Dear Buffet, I Miss You

This week I kissed my husband farewell, packed an overnight bag for my daughter and I, and headed west. We drove just over two hours, past the Delaware Water Gap, into the Poconos. Our destination, a terrific old resort with a magnificant old lodge built in 1927. I had an assignment to do a travel piece on the resort, and I was looking forward to checking it out, even though the cub reporter I was taking along (AKA my three and a half year old) can be a little demanding.

I knew it would be challenging, combining work with pleasure (and toddler whims) but at least I wasn't going to have to worry about food. The thought of just showing up, in a dining room, and being served three meals a day, with no cooking, clearing or cleaning up to worry about had me ridiculously excited. And I hadn't even imagined there would be a buffet.

We arrived on a perfect summer day. It was cool inside the old lodge and we admired the great view from the large stone porch and the lovely wooden rocking chairs just waiting for us. (I got the kid to sit on one for exactly two minutes.) There was a small playground, gardens, a large lake, miles of trails and a swimming pool.

And then it was time for lunch.

We walked into a large dining hall filled with lovely tables. The tablecloths were white linen and there were fresh flowers to admire. We sat near a window. After our drive, we were hungry. We could have ordered from the menu, but when we were told there was a buffet, I practically skipped over to it.

This is a mother's dream come true. I stood there taking it in, vowing at once to come back to this or any other resort with a meal plan. Soon. I also vowed to cut up more fruit and salad stuff at home and offer more variety. (I made that promise before I remembered that I would be the one doing all that cutting up.)

It was easy to get something for my daughter, who picked out some pumpernickel bread (I haven't bought that in ages) turkey, cream of asparagas soup and fresh fruit. She wolfed down the soup. (Have I mentioned her nickname at daycare this year was the "eating machine?") And I felt guilty that I have never made cream of asparagas soup, although I did not make an immediate vow to get a recipe for it.

The waitress brought my daughter a nice big glass of milk ("With a straw mom!") and she was happy. Happy enough to let mommy go back and load up my own plate.

The resort was a charmingly old-fashioned sort of place, where men are required to wear jackets at dinner. We wore dresses to dinner that night. I was worried she wouldn't be well-behaved enough for the dinner crowd, but she was fine, requesting more soup and being generally delighted with the fancy ice cream dessert.

And the next morning, yes, there was a breakfast buffet. She was really getting into the swing of things by now, picking out a lovely little corn and cranberry muffin and fresh fruit (although she was disappointed to hear that she would not be having ice cream again).

We're home now, and I just really, really miss that buffet.

We are leaving on vacation tomorrow, to a house in the Catskill mountains. It will be lovely, with lots of peace and quiet and plenty of time to swim in the lake. But of course, there will still be the meal planning to think about. So I think I am going to suggest to my husband that we find a place to go out and eat at. Hopefully, one with an all-you-can-eat buffet.

Comments

[Suezette]

There is a great deal of research that supports the need for a grazing approach to eating...lots of items to choose from and and all day to eat a bit here and there. It would be nice if someone would come in and make a buffet for us to pick from!

[Vanessa Druckman]

I love Skytop. We were just there for Labor Day weekend. The kids buffet at dinner was so nice to have!