southern vermont dining « Four Columns Inn Blog

July 6, 2009

Summer Dining and new Tavern Menu

Filed under: menus, southern vermont dining, wines by the glass — fourcolumns @ 1:18 pm

Summer Menus are in full swing
Chef Greg and Zak are busy searching for the freshest catch of the day along with the abundance of produce now available from the local farms. Just this week our menu features Island creek oysters, carrot and ginger soup, slow-baked narragansett bay striped bass with shrimp and crispy crab cakes. You can keep up with our latest offerings by checking our dinner menu on our website.

Chefs Greg & Zak Announce
‘Tavern Tid Bits’
35 year FC veteran Chef Parks works his magic in concert with 15 year Sous Chef Zak Clayton. In addition to his significant contributions to The Four Columns dinner menu, Zak is using his special talent to create our new Tavern Tid-Bits menus, which include items like Bruschetta with toasts, Chicken, shrimp or beef kabobs with trio of sauces, Raw Oysters with mignonette, and a Vermont cheese sampler. We will be adding other delightful items as the summer progresses. Try them with our new selection of favorite New England beers and wines by the glass from around the world

Relaxing in the Tavern

Before you head off to the dining room for dinner you can enjoy one of Head Waiter Bob’s famous martinis, or one of our wines by the glass featuring selections from around the world. The Tavern was refurbished in 2008 to create a warm and inviting atmosphere. Sink into one of our leather club chairs while you sip on a seasonal favorite, or while away the afternoon outdoors on the Tavern Deck!

More Wines by the Glass and a new selection of New England Beers

Nothing complements great company and an exceptional menu like a selection of artisan beer and wines by the glass. We have extended our selection of wines by the glass, featuring wines from the US and around the world. New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs and Oregon Pinot Noirs rank among our favorites. We try to keep our wines special, meaning you generally won’t find these offerings at just any ol’ local grocery store. We now also have a selection of draft and bottled beers from New England including some of our favorites like Switchback. Selections change so come on by and taste our latest pours!

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May 26, 2009

Warm weather activities

Filed under: hikes in southern vermont, southern vermont art, southern vermont canoeing, southern vermont dining — fourcolumns @ 5:26 pm

Summer is underway… We’re off! A full house of happy guests just checked out today. This Memorial Day weekend we had guests celebrating anniversaries and graduations, weekend ‘quick escape artists’, just looking for time to decompress, and several very active outdoor enthusiasts getting the season off to an active start. After sketchy forecasts the weather blessed us with cool sunny days and brisk evenings. This lively group experienced a nice variety of some of the area attractions. There is a lot of summer ahead! Grab your partner, lover or fuzzy friend and come visit. Don’t forget our weekly Monday Morning Specials. You can see them on our website, or get first crack by signing up for our weekly email. Just send us and email with ‘Monday morning special’ in the subject. Here’s a sample of what awaits!

Canoe trips at BattenKill Canoe Some of the most beautiful areas of southern Vermont can be experienced from a canoe or kayak. At BattenKill Canoe you are escorted to the river and picked up at a pre-determined location downstream

Bike rides and rentals from West Hill Bikes With a broad variety of bikes and routes to suit your ambition and ability. We have a large selection of paved and unpaved routes to give you a choice of short leisurely tours, or more demanding itineraries. We can direct you to scenic routes with light traffic to maximize your enjoyment of biking through the back roads of southern Vermont.

(Very brisk) dips in our just-opened pool These intrepid souls were under 12, which explains how this was accomplished. However, with warm sunny days now at hand basking on the deck entertaining thoughts of taking a cold dip isn’t too bad.

Golf at Stratton, Mt Snow, Haystack and more Also nearby are Brattleboro Country Club, and Okemo’s Tater Hill. Most of these locations offer summer golf school sessions which some of our guests will be attending later this summer. Escape to a golf outing here in the beautiful green hills and valleys of southern Vermont.

Lounging by our stream, ponds and gardens We believe we witnessed major headway by our guests on books and newspapers out by the pool and the Adirondack chairs we have placed here and there throughout the grounds and next to the stream.

Shopping at Dutton’s Farm Stand With farms throughout southern Vermont, Dutton’s Farm Stand always has a nice selection of local produce and fresh baked pies. Greg and Zak frequently make runs to Dutton’s when they are preparing the evening’s dinner menu. Having a cocktail in the Tavern or on the porch served by our experienced (and very accommodating) wait staff

Head Waiter Bob Leavitt has been a Four Columns feature in the dining room for over 12 years and knows how to make a mean martini brim full to the top of the glass…just like you’re supposed to. (…and he never spills the drink) Better yet, he and the rest of the wait staff have a reputation for warm and professional dining service.

Enjoying Chef Greg and Zak’s summer menus

Here Sous Chef Zak Clayton works his magic. Items on our menus change daily, with seasonal favorites introduced frequently. This weekend items included Crispy Soft Shell Crab with lemon caper tarragon mayonnaise, Local Wild Leek Soup with Fresh Morels, and Baked Halibut and lobster with slow-baked tomato, olive oil, rosemary and garlic.

Hiking to the summit of Stratton Mountain and the Fire Tower

Actually, the weather was so beautiful we did this hike with Toby, our Golden Retriever and our legs are still all tingly. But if you want a good work-out and a great view this is the hike for you. The final climb to the top of the fire tower to see the surrounding mountains and lakes, and to feel the wind is well worth the effort!

Glass Blowing exhibition at Taft Hill Gift Store and Gallery

This past weekend visitors were able to watch Robert DuGrenier and Zachary Wickhaman demonstrate their craft as they worked on a commissioned Tiffany sculpture for a store opening in Seattle. But you can visit any time to see these beautiful works of art and other fun items from the Taft Hill Gift Store

And finally…

Retreating to one of our guest rooms for a good night’s sleep before enjoying a hearty country breakfast and finding the next adventure for the day ahead.

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