We will be up in Stowe in late December. This is our first time to Vermont. My wife skies, but I have never been. That said, I'm looking for a little advice. First, any suggestions as to where I can take lessons and do the "beginner" stuff? Second, and maybe as important, any suggestions for restaurants? We'll be there for 3 nights and will probably go "fancy" at least one night. I've heard there is a restaurant on the mountaintop that you have to take a lift to get to. Finally, any suggestions for good stores? We really enjoy nice, antique woodwork. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hi there---
The restaraunt that you take the lift to is called the Cliff House. I havent eaten there, but have heard great things about it. For one of those non-fancy nights, head to The Shed. They have good food and good microbrews.
As far as learning skiing, Stowe Mountain Resort has a great ski school. Check out www.stowe.com and you should find information there about their ski school.
There is plenty of shopping in Stowe, so I'm sure you'll find something to your liking.
Hope this helps!

For a nice dinner I'd suggest the Blue Moon Cafe in the Village. You might want to make reservations early. Also other good places are Trattoria La Festa (Italian), Mes Amies (French) and the Chelsea Grill. For more casual dining I'd recommend The Whip Bar & Grill in the Village. Stowe is very casual so you never need to dress up too much, even at the nicest restaurants.

The Cliff House is magnificent! The food is spectacular (if "interesting") and the ride back down the mountain in your private gondola could not be more romantic in the dark with the lights all about twinkling below. Reservations are essential. One tip, though, would be to get there a bit early and peruse the menu (it's posted at the bottom of the mountain). Every once in a while we find nothing particularly appealing on the menu (which is a bit limited), but probably would have been spectacular if we had gone anyway. When you arrive in Stowe, you can pick up a comprehensive free booklet that lists most restaurants (with their menus and prices). Best bet is to select those most appealing to you. Be SURE to make reservations, though. Many restaurants are booked solid for the entire evening by the day before, if not sooner.

Blue moon is good, though strongest on desert. If they have the bread pudding when you go, grab it. It will also require reservations in advance.

I'm pretty sure that this month's Bon Appetit magazine has a lengthy article on several resorts/restaurants in Stowe. I'm not sure if it will provide the information you're looking for but it wouldn't hurt to check it out!

Here's another vote for the Blue Moon Cafe!