The Reluctant Panther: Elegant Country Inn & Gourmet Dining in Manchester, Vermont

The Reluctant Panther Inn and Restaurant is southern Vermont’s premier small luxury hotel and gourmet dining destination, and has just been named a Fred Bollaci Enterprises Golden Palate Partner.™ Located in the heart of beautiful Manchester Village in Southeastern Vermont, the Reluctant Panther features 20 luxurious rooms and suites and excellent cuisine, and is the preferred luxury boutique lodging and dining experience in the area.

The Panther’s spacious accommodations feature elegant design with antique furnishings, fireplaces, marble baths and original, museum quality artwork combining with 300 thread count linens, Anichini coverlets and Frette robes to create a truly gracious and relaxing overnight experience.

The Restaurant at The Reluctant Panther features contemporary American cuisine by Executive Chef Peter Belmonte in a relaxed yet elegant, upscale atmosphere with an emphasis on locally sourced products and an excellent wine list (a perennial Wine Spectator award winner). In summer, the covered patio is available for al fresco dining, and patrons also enjoy The Panther Pub.

Manchester, VT offers a wide range of activities and events to satisfy any visitor, including: golf, tennis, hiking, horseback riding, fly-fishing, shooting and biking in from spring to fall. During the winter, skiing at nearby Stratton and Bromley Mountains, cross country skiing and skating, and a warm cup of Vermont cider make for a great winter getaway. Visitors also enjoy shopping for Vermont specialty products, such as Vermont cheeses and maple syrup and visiting the famous Manchester Outlets.

The Reluctant Panther’s name comes from the wild panthers that long roamed the nearby mountains, despite the encroachment of humans. The name also symbolizes the attitude of Vermonters, who fought against interference from the English King and their neighbors to the east and west. At the Green Mountain Tavern, which stood on the site until 1897, Ethan Allen’s Green Mountain Boys met and organized their resistance to the hated foreigners. The name itself was conceived in the 1960’s and The Reluctant Panther is now a Manchester institution.

The menu changes with each passing season to reflect what is fresh, local, and timely.

The recent Summer 2015 menu featured:

For starters: VT Charcuterie & Cheese, Black Watch Farms Beef Tartare with capers, fresh parsley, sunny side Cavendish quail egg, black pepper lavash, and spicy mustard sauce, Tomato and Mozzarella with heirloom cherry tomatoes, Maplebrook Farms fresh mozzarella, crispy pancetta, brioche crostini, and micro basil, Grilled Mediterranean Spiced Shrimp with stone fruit salsa, shaved radish, and harissa yogurt sauce.

Salads include Caesar with crisp hearts of Romaine, house-made dressing, crispy roasted garlic croutons, shaved Parmigiano Reggiano, and brine-cured anchovies, Organic Baby Field Greens with edible flowers, cherry tomatoes, French breakfast radish, pickled Bermuda onion, and aged Balsamic vinaigrette, Local Watermelon Salad with Maplebrook Farms Smoked Feta Cheese, micro arugula, and black pepper white balsamic vinaigrette.

Featured entrees included: Merlot Braised Beef Short Ribs with grilled Grafton Village Cheddar Polenta Cake, roasted Thumbelina Carrots, and pearl onions, Roast Breast of Free Range Rock Game Hen with house made Roast Garlic Hen Sausage, Cabot Sweet Butter Mashed Potato, and sautéed Baby Summer Squash, Grilled Black Watch Farms Strip Steak with Creamed Watercress, Sautéed Wild Mushrooms, Crispy Potato Gallette and Bordelaise Sauce, Pan Roasted VT Family Farms Pork Tenderloin, and Fresh Fish du Jour (choices often include Black Bass from New England’s Atlantic waters, Snapper from the Caribbean or Florida, and Mako Shark from the Atlantic, as well as Grilled Mediterranean Branzino with sautéed baby spinach, cannellini bean and fire roasted pepper ragout with tomato-caper vinaigrette and crispy garlic chips.

Featured pasta was Spaghetti La Pomarola with locally made Fiore di Italia Spaghetti, Sweet Basil, VT Grown Cherry Tomatoes, evoo-chardonnay emulsification topped with house-made Thomas Dairy Ricotta Salata. The Risotto was with Wild Mushrooms, Sugar Snap Peas, garden fresh herbs, Wallingford Locker Cobb Smoked Bacon Lardons and Shaved Parmesan.