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West Dover, Vermont, USA

The Inn at Sawmill Farm

Norman
2004-08-11 16:50:14

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prepare on a particular day is what you were stuck with.

Brill indicated that there was no need to worry about Ione's cooking, it was always consistently good, and he owes a great deal of his knowledge to his mother's culinary skills. We can certainly vouch for Brill's talents as a chef. In fact, when we visited the Inn at Sawmill Farm it had just re-opened for its summer and fall season, and the dining room was filled to capacity; a good indication that we were not the only ones who appreciated fine dining.

We had the opportunity to try his sautéed sweetbreads on a bed of fried spinach with white butter sauce, as well as the grilled tenderloin of beef with black truffle Madeira sauce. Both were out of this world!

Brill mentioned to us that he likes to use a great deal of local ingredients as well as rabbit, partridge, quail and venison. Deserts reflect his mother's Pennsylvania Dutch Family's influence, such as the ice cream covered with rich, hot sauce of dark chocolate, butter and walnuts.

Also joining the inn's competent team are Brill's two adorable young daughters, Letica (Lettie) and Chinon (Chi Chi), who help out serving the guests in the inn's romantic dining room on tables adorned with fine linen, crystal, and china. It was something to watch these two young ladies serve their beaming grandparents! We even had Letica practice her French with us with her cute accent, as she will be off to Paris shortly.

Being a guest at The Inn at Sawmill Farm gets you an additional bonus. The opportunity to savor one or more of the 28,000 to 30,000 bottles of some of the finest wines stored in the wine cellar that is situated under the main dining room. Brill showed us around the wine cellar that he indicated was no easy task to build, and we could well understand why it has brought the Inn a Wine Spectator Grand Award yearly since 1992. Incidentally, the tour of the wine cellar is available for any interested guests who want to see what beckons below. You will be amazed, as we were, at the tremendous choices!

There are twenty one cozy guest rooms in the inn of which ten are located in the main house and eleven in nearby buildings, ensuring an intimate romantic experience. All of these rooms reflect the spirit of Vermont living, permitting their guests to enjoy the changing days and seasons. Exquisite room décors reflect Ione's decorating talents. Some rooms even have decks for relaxation during the late spring. Eleven also have fireplaces, and let me tell you that even in late May, when we visited the inn, the heat radiating from the crackling fireplace was sheer delight! There are even Jacuzzis and canopy beds in a few rooms.

As far as the inn's activities go, The Inn at Sawmill Farm takes a minimalist approach. The principal attractions are the swimming pool, the trout ponds, where you can try your hand at fly fishing and even sign up for lessons given by an Orvis approved instructor, snowshoe, hike or cross country ski. However, once you venture outside the inn's grounds, there is a great deal to do in the way of cultural, sporting and other adventures.

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