I recently visited a beautiful inn in Fryeburg, Maine, a small town which is actually part of the Mt Washington Valley, NH. Just a hop, skip and jump from the New Hampshire border, Fyreburg is home to a number of beautiful inns. I toured a number of them including the Oxford House, Admiral Peary House and Peace With-Inn.  I stopped by the Oxford House Inn yesterday and was impressed with the culinary offerings here. "We're a restaurant with rooms," said Jonathan Spak, chef and co-owner. 

   

While the guest rooms are beautiful and spacious, I would tend to agree that the focus here is on food.

Jonathan and his wife and fellow chef, Natalie, have a history of exceedingly impressive culinary positions, culminating in the purchase of the Oxford House Inn about a year ago. The inn features a fine dining restaurant with three distinctively different dining rooms, and a fabulous pub. I loved the "living room" feel of the pub with cushiony banquettes built into the stone walls and then some great leather couches for casual conversation. The menus in both restaurants focus on fresh, local, organic produce with an flair for the unusual. I know the scallion pancakes with orange braised duck and Asian BBQ sauce are a favorite in the pub.

The Spaks enjoy teaming up with Derek Schlottmann, co-owner of the nearby Admiral Peary House, to do special occasion dinners. Last May's Cinco de Mayo dinner featuring authentic Mexican choices was a big hit.  Both Derek and the Spaks are talented chefs and you can be assured whether at the Admiral Peary House or the Oxford Inn, you'll enjoy beautiful accommodations and fine food.

Nearby in West Fryeburg, Peace With-Inn is a rambling farmhouse with fabulous guest rooms, a mini-spa and lots of common areas for relaxing. All of these B&Bs are a perfect choice if you're considering a getaway near Mt Washington Valley or a skiing holiday within 10 minutes of Shawnee Peak.