My wife and I visited the Alexandra Inn Bed & Breakfast in Bennington, Vermont, this past weekend. The innkeepers are Daniel Tarquino and Melissa Martin.
Upon our arrival, we were greeted by a large moose statue in the parking lot, one of many, we discovered later, that accented the streets and businesses of Bennington. (Think of the artsy cow statues in New York City back in 2000-2001). This moose was covered with newsprint. Welcome to Vermont.
We arrived ahead of check-in time and sat in the breakfast room, mulling over travel brochures and enjoying the view. The room looked out on a beautiful garden with a fountain and nearly a dozen bird feeders, which attracted a wide variety of birds to enjoy. The topper was the mountain backdrop, which was somehow rendered even more breath-taking by the low-lying rain clouds that skirted their tops.
Our room was spacious and clean (and was cleaned well and aired out every day). There was cable, a dresser and closet, and a hot tub/shower.
Daniel and Melissa were great hosts. They were very friendly and offered help whenever they saw us wandering around on our own. Daniel recommended a very good restaurant for dinner one night, and both engaged us in enjoyable conversation.
The true victory of the Alexandra Inn, however, is its cuisine. To say Daniel is not a trained chef, while technically true, would be a disservice. Daniel, originally from Colombia, is a self-taught cook who rivals the best restaurant chefs. The owner of Taste, a great restaurant in New York, once dined at the Alexandra and was blown away by the cuisine. My wife and I were as well.
The first indication that we were in for a treat was the prix fixe dinner we opted to have the night of our arrival. The first course was scallops, soft as butter, drizzled with sauce and chopped chorizo, served over grilled polenta. Next was a goat cheese salad with a maple vinaigrette and sunflower seeds. The main course was water buffalo with parsley-cilantro infused sauce. Dessert was a miniature cake baked by Melissa complimented with homemade strawberry sorbet and slices of fresh mango.
When we first heard "water buffalo" we were a little skeptical; I was even afraid, I'll admit. But the meat was much like beef, only leaner and more tender. It was truly a treat, and after Daniel explained that there is only one ranch in the United States (in Texas) that raises water buffalo for meat, we felt privileged to be treated with such a delicacy.
Daniel, who cooked, and, Melissa, who baked, did not disappoint at breakfast either. Over three mornings, my wife and I partook in eggs benedict, blueberry pancakes with mixed-berry sauce, a mushroom-prosciutto-tomato omelet, french toast, and prosciutto panini. Of course, there was plenty of coffee, tea, juice, milk, fresh fruit, homemade granola, and fresh-baked croissants, coffee cake, and banana bread to go with this.
Dinner was so good the first night, that we opted to dine at the Alexandra our second night there. We were glad we did. The first course was lentil soup with andouille sausage, followed by basil and tomato with fresh mozzarella, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (not the cheap acidic stuff either). The main course was chicken with thyme, and dessert were crepes with vanilla ice cream, blackberries, and powdered sugar.
We had a great time at the Alexandra. We will remember the friendliness, hospitality, cleanliness, and peace and quiet; but most of all, we'll remember the food.
25 June 2009
On Michael Jackson and the Peace I Hope His Passing Gives Others
I was a little conflicted when I heard the news of Michael Jackson's passing today. I love the hits of the Jackson Five and many of the pop star's solo works, but his personal life was so muddled with possible scandal, that it is hard for me to truly mourn him.
It is one thing to be weird. Lots of people are strange or do strange things from time to time that they regret. But when it comes to harming children or putting them in harm's way or even in uncomfortable situations, that I find very hard to forgive. And despite the lack of a conviction in a court of law, I cannot really laud him the way I heard people doing on the radio.
Whether or not he was guilty of any wrongdoing, it occurred to me that Michael Jackson likely died without finding true peace. And that is a very sad thing. I made a crack on Facebook about Vincent Price being the true pop icon featured in "Thriller" and that joke was likely ill-timed. But I think it is true that the cloud of suspicion that surrounded Jackson during his later life prevented me from "liking" his contribution to that song. So, Vincent Price wins.
I really hope Michael Jackson does rest in peace, because I don't think he found that in life. I hope that none of what he was suspected of ever happened. I do not think that is likely. If he did commit those horrible acts on children, I hope his passing lets the victims rest easier.
It is one thing to be weird. Lots of people are strange or do strange things from time to time that they regret. But when it comes to harming children or putting them in harm's way or even in uncomfortable situations, that I find very hard to forgive. And despite the lack of a conviction in a court of law, I cannot really laud him the way I heard people doing on the radio.
Whether or not he was guilty of any wrongdoing, it occurred to me that Michael Jackson likely died without finding true peace. And that is a very sad thing. I made a crack on Facebook about Vincent Price being the true pop icon featured in "Thriller" and that joke was likely ill-timed. But I think it is true that the cloud of suspicion that surrounded Jackson during his later life prevented me from "liking" his contribution to that song. So, Vincent Price wins.
I really hope Michael Jackson does rest in peace, because I don't think he found that in life. I hope that none of what he was suspected of ever happened. I do not think that is likely. If he did commit those horrible acts on children, I hope his passing lets the victims rest easier.
17 June 2009
A little bit each day
I cleaned our stove top tonight. The muck and grime had accumulated quite nicely. I first wiped it down with a sponge. When that didn't work, I hit it with some all-purpose cleaner, waited awhile, and five minutes later, tried to mop up. No dice. So, I took out the heavy artillery--good ol' steel wool. That did the trick . . . eventually.
The whole process took me a little too long, though. And it occurred to me that if I just cleaned the stove every day after dinner, I could have saved myself the aggravation.
I guess it is kind of the same when we work on ourselves. When I quit smoking, and years later drinking, it took a long time, a lot of tries, and a lot heavy mental and emotional turmoil. But I had been living the smoking/drinking lifestyle for eight years, and the drinking-only lifestyle for seven years beyond that. How could the road not have been rough?
Had I worked on keeping myself clean every day, or "one day at a time" as the members of AA say, I could have saved myself a lot of trouble--the trouble I got myself into when I was drinking, the trouble I got my body into when I was smoking and imbibing, and all the trouble I went through trying to get two giant, clawing monkeys off my back.
Just like my stove, a little cleaning each day would have done the trick. That is something we can all hope to do. Each day, moment by moment, try to make the right choices for mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. It will make things a whole lot easier.
The whole process took me a little too long, though. And it occurred to me that if I just cleaned the stove every day after dinner, I could have saved myself the aggravation.
I guess it is kind of the same when we work on ourselves. When I quit smoking, and years later drinking, it took a long time, a lot of tries, and a lot heavy mental and emotional turmoil. But I had been living the smoking/drinking lifestyle for eight years, and the drinking-only lifestyle for seven years beyond that. How could the road not have been rough?
Had I worked on keeping myself clean every day, or "one day at a time" as the members of AA say, I could have saved myself a lot of trouble--the trouble I got myself into when I was drinking, the trouble I got my body into when I was smoking and imbibing, and all the trouble I went through trying to get two giant, clawing monkeys off my back.
Just like my stove, a little cleaning each day would have done the trick. That is something we can all hope to do. Each day, moment by moment, try to make the right choices for mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health. It will make things a whole lot easier.
12 June 2009
Books That Make Us Weep
I began reading Gilead today by Marilynne Robinson. What a beautiful book. I was actually listening to the audio book, and when the narrator came on, and began reading Robinson's sweet, simple words, I found myself wanting to cry, out of some vague feeling of spiritual love that rose up in me. This coming from a guy that has skipped church for the past month.
I find myself creating excuses to go for a drive, just so I can listen to the book. It kindles in me a desire to be a minister, an unrealistic prospect at the moment, but still something which I can hope for. And until then, I find in me the need to help people in some way, every day. After listening to the book for two days, I subscribed to all of the PC(USA)'s RSS feeds, and this Sunday, I think I will, yes, begin going to church again.
I find myself creating excuses to go for a drive, just so I can listen to the book. It kindles in me a desire to be a minister, an unrealistic prospect at the moment, but still something which I can hope for. And until then, I find in me the need to help people in some way, every day. After listening to the book for two days, I subscribed to all of the PC(USA)'s RSS feeds, and this Sunday, I think I will, yes, begin going to church again.
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