Wheatleigh, Lenox 1

Wheatleigh was built in 1893 as a grand country house on 250 acres. Since 1976 it has been a 19-room hotel on 22 acres just south of Tanglewood, overlooking the Berkshire mountains. When Linda and I had a small country house in neighboring Columbia County, NY (1983-2000), we enjoyed going there for dinner. We stayed at Wheatleigh for the two nights of June 29 and 30, 2020, our first two days out of NYC since March 12 due to our Corona Virus containment.  

The terrace in the back of the building is bordered by two identical columned porches; one is glassed in to form the Portico Dining Room, where we ate our dinners and breakfasts.


Wheatleigh had reopened two weeks before; only guests staying at the hotel could dine at it. There were five couples for dinner our first night, two the second. The tables had little racks on which we could hang our masks after being seated. The silverware was all presented on a single tray to minimize interactions.

The prix-fixe menu offered two choices in each of four courses. It alternated with another menu between days.

We had already enjoyed our apéritif in our room with the half-bottle of Billicart-Salmon Champagne offered by the hotel. We ordered a bottle of 2013 Zena Crown Eola-Amity Hills (Willamette Valley, Oregon) Pinot Noir. Nice. 

The bread bowl arrived. Spicy Espellette crisps, brown bread and baguettes.

The first appetizer was a scallop in tomato water with tomato and spinach.

Then three little canapés.
 

Our first course was
“RATATOUILLE”
TAGIASCHE OLIVES, PIPERADE, NATURAL EMULSION

The ratatouille was a stack of round eggplant slices interleaved with black olive purée. The mounds were the Basque combination of tomato, green pepper and onion. The foam on top did not seem to add anything, but covered what might have been a pretty dish. Anyway the fresh summer vegetable flavors were good and did not need anything added.
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“LOBSTER CARPACCIO”
MEYER LEMON, CUCUMBER, POINTY SNOUT OSSETRA CAVIAR

The lobster meat garnished with cucumber curls was good, but the lobster spring rolls were overcooked and dry.
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VEAL RIBEYE AND SWEETBREAD
EGGPLANT, EINKORN, MORELS, BLACK GARLIC JUS

The tender veal ribeye steak rounds were luscious and good. The sweetbread lobe was even richer. They were nicely offset by the veal glaze with primitive einkorn wheat. The eggplant pieces with morel mushrooms’ added some vegetable diversion, but were a small portion.
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WHOLE ROASTED FIGS
OLIVE OIL CAKE, PINE NUT CONDIMENT,
MEYER LEMON SORBET

Excellent. 

“SWEET TREATS”

The chocolates and fruit gels were not too sweet.

It was a real treat to have a good meal in a restaurant dining rom for the first time since early March. 

https://wheatleigh.com