BEST COMFORT FOODS

you’ll be sheltered from the cold inside Brookline’s old Arcade Building. And it’s always worth the wait. 617730-8100; gankoramen.com

Lobster

MAC AND CHEESE

The White Horse Tavern

Newport, RI

Here at America’s oldest restaurant (c. 1673), the lobster mac comes in a little cast-iron pot and bears a crown of crunchy, buttery bread crumbs. But its real glory lies in the sauce, which is made with two New England cheeses (Great Hill Blue and sharp Vermont cheddar) and a generous portion of chopped lobster meat—a humble meal made princely. 401-849-3600; whitehorsenewport.com

PAD KEMAO

Long Grain

Camden, ME

At this tiny rustic eatery (there’s just six tables),

Bangkok-born chef Ravin Nakjaroen cooks vividly flavored Thai-inspired dishes that feel entirely local, given his sourcing of fresh, seasonal ingredients. Pad kemao features wok-charred house-made noodles with Thai basil, organic greens, wild mushrooms, and your choice of meat (we recommend the chicken or pork belly), an irresistibly cozy combination. 207-2369001; longgraincamden.com

Brisket Reuben

B.T.’s Smokehouse

Sturbridge, MA

What began as a roadside trailer at the Brimfield Antique Show has become a destination restaurant, thanks to chef-owner Brian Treitman’s sixth sense for smoke. Everything here, from the ribs to the pulled pork to the mac and cheese, is so rich and tasty you could go into hibernation after downing a platter. But it’s the brisket Reuben—an inspired marriage of two nostalgic classics—that wins the prize. 508-3473188; btsmokehouse.com

Cauliflower 65

Rasoi

Pawtucket, RI

Why is so much comfort food on the cheesy-starchy side when there’s a world of warming spices to take the chill away? This IndoChinese dish traditionally pairs crispy cauliflower florets with a moderately spicy curry sauce, but at Rasoi there’s an added hint of sweetness. It’s the kind of dish that you taste once, and seek out endlessly. 401-7285500; rasoirestaurant.com

OO-MOMMY BURGER

Brgr Bar

Portsmouth, NH

Chasing the success of the Shake Shack juggernaut, upscale burger joints have begun doling out gussied-up fries and fancy milkshakes at premium prices. But Brgr Bar—now with a location in Portland, Maine, too— breaks free from the pack with thoughtful sourcing (the beef comes from Maine family farms) and seriously creative combos (e.g., a mango salsa/pulled pork/smoked gouda/ avocado-topped burger). Our favorite combines a beef patty with gorgonzola, onion rings, and onionbacon jam, all in perfect harmony. 603-294-0902; brgr-bar.com

Poutine

Worthy Kitchen

Woodstock, VT

A Quebecois invention, traditional poutine is a gut-busting dish of french fries topped with cheese curds and gravy. It’s a winter warmer, a spirits-soakerupper. But at Worthy Kitchen it’s a worth-thetrip wonder: excellent fries topped with duck fat gravy, pork confit, smoked cheddar (a Vermonty touch), fresh herbs, and pickled shallots. Salt, fat, acid, smoke … a flawless coldweather quartet. 802-4577281; worthyvermont.com

Raclette

Chez Henri

Sugarbush, VT

Generations of downhillers have made an après-ski habit of stopping by Henri Borel’s iconic bistro in Sugarbush Village. There’s plenty of comfort to be found here (onion soup, fondue, filet with bérnaise), but in our view the raclette— melty alpine cheese served simply with potatoes, pickles, and charcuterie—is the best way to end the day. Borel celebrated the restaurant’s 50th anniversary in 2014, and this youthful nonagenarian still runs the place from his perch behind the marble bar. How does he do it? Maybe it’s the French paradox. 802-583-2600; chezhenrisugarbush.com

Chicken And Waffles

The Grazing Room in the Colby Hill Inn Henniker, NH

Before taking over Colby Hill, chef-owner Bruce Barnes cooked in New York and Washington, D.C., two towns known for their excellent variations on this soul food classic. He sidesteps a common pitfall—dry, overdone meat—by cooking the chicken sous vide before flash-frying it, then pairing the burnished bird with a seasonal waffle (sweet potato or pumpkin in fall, zucchini in summer). 603428-3281; colbyhillinn.com

Chocolate Sea Salt Doughnut

The Holy Donut

Portland, ME

It’s long been a tradition in Maine potato country to add mashed spuds to doughnut batter, which provides a fluffier, moister texture. So when Leigh Kellis decided to open a doughnut shop in Portland in 2012, it was only natural to make her rounds with potatoes. We especially love the chocolate glazed doughnut finished with a sprinkling of sea salt, the ideal foil to all that sweet goodness. Locations in Portland and Scarborough. theholydonut.com