A blue school bus and a few scattered picnic tables is all that you’ll find at the outdoor Curtis’s BBQ (40 Old Depot Rd., Putney, 802/387-5474, www.curtisbbqvt.com, 10 a.m.–dusk Wed.–Sun. Apr.–Oct., $7–25), which bills itself as the “ninth wonder of the world” and rarely disappoints. Run by transplanted Georgian Curtis Tuffs, this is where to get your fix of Southern-style pork ribs and grilled chicken, slathered with a tangy special sauce. (Just don’t tell Curtis’s pet Vietnamese potbellied pig what you are eating.)

Most of the best restaurants in these parts double as country inns. The menu at the Old Tavern (Grafton, 800/843-1801, www.old-tavern.com, 6–9 p.m. daily, $22–34) is creative continental, emphasis on creative. The menu usually features at least one dish utilizing cheddar from the Grafton Village Cheese Company next door.

The Four Columns Inn (on the green, Newfane, 800/787-6633, www.fourcolumnsinn.com, 5:30–8 p.m. daily with reservation, $25–38) is arguably better known for its four-star dining room than for its bedrooms. Celeb chef Greg Parks has been blending Asian, French, and New American cuisine for three decades. Among those who have enjoyed his fare are Mick Jagger, Tom Cruise, and Paul Newman.