Catskill Seasons Inn

The family that eats together stays together as countless mothers—including mine—have preached to their increasingly vagabond families. These days, the family, whether traditional or extended or nuclear or untraditional, that cooks together, flourishes together. Such is the spirit at the Catskill Seasons Inn Restaurant in Shandaken. Innkeepers Victoria and Chago help out in the kitchen: Victoria will on occasion concoct tomato soup or cream of broccoli soup while her husband, Chago’s Chilean ancestry imbues a traditional Pil Pil, a tapas of Spanish heritage, of jumbo shrimp and Diver scallops with spicy hot peppers, garlic and olive oil. Overseeing the entire kitchen operations is Chef Michael Cottrone, a native New Yorker of both German and Italian ancestry with a passion for French cookery and a degree from the French Culinary Institute in Soho, followed by stints at kitchens like Le Cirque, the Four Seasons and Felidia.

Both the bar and bar dining room at the Catskill Seasons Inn are studies in shades of blonde wood—immediately inviting, warm and terrifically suited for this autumn and winter season upon us—but the main dining room encourages leisurely repast, relaxed intake of a meal. Lush carpet – so thick, boots nestle – and generous spacing between tables combined with lighting of which Garbo or Dietrich would surely have approved and white linen tablecloths set the evening’s standards high. Pellegrino arrives in wine glasses accompanied by a third glass of ice cubes. A detail. Mahogany wainscoting—as identified and admired by my friend Mark—is another luxe detail and the refreshing cilantro pesto—yet another elegant element—accompanies fresh baked, still warm mini-baguette.

Chef Michael credits much of his après culinary school training “especially technique” to Chef Florian Hugo, formerly sous chef for Alain Ducasse and currently of acclaimed La Panetiere in Rye. Combining ancestry (German and Italian: he promises that his homemade cannoli will grace the dessert menu soon) with classical French culinary training alongside FCI Master Chefs Jacques Pepin and Andres Soltner, and the Catskills’ sense of rustic place, Chef Michael’s menu is rural sophisticate. The current autumn and menu showcases seasonal game: rabbit, boar, venison, duck and quail. The Braised Rabbit Chasseur arrives in a classic French Tarragon Brandywine Sauce with Spaetzle. The menu does not give away that the secret of the spaetzle—“traditional German noodle dumplings, small and handmade usually pressed through a colander” (Riley, Elizabeth. The Chef’s Companion. New York: Wiley & Sons, 2003)—is fresh dill, “an aromatic that kicks it up.” Buttery, slightly crisp from, I suspect, a brief sauté in a pan, the spaetzle are a wondrous—and deliciously absorbent—accompaniment to the rabbit’s sauce of natural jus and shitake mushroom. Mark’s Charcoal Grilled Black Angus Rib Eye Steak is massive, laying gloriously charred and languid across his plate and sauced lightly (no flour or gloop here) with effervescent jus and shitake mushrooms. The verdicts: “Best steak ever. More tender than most filets. Kicks your ass.” French saucier training is evident. “We buy only the best ingredients, a literal cornucopia of herbs and vegetables from Sunfrost in Woodstock. RSK Farm’s Bob Kiley has the best potatoes under the sun. I also buy his pumpkins and delicate squashes for soups. I investigate where all of my meat comes from. All of the producers are documented.” Michael uses only cold-pressed organic Grecian olive oil purchased via a local fellow in Shandaken whose family owns an olive orchard in Crete. “Our olive oil is pure olive oil, not blended.”

Other game selections are New Zealand Rack of Lamb with Maple Dijon Pecan Crust, Tuscan Style Wild Boar Sausage over Canellini Bean Ragu, Venison Stew with Sautéed Potatoes Cocotte over Egg Noodles, Seared Duck Breast with Mission Fig and Balsamic Sauce and Two Roasted Quails with Seasoned Sausage Stuffing and Red Wine Sauce. Dinners are served with a house salad of baby greens and balsamic vinaigrette. Steaks and poultry entrées are served with a choice of locally grown roasted garlic and shallot mashed potatoes or herbed basmati rice and zucchini, snow peas and squash.

Seafood entrees include Old Fashioned Shrimp or Crab Cakes with Red and White Cole Slaw served with Zesty Horseradish Chipotle Remoulade—available as both an appetizer and a main course; Seared King Salmon Maracchiata with Scallions, Shitake Mushrooms, Tomato, Zucchini, Garlic White Wine and Butter Sauce; Seared Scallops with Champagne Beurre Blanc, and Grilled Tilapia with Lemon, Garlic and Olive Oil. There are two vegetarian entrees: Grilled Eggplant and Mixed Squash Napoleon with Basil Infused Olive Oil and Fruity Balsamic Reduction and a Pasta Pebre with Garlic and Cilantro Sauce. Catskill Seasons Inn also features a Children’s Menu of Linguine and Home Made Meatballs or a Blank Angus Hamburger with Freshly Cut French Fries available with Cheese or Bacon and Cheese.

The wine list is compact but varied with five white wines available by the glass and six reds with most selections originating in California (St. Francis, Robert Mondavi Private Collection, Francis Ford Coppola), several in Chile (Haras, Santa Alicia Reserva) a select few from France (Georges DuBoeuf, Veuve Cliquot) and two portos from Portugal.

Dessert involved sharing (not our usual method) a strudel baked by Chef Michael the previous day. The golden slice arrived warm, accompanied by a scoop of vanilla ice cream and oozing sauce thick, so dark almost black and vibrant with the autumnal piquance of cherries, currants and blackberries. The butter pastry is a near miraculous combination of soft interior where fruit juice pools into dough—contained and molten—and crisp, gold and flaky exterior. Coffee is first rate. The espresso is tall and generous. Eventually, and in keeping with fine French tradition, Chef Michael will refine the dessert offerings to rustic apple tarts, lemon curd tarts, fruit tarts and crème patisserie.

For the holidays, Chef Michael plans special additions to the menu such as Stuffed Quail with Smoked Bacon, Duck Breast with Fig Sauce and Short Ribs Osso Bucco. Holiday desserts will include Flan, Pot de Crème au Chocolat and Tarte Tatin.

The Catskill Seasons Inn is located at 178 Route 42 in Shandaken, eight miles east of Belleayre Mountain and 18 miles south of Hunter. The Catskill Seasons Inn will host a New Year’s Eve dinner with a DJ & dancing. Rooms are still available for New Year’s Eve night, and some rooms are still available for the Christmas holiday week. The Inn is participating with Belleayre Resort to offer a kids stay free and ski free with a full paying adult package. Thursday night features prime rib specials and Sunday night pasta specials are the highlight of the menu. For more information, visit www.catskillseasonsinn.com or call 845 688 2505.

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