Alexa Erickson Gage

While summer stirs us with its balmy air, endless daylight, and carefree spirit, fall invites us to embrace change. We trade sand for earth-covered trails, corn on the cob and clambakes for fresh game and root vegetables, and fiery sunsets for fiery foliage. And though the season tempts us to hunker down, the vibrant canopy of oaks and sugar maples calls us to bundle up and head outside. What better way to do so than with a great meal? As the air turns crisp and the trees shift from green to gold, dining with a view takes on a new kind of magic. It’s no longer about beachside spritzes or rooftop rosé, but about leaning into the hush of the woods—where candlelight dances off mossy trunks, the scent of woodsmoke lingers in the air, and dinner feels like a storybook scene. Across the country, chefs and hoteliers are bringing the forest to the table, crafting immersive meals that celebrate the season’s flavor, texture, and tempo. From torch-lit suppers deep in Vermont’s forests to farm-to-fork hideaways along Maine’s birch groves, foraging walks through the Catskills and Blue Ridge Mountains, and garden feasts tucked within Ojai’s citrus-scented valleys, these immersive dining experiences reinterpret fall’s abundance across the country. Adventure Dinners | Vermont Deep in the forests of Vermont, where sugar maples blaze gold and crimson, Adventure Dinners transforms leaf-peeping into a full-on feast. The woman-owned collective champions local farms and food systems through creati