Hello again, from Spillian in the Catskills.

Spring is creeping into the mountains-Hikers and anglers are showing up where just a week ago, there was snow.  In the morning, we’re hearing the bird calls and watching all the nest building….It’s renewal time in the Catskills.

To celebrate, we’re having our 5th annual Catskills Trout Tales weekend at Spillian.  It’s April 26-28, and you’re invited as our complimentary guest, to partake in the food, drink and activities all around Spring and the opening of Trout Fishing Season!

For travel and adventure writers, like yourself, we are offering 2 remaining FAM slots on a first come/first serve basis for this magical weekend.

Whether you’re a beginner looking to find out more about fly fishing Catskill streams, or you’re one of the “charmed circle” of fly fishermen, join us for Trout Tales at Spillian, discover the magic of the mighty trout, feast on the finest local food and drink and enjoy the best fish tale tale storytelling contest in this hemisphere.
Come for the weekend, or just for dinner Saturday night.  

If you’d like to join us, please RSVP now. We look forward to seeing you at Spillian, where 130 years of guests have imagined past what they think is possible.
Leigh + Chris, Spillian

Mythic Catskills Weekends

Spillian’s Mythic Catskills Weekends are an intersection with the essence of the Catskills: the forests, the mountains, the people, the deep stories that make this place so compelling.

Each weekend celebrates a facet of this gem-like place: its food, its fish and streams, its ringing summer, its snow-spangled winters, its flowing creative life force.

Come for a weekend of grand adventure. Feast. Explore. Hear the great stories and share your own.  Revel in the mythic possibility of the Catskills and find where it sings in your life – and then bring that song back home with you.

Trout Tales at Spillian: A Mythic Catskills Weekend | What’s Included

Friday

• 6 PM: A robust farm-to-table charcuterie, including local meats, cheeses, spring greens, house-made hummus, relishes, chutneys, tarts, and more from our neighboring farmers and food producers; as well as our house-made carmelized onion, leek, and goat cheese tarts; trout rollmops; and our famous house chocolate bark.
• 7:00 PM A tasting with Richard Rogers, brewmaster (and beard meister) of our friends at Roscoe Beer Company, creators of Trout Town Ale.
• Tales of the Catskills as the birthplace of American fly-fishing in front of the blazing fire.

Saturday

• 9 AM: A classic Spillian Catskills breakfast featuring eggs from Spillian Farm’s ridiculous chickens and house-made cocoa bread from an historic Fleischmanns Yeast recipe.
• 10 AM: For those who’d like to hunt the mighty trout, a guided tour with the acclaimed fly-fishing guides from Esopus Creel.
• 10 AM – 4 PM: For those who’d like to do their hunting in other ways,  we have several self-guided adventure itineraries so you can explore the Catskills on your own:
  • explore local shops for special finds, from antiques to hand-crafted art
  • explore several of the area’s nearby craft distilleries and breweries;
  • or simply explore the back of your eyelids by the fire at Spillian.
  We’ll have lunch out at around one for those who’d like to settle in.
• 2 PM: A hike on the Spillian 33 acre wooded estate and forage early spring herbs for dinner and cocktails.
• 3 PM: Reground yourself with a moving meditation with Spillian co-founder Leigh Melander, going deep into images of the mountains and metaphors of streams and forests.
• 5 PM: Cocktail hour featuring the Spillian Trout Tail cocktail (with vodka from Union Grove Distillery and maple syrup from Tree Juice Maple Syrup, and the Spillian Old Fashioned Campfire, with wild-crafted pine simple syrup, Prohibition Distillery bourbon, and a house-made maraschino cherry…smoked!
• 7 PM: The Trout Tales Feast around Spillian’s feasting table accompanied a seven course dinner from our chef Christian Van Etten.

Sunday

• 9 AM: A Spillian Catskills breakfast.
• 10 AM: A cooking class, smoking trout over the open fire at Spillian’s bonfire pit in our meadow.
• 11 AM: A chance to savor your culinary genius before you wander back to reality.

The Trout Tales Feast

The crowning glory of our Trout Tales at Spillian celebration…

A family style feast around our extraordinary mahogany dining table. This table is a true place of convivium, where tales are topped, ideas are birthed, and friendships created. And it is here where the fish tales roll out, so get your story telling chops prepared!

Here’s what chef Christian Van Etten is thinking for a spring stream and forest menu, featuring the exquisitely fresh trout from our neighbors at Beaverkill Trout Hatchery.

• Trout Caviar with Crème Fraîche & Wild Spring Herbs
• Watercress, Candied Pear, and Goat Cheese Salad with Hard Cider Vinaigrette
• Smoked Trout Mousse with Carmelized Shallots and Charred Ramps
• Pan Seared Trout with Maple Glaze and Wild Garlic Mustard Chimichurri
• Farro Risotto with Wild Mushrooms and Greens
• Spring Peas with Miso Butter and Mint
• House-Made Carmelized Celeriac Ice Cream