Norma’s Green Restaurant at Resort and Spa in Stowe, Vermont

A ‘NEW FOOD ATTITUDE’ IN THE AIR AT NORMA’S AT TOPNOTCH RESORT AND SPA IN STOWE, VERMONT

– Signature restaurant revels in local, organic and humanely raised provisions, with new menu for 2009 by Executive Chef Mark Timms –

** Green Mountain culinary landscape both shaken and stirred by
James Bond Martini appetizer with molecular olives **
January 2009 (Stowe, VT) – Winter is shaping up as a season of renewal in the Green Mountains of Vermont, as Norma’s, the signature restaurant at Topnotch Resort and Spa, embraces a “new food attitude” based entirely on the finest local, organic provisions. A highlight of any visit to the village of Stowe, the patio-style restaurant recently revealed a new menu for the winter season by Executive Chef Mark Timms including a James Bond Martini appetizer ripe with molecular olives. With its steady focus on locally grown, organic produce and hormone-free, humanely raised meats, Norma’s is on the forefront of wholesome, eco-conscious dining that is currently sweeping the States.

“We strive for excellence at Norma’s, both in what we serve and how we prepare it,” said Chef Timms, an award-winning chef who joined Topnotch from the Lodge at Woodloch Spa in late 2008. “Our raw ingredients are selected only under stringent conditions, such as produce grown locally and organically and meats that are farm-raised without hormones or inhumane practices. We also affiliate ourselves with local organizations committed to these philosophies, such as the Vermont Fresh Network, VT Highland Cattle Company, Misty Knoll Farm and Pete’s Greens, and seek to foster new relations with companies dedicated to it. We are committed to a ‘new food attitude,’ in other words, as well as to those who embrace it.”

Drawing on his experience as a Consulting Chef at the Lodge at Woodloch Spa, where he earned “Best for Spa Cuisine” from Condé Nast Traveler in 2008, Timms has also created an enticing selection of healthy spa-style dishes for Norma’s. Dishes include Indonesian Peanut and Celery Soup; Tom Thumb Greens with roasted pecans, pears, blue cheese and cranberry vinaigrette; Oi’s Veggie Rolls with spicy Thai dipping sauce; and Bison Cubed Steak with fresh figs, garlic-chive mashers and blueberry demi-glace, among other delights.

For those who like their appetizers with an edge, the new James Bond Molecular Martini, which includes a molecular olive served in a martini with Osetra caviar and bilini, molecular rum and Coke caviar, and a chocolate-hazelnut cigar, is as sharp as a steak knife. Molecular cuisine is the latest development to blend food art and science at the dinner table by taking everyday ingredients and changing their molecular profile. That means the olive in this particular martini maintains the flavor of an olive, but its molecular make-up has been altered to give it the consistency of ravioli. And the rum and Coke has been carefully “jellified” to the consistency of caviar. At $75 a pop, the James Bond Martini makes a pretty good conversation starter, too.

For dinner, settle down before views of Mount Mansfield and an open-display kitchen to peruse Chef Timms’ commitment to wholesome, healthful and inventive dining. The innovations roll out right from the get-go with dishes including Osso Buco with orange and lemon gremolata, creamy chive, whipped potato and country croutons; Grilled Rack of Lamb from White Clove Sheep Farm, VT, with duck jus lentils; as well as Olive Oil Poached Escolar with smoked salmon and salsify “tagliatelle” mango ketchup, orange vanilla crème anglaise and Day Boat Diver Scallops with sweet potato-mushroom risotto and edamame cappuccino.

The dessert menu at Norma’s by Pastry Chef Veronica Wirth provides sweet finish to any dining experience, with enticements such as a decadent Chocolate Hazelnut Dome and luscious Pumpkin Soufflé.

Anticipate the tastiest winter yet at Norma’s restaurant at Topnotch Resort and Spa – reservations recommended.

Winter rates start at $385. For more information or to make reservations at Topnotch Resort and Spa, please call (800) 451-8686, or visit www.topnotchresort.com.

A model of sophisticated rusticity in the rolling mountains of Vermont, Topnotch Resort & Spa is a premier New England destination retreat offering endless recreational pursuits in a thoroughly luxurious atmosphere. A AAA Four Diamond property perched on 120 acres near the village of Stowe, the resort offers 68 guest rooms and suites dressed up in European Country Manor style, with contemporary amenities and most with exceptional views of the lush Green Mountains. Topnotch also has a selection of 40 luxurious one-, two- and three-bedroom resort homes – the last ranging over 2,500 square feet – each with its own personality and full resort privileges. In June 2006, Norma’s Restaurant opened at the resort, serving eclectic cuisine in a casual setting, with an inviting open kitchen. Acclaimed as one of the Top 10 Resort Spas in America by Spa Finder and as the #10 Resort Spa in North America by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler on the 2007 Spa Poll, voted #1 for service, the recently renovated Topnotch Spa covers 35,000 square feet, including 30 treatment rooms in which to experience more than 120 exotic and rejuvenating treatments and services. For sports and leisure, the resort features a Tennis Center with indoor and outdoor courts, cross-country and downhill skiing, a wealth of fitness pursuits at a state-of-the-art Fitness Center, an indoor pool with a cascading massage waterfall, a new whirlpool/Jacuzzi, and two new outdoor pools – one of which will be heated year-round. Topnotch was honored as the #4 best ski resort in North America and the highest rated in New England in the 2007 by Condé Nast Traveler Ski Poll. The Tennis Center at Topnotch played host to the Fed Cup Semifinal Tie in July 2007 and has been recognized as the #1 tennis resort in the Northeast in 2008 by Tennis Magazine. Pets are welcome in select guest rooms and suites at the resort. Topnotch Resort and Spa is a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts and Associated Luxury Hotels. www.topnotchresort.com.

Written by ITKT Media Partners