By Ray Rogers
Set among more than 500 acres of natural splendor with an award-winning 40,000-square-foot spa, The Lodge at Woodloch in northeast Pennsylvania—just a 90-minute drive from Manhattan—draws discerning, peace-seeking guests from all over. But it’s not just the thrilling menu of outdoor activities (ice-skating, fly-fishing, forest-bathing and beyond) and rejuvenating spa treatments (such as the Himalayan Salt Stone Massage and Ayurvedic therapies) that make for a devoted clientele. They also return for generous helpings of its top-tier farm-to-table cuisine—much of it sourced directly from the on-site farm and other local providers—as executive chef William Seitzinger learned during a recent cooking demo he led on premises.
“The group that I had asked me what people come back to The Lodge for,” Seitzinger recalls of the guests present at one of the twice-daily classes held in the state-of-the-art test kitchen. “I said, ‘Well, the spa is a big draw so that, and the outdoors, is probably what people first and foremost think about The Lodge.’ They replied, ‘Really? Because we come back for the food.’”
Everything about the dining experience at the Lodge is elevated, including its Tree Restaurant, which is perched high up amid the treetops with views of the property’s private lake. What sets the cuisine served up here a cut above is a commitment to quality without sacrificing flavor. “The food is enjoyable. It’s not just of high quality, but it’s high execution, and it’s tasty,” says Seitzinger. “We have a large, affluent clientele from the tristate area who go into New York City, where they can eat at some of the best restaurants in the country. And they tell us a lot that we are right up there.”
As a point of contrast to other renowned spa-focused wellness resorts, Seitzinger and his team take a sensible approach to health-conscious cuisine, without going overboard on the no-salt, no-sugar front. “We try to give everyone something that they’re going to enjoy. We focus on using fresh, high-quality products, using things that aren’t processed or are as minimally processed as possible.” The vegan sticky toffee pudding, for instance, employs dates for its sweet factor, keeping any processed sugars to an absolute minimum. (The Lodge also encourages relaxation with its wine and cocktail tastings, offered six days a week.)
The Lodge’s nearly fully biodynamic Blackmore Farm and Orchard provides roughly 95 percent of the mixed greens it serves, as well as fresh herbs such as parsley, dill, rosemary and thyme. “Right now, we have carrots coming up, purple-top turnips, cauliflower and tons of apples,” Seitzinger reports. The surrounding local farms also provide plentiful ingredients: “I just bought 1,500 pounds of butternut squash from Lukan’s Farm, which is right down the road.”
You’ll find these items throughout the flavorful offerings this season, from vegan butternut squash-apple bisque (utilizing the local cauliflower to add that creamy taste without burdening diners with the extra fat of heavy creams) to tempura-battered cauliflower “Buffalo wings.” In addition to the naturally raised meats he uses in entrees, like the locally sourced chicken in his coq au vin, Seitzinger is especially excited about a new dish he added to the menu recently: a miso-glazed Hasselback turnip entree. The root vegetable is cut in such a way it looks like an accordion, then the sliced segments are stuffed with baby corn, roasted maitake mushrooms and furikake to give it an Asian flair, reports the chef. Music to the taste buds. thelodgeatwoodloch.com