“Where to Eat and Stay in Vermont’s Mad River Valley”- Travel + Leisure Magazine

03/11/2016 2:47 pm

Home to both Sugarbush Resort and the intense, more “locals-only” Mad River Glen, Vermont’s Mad River Valley is beloved by travelers all year round. Skiers flock to the slopes every winter, and in spring the place draws fly-fishing enthusiasts. The summer means arts festivals and in fall, you’d be hard pressed to find more vibrant foliage anywhere in the world.

Other than a brief period in the autumn (locally known as “sticks season”) between late October and mid-December, when things temporarily shut down, the area is always inviting to people who enjoy spending time outdoors: after all, even the coldest winter days are attractive to well-prepared hikers.

Here’s everything you need to know to have the perfect stay, no matter when you go:

Where to Stay

In true Vermont style, you’ll find no shortage of charming inns and B&Bs here. If you’re celebrating a special occasion or looking for something upscale, the Pitcher Inn(a Relais & Chateaux property) stands out. Each of its 11 rooms has a unique theme—ask for “Ski,” which features vintage memorabilia, or “Trout,” which boasts a porch suspended over a brook. Both rooms have large, wood-burning fireplaces. The daily breakfast, included in your room rate, is also worth calling out. Think: banana-chocolate-chip pancakes with local maple syrup and housemade granola.

Read the full story here!

Celebrate Your Love With a Romantic Getaway to VT’s Mad River Valley

02/23/2016 4:14 pm

Valentine’s Day may have come and gone, but that doesn’t mean the romance has to end. And there’s no better way to continue to celebrate the love you have with your partner than with a romantic getaway to Vermont’s Mad River Valley.
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“In Vermont, the Lure of Skiing in the Mad River Valley”- The New York Times

02/08/2016 5:05 pm

“A few years ago, I was skiing high above the Sugarbush resort in Vermont with John Egan, a legend of extreme skiing 20 years before the genre had even been identified. Mr. Egan has starred in audacious ski movies from Argentina to Siberia and everywhere in between. He could live almost anywhere, his teaching skills and reputation making him welcome at dozens of skiing resorts. But he has instead called Mad River Valley in central Vermont home for decades.

That day, skiing on a trail named Panorama, we stopped at a clearing near a 4,000-foot peak and I asked him: “Why live here? Why the Mad River Valley?”

He replied with two questions of his own: “What do you see? And what don’t you see?”

The view was quintessential Vermont: a majestic mountain range rising above a tranquil valley dotted with red barns and traced by serpentine country roads that led to largely undisturbed hamlets.

And what did I not see?

Nowhere in my view was there a major slopeside condo development, a fast-food restaurant, a national chain hotel or an interstate highway. Despite the absence of even a single traffic light in the Mad River Valley, there was no backup of cars or trucks in any direction.”

Read more from The New York Times piece on the Mad River Valley here.

Vermont’s Mad River Valley: Where Skiing & Craft Brewing Meet!

01/29/2016 2:55 pm

Nothing rounds out a fine day of Green Mountain skiing than a pint or two of local craft beer—and the Mad River Valley is ideal for making this marriage-made-in-heaven happen!
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Ari’s Holiday Greetings and Chef Sue’s Mushroom Farro Risotto

12/14/2015 4:25 pm

Ready, set, slow down

Well, the holiday season is here. Out there folks are hustling around, getting the shopping done for loved ones, trimming the tree, visiting with friends and family. I confess, I love this time of year and still feel like a kid each time it rolls around. For me, and I suspect for many of you, the chance to spend a little more time with my family is the big attraction. I am always happiest when my family, now scattered around a bit, are all back home- all of us in one place, laughing, catching up, and generally enjoying each other’s company.

Could we be any luckier? We live in a picture postcard of a place. Everywhere you look reinforces the general vibe- relaxed, laid back and calm, cozy; a perfect low-key sort of place. A place for hanging out in front of one of the wood-burning fire and playing some games, making s’mores, doing a puzzle. Enjoying each other.

Can you imagine a better place to spend time with your family? I certainly can’t. There are still a few rooms left for the holiday season and, in general, some great packages to lure you to our door this winter. Take a break and come see us.

Happy Holidays,

Ari

From the Kitchen:

Mushroom Farro Risotto with Spinach, Truffled Pecorino, and Grilled Cauliflower

Serves 4 as a main course

For the farro:
4 TBS extra virgin olive oil
3/4 # mixed mushrooms, such as black trumpet, crimini, oyster and porcini, trimmed and sliced 1/2” thick
1/2 onion, diced small
1 leek, washed and diced small, white and pale green parts only
2 cups farro
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 qt vegetable stock or chicken stock
3 TBS unsalted butter
3 oz truffled pecorino, divided with half finely grated

Bring the vegetable stock to a simmer.  In a sauce pan heat half the olive oil and gently cook the diced onion and leek, being careful not to let it brown.

In a sauté pan, heat the remaining olive oil and sauté the mushrooms over medium high heat, letting them get a nice golden brown. Set aside in the sauté pan.  When the onions are soft add the farro to the pan, turning up the heat and stir the farro to to coat the grains for 1 or 2 minutes.

When quite hot add the wine, lower the heat a bit and stir while the wine reduces.  When there is very little liquid left add about a cup of the simmering stock, season with salt and stir.  When most of the stock is absorbed add another cup or so of stock.  Continue on in this manner as you would for risotto. When you are left with 1 or 2 cups of stock, put the mushroom pan back on the heat, deglaze the pan with a little of the stock and add the mushrooms to the farro.  When the farro is tender finish the dish by stirring in the butter and grated pecorino.

Adjust the seasoning if needed, divide among 4 bowls and using a vegetable peeler shave strips of the pecorino over the top of each dish.  Garnish with the roasted cauliflower.

For the Cauliflower:
1 head cauliflower
1 tsp toasted ground caraway seed
salt to taste
2-3 TBS extra virgin olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375°
Cut the core out of the cauliflower and slice the cauliflower into 3/4” slices.  Toss in a bowl with the caraway, salt and olive oil. Spread out on a sheet pan and roast until tender with the edges getting a little crispy and brown, about 20 minutes.

The Pitcher Inn named to Best 25 Hotels in the US by Conde Nast Traveler Readers

11/12/2015 8:27 pm

We’re thrilled to have been selected once again by Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers as one of the top 25 Hotels in the US! 

“Overall Rating: 93.119

This balconied white-clapboard inn opened in the late 1800s as a lodging for wagon drivers. Beautiful interiors mix colonial, Victorian, and contemporary styles, and rooms come individually decorated in themes—the Mountain Room has a black slate steam shower, fire tower, and a mural of a 360-degree view of the Green Mountains. Tracks Lounge offers local beers and a wine list highlighting lesser-known wineries, plus pool, darts, and a huge fireplace for winter sessions. With influences from classic French to Southeast Asian, 275 Main dishes up modern American with an emphasis on local ingredients; try the veal loin chop with sautéed sweetbreads, panzanella salad, and lemon brown butter.”

Travel Like a Local: Vermont

08/31/2015 4:41 pm

When you drive through the charming town of Warren, Vermont, set in the Green Mountains alongside the Mad River, you can’t miss the “Almost World Famous” Warren Store and—just across the street—a stately 11-room inn that is the focal point of Main Street. Read More

Collective Quarterly’s Mad River Issue

06/25/2015 12:47 pm

When Collective Quarterly called us almost a year ago now, and mentioned that they were scouting locations for their third issue, we did everything we could to sway them to The Mad River Valley. This publication, started by Jesse Lenz (an illustrator and photographer) and Seth Putnam (a wordsmith) is impressive in every sense of the word…Printed on gorgeous heavyweight paper, the magazine feels more like a coffee table book, transporting its readers to whichever destination Jesse and Seth choose to profile.

They visited The Mad River Valley for a few weeks to create the issue back in October, and along the way their crew began to feel more like family. We were thrilled with the way the issue came out, and loved reading the stories of our friends and neighbors, including Dave Sellers, chief architect of The Pitcher Inn, as well as Whitney Phillips and Matt Groom, the duo who rehabilitated Tracks after Hurricane Irene and are now crafting the most beautiful skateboards under the name Warren Pieces.

In their own words, “This is a magazine about discovering. Each issue follows select craftspeople to an offbeat location. Our camera lens brings into focus the often blurry creative process as they design uncommon objects. In these pages, you’ll find a carefully edited selection of dry goods, art, music, food, drink, and stories—all deeply rooted in the land and heritage around us. Our journeys hinge on assembling a group of compatriots who aim to live well. We are illustrators, photographers, and writers. We are weavers, leather workers, and carpenters. We are chefs, musicians, and bartenders. We are the Collective.”

The issue launched last week, and the community assembled in our little corner of the state for a launch party at Dave Sellers’ workshop on Fuller Hill, The Temple of Dindor. While sipping on Lawson’s Finest Liquids and feasting on tacos, we played a lively round of golf on Dave’s own private chipping green and explored The Archie Bunker, a concrete house that he has been experimenting with. A bonfire kept us warm until the wee hours of the morning, while we connected with others profiled in the issue. Mad River Distillers, the potters and furniture makers at Shackleton Thomas, and of course the architects of Prickly Mountain convened under the stars, telling stories and sipping Dark and Stormy’s. It was a classic summer evening in Vermont, and we are forever grateful to have been introduced to the crew at Collective Quarterly. The issue is available for purchase here.

Landscape Artist Frank Corso Returns to The Pitcher Inn

06/19/2015 8:29 pm

We’re delighted to welcome back landscape painter Frank Corso. Frank will be in residence at the inn August 16 through August 23, during the Mad River Valley’s Vermont Festival of the Arts.

Frank is an award-winning painter whose work hangs in many private and corporate collections around the world.

He is both a talented painter and musician, and guests will enjoy both talents during his visit.

Activities during the week include:

• Pop-up Gallery. Frank’s work will be on display throughout the inn’s public spaces during the week, 11 am until 5 pm each day. Free.
• Salon Reception. Join Frank in Tracks lounge on Wednesday, August 19, 6 until 8 pm. $15 includes hors d’oeuvres. Reservations recommended.
• Concert & Dinner. Frank will play country blues and ragtime on guitar at our 275 Main restaurant from 6 until 9 pm on Saturday, August 22. Prices off the menu. Reservations requested.

You can learn more about Frank Corso at his website.

Map and Menu Blog

06/14/2015 2:43 pm

In the center of the town of Warren, Vermont there’s a bend in the mountain brook that cuts perpendicular across Main Street. Nestled in that bend, you’ll find the Pitcher Inn, a grand white building, heavily-porched, with a character….Read More