The Pitcher Inn is a very typical New England inn on the outside, with the added attraction of an excellent chef and one of the best wine cellars anywhere, earning it a very rare affiliation with Relais and Chateaux. Ari ran the wine cellar at the time (I saw from their website that he's now the general manager) and he's extremely knowledgeable and a really great guy as well. The chef is a very nice woman who's also extremely shy, so she rarely leaves the kitchen, but she's really amazing. We were aiming for an intimate weekend of topnotch food and drink, so these elements were very important, and they really delivered. As an aside, when I'm planning a trip I often consult places like tripadvisor.com, which gives everyone the opportunity to comment on a place. I find it fun more than informative, since invariably, one person will write, greatest hotel on the planet, followed by the next commentator saying never again, disaster, etc. But one piece of advice if you're reading other people's comments, if the person starts by saying "I had my wedding at the hotel" then disregard the rest of the comment. Invariably the person says it's the best place on earth, service is the best etc. But of course when you're paying enormous sums of money, renting out the whole hotel and all that you're going to get great service, plus it's where you had your wedding so you're emotionally attached to the place. Having said all this, in this particular case, disregard the advisory, and believe me, this really is a fantastic little inn.