Our Blog

Thursday, October 16, 2008

Jack-O-Lanterns, Lore and Local Food



Eat, Drink and Be Scary...


Pumpkin King Jack Skellington may have ruled Halloween Town in Tim Burton’s classic The Nightmare Before Christmas but at The Settlers Inn our carvers extraordinaire Grant Genzlinger and David Dunsmore are also rattling some bones on their annual quest for the perfect pumpkins.

Grant's and David's finished masterpieces will grace The Inn’s patch of intricately hand-carved creations that become the backdrop to our annual Storytelling & Harvest Dinner on Friday, October 31.

Guests will experience a fantastical evening of fantasy and science fiction featuring folklorist Josepha Sherman. The feast begins with cauliflower and parsnip soup with dried currants or pine nuts; Mountain Dell Farm lettuce, apple and cashew salad with buttermilk dressing; butternut squash flan; and crisp squash and roasted chippolini onion salad. Main dishes include pumpkin ricotta and sage raviolis with sherry brown butter sauce; lemon-thyme roast cornish game hen with brown basmati rice or broccolini; hazelnut crusted salmon with fig and honey compote and brown basmati rice or green beans; and marinated flank steak with red wine bordelaise and sweet potato mash or green beans. Dessert, of course, is devil's food cake!

Gathering time for The Inn’s Storytelling & Harvest Dinner is 6:30 PM; dinner begins at 7. Cost is
$55 per person, plus tax and gratuities. For reservations email settler@thesettlersinn.com or call 800-833-8527.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Early October Spirits


The Halloween season conjures more than spooky ghouls and goblins here at The Inn. Join us this Friday, October 3, for some spirits of the hoppy kind as we welcome Sly Fox Brewery for an Oktoberfest Beer Dinner. Gathering time is 6 PM; dinner begins at 6:30.

Guests will enjoy German October charcuterie with preserved and pickled foods paired with growlers of draft Sly Fox Octoberfest followed by a hearty feast of seasonal dishes like:

-- Krienerwurst and beer soup with lemon potato dumplings
-- Wiesswurst and venison-cherry sausage with sweet and sour cabbage and carrots
-- Pan seared sage rubbed veal on whipped sweat potatoes with fall spiced apples and fennel
-- Stout and molasses marinated sirloin roast with figs and pistachios

Each course will be appropriately matched with comparison selections of new and traditional brews such as:

-- Sly Fox Pikeland Pilsner vs. Jever Pilsner
-- Sly Fox Helle vs. Weihenstephen Lager
-- Sly Fox Saison vs. St. Bernardus Ale
-- Sly Fox O’Reilly’s Stout vs. Guinness

Cost for the Oktoberfest Beer Dinner is $65 per person, plus tax and gratuities. Make your reservation today! Email
settler@thesettlersinn.com.

Tales from the Yummy Side...

Don’t miss The Inn’s Storytelling & Harvest Dinner featuring folklorist Josepha Sherman on Friday, October 31. Guests will shiver with delight at Sherman’s fantastic tales of fantasy and science fiction. Gathering time is 7 PM; dinner begins at 7:30. Cost for the Storytelling & Harvest Dinner is $55 per person, plus tax and gratuities. Reservations are filling up. Email
settler@thesettlersinn.com.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Journey through France’s Burgundy Region


“It should be a great night of food and wine,” says Chef Dick Barrows (right) of his upcoming visit to The Settlers Inn for our “Burgundy Region” wine dinner on Friday, September 19. Gathering time is 7 PM; dinner begins at 7:30.

Foodies and wine enthusiasts will enjoy Barrow’s expertise as he collaborates with Settlers Executive Chef Grant Genzlinger, Chef de Cuisine Ben Sutter and Sommelier Claude Briere to guide guests through a sensory experience of the cuisine and viticulture of France’s Burgundy Region.

“I look forward to cooking with Ben and Grant and hope to wow The Inn’s guests,” adds Barrows. “Many of my friends and family are coming up for the occasion.”

Barrows owns and operates Starfish Brasserie in Bethlehem, PA, with his wife Sue. The couple met while working at Frog in Philadelphia, one of the first establishments in the city’s restaurant renaissance. They soon bought The Forager House in New Hope, operating it for 16 years to fine reviews in national press such as The New York Times and Philadelphia Inquirer.

Seeking a quieter life for their daughter Leslie, Barrows moved his family to Easton, PA, and has established Starfish Brasserie as one of the finest and most popular spots in the Lehigh Valley. Starfish has won a Best of the Valley award from Lehigh Valley Magazine in each year of its existence.

"Starfish is not a run-of-the-mill place," says Barrows, who has been selected for the honor of cooking at the James Beard House in New York on three occasions. The Starfish bar exudes an industrial feel, with its stained concrete floor, copper countertop and overhead lighting. In the dining room, a French bistro theme prevails with paper covers over the tablecloths emphasizing the informal nature of the restaurant.

Barrows strives to keep his wine list on a par with the food and décor. In 2005 Wine Spectator magazine recognized Starfish with an Award of Excellence, making it a perfect partner for The Settlers Inn, which for the seventh consecutive year has received a Wine Spectator magazine Award of Excellence.

The September 19 “Burgundy Region” dinner is part of The Settlers Inn 2008 Wine and Food Pairing Series. Cost for the event is $100 plus tax and gratuities.

Make your reservation today! Email
settler@thesettlersinn.com.

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Wine Spectator Award


For the seventh year in a row The Settlers Inn has received the Award of Excellence presented by Wine Spectator magazine.

The honor recognizes a well-chosen selection of quality wine producers, along with a thematic match to the Inn’s menu in both price and style, according to Wine Spectator. “My husband Grant and I are proud of the consistency and longevity of our wine program and the dedication and skill of our sommelier,” says Settlers Proprietor Jeanne Genzlinger.

“Over the years I have expanded our wine list, which featured mostly American wines, to an international list covering the major wine regions in the world,” adds Settlers’ Wine Steward Claude Briere (pictured).

“I have always tried to add good value wines to the list,” says Briere. “So, I am very proud that over the last seven years Wine Spectator has recognized The Inn as part
of the 15% of award winners that offer an affordable wine list of the highest quality.”

Wine Spectator is the premiere magazine for people who enjoy fine dining and wine, cooking and entertaining, world travel and the arts. The publication’s annual awards recognize restaurants whose wine lists offer interesting selections, which are appropriate to their cuisine and which appeal to a wide range of wine lovers.

On Friday, August 15 guests to The Settlers Inn will have an opportunity to enjoy a specially chosen selection of wines from the Mediterranean complimented by cuisine by Guest Chef Alan Kehoe.

The special event is part if The Settlers Inn 2008 Wine and Food Pairing Series. Gathering is at 7 PM, with dinner at 7:30. Cost is $100 per person, plus tax and gratuities. Email settler@thesettlersinn.com to make your reservation.

Monday, July 21, 2008

Café Concert with Panache!

The Weekend of Chamber Music’s Summer Festival 2008 – Music for All Time will arrive at The Settlers Inn for “Café Concert with Panache!” on Tuesday, July 22 at 6 PM.

The concert will include a summer supper in our Undercroft Room followed by the music of Bach, Schubert, Pleyel and other legendary composers performed by flutist Judith Pearce, violinist Mark Rush, cellist Caroline Stinson, and fortepianist Kenneth Hamrick. Cost is $55 per person; reservations are suggested.

“We are delighted to host ‘Café Concert with Panache!’ which will feature some of our region’s premiere musicians in an intimate and artful setting,” says Settlers proprietor Jeanne Genzlinger.

Judith Pearce, Founder and Artistic Director of WCM, has been described by The New Yorker as “a rare and beautiful performer who can transport listeners with a single note.” Her work encompasses collaborations with some of this era’s most notable musicians, from Simon Rattle and Peter Maxwell Davies, to Kathleen Battle and Cleo Laine. Pearce has played in many great concert halls including the Lincoln and Kennedy Centers, London’s Festival Hall, La Scala Milan, Berlin’s Philharmonie, the Beethovenhalle, Bonn, and the Sydney Opera House.

Violinist Mark Rush is a soloist, chamber musician and teacher whose diverse career encompasses many interests and musical disciplines. Educated at Yale School of Music, his many honors include a Fulbright Award to study in Brussels. Since 1981, he has collaborated with his wife, pianist Tannis Gibson, in recitals and ensembles, most notably with the Monticello Trio. Rush is currently Professor of Violin at the University of Arizona, and co-Artistic Director of the Coyote Consort, an innovative ensemble presenting experimental multi-media concert events. He is often heard on NPR's "Performance Today," and has performed on radio programs across the country, including WGBH Boston and WQXR New York.

Cellist Caroline Stinson is the winner of the 2007 J.B Watkins Prize from the Canada Council for the Arts. She dedicates equal time to traditional and contemporary repertoire and has become known for her expressive and personal interpretation of new works. In addition to solo and recital engagements, Stinson is active with Open End, a new music and free improvisation ensemble which she founded in 2004 with her husband, composer Andrew Waggoner, and with whom she has appeared in the US, France and Italy. Her recordings include Pulitzer Prize Winner Steven Stucky's String Quartet on the Albany Label, the Popper Requiem for three celli and orchestra with Maria Kliegel on the Naxos label, among other recordings on Bridge, Koch and Phoenix Records.

Fortepianist and harpsichordist Kenneth Hamrick is a conductor, keyboard soloist and musicologist who has garnered top prizes at many major festivals and competitions. With The American Virtuosi and as Director of the Baroque Opera Institute, his innovative performances and recordings have been critically acclaimed, including new stagings of 17th and 18th century operas. Hamrick has performed with soloists and ensembles from the NY Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Opera, and has also collaborated with tap legend Savion Glover and the Limón Dance Company on projects involving both baroque harpsichord concertos and jazz improvisation.

For more information or reservations for visit WCMconcerts.org or call 845-887-5803.


Wednesday, July 9, 2008

Join Us for Live Jazz on the Deck


Summer is here and the time is right for dining on The Settlers Inn deck. Guests can enjoy live jazz on our deck every Wednesday evening this summer, from 6 to 9 PM, rain or shine, during The Inn’s “Food, Fun and All That Jazz” series. There is no cover charge.

Our new deck awning will make every gathering cool and comfortable no matter the weather! “Food, Fun and All That Jazz” began Wednesday, July 8 with Indigo Moon, and continues throughout summer with funky sounds and fabulous food every Wednesday evening through August 20.

“This is an excellent way to see the hottest jazz musicians in one of the coolest local settings,” says Settlers Inn Owner Jeanne Genzlinger, who curates “Food, Fun and All That Jazz.”

Upcoming “Food, Fun and All That Jazz” performances include:

July 16—Robert Kopec Quartet
July 23—Mark Montella Trio
July 30—Stephan Bauer, vibes, and Anat Fort, piano
August 6—Anat Fort, piano, Matt Wilson, drums
August 13—Rapture
August 20—Big Bang Jazz Gang, a 10-piece ensemble performing “The Music of Miles, Mingus & Monk”
*Performances subject to change

“Each of the artists in our series is unique and talented in their own right,” adds Genzlinger, “but Anat Fort is an artist to watch.”

Time Out NY writes of Fort: “You'll be hearing a lot more from Israeli-born composer and pianist Anat Fort… Here's your chance to catch her on the way up.”

The Settlers Inn covered deck is open every day for outdoor dining, featuring summer menus highlighting local farmers and producers such as Liberty Gardens, Mountain Dell Farm and Gorzynski’s Ornery Farm.

Join us for delicious food prepared with locally grown organic ingredients. Make an ONLINE RESERVATION today or call 800-833-8527.

Friday, May 16, 2008

Green Awards

Awards for Being Green

We are delighted and overwhelmed to have received two awards this year rewarding our efforts to be a green hotel property.
Thank you to the Pocono Mountain Businees Journal for naming us one of the top ten “green businesses” in the Poconos and also the Pocono Mountain Visitors Bureau for the award we received this week for the green property of the year . We are honored to have been recognized for our efforts in the green movement. At The Settlers Inn we have a twenty eight year tradition of sustainability and yet we find that there are still so many more opportunities to conserve, reuse and preserve. This year we have asked our safety committee at the inn to add the responsibilities of also becoming our environmental committee. Some of our new endeavors are small simple steps like reusable shopping bags and buying the new environmentally friendly paint. We are trading in carpets for cork flooring in one of our guest rooms. We are adding more protective window treatments to aid in heating and cooling of the guest rooms. Grant says there is a dizzying array of new choices to help us fulfill our goals of lessening our footprint. Please give us your thoughts and suggestions on your next visit to the inn – and thank you for helping us stay green. It’s good to be green!
 
Work ReliefAAASelect Registry