What's cooking, Chef Karen?

It's always a loaded question when I ask one of our Chef's what the specials are for the evening.  I know as soon as they tell me from the soup right through to the dessert I will be hungry and wanting to make a reservation!  Yesterday was no exception.  As soon as I heard the soup of the day, I was doomed. 

Soup:  Homemade Black Bean

Appetizer: Brandade, a french recipe:  Salted Cod, Milk, Potatoes, Garlic Cream

Entree: Local organic Grilled Veal Chop, Wild Rice and Fresh Mushrooms

Dessert:  Tiramisu (made the authentic Italian way)

Karen went on to say she also made Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee and a Blueberry Tart.  Sounds like Karen had a busy afternoon! 

Have I shared this beauty with you yet?

Double Chocolate Ganache Torte with Hazelnut Praline Ice Cream 

This blog could be a mile long - I could talk all day about food, especially food that is made with the freshest local ingredients.  Try Morgan's Restaurant - and save room for dessert!

Playful Pooch

I believe our newly landscaped Main Building is now complete!

A moose.  A horse.  A rooster.  A llama.  A cat.  And now this canine!  You can find all these animals and more at the Interlaken, thanks to Sculptor Denis Curtiss of Kent, CT.   Denis is a Representational Sculptor working in bronze and steel, creating these amazing life-sized pieces.  His metal sculptures are incredible and are often the focal point of photos with Guests visiting Interlaken.  As you wander the property you'll be sure to meet up with them all!  This guy announces to all we are a fun place for a vacation - come and play with us!  

The View from 302

I owed you a photo from the Countryside building, remember?  (Enjoy the View, June 27th)

Here it is, Room 302.  The only room in the eight king-bedded room house that has a screened in porch.  Actually, the only one in the building with a porch for that matter!  Quiet and peaceful.  A good book and a Harney Iced Tea is all you need!

Goin' Fishing

I never expected this cuteness as I wandered down to check on the lakefront this morning.  This dog was unbelievably adorable - he was truly goin' fishing.

I do not know if he caught anything but given his determination I can only bet he did.  So many pups here this weekend!  Vacation with your dog at pet friendly Interlaken this summer!

Panna Cotta Photo

Here it is - THE dessert I was telling you about in June 24th's blog.  Thank you, Dan, for snapping a perfect shot of this wonderfully light and yummy dessert!  My new favorite, for sure.

Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Rhubarb, Toasted Oat Crumb, and Coconut "Snow"

Procession of People

That is the definition of a Parade, but in this case at Interlaken this morning it wasn't a parade of people but a parade of beautiful Aston Martin's, from vintage to new.  I tried to pick one I'd like but couldn't decide, so any one of them will do.  Check out more photos on Interlaken's Facebook page!

Enjoy the View

A question often asked of our staff:  "Do any of your rooms have a view of the Lake?"  The answer to that is YES!  We have one accommodation that has a view of the lake, and that is our private lake cottage that I've blogged about.  It has the most amazing view of Lake Wononpakook, what Interlaken considers our "back" lake.  If you are unfamiliar with this secluded cabin, please read my blog dated June 21st or view the Guestroom/Lakeside tab. 

So if the rest of our 85 rooms do not have a lake view, what kind of view do they have, you ask? 

Here is a view from a Main Building Second Floor King room.  This photo is not grainy - its taken from the screened-in porch.  I always tell people these rooms have a distant view of the pool - and this is what I mean.  Our Poolside first floor rooms also have this view from their porch (at eye level of course), but without the screened-in feature.

Here is a view from a Main Building Second Floor room - a new view!  Prior to this past week, we would have said the view was of just the parking lot, but thanks to proper excavation and proper planting (thank you Junior's and Salisbury Garden Center!) the view is now a lovely one!  As the final plantings happen this week, the view will only get better.  For those Guests that have the need to keep an eye on their 'baby' in the parking lot, this is still a good choice.  The first floor rooms have an even more green view.

This is a view from one of our Townhouse Suites/Adjoining Rooms.  Sit and relax on your deck right on the grounds with the 'other side' of the pool and a distant view of the main building.  Plenty of lawn space perfect for the kids to toss a frisbee!  Adirondack chairs and picnic tables dot this courtyard area.

Peaking through the blinds of a newly installed back door in our Woodside Building.  Our pet friendly rooms give you access to a pleasant grassy area for pups and their owners to relax or play.

Here is a view from behind the Sunnyside Building, our Victorian-styled house.  The wraparound porch wraps right around to this view - grab an adirondack chair or two and relax the day away.  Wine is also a nice compliment to this set-up!

Countryside, our last building.  My apologies, but I owe you a photo of the view from that building.  The house with eight king bedded rooms is completely occupied right now, so I'll snap one soon and post it at a later date.  I can give you a hint, though:  there will be green in the photo.

Let's move to the restaurant.  Here is a view from Morgan's Deck - just a distant peak of the pool, waving to you while you are enjoying our full breakfast buffet offered every weekend.  If you need help in deciding what to do for the day, this view may help with that!  (I zoomed in, there's plenty of grassy area in between...)  The other views from the breakfast room are of the gardens around the wedding pavilion and trees, more trees.  Morgan's deck is also used for private luncheons and events and, very soon, for Morgan's dinner dining.

Remember: the lake is only a short walk away from all of our Guestrooms!

Check-out Sunday!

I don't mean "check it out", like "take a look" - I mean the hotel version of "check-out" - like depart, leave, vacate!  It is one of my favorite days - and not because Guests are leaving, but because I can hear all of the fun things they did at Interlaken all weekend long.  Now this weekend was an unbelievably gorgeous one, so needless to say I was a bit jealous by some of the things I heard:

• "We canoed around the perimeter of the lake".  I have done this before - here's a photo I took last year when I had the pleasure.  The lake and surrounding homes are gorgeous.  The lake is peaceful and calm, just lovely.  Major jealous!

• "We took our bikes and rode along Route 41 over to Sharon". I have not biked the flats of Route 41, but have driven it many times, of course, and have always admired the view right over the crest of the very first hill.  Ellsworth Farm is over in Sharon - perfect place for picking fresh fruit!

• "We were here for our wedding tasting".  OK, clearly one of my favorites!  Tastings are so much fun for the upcoming married couple-to-be as our Chef's put together a sampling of their wedding food selections.  Obviously no wedding tastings for me, but I have done many dining room tastings - remember just the previous blog, I'm taking photos of Dan taking photos of our latest menu items?  I had a sampling then - delicious.  And I am realizing I didn't even tell you about the most amazing dessert from that day:  Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Rhubarb, Toasted Oat Crumb, and Coconut "Snow".  It's a seasonal one, of course, so be sure to visit Morgan's soon so you don't miss out on this one!  (Sorry I don't have a photo of this one - I ate it too fast!)

• "We plan to hike to Bear Mountain."  After biking the Harlem Valley Rail Trail on Saturday, this couple was going to wrap up their weekend with a hike to Connecticut's highest peak.  What a gorgeous clear and sunny morning for a nice strenuous hike up the Appalachian Trail - major jealous here!  I have yet to hike to Bear Mountain, but have hiked over at Sunset Rock in Copake Falls, NY - a much less strenuous hike but with equally beautiful views of the Hudson Valley - even in March!

•  "I was here performing for Tri-Arts".  Yes, even the performers stay with us!  Here's a comment we just received on our Facebook page:  Had such a wonderful time at the Interlaken that I left my bag there! Jealous that my dirty clothes will get to spend another night at this fine establishment. Hopefully, the gang and I will be back soon!

 Thank you, Guests, for checking out!

Photo Double Take

I love my little blog camera - it's perfect for what I use it for.  Photos of the wedding pavillion, the gardens, the lake, the rooms, and of course - food!  Like the one of my to-go dinner the other night, sitting on my lap - I just point and shoot and I am done!  To have the utmost clarity, zoom or flash options is not 100% necessary for my purpose, but when it is time to update property or food photos for our website and for other publications, it is time to bring in the professional!  Our "professional" in this case is Dan Bolognani, also the Inn's Director of Sales and Marketing.  Photography has been a long-time passion and interest of Dan's, and with the right equipment on hand, he can get the job done!  Here he is, in action, while I do my best not to eat what he's trying to take a picture of!

The right equipment.

He loves this so much he even smiles when he's taking the picture!

Now let's focus on the amazing creations by Chef Scimeca and his Culinary Team!

Roasted Hudson Valley Duck Breast with White Asparagus, Fava Beans and Beech Mushrooms with a Red Wine Caramel.

Rare Seared Tuna with Fresh Hawaiian Hearts of Palm, Cucumber Mignoette, Lime

Thinly sliced House-Cured Wild Coho Salmon with Edamame Puree, Black Sesame Crumble

Seared Maine Diver Scallops with Spring Sweet Pea, Lemon, Pistachio Topping

Some of these items are specials for this weekend only, so come and visit us now!  

Honeymoon Hideaway

We were there on our honeymoon and I can sum it up in one word....AWESOME !!

Everything about it...the location, the staff, the cottage.

We enjoyed every minute we were there. 

Thank you so much for a memorable honeymoon @ Interlaken Inn.

The Cottage: