Photo Contest

We're drawing nearer to the close of the photo contest so if you haven't sent your entry, now is a great time!

I didn't think that I'd have to mention this, but the photograph you send needs to be authentic--one that you've taken yourself...photoshopping the tote bag onto a great photo of a really unique location simply isn't in the spirit of this contest. Luckily, I am the sole judge, so whatever I say goes...

We Join OpenTable!

If you've looked at our website recently, you may notice that we've joined up with OpenTable to provide online access to Dinner Reservations for our wonderful restaurant. The beauty of this interface is that it is directly connected to our live database and what you see as available times are REALLY available. You might want to take a look at

http://reluctantpanther.com/dinner_res.php.

You can also find us through the OpenTable website: http://www.opentable.com/.

Why don't you make a reservation now?

Awaiting the Stork!

The entire Reluctant Panther family is on pins and needles waiting for the the arrival of the stork...we expect news any day now that Sophie Pace has arrived to make Mommy and Daddy (Katie and Eric) learn the value of a good night's sleep.

Watch this space for the announcement!

The End of Summer

Back in the 'Sixties there was an iconic movie called The Endless Summer--a surfing flick that had not much to offer except the promise of a never-ending set of waves glistening in the sun. The phrase has stuck in my mind for all these years, but this summer certainly didn't bring back sunny memories of my youth. We've had an unfortunate amount of rain this year and, rather than summer sun punctuated by rain, we've had nearly endless summer rain, punctuated (all too infrequently) by sun.

Old-timers around here tell me that a very wet summer leads to early fall colors...we've not been here long enough to validate that, but we've certainly got an opportunity this fall to test out the hypothesis. There's also a theory that the colors will be more vibrant...personally, I'll wait to see what develops. September has been shaping up fairly nicely, though, with many more sunny days than rainy ones. This seems to be a trend that we can get used to!

In any event, to mark the return of sunshine into our lives, Liz and I have decided to extend the weekday summer specials until the end of September. The weekends are already pretty full up, so there's little value in continuing the weekend special. Soooo...come see us Sunday through Wednesday nights before the end of September and stay in any room in the house(s) for $169.99 per night, plus the "Governor's cut" (state taxes).

Just give us a call to book!

This Place is For the Birds!!!!

For the second time this year, we've had birds (robins) hatch on the front door of the inn--yes, the front door. Momma Robin decided again that this was the place to be for her two offspring, and she's been dutifully feeding and caring for them for several weeks now...and it looks to this untrained eye like they're getting ready to leave the nest! Several guests have said they thought that the birds were "fake"...but we guarantee that they're real...and Momma is never far away.

Panther's Travels

We hear rumors that the Panther has turned up in Israel, London, the Bahamas, and a famous restaurant in New York! Don't forget to take memorable pix and send to us for the contest!

Summer Specials

The hazy lazy days of summer are nearly upon us, and Liz and I have decided that we need lots more company at the inn to see us through. So, we're going to be offering some special deals on relatively short notice--for instance, this week and next, from Sunday through Thursday, we're offering any room in the house for $199.00 per night...and that includes our famous breakfast. Not bad, huh? Give us a call to book some quality time at The Panther.

Cooking Weekend!

We've finally bitten the bullet and scheduled our first annual (we hope) cooking class/foodie weekend for the weekend of

March 26-27, 2010.

You'll be able to enjoy a relaxing (and filling) weekend at the Panther with Chef Justin and his staff, and you'll come away with gourmet cooking know-how that'll surely impress your friends. The weekend is planned to provide a series of great food preparation (and consumption) experiences, as well as some fun and useful takeaway items.

Prices for the weekend run from $530 to $730 (plus taxes and gratuities), depending upon which room you select.

Package rates for the weekend include the following:
Room for two nights;
Welcome reception and Belgian Beer Dinner on Friday night;
Gourmet breakfast each morning;
Justin's "Pasta to Perfection" pasta-making class;
Cash-bar "after-party" in the Panther Pub;
Lunch and "Food Talk" Session with Justin on Saturday;
Wine Pairing Class/Discussion;
Vermont Cheese-making talk and demonstration;
Finished off with a Private 7 Course Gourmet Dinner;
Followed on Sunday morning with a goodbye breakfast and "graduation ceremony" that'll feature some fun awards and prizes.

Reservations for the Cooking Weekend are limited to 20 so please book soon. We reserve the right to cancel the weekend and refund your deposit if we don't get a sufficient number of reservations. Please give us a call to talk about details.

Travelling Panther Contest!

We're having a fun little contest to see where our Reluctant Panther guests go after they leave us...

Send us a picture (email is fine to jpl@reluctantpanther.com) of your Panther Tote Bag or Mug or any other Panther paraphenalia in his (your) travels. Assuming that we get enough photos to make a real contest, Jerry is going to judge (purely subjective and using ultra-secret criteria!) the best pictures from the ones we receive, and he'll make a binding decision.

The Panther relaxes by the pool in Bermuda

with a Bombay Sapphire Martini...ahhhhhh!

Contest ends December 31, 2009. First prize is two nights free; second prize is one night free; third prize is a free upgrade to the highest room category available.

For more info, call us at the inn (800-822-2331)

Don't have a Panther Tote Bag? Just spend at least one night with us before September 1st and ask at the Front desk--They're Free for the Asking!

(Important! We will only give you one if you ask!)

A Crane for a Panther

The last time that a crane was on this property (that we know for certain), we were still building the Main House. As you can see in this picture from July of 2006, those cranes were ungainly blue things that were given to spewing gasoline fumes and were perched on big ugly wheels. (They were, however, extremely useful in getting stuff up high during construction of the new building, and without them we'd have no roof, no chimneys, and no siding above the first floor.)


And this morning we spotted another crane on the property. This was a single fellow who alighted briefly beside the pond as we were serving breakfast in the main dining room. He (she?) appeared to consider the likelihood of our koi population as a luncheon delicacy, thought better of it, proceeded to spread about six feet of wings and, with unbelievable grace, swoop off toward Mt. Equinox. It is definitely the first time in recent memory that a visitor has left the Panther without a good meal from Justin! Needless to say, the guests in the dining room were impressed by the morning's entertainment...we're just hoping that it doesn't become an expected part of our service!


This picture (stolen from someone else, since nobody thought to run for the camera to capture permanently a record of this morning's sighting) confirms it for us that our sighting was, in fact, a crane...just not the kind that can hoist shingles up to a roof! (Nor the kind that harassed Colonel Klink...but then, you probably knew that.)

Of course, now I'm keeping a closer eye than ever on our koi population...and I know where to point the finger of suspicion should there be a sudden decline!

Come See Our Goldfish!

We were able to replace the fountain in the big pond last week since it looks like winter has finally gone away to leave us in warmth and flowers for a few months, and what did we find? The koi that we placed in the pond last summer have had an especially productive winter! There are hundreds of little 'uns swimming merrily around and we catch a glimpse of several of the larger fish (now about 8-10 inches long) every now and again. As they get older, we're hoping that they'll become an interesting object of our guests' attention! Of course, we still have the bullfrogs who, we hope, have agreed to live in peace and harmony with the newcomers.

I suppose that we should have a contest to name the fish...if you have ideas, drop us a note!

The Crocuses (Croci?) Are Here!!

Went outside yesterday in the rain. Sure enough, Spring is springing! The crocuses have popped and the bulbs are shooting up. It looks a lot like summer will, in fact, make an appearance this year despite what it looked like a month ago. In a few short weeks I expect to start seeing the cherry blossoms in the courtyard (this is from last year), and before long the golfers will be back in force to take advantage of the warmer weather. Personally, I can't wait!

Beef Shortribs!!!! and Paramesan Gnocchi

Executive Chef Justin Dain, whose amazing shortribs are a perrenial favorite, has decided to start sharing some of his hoard of recipes.

Reluctant Panther Boneless Beef Shortribs with Scallion and Parmesan Gnocchi

Shortribs:

4 pounds boneless short ribs
3 cups red wine
8 cups Veal Stock (or beef broth)
1 medium white onion
2 stalks celery
1 large carrot
8 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon Chinese five spice
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, sear short ribs in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Once browned on both sides add celery, carrot, onion and garlic and cook until vegetables are slightly brown. Deglaze pan with 3 cups of red wine and cook until reduced by half. Add veal stock and cover for 2 hours. After 2 hours take the cover off and let the sauce reduce to a thickened consistency, cooking an additional 2 hours. Check ribs to make sure they are very tender and almost falling apart.

Parmesan Gnocchi:

½ pound unsalted butter

2 cups water

1 tablespoon salt

10 ounces of all-purpose flour

1 cup parmesan cheese

8 eggs

Bring water, butter and salt to a boil. Add flour and stir until fully incorporated. Place mixture in a KitchenAid mixer with the paddle attachment. Add parmesan cheese and mix for 30 seconds. Slowly add the eggs one at a time. Place mixture in a piping bag with a large plain tip. Pipe small amounts of the mixture into salted boiling water. Cook each batch for 1 minute.

Parmesan cream sauce:

2 cups heavy cream

½ cup Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons cornstarch

½ cup of water

Mix the cornstarch and water. Bring the heavy cream to a boil and slowly add the cornstarch mixture until thickened. Take off heat and add parmesan cheese and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. For garnish grill 1 scallion for each plate!

Enjoy!

The Economy--and The Panther

In the 1992 Presidential election, Bill Clinton's team popularized the phrase "It's the economy, stupid!" The idea was that the campaign needed laser-sharp focus on the number one issue--the economy--if they hoped to beat George H. W. Bush in the election.

Well, today isn't much different. For those of us in the hospitality industry, a laser focus is needed to keep us from faltering in this difficult time. So we're concentrating on what we do best--providing a place of quiet and comfort where our guests can go for that brief respite that will help them re-charge the batteries and get back into the battle. It's our feeling that great quality of service at a reasonable price, delivered in a relaxing environment by professionals is just what the Doctor would order (although today, the doctor is likely to be a Ph.D. in Economics!).

To help bring our guests--and us--through the next few months (March 15 through May 1, 2009), we've put together a Spring Special that we think may be just the thing. With savings of 25-50% on EVERY room in the house, you're bound to find a place where you can spend a few days relaxing and re-charging.
In general, the higher savings (50% off) are on rooms in the Main House (the newly rebuilt main building), with the lowest savings coming in those rooms that have wood-burning fireplaces (25% off) with a good mix in between.

We've instituted a few changes that help us make this kind of reduction possible (nothing is ever free!).

• First, we've decided to stop serving breakfast until May 1, 2009;
• Second, reservations during this period are non-refundable; and
• Third, these reservations are non-cancellable and not transferrable to another date.

In addition, our restaurants (The Main House Dining Room and The Panther Pub) will be open on Friday and Saturday nights ONLY beginning on March 15th.

We hope that the economy treats you gently, andwe hope that you'll consider coming to seeus when it doesn't--or even if it does!

Snow!!!

Well. It's snowing once again which, in my mind at least, makes this the snowiest winter ever! Of course our experience with snow in Vermont is limited, but it sure seems like there's lots of it! This is very good for those among us who like Winter sports--and the snowboarding, skiing, snowmobiling, snowshoing, hiking, and general all-around playing in the snow have been great so far this year.

But the season is coming to a close, and we're preparing to celebrate that close with a great sale on rooms--up to 50% off! Give us a call to see if your favorite room is on the discount list (hint: they ALL are!).

Inaugural Post

Welcome to the first posting on the official blog of The Reluctant Panther Inn & Restaurant, located in Manchester Village, Vermont!



Take our poll over on the right hand side of this page and tell us which room you prefer...you can only vote for one!

And now, on with the show....