with one of these breezy New England escapes

f all the ways we’ve harnessed elemental forces to carry us from place to place, sailing is most O exhilarating … and serendipitous. You can let go of Crew at work aboard the need for an itinerary. Embrace the all-hands-on-deck a Maine windjammer. camaraderie, or be as idle as you’d like. Here are some of our favorite sailing cruises to get you started.

AMERICA’S CUP CHARTERS | NEWPORT, RI As America’s Cup winners or contenders during the ’60s and ’70s, these sailboats were born to race. You might reach 10 knots on a cruise aboard Intrepid, American Eagle, Weatherly, or Nefertiti, and it’ll feel like flying. americascupcharters.com

MOMENT SAILING ADVENTURES | PROVINCETOWN, MA Ideal for a proposal, a “weddingmoon,” or just a few hours of gliding around Provincetown Harbor, the Moment is a classic Stevens 47 that’s tailor-made for charters. Up to six people can enjoy a two-, four-, or six-hour cruise; one or two couples can book a 48- hour jaunt that includes time ashore in Wellfleet and Plymouth. momentsailing.com

MYSTIC WHALER CRUISES | NEW LONDON, CT Few boats undertake a more diverse lineup than the Mystic Whaler, modeled after a late-1800s cargo schooner. A sunset, lobster dinner, or Sunday brunch cruise is an easy way to hit the water, while two-to-five-night trips MAINE WINDJAMMER ASSOCIATION | ROCKLAND & CAMDEN, ME with ports of call like Block Island and Jamestown make In all the world, there is no collection of boats quite like great “sailcation” options. mysticwhalercruises.com this: Four are National Historic Landmarks; the newest windjammer, Heritage, was hand-built in 1983. From a WHISTLING MAN SCHOONER CO. | BURLINGTON, VT three-day jaunt to a 10-day voyage, they’ll carry you into During a two-hour tour of Lake Champlain aboard Penobscot Bay and back to a more romantic era. the Friend Ship, you can dangle your feet in the water sailmainecoast.com and listen to tales of battles fought on Champlain before, during, and after the American Revolution. Never mind that a rumored sea monster lurks beneath the TUNE IN FOR MORE surface: You’ll feel carefree and inspired as the sun sinks Explore the sailing capital of New England—Newport, behind the Adirondacks. whistlingman.com Rhode Island—in Weekends with Yankee season three.

BEFORE YOU GO: Since sailing tour operators may be adjusting their schedules in light of COVD-19, please call or check online before making travel plans. PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE MAINE WINDJAMMER ASSOCIATION

WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE 13 Q&A

and young grown-up in Western Massachusetts, and then transitioning more recently to coastal Maine, where my wife has family and where we’ve begun spending a good chunk of our year.

What do you appreciate about living in Maine? It’s a perfect place to start feeling older, because going through the beginnings of middle age is similar to swimming in Maine. It’s a very cold experience, John Hodgman with it’s a very lonely experience, cohost Amy Traverso and you wish it were not happening to you. The difference between getting older and going swimming in Maine is that going swimming is a dumb choice you JOHN HODGMAN made; you didn’t have to do it. As with all new experiences, it’s The humorist and actor chats about really uncomfortable, but then his New England roots and the your body numbs and adjusts, challenges of middle age. and then it’s kind of a glorious, fun thing to do, and you’re better because you’ve gone through it.

ohn Hodgman has enjoyed fame on several fronts— Does aging bring with it a constant denial of reality? as a Daily Show regular and a comic bit player in At times you feel this complete connection to your younger J movies and TV shows—but it was as a humorist that self, and you cannot believe you are the person you see in he first broke through, starting with his 2005 almanac the mirror. I want to say it takes your breath away, but not of fake facts, The Areas of My Expertise, and continuing in a good way. In the panic-attack sort of way. with a string of best-selling books, including 2017’s I woke up the other day and I had, for the first time Vacationland and 2019’s Medallion Status. We recently in years and years, this very vivid memory of my first caught up with him in the town where he grew up, day in high school. Not only where I was sitting that Brookline, Massachusetts. day, but the feeling I was having at the time, long lost to time in my brain. But I think because my son just started Vacationland is about a lot of favorite haunts in Maine high school, it came back up, and it truly was a not- and Massachusetts—which makes us in New England comfortable experience to feel the breadth of time. feel special, you know? But if you were to not have those uncomfortable I’m glad it made people in New England feel special, moments of breaks with the past, you’d be a terrible because people in New England have a moral difficulty person. You’d be Matthew McConaughey in Dazed with feeling good about themselves. It was a strange and Confused. thing moving to City and realizing what a friendly town it is. I show up and I’m like, “Why are people smiling at me? I’m not used to this at all. I’m from TUNE IN FOR MORE New England!” But yes, Vacationland was about growing Look for Amy’s interview with John Hodgman

up in Brookline, spending a lot of time as an adolescent in Weekends with Yankee season four. TKTKTKTKTKTKTKKTKTKTKTT

14 WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE SOAK UP THE LOCAL COLOR Make the most of foliage season with these easy to moderate fall hikes

ummer may be prime time for most kinds of PAWTUCKAWAY STATE PARK | NOTTINGHAM, NH outdoor fun, but when the leaves change color, This state park is a beautiful 5,500-acre preserve that S nothing beats the thrill of hiking up to a beautiful includes a popular lake, 195 campsites, and about 15 autumn view. Here are our picks for terrific fall hikes in miles of hiking trails. An easy-to-moderate 2.4-mile every New England state. hike to the fire tower on top of South Mountain offers stunning vistas. nhstateparks.org SLEEPING GIANT TOWER TRAIL | HAMDEN, CT This scenic trail starts at the picnic area across from ROME POINT TRAIL | SAUNDERSTOWN, RI Quinnipiac University and is a 1.6-mile hike one way to This 2.4-mile loop in the John H. Chafee Nature Preserve the summit of Mount Carmel, where you will find a stone is perfect for hikers and walkers of all skill levels (and observation tower with a fantastic view of Long Island their leashed pups). The trail starts inland and leads out Sound and New Haven. ct.gov/deep to the bay, and the constant scenery change makes for an exciting quick trip. riparks.com MONUMENT MOUNTAIN TRAIL | GREAT BARRINGTON, MA This 3-mile loop trail is very popular in summer, so a fall STERLING POND TRAIL | JEFFERSONVILLE, VT trip is often a great escape from the traffic. Some areas This moderate trail in Smugglers’ Notch State Park is about of the trail are steep, but a few scrambles afford you a 2.8 miles out and back, and while steep in some portions, wonderful view of the Housatonic River Valley and the the path is well maintained and leads to gorgeous views— southern Berkshires at the summit. thetrustees.org and Vermont’s highest-elevation trout pond, to boot. Sterling Pond has been described as “idyllic” and is a great RATTLESNAKE MOUNTAIN | RAYMOND, ME escape during the quieter fall months. vtstateparks.com Don’t be deterred by the reptilian name! Rattlesnake Mountain via the Bri-Mar Trail is a moderate 2.4-mile out-and-back hike that—while steep in some places—is TUNE IN FOR MORE dog-friendly and kid-appropriate. Look for a great shot Meet Yankee’s resident foliage expert, Jim Salge, of Panther Pond just half a mile in. raymondmaine.org in Weekends with Yankee season two.

BEFORE YOU GO: Since many parks and recreation areas may be adjusting their operations in light of COVID-19, please call or check online before making plans. PHOTO: ANSELM BAUMGART/ISTOCK

WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE 15 ATV riders take the path less traveled by in New Hampshire’s North Country.

GET IN ON THE ACTION From hang-gliding to surfing to hiking, outdoor summer adventures abound in New Hampshire

ew Hampshire is an outdoor playground all year REV UP AN ATV | PITTSBURGH round, but in summer it has more than enough Of the four main ATV tours at northern New Hampshire’s N thrills to fill a calendar—and then some. Here are Bear Rock Adventures, the full-day ride to Dixville Peak some of our favorite ways to get the adrenaline pumping is the one that repays both beginners and advanced

in the Granite State. riders with million-dollar views. bearrockadventures. PHOTO: COURTESY OF BEAR ROCK ADVENTURES

16 WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE HIKE TO THE TOP | CARROLL The nation’s oldest continuously maintained hiking trail, the 8.2-mile Crawford Path still delivers the rugged but accessible adventure its creators envisioned. It concentrates the White Mountains experience—steep ascents, sun-soaked plateaus, boulder-strewn peaks—before culminating atop majestic Mount Washington, the Northeast’s highest peak. fs.usda.gov

FLY ABOVE THE TREES | BRETTON WOODS If you like going along for the ride, consider zip-lining 165 feet above the ground at speeds Soaring through the skies at Morningside Flight Park in Charlestown. of up to 30 mph in the heart of the White Mountains. The three-hour tour at Bretton Woods offers a little excitement, a little education, and a aerial tours of southern New Hampshire. The lot of incredible views. brettonwoods.com elevated offerings continue after the hourlong trip concludes, with free mimosas and a picnic lunch. SADDLE UP | JACKSON high5ballooning.com At Black Mountain Stables you can cowboy up for trail ride to the top of Black Mountain, with stunning views of CYCLE A RAIL TRAIL | LEBANON-BOSCAWEN the surrounding Whites. There are also overnight forays The longest rail trail in the state (and still growing, that include a 45-minute ride to a remote cabin, where a thanks to its devoted volunteers), the 58-mile Northern barbecue dinner and s’mores await. blackmt.com Rail Trail glides past farms, orchards, lakes, mill sites, and covered bridges, with possible moose sightings in GO HANG-GLIDING | CHARLESTOWN Grafton and Orange. ufnrt.org Situated on the Connecticut River, Morningside Flight Park offers sweeping views of New Hampshire BREAK INTO SURFING | RYE and Vermont, while its gently sloping terrain makes The surf shop Summer Session boasts a staff with more it ideal for beginners as well as experienced flyers. than 60 years of surfing and teaching experience, which Lessons are offered for kids and adults; you can means you’ll be hanging 10 in no time. Owners Ry and even take a tandem flight with a licensed instructor. Ty McGill offer private and group lessons at the shop flymorningside.kittyhawk.com overlooking Rye Beach. newhampshiresurf.com

FLOAT UP, UP, AND AWAY | DERRY For more than 20 years, Tony Sica, the owner and chief pilot of High 5 Ballooning, has taken thousands TUNE IN FOR MORE Gear up for rock climbing thrills in the Granite State of passengers from around the globe on unforgettable in Weekends with Yankee season four.

BEFORE YOU GO: Since many parks and recreation areas may be adjusting their operations in light of COVID-19, please call or check online before making plans. PHOTO: COURTESY OF MORNINGSIDE FLIGHT PARK

WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE 17 The chance to skim along the longest ice skating trail in the U.S. draws outdoor enthusiasts to Lake Morey.

COLD CALLING When the snow starts to fly in Vermont, the fun is just getting started

state famous for its kaleidoscopic foliage in the autumn, Vermont also knows how to make the most of winter. From thrill-inducing snowmobile tours to idyllic cross-country ski trails, the Green Mountain State is home to A some of the best winter action in New England.

SKATE AWAY | FAIRLEE groomed cross-country trails that whisk skiers through a Lake Morey is a favorite among pond hockey enthusiasts collage of Vermont farmland, fields, and forest. Head out and is also home to a 4½-mile groomed ice-skating trail, on your own, or draw on the center’s coaching staff to take the longest in the country. Lake Morey Resort maintains your skiing to the next level. craftsbury.com the trail and rents Nordic skates, whose blades are topped with bindings that snap right into regular cross-country THROTTLE UP | OKEMO-KILLINGTON-MOUNT SNOW-STOWE skiing boots. The skates are designed to navigate bumps The Vermont Association of Snow Travelers maintains and cracks without catching a tip—which means you’ll be more than 5,000 miles of snowmobile trails across racing along the ice in no time. lakemoreyresort.com four of the state’s largest winter resorts. There’s terrain for any level of rider, and guided trips, including ones GLIDE INTO THE WOODS | CRAFTSBURY exclusively for kids, are also on offer. Ride your own A nationally recognized outdoor retreat, the Craftsbury machine or rent from one of several local dealers.

Outdoor Center maintains more than 105 kilometers of snowmobilevermont.com PHOTO: MARK FLEMING

18 WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE GO FISH | BURLINGTON A Peace Pups dogsled team Vermont has 40 large lakes open to ice fishing, but in action near Lake Elmore. its biggest body of water—Lake Champlain—is its top spot for winter anglers. Landlocked salmon, lake trout, northern pike, yellow perch, white perch, walleye, and crappie are all here. Guided trips available. vtfishandwildlife.com

HOT-DOG IT | LAKE ELMORE Along with his multitude of Siberian huskies, dogsledding pro Ken Haggett has been leading guests through Vermont’s beautiful Worcester Range since 2006. Tours run twice daily on the weekends and last about two hours. Spots sell out quickly, so be sure to book early. peacepupsdogsledding.com

TUNE IN FOR MORE Catch the thrill of World Cup skiing in Vermont in Weekends with Yankee season four.

SKI THE GOAT | STOWE “Gnarly” doesn’t even begin to describe this double-black run, which earned its name after a hiker remarked that only a goat could successfully make the climb. With an average pitch of 36 degrees, this 2,150-foot route features a double fall line, boulders, moguls, and streams, as well as a 50-degree chute that will humble even the most experienced racers. stowe.com

RIDE A TUBE | WEST DOVER Mount Snow is home to one of the state’s largest snow-tubing hills, which has no fewer than eight downhill lanes to choose from and a Magic Carpet lift to return you to the top. Make a day of tubing or just add it to your post-ski experience, and finish up at the Main Base Lodge for a hot drink or two. mountsnow.com

HIT TO THE HEIGHTS | RUTLAND Vermont boasts some of the best ice climbing in the Northeast, and Adventure Tours’ guides work with climbers of every stripe as they lead trips to Smugglers’ Notch and Lake Willoughby. Private guiding and group ice climbing programs are also available. vermontadventuretours.com

BEFORE YOU GO: Since many businesses and recreation areas may be adjusting their operations in light of COVID-19, please call or check online before making plans. PHOTO: MARK FLEMING

WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE 19 Q&A

New England architecture is really reflective of 400 years of history, of uses changing.

How did you get started working with traditional architecture? After graduate school, I moved to Boston and ended up working in the Architects Collaborative, founded by Walter Gropius. So I know how to do modern houses. [But] in Boston there was this rich architecture, albeit falling into disrepair. I started looking at these abandoned houses in Back Bay and saw you could make condominiums out of them so young people could afford to buy into these neighborhoods.

What drew you to Martha’s Vineyard? My wife knew James Taylor’s father, Ike, and when we visited with him on the island, we went to look at real PATRICK AHEARN estate. I found a little house in Edgartown that was in foreclosure. For the first five years, it was just a retreat. The award-winning architect chats But I began to understand the community and saw an about New England architecture and opportunity to get rid of the T-shirt shops and neon lights and revive it as a commercial and residential building a cohesive community. district. Since then, I’ve done more than 200 houses in 12 square blocks.

atrick Ahearn may have grown up in suburbia— How did you achieve a coherent look among that Levittown, Long Island—but he made his name in many projects? the 1980s as a leading player in the revitalization P It’s complicated. Zoning dictates design. But I don’t give of Boston’s Back Bay neighborhood. Today he’s best up—that’s my Long Island upbringing. If it’s not plan known for helping to transform the Martha’s Vineyard A, then it’s plan B, or C, or D. I also try to represent community of Edgartown. We recently caught up what’s best for the town. It’s not just about what the with him during a walking tour of some of his most client wants, but the collective whole. What’s the style noteworthy island projects. of the houses on the block? What’s the right scale for the streetscape? How can you allow a neighbor to retain What are the origins of New England architectural style? their water view without compromising the design? When the Pilgrims arrived, they had to adapt English designs to a colder winter with more snow, so the steep pitch of the roof became a signature design How would you describe a perfect day on element. The indigenous material was wood, and glass Martha’s Vineyard? [Laughs.] Not having to go in front of the zoning board. was difficult to get or make, so windows were small. Then they needed a large center fireplace to heat the house. So there’s your basic saltbox design. And if the farmstead grew, then maybe the barn was eventually TUNE IN FOR MORE incorporated into living space and they built another Look for our visit with Patrick Ahearn

barn. So the ensemble of buildings we think of as classic in Weekends with Yankee season four. PHOTO: RANDI BAIRD

20 WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE OUT & Photo: WaterFire Providence WaterFire Photo: WATERFIRE PROVIDENCE, RI On select dates from spring to autumn, as many as 80 bonfires are set ablaze along Providence’s three ABOUT rivers, creating a free, one-of-a-kind Festivals and events to help inspire light show that lasts from just after sunset until about 12:30 a.m. The your New England getaway lightings are often accompanied by outdoor concerts, street dancing, and other entertainment. This Rhode Island treasure is said to lure BEFORE YOU GO some 1 million visitors to downtown Since many events and every year, making it one of the venues may be adjusting their schedules in 2020 out of concern state’s most popular events. for public health, please call waterfire.org or check online before making travel plans. Photo: Brenda Darroch MAINE LOBSTER FESTIVAL ROCKLAND, MAINE | AUGUST Gorgeous Rockland Harbor is the backdrop for this five-day lobster blowout and Midcoast tradition since 1947. Some 25,000 pounds of lobster—all freshly caught by local lobstermen—will be served to hungry festivalgoers, who can also amble through maritime displays, browse arts and crafts, take a harbor cruise, and enjoy live entertainment. Frozen water makes for an ethereal scene Look for the crowning of the Maine at Ice Castles in New Hampshire. Sea Goddess on opening night! Photo: A.J. Mellor mainelobsterfestival.com

WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE 21 Photo: Sabin Gratz/Vermont Cheese Council VERMONT CHEESEMAKERS FESTIVAL SHELBURNE, VT | AUGUST With the highest number of cheesemakers per capita, Vermont is justifiably proud of this industry’s deep roots within its borders. Historic Shelburne Farms provides the backdrop for this daylong Photo: J. Lynne Hardesty/Pixabay

celebration of the finest offerings Photo: Adam DeTour from 40-plus Vermont producers. OPEN LIGHTHOUSE DAY CIDER DAYS There will be cheesemaking and MAINE | SEPTEMBER FRANKLIN COUNTY, MA | NOVEMBER cooking demos and workshops, and Sponsored by the U.S. Coast When other spirits were hard lots of goodies to sample, from Guard, the American Lighthouse to come by, resourceful New every kind of cheese imaginable Foundation (ALF), and the Maine Englanders made hard cider with to Vermont-made specialty foods, Office of Tourism, this event draws their abundant apple crop; today, beer, wine, and spirits. upward of 15,000 visitors each year. microbrew aficionados, wine lovers, vtcheesefest.com The attraction? More than two and foodies are rediscovering dozen historic Maine lighthouses, cider’s charms. This two-day event open to the public and ready to be celebrates all things apple with explored. Check the ALF website cidermaking workshops, orchard for full list and locations. tours, apple pressing and cooking lighthousefoundation.org demonstrations, community suppers, and a “Cider Salon” featuring ciders from the U.S., , and Europe. ciderdays.org

Photo: Lee Palombo ICE CASTLES CONNECTICUT MARITIME HERITAGE FESTIVAL NORTH WOODSTOCK, NH | WINTER NEW LONDON, CT | SEPTEMBER This art installation/tourist This nautical party on New London’s attraction sparkles with caverns, waterfront offers four days of free, slides, and other fun formations all-ages fun. Over 60,000 visitors carved from approximately 25,000 are expected to show up for tours pounds of ice; at night the entire of Navy and Coast Guard ships property becomes an aurora and historic schooners, a chowder borealis, lit from within in a rainbow cook-off, live music, family fun and of colors. Note: The weather dictates learning zones, and more. Don’t the start and end of each display miss the burning of Benedict Arnold (recent seasons have run from by costumed reenactors. mid-December until early March). ctmaritimefest.com icecastles.com/new-hampshire

Photo: A.J. Mellor

22 WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE Q&A

Why is the Mayflower II restoration project meaningful to you? Besides just having a ship to look at and talk about, we’re keeping alive the old-time crafts. Listen to that [Perry points to the yard, where a shipwright is tapping oakum, a traditional caulk, between the Mayflower II’s planks]. That’s a sound that has been ringing out over shipyards for hundreds of years. And I guarantee you the mallet he’s using is at least a century old. All this other history went into making this project happen. We repurposed the beams from a pier in Groton, Connecticut, that was built in 1897; the wood is this beautiful longleaf yellow pine that you really can’t find anymore. The trees were probably saplings when the Pilgrims came over. The white oak we used for some of the other planking came from a managed old-growth forest in Denmark—the quality is unheard of for anything you could get domestically. I keep telling the younger WHIT PERRY guys, “You’ll probably never see wood like this again.” How has this project made you think about the The maritime preservation expert Pilgrims’ 1620 journey? Sometimes I’ll stand on the [midlevel] deck of the ship talks about the allure of historic ships and think about the 102 people who had to sleep in that and the legacy of the Mayflower. little space during their 66-day journey. They had to make their way on this small boat as they sailed across the Atlantic to a new life they knew nothing about. But when fter a three-year, $9 million restoration at Mystic you’re on the boat and start to sense what life must have Seaport, the Mayflower II—a full-scale replica of the been like for them, you begin to appreciate their wants ship that brought the Pilgrims across the Atlantic in A and needs to look for something better. 1620—returns to Plimoth Plantation this year. Presiding over this ambitious project is Whit Perry, director of At some point this ship will have to be restored again. maritime preservation and operations for Plimoth How are you planning for the next Whit Perry to lead Plantation. We recently sat down with the Massachusetts the work? native to get his thoughts on resurrecting the past. We’re documenting everything and we’re making How did you get involved in restoring boats? improvements where we can, so that in 60 or 80 years, From an early age, working on boats felt like a natural whenever the ship needs another overhaul, the next crew thing to me. The more I did it, the more I got interested will be able to see what we did and go, “These guys knew in doing more of it. [When] my wife and I got married on what they were doing.” Squam Lake’s Church Island [in New Hampshire], she rode out in my family’s 1927 Fay & Bowen, a gorgeous 27-foot long-deck launch. A guy saw me working on the boat and TUNE IN FOR MORE asked if I’d restore his. I was like, “Really? You’re going to Look for our visit with Plimoth Plantation’s

PHOTO: IAN ALDRICH pay me to work on a boat?” That’s how it all started. Whit Perry in Weekends with Yankee season four.

WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE 23 SWEET SUCCESS How Joanne Chang came to be Boston’s most beloved pastry chef

Meet Joanne Chang: cookbook author, entrepreneur, and 2016 James Beard Award winner as the nation’s most outstanding baker. PHOTO: KRISTIN TEIG

24 WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE o understand Joanne Chang as a baker, you need to picture T her in an earlier life, as a young management consultant laying down clean bedsheets on the floor of her studio apartment in Boston as she prepares to make 400 hand- decorated sugar cookies using a galley kitchen that’s so small she can barely turn around in it. It’s a December evening in 1992, and she rolls and cuts, mixes and bakes, late into the night, setting the cookies on the floor to cool before starting the next batch. A close-up look at some of the goodies on offer at Joanne Chang’s Flour Bakery + Café. When all the cookies are cool, she kneels to paint them with garlands, stars, branches, and sleighs. By way that an artist might share style as “American with French morning, she’ll have made enough an emotion.” overtones,” owing to the time she sugar cookies to generously treat As Chang says this, she’s sitting spent baking at New York’s famed every one of the 90-odd employees just outside one of her Flour Payard Patisserie. Every Flour at the consulting firm where bakeries, and customers turn and display counter is loaded with she works. stare at the woman they recognize croissants, chocolate brioche swirls, This isn’t Joanne Chang’s first all- from television (she famously blondies, cookies. And there’s nighter. She’s fresh out of Harvard beat Bobby Flay in a sticky bun always pie: lemon meringue, Boston with a degree in applied math and competition) or from media and cream, coconut cream. economics. But even as her friends charity appearances around town. The recipes for all these treats are applying to business school, She may be an introvert, but she have gone into Chang’s four she knows that consulting is just a greets every employee and many cookbooks, the most recent of day job. All she wants to do is bake. regular customers by name. which is Pastry Love. “I love to teach Within six months, she’ll leave the Today, Chang presides over a and I love writing recipes,” she says. firm and snag an entry-level job mini empire of eight Flour bakeries, “These days, writing a cookbook making less than $8 an hour in the for which she won a James Beard gives me an excuse to be in the kitchen at Lydia Shire’s landmark Award in 2016, and Myers + Chang, kitchen and not in a meeting.” restaurant, Biba. an acclaimed “Asian-ish” restaurant. As with many success stories, hers Cooking isn’t just a passion for If you consider the success of her led away from the job that she first Joanne Chang—it’s a vital form eateries and the perfection of her loved and into the role of founder. of self-expression. “Everybody sticky buns, pies, and cookies, But the recipes bring her back. struggles to connect with the world she may be Boston’s most beloved To get Joanne Chang’s recipe in some way or another,” she says, entrepreneur. Add the surprise for Best Boston Cream Pie, go to nearly 30 years later. “Some people career pivot, and her success story WeekendsWithYankee.com. are extroverts and make friends is exactly the kind that people love easily. I’ve always been much more to tell. introverted. Baking gave me an Lucky for Bostonians, her food TUNE IN FOR MORE arena where I could share what I is also exactly the kind that people See Joanne Chang in Weekends

PHOTO: KRISTIN TEIG thought was delicious in the same like to eat. She describes her with Yankee season four.

WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE 25 BRANCHING OUT A New Hampshire family brings ingenuity and entrepreneurship to running a rural farm

arah Heffron is standing in her kitchen, breading thinly sliced green tomatoes that she’s just picked Sfrom the hoop house on her family’s property, Mayfair Farm owners Sarah Heffron Mayfair Farm, in Harrisville, New Hampshire. It’s late in and Craig Thompson with their the season, which means the tomatoes wouldn’t have children, Fiona and Cal. ripened on the vine before the first frost, but a quick turn in a hot skillet will make them crisp and delicious. There’s a ham in the oven, also from the farm. “I used to say I was the only Jewish vegetarian pig farmer in my neighborhood,” Sarah says with a laugh. “But I think I hold that title in a wider area.” Right outside the kitchen door, a small staff is preparing for a harvest feast in the barnlike event space that Sarah and her partner, Craig Thompson, built to diversify Mayfair’s offerings. As Sarah gets ready for the dinner, the Weekends with Yankee crew is filming a segment here that highlights the beauty of this sylvan corner of southwestern New Hampshire. It’s a place of hilly pastures, lakes, and forests Sarah Heffron’s sweet potato fritters. lined with old stone walls. Mayfair Farm sits just up the road from Harrisville Pond, and, like many successful family farms in New England, it’s an amalgam of businesses: an orchard, a vegetable garden, an Airbnb food, and I just kept coming back to it.” cottage, and a farm store that sells maple products, As part of the harvest feast, Sarah made sweet potato prepared meals, and baked goods (their almond cake fritters—a recipe she also shared with Yankee. Inspired won a 2017 Yankee Editors’ Choice Food Award). There by Indian vegetable pakoras, the fritters are sweet and are pigs in pens, and lambs up on the hill. And there’s deeply savory, with just enough warming spices to make this Instagram-ready event space, where Sarah and Craig them an excellent appetizer as the weather turns cold. host weddings and community farm dinners spring To get the recipe, go to WeekendsWithYankee.com. through fall. “My mom is a chef, so I grew up around her different food businesses,” Sarah says. “I tried to do different things. I rode horses for a long time; I got a master’s TUNE IN FOR MORE Look for our visit to New Hampshire’s Mayfair Farm degree in school counseling. But my first love was really in Weekends with Yankee season three. PHOTO: KATE PREFTAKES (PORTRAIT); LIZ NEILY (FOOD)

26 WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE Q&A

augmented by having someone solely focused on seafood and people and our relationship with the ocean. The response was “Great, you’re an explorer now.” And I said, “Cool, what does that mean?” and he said, “You tell us.” And so I figured it out, as explorers do.

How does seafood factor into a sustainable diet? Seafood as a center-of-the-plate animal protein simply has a “fin up” when it comes to sustainability, because these animals live underwater in a more gentle environment, thus requiring less bone and less connective tissue. That’s not to say that properly raised land animals should not be a part of our diet, but when we’re looking at how we feed billions, we should always be looking to efficiencies, and seafood has those in abundance.

But what about the dangers of overfishing? BARTON SEAVER In the U.S. and New England, specifically, we have the leading global example of fisheries done right. Not that The Maine seafood expert weighs in we can’t always improve, but it is widely recognized that the systems by which the U.S. manages its seafood are on sustainability (and the right way sustainable. Plus, there is a broad diversity of species that to make a lobster roll) fit our current culinary preferences. They’re caught in fisheries but do not come close to reaching their capacity in terms of production. Whiting, dogfish, haddock, arton Seaver spent his early career as a Washington, pollack, hake, mackerel, Acadian redfish—each of these D.C.–based chef focused on seafood and represents a major opportunity. It’s on us as consumers B sustainability. But shortly after Esquire named him to create the market. “Chef of the Year,” he left the restaurant world for a National Geographic fellowship, studying how human Why did you choose to move to Maine? appetites were changing the oceans. In 2012, Seaver It’s delicious, for one. And Mainers have a particular moved to New England to head up Harvard’s Sustainable cadence to their lives, to their humor, that we particularly Seafood and Health Initiative, settling in his wife’s like. Life is calm. People don’t give a damn about who you home state of Maine. There, he continues to teach and are or what you’ve done. They care first about the fact that write about seafood and has written eight books, most you’re their neighbor. That’s what matters most. recently The Joy of Seafood. Lastly, the lobster roll question: cold with mayo or How did you go from being a restaurant chef to hot and buttered? working for National Geographic? I appreciate both but prefer mayo. Come on! Hot with National Geographic used to do a lot of its entertaining at butter is as much New England as rooting for the Yankees. my D.C. restaurants because of the environmental bent to the food there. I learned that it was launching an oceans TUNE IN FOR MORE initiative, so I asked for 10 minutes of the president’s Look for our visit with seafood expert Barton Seaver

PHOTO: TARA DONNE time and presented my case that the initiative could be in Weekends with Yankee season four.

WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE 27 JACQUES PÉPIN’S MOULES AU GRATIN (MUSSELS GRATINÉE) RECIPE, NEXT PAGE PHOTO: LORI PEDRICK

28 WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE IN THE KITCHEN WITH JACQUES PÉPIN The world-famous chef shares a favorite New England seafood recipe

rom the moment the Weekends with Yankee crew arrived at Jacques Pépin’s home studio in Westport, F Connecticut, he was off like a shot, racing around his property in search of wild mushrooms and taking names on the boules court. This is the man who once won an Emmy cooking alongside Julia Child, and who out-wisecracked Letterman on his own show (while preparing a lovely salmon terrine). With guests like this, the trick is to simply keep up. The high energy carried over into the kitchen, where he whipped up some dishes using fresh mussels from Bangs Island in Casco Bay. He began with roasted mussels in the style of escargots, with lots of butter and garlic, then used the cooking liquid to make a creamy soup called billi bi. He slowed down only at the very end of our visit, when everyone sat down to eat. There, on the table, was a scrapbook of sorts, a hand-illustrated collection of menus (among his many talents, Pépin is an accomplished artist) that form a vibrant record of meals with friends and family that he’s been keeping for the past 50 years. On this day, he pulled out a pen, turned to a fresh page, and wrote: August 11, ’18 / Pour Amy / Moules au Gratin / Billi Bi / Cheers! And just like that, we became TUNE IN FOR MORE part of his culinary legacy—and we had enjoyed one of Look for our visit with Jacques Pépin the most memorable meals of our lives in the bargain. in Weekends with Yankee season three.

JACQUES PÉPIN’S MOULES AU GRATIN Place the mussels and wine into a large Dutch oven, cover, and bring 1½ pounds fresh mussels in their shells (about 36) to a boil. Cook until the mussels open, about 2 minutes. Cool for 10 1 cup white wine minutes, then arrange the mussels in their shells on a cookie sheet. 1 slice white bread, processed to make ¾ cup bread crumbs 2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons olive oil In a small bowl, stir the bread crumbs with 2 teaspoons of olive oil. ¼ cup loosely packed parsley Set aside. Place the parsley, garlic, and hazelnuts in a food processor 2 cloves garlic, peeled and process to a fine mixture. Add the butter, the remaining 2 18 hazelnuts tablespoons oil, salt, and pepper and process until smooth. Top each 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature mussel with about 1 teaspoon of butter mixture and sprinkle the bread ½ teaspoon kosher salt crumbs on top. Place the mussels about 5 inches below a broiler on ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper high heat and broil, watching carefully, until bread crumbs are nicely browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Serve immediately. PHOTO: TOM HOPKINS

WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE 29 Q&A

In 2018 you changed your reservations process so that people had to mail in a card rather than call the restaurant. What was the thinking behind that? We had to make a change [from the phone system], but I never wanted it to be a computer system, because in two seconds the whole season would have booked out. There’s also something about that power of pen to paper. Over the years I’ve received little letters in the mail from people—strangers from all over the place—and I’ve kept them all. I’ve framed some of them. They are my reminders that what I’m doing is something that makes people feel good or even inspires them.

Do you think you’ll open another restaurant, so more people can have access to your cooking? No, I don’t. I don’t know if that’s selfish or not. One thing I realize is that I’ve created something that is ERIN FRENCH completely unsustainable business-wise. Because if I get sick, the restaurant closes for the night. I have put so The chef-owner of Maine sensation much of what has to happen in an evening on my plate The Lost Kitchen shares her unlikely and on my shoulders. I know that’s not a wise decision, and I know that nothing will last forever. But the last story of success thing I want to do is have some offshoot that other people are running, trying to make it look like me when it’s not me. n 2014, having newly returned to her tiny hometown of Freedom, Maine, Erin French opened a restaurant in a What excites you about the start of a new season? Irestored 19th-century gristmill. “A lot of people didn’t Spring cooking. I just love getting back into spring. think it was a good idea,” says French. “They were sure it Like right now, I’m sitting in a parking lot outside would fail.” But in creating something uniquely her own, a greenhouse. I was here with a friend, and we are she also created one of the most sought-after restaurant starting our edible flower seedlings. I’m also excited to experiences in the country. Open from early May to New see people come through the front door again, to work Year’s, The Lost Kitchen takes reservation requests only with my friends again. Every woman I work with there, during the first two weeks in April. In recent years as many I spend my spare time with. They’re my best friends, as 20,000 hopefuls have vied for spots (winners are chosen they’re like family, and it’s really fun to be all together at random). We recently caught up with French, who is when we haven’t been all together since the end of scheduled to publish a memoir in winter 2021. the season. Editors’ note: As of late May, The Lost Kitchen had not yet What do you think of the fame you’ve achieved? announced an opening date for the 2020 season. There are parts of it that I look back on and think, I miss the quiet days. Again, this was never anything I asked for or dreamed of happening. But I’m also trying to balance TUNE IN FOR MORE how to be a mother, and how to have a home that I care Look for our visit with Maine chef Erin French

about and make it feel warm and welcoming to my family. in Weekends with Yankee season two. PHOTO: COURTESY OF ERIN FRENCH

30 WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE THE ULTIMATE BLUEBERRY PIE The Portland, Maine, bakery Two Fat Cats shows us how it’s done

TWO FAT CATS’ WILD MAINE BLUEBERRY PIE 2½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, plus more for sprinkling ¾ teaspoon table salt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes 5 tablespoons vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces 6–8 tablespoons ice water 2 tablespoons milk, for brushing 4½ cups wild Maine blueberries, frozen (do not thaw) 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 2 tablespoons tapioca starch

2⁄3 cup granulated sugar ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg

First, make the crust: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Sprinkle the butter and shortening over the dry ingredients and use your fingertips to gently rub them into the mixture so that they form flakes and small lumps. The dough will begin to take on a pale yellow color and look a bit like lumpy cornmeal. Add the ice water, a few tablespoons at a time, until the dough holds together but isn’t sticky or wet. Divide into two equal parts. Wrap each in plastic ortland is arguably New England’s best bakery town, wrap, press into disks, and chill for at least one hour. and Two Fat Cats is one of our favorites. It’s the kind Pof classic bakery where you buy your kids’ birthday Now, make the filling: In a large bowl, combine the berries and lemon cakes, where the pie can cure whatever ails you, and juice. In a small bowl, whisk together the tapioca, sugar, cinnamon, where you stop on a whim for a simple but unimprovable and nutmeg. Sprinkle the dry ingredients over the fruit and mix chocolate chip cookie. But they also make an outstanding thoroughly. Let sit for 5 to 10 minutes, then mix again. blueberry pie, which is why Weekends with Yankee cohost Amy Traverso spent an afternoon baking with their team Preheat the oven to 375° and set a rack to the lowest position. Remove as part of a segment on Maine blueberries for season three. The crew filmed the blueberry harvest in Machias, the first disk of dough from the refrigerator. On a clean, floured surface, Maine, then returned to the Two Fat Cats kitchen to make roll it out to a 10-inch circle. Transfer this to a 9-inch pie pan, letting the ultimate pie. the excess hang over the sides. Pour the filling into the pan. Co-owner Stacy Begin recommends baking this pie with unthawed frozen berries for two reasons: Freezing Remove the second disk from the refrigerator and roll it out to a sets the berries’ pigment, which makes a prettier filling, 10-inch circle. Lay it over the filling. Pinch the bottom and top dough and the cold fruit keeps the fat in the crust from melting edges together and crimp firmly. Make three 1-inch steam cuts in the before it hits the oven. crust, then brush with milk and sprinkle liberally with sugar.

Bake on the bottom rack until the top is browned and the juices are TUNE IN FOR MORE bubbling through the vents, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool completely Look for our visit to Two Fat Cats in

PHOTO: CHRISTINA WNECK PHOTOGRAPHY Weekends with Yankee season three. before serving.

WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE 31 FEASTING ON THE FARM COAST This picturesque corner of New England is a haven for food lovers Photos by Mark Fleming

ven for those who have lived in New England for decades, the Farm Coast can be a revelation: beautiful beaches, atmospheric farm stands, sunlit fields running down to BEFORE YOU GO the water … it’s like a postcard of favorite things. E Since many restaurants The region stretches from Tiverton down to Little Compton in Rhode Island, then and markets may be adjusting east into Massachusetts, to include Westport and Dartmouth. It includes a beautiful their operations out of concern for public health, please call agricultural preserve, a thriving art scene, and one-of-a-kind shopping scenes. or check online before But one of the biggest lures is its array of terrific farm stands and restaurants, which making travel plans. make the most of the Farm Coast’s land-and-sea bounty. On the next two pages, we highlight a few of Weekends with Yankee cohost Amy Traverso’s favorite refueling stops.

32 WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE Gray’s Ice Cream, Tiverton, RI

Farm & Coast Market, South Dartmouth, MA

The Red Dory, Tiverton, RI

WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE 33 THE BACK EDDY | WESTPORT, MA local hangout every town should have. For With harbor views all around, this seafood breakfast, don’t miss the smoked salmon mainstay could get by on location alone, but sandwich or fruit-filled breakfast bowl the corn-and-clam chowder and chouriço- [pictured above]. farmandcoastmarket.com stuffed clams point to a kitchen with real ambition. thebackeddy.com GRAY’S ICE CREAM | TIVERTON, RI Of all the ice creameries on the Farm Coast, THE COMMONS LUNCH | LITTLE COMPTON, RI Gray’s wins for its rich, custardy base and Old-school classics such as meatloaf, western giant scoops. The go-to flavor is coffee—a omelets, fried clams, and grapenut pudding natural choice in the state that invented draw a multigenerational crowd of happy coffee milk. graysicecream.com diners. On Facebook LITTLE MOSS | SOUTH DARTMOUTH, MA EVELYN’S DRIVE-IN | TIVERTON, RI This chic boîte spins local produce and From its perch overlooking lovely Nanaquaket seafood into gorgeous small plates, pastas, Pond, this waterside eatery (complete with and charcuterie boards. Come for a cocktail; boat parking out back) is the place to go stay for dinner. littlemoss.com for fluffy fried clam cakes with a cup of Rhode Island–style clear-broth chowder. THE RED DORY | TIVERTON, RI

evelynsdrivein.com Steve Johnson is the Farm Coast’s top chef, and his Mediterranean-inspired eatery boasts FARM & COAST MARKET | SOUTH DARTMOUTH, MA top local produce, excellent pastas and Serving next-level pastries, salads, and ceviches, and sunset views of the Sakonnet sandwiches, this market-café is the kind of River. reddoryrestaurant.com

TUNE IN FOR MORE Look for our trip to the Farm Coast in Weekends with Yankee season four. PHOTO: MARK FLEMING

34 WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE THE ADVENTURES CONTINUE LOVE WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE? THERE’S EVEN MORE WAITING FOR YOU AT OUR WEBSITE

o deeper into the Jim Salge’s favorite quiet BEHIND-THE-SCENES stories you see New England fall foliage EXCLUSIVES, like Q&As G on Weekends with drives, and Yankee food with preeminent white Yankee with a visit to editor Amy Traverso’s shark researcher Greg the companion website, guide to the best apple Skomal and award- WeekendsWithYankee.com. orchards in New England. winning New Hampshire Packed with videos, chef Evan Mallett. articles, and extras, it has visit to Fenway Park, everything you need to to inspiration for New plan a visit to New England England holiday food gifts. —or just bring a taste of it home, wherever you are. VIDEOS from all four Among the highlights: seasons of Weekends with Yankee, ranging from engaging sneak peeks to full episodes (for RECIPES, including a subscribers only). Vermont cheddar-ale dip inspired by our visits to PLUS, an easy-to-use Hill Farmstead Brewery station finder that TRAVEL IDEAS, such as and award-winning TIPS FROM YANKEE EDITORS, shows you where to find how to spend a summer cheesemakers Grafton from how to cook a Weekends with Yankee in weekend in midcoast Village Cheese and Jasper lobster like the pros, to your local broadcast and

PHOTOS: MAINE OFFICE OF TOURISM; MARK FLEMING; DANA SMITH; MASSACHUSETTS OFFICE OF TRAVEL & TOURISM Maine, foliage expert Hill Farm. advice for a home-run cable TV lineups.

WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE 35 EPISODE 1: “DEEP ROOTS” EPISODE 3: “WALK ON THE WILD SIDE” Cohost Amy Traverso heads to Richard tours Connecticut’s Mystic TUNE IN Boston’s Chinatown with celebrity Aquarium, where he gets to be chef Joanne Chang and learns to an animal trainer for a day. Up in make her signature dumplings. At Gray, Maine, we visit a sanctuary the Weekapaug Inn in Westerly, for injured and orphaned wildlife, TO Rhode Island, Amy and cohost including the majestic moose. Amy Richard Wiese enjoy both natural hunts for invasive green crabs beauty and culinary delicacies at this along the New Hampshire seacoast, SEASON 4 four-star destination. In Tiverton, and then cooks her catch into a Rhode Island, we explore the hidden mouthwatering seafood stew with Your episode guide gem known as the Farm Coast. Brendan Vesey, chef of Botanica to Weekends with Restaurant in Portsmouth. EPISODE 2: “ARTS AND THE SEA” Yankee’s latest At Yale University in Connecticut, EPISODE 4: “TREASURES FROM THE EARTH” destinations and we meet the oldest a cappella In Woodstock, Vermont, Amy group in the United States, the visits master craftsman Charles discoveries Whiffenpoofs, before heading to Shackleton as he teaches people Salem, Massachusetts, to experience how to build tables by hand using the grand-scale outdoors murals sustainably sourced wood from of the Punto Urban Art Museum. a local forest. In Maine, Richard Amy visits with Barton Seaver, unearths the state’s prized a Portland, Maine, chef who gemstone, the tourmaline. Amy combines his passion for food with heads to Cape Neddick, Maine, his commitment to sustainability. where chef Justin Walker puts a Richard takes us on a tour of the PEZ modern spin on the traditional

factory in Orange, Connecticut. Maine bean-hole supper. PHOTO: MARK FLEMING

36 WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE EPISODE 5: “TO THE TOP” EPISODE 8: “OCEAN TREASURES” EPISODE 11: “A BREATH OF FRESH AIR” Amy joins up with best-selling In Salem, Massachusetts, we check In Bartlett, New Hampshire, Richard cookbook author Dorie Greenspan out the fabled House of the Seven ice-climbs Cathedral Ledge and at her home in Connecticut to whip Gables. At the Luke’s Lobster flagship takes in its views of the White up a delicious triple-layer parsnip restaurant in Portland, Maine, we Mountains. We head to New and cranberry cake. Richard treks to learn how a tiny lobster roll shop England’s largest outdoor sculpture Rumney, New Hampshire, to test his grew into a sustainable seafood park, the Andres Institute of Art in skills at one of the most popular rock company that prepares about 32,000 Brookline, New Hampshire, for a climbing destinations in the world. pounds of lobster every day. Richard tour of its 80-plus works of art. Amy In Martha’s Vineyard, renowned and Amy journey to Provincetown, sits down with humorist and author architect Patrick Ahearn shows off Massachusetts, to discover why this John Hodgman in his hometown of his island home through the lens of Cape Cod town is such a beloved Brookline, Massachusetts, to discuss his favorite preservation projects. destination. how growing up there shaped his brand of comedy. EPISODE 6: “ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT” EPISODE 9: “DELICACIES FROM NEW ENGLAND” Amy travels to Portsmouth, New Amy heads north to the Thompson EPISODE 12: “JOIN THE CLUB” Hampshire, where chef David House Eatery in Jackson, New Amy heads to Freedom, New Vargas brings his Mexican heritage Hampshire, where husband-and- Hampshire, where Lucie Villeneuve to his restaurant Vida Cantina wife team Jeff and Kate Fournier are of Outdoor Escapes gives her a with tortillas crafted from local continuing the restaurant’s legacy primer on outdoor survival. On corn. Staying in New Hampshire, as a community landmark. In South Martha’s Vineyard, we take a dip we head north to Lisbon, where Kingstown, Rhode Island, Richard in the ocean for a workout with Richard rides an ATV through foliage meets up with Perry Raso, owner the Inkwell Beach Polar Bears, country. After a stop at Morningside of Matunuck Oyster Farm and Bar. then visit a stop on the island’s Flight Park in Charlestown, New At Wiggly Bridge Distillery in York, African-American Heritage Trail. Hampshire, for a sunset hang-gliding Maine, we find David Woods and Richard goes to South Hamilton, experience, we experience Martha’s his son, David Jr., creating small- Massachusetts, to see a match at the Vineyard’s Grand Illumination Night, batch spirits in their handmade Myopia Polo Club, the oldest active a 150-year-old celebration in which copper stills. polo club in the country. residents decorate their historic cottages with paper lanterns. EPISODE 10: “TOURING WITH THE LOCALS” EPISODE 13: “HEADING NORTH” Richard travels to Provincetown, Richard treks to Killington Resort EPISODE 7: “HANDMADE IN NEW ENGLAND” Massachusetts, to chat with in Killington, Vermont, for the Amy travels to the tiny town maritime treasure hunter Barry Women’s Ski World Cup, where he of Barnard, Vermont, where Clifford, whose discovery of the chats with Olympians Diann Roffe winegrower Deirdre Heekin tells the wrecked pirate ship Wyhdah became and Edie Thys Morgan. We pay a story of the region’s unique soil and one of the greatest undersea finds visit to Twin Farms, an exclusive climate with her wines. We head to off the Atlantic coast. In Portland, resort in Barnard, Vermont, that’s Swans Island Company in Northport, Maine, we tour the iconic B&M steeped in romance and history, and Maine, where sheep’s wool is hand- Factory for an insider’s look at how then explore José Clemente Orozco’s dyed and handwoven to create it makes a uniquely New England monumental murals at Dartmouth one-of-a-kind blankets and scarves, treat: brown bread in a can. Amy College in Hanover, New Hampshire. with designs inspired by Maine’s heads to Providence, Rhode Island, At a frozen lake in Walpole, New coastal beauty. Just in time for the to learn about some only-in-Rhode- Hampshire, Richard meets painter 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ Island foods. Eric Aho and learns about his famed landing in the New World, Richard “Ice Cut” paintings. visits Mystic, Connecticut, where the Mayflower II is being restored.

WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE INSIDERS’ GUIDE 37 COMING THIS FALL TO CREATE TV: THE COMPLETE NEW SEASON OF WEEKENDS WITH YANKEE Watch the Create TV showcase starting July 17, including Season 4 sneak previews

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