Month: October 2020

Posted on

A Great Mesh of Business and Leisure

Top Chef Season 14 winner Chef Brooke Williamson is no stranger to The Resort at Paws Up. In fact, she’s been here more than 20 times as a featured chef during some of our biggest culinary events.

“Brooke’s passion is infectious,” says Scott Schaefer, Director of Special Events. “She’s very accomplished, but she’s so approachable.”

Her warm and adventurous spirit means you’re just as likely to find her hopping on a snowmobile (her favorite wintertime activity) as you are cooking in the kitchen. “The magic of these events, and what really separates them from other culinary events around the country, is the interaction guests have with our featured chefs. Normally, it would be rare to go out on an ATV ride, make s’mores or have a drink alongside a celebrity chef, but that intimacy is exactly what our events offer,” explains Schaefer.

Williamson agrees: “It’s really a great mesh of business and leisure.” She’s been bringing her family along for the ride (quite literally—her son’s first snowmobile ride was here at the age of seven), and while she’s visited for many reasons, every season, her favorite time of year here is in the winter. “It’s probably because we’re from LA and it’s a complete 180,” she says. “Winters in Montana have spoiled any California winter. It’s just a magical place and time of year on Earth.”

Speaking of magic, Williamson and her family, who consider Paws Up their “second home,” have become particularly enchanted with the staff, who go out of their way to ensure her son celebrates his birthday in high style (his special day often falls over WinterFest). “Last year they let him push the button on the fireworks,” Williamson says.

While she waits to determine the menu until just before the event, one thing is certain. She’ll be jumping on a snowmobile and heading over to Garnet Ghost Town, and you’re more than welcome to join her.

Williamson, along with Top Chef: All-Stars LA winner Chef Melissa King, Cochon 555 Heritage BBQ contest winner Chef Annie Pettry and acclaimed Oregon winemakers Lynn and Ron Penner-Ash, will be heating up The Resort at this year’s WinterFest culinary weekend February 12–15, 2021. Learn more at go.pawsup.com/winterfest.

Posted on

the green o Brings the Outdoors In and the Indoors Out

Maybe you read “To Build a Fire” during middle school, the Jack London American classic about a man who falls asleep in the snow? Short story made shorter:  It doesn’t end well, for the man or his dog. So if staying overnight inside a frigid Montana forest frightens you, that’s understandable. But let us put your mind at ease. This is a tale with a very happy plot.

Staying at the green o is the stuff of blissful dreams.

Imagine you’re snuggled inside an ultra-sleek snow globe, while powdery flakes fall all around you. Picture yourself watching winter’s night sky from your big, fluffy bed or nibbling on s’mores after an adventurous dogsledding ride.

Paws Up Ranch’s newest resort lets you luxuriate in nature 365 nights a year.

Starting in 2021, the green o will provide visitors the ultimate in wintry getaways with 12 secluded Haus accommodations. It’s a “new level of glamping®,” says Paws Up and the green o owner Laurence Lipson, and it offers guests exclusivity and privacy surrounded by beautiful swaying pines. “The juxtaposition of an architectural and design-forward property in a remote timberland setting really hasn’t been done in the U.S.,” Lipson continues. “When coupled with exceptional service, cuisine and full access to everything Paws Up has to offer, it’s truly a singular experience unmatched by any other property in the world.”

It’s an experience that includes access to hundreds of miles of trails perfect for snowshoeing or cross-country skiing and a multitude of winter wilderness adventures like downhill tubing and ice skating.

For dining, guests at the green o have exclusive access to the Social Haus, a lounge, restaurant and bar in a unique, wooded setting. And because of the green o’s convenient location, guests can also choose to dine at any of Paws Up’s inspired restaurants and dining locations, as well as participate in all of Paws Up’s myriad events throughout the year.

Let’s close the book on any worries about overnight travel up here in the country’s northern reaches. A new chapter is about to begin, and you can be among its very first protagonists.

Introducing Our Very First Story Contest

Speaking of literature, we’ve been creating these splashy Adventure Journals for three years now. It’s been a labor of love, and we’d love to share that feeling with you. So far, we’ve written about everything from constellations in the night sky to trends in Western fashion and what goes into the perfect s’more.

Now it’s your turn.

Tell us what you’d like to read about in our 2021 Summer Adventure Journal. lf we choose your subject, we’ll send you a $100 Paws Up gift card, which you can use at The Resort during your next stay. And if you go ahead and write the story yourself, we’ll feature your name in the byline. Get brainstorming now!

Submit your ideas on or before December 1, 2020. Go to this webpage: go.pawsup.com/StoryContest2021 and fill out the form. We can’t wait to read over your great story ideas! See contest rules for details.

Posted on

New This Winter at Paws Up: Blast Mountain

Whether it’s the swoosh of your snow tube shooting down a run, the whirring sound of blades against rock-hard ice or the snap of a sporting clay being hit in midair, the sounds of winter come alive at Paws Up. Here, the landscape is filled with the kind of excitement that turns snow days into playdates.

One gathering spot for good times is Blast Mountain Tubing and Ice Skating Park, The Resort’s new wonderland within a wonderland. Experience the thrill of the ride when you fly down each chute, bouncing and bobbing on your inflatable tube, reaching heart-racing speeds and occasionally catching air. The kids will holler with glee as they take on banked curves and long stretches before gliding to a stop. And if climbing in snow boots isn’t your thing, grab a towrope and let it whisk you back up.

Don’t forget to lace up your skates for some laps and twirls and (if you dare) leaps. If you want to bring out your competitive side on the ice, head back to the rink just behind the Cook Shack to join a game of curling or broom hockey. At Blast Mountain, figure skaters have the smooth, glassy ice all to themselves.

To warm up, head to the clubhouse for hot chocolate and snacks, plus beer and wine for the grown-ups.

ANOTHER KIND OF BLAST

After visiting Blast Mountain, one option to round out your day is on the other side of the mountain. Test your shooting skills with a sporting clays adventure on a course specially designed to resemble real-life field conditions. Difficult yet fun, our scenic stations will give your sporting side an exhilarating challenge. Just take aim and get your pulse pumping. You’ll have plenty of time to relax before dinner.

With Montana’s reliable late-December snowfall, Blast Mountain and sporting clays are two of many reasons Paws Up makes for an epic Winter Break getaway. Plan your whole trip at go.pawsup.com/winter-break.

IF IT HAPPENS ON SNOW, WE’VE GOT YOU COVERED.

From dogsledding and snowmobiling to snowshoeing, we may have thought of everything.

Up for some downhill?

A short drive away is one of Montana’s best ski resorts, Snowbowl, where you can schuss down 2,600 vertical feet. The Whitefish and Lost Trail ski areas are also near Paws Up. Around here, your skiing and snowboarding choices are endless. After the scenic ride back to The Resort, treat yourself to a relaxing soak in your luxury vacation home’s hot tub while watching more powder fall from the sky.

SKI Magazine calls skiing in Montana “Uncrowded. Unspoiled. Unbelievable.” And snow lovers at Paws Up are simply unstoppable.

Posted on

Under All That Glittering Snow, A Culinary Paradise

How does Pomp, buried under winter’s blanket in tiny Greenough, Montana, keep carving out a reputation for dining excellence? Paws Up Executive Chef Sunny Jin takes a collaborative mindset to work each day. “Staying set in our ways would plateau creativity,” he said. “Our guests are often the strongest voices guiding our food, giving us foresight into a more valuable dining experience.”

Innovation is also a necessity when the cooking features local, seasonal ingredients. “Winter is where I find my best moments. Simple preparations open a new world of opportunity,” Jin said. In wintertime, for example, it’s the long, slow braises that are close to Jin’s heart: “When you devote yourself to a one-pot dish and its components, it teaches you to focus on the ingredients and timing for a meal that is both simple and rewarding.”

While Jin’s masterful elk short ribs, dry-aged bison ribeye and Rocky Mountain trout have been among past winters’ culinary wonders, beef is always a centerpiece. At its heart, Paws Up is a cattle ranch. And this season, some of that beef is special indeed.

“We’ve received our very first cuts of Wagyu beef from our Paws Up Ranch,” Jin said. Which means diners can expect exquisite portions that are highly marbled, ultra-tender and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Out here in the wilderness of fine dining, creativity often snowballs from one area of the kitchen to another. “Every Paws Up family member, and I mean everyone, is encouraged to throw ideas on the chopping block,” Jin noted. Rest assured, once an idea is born, it will be cultivated by a true master.

WINE SPECTATOR POURS ON THE ACCOLADES: POMP EARNS AWARD OF EXCELLENCE

It may seem unusual for Wine Spectator to honor a Montana establishment with its prestigious Best of Award of Excellence. But, considering the carefully curated vintages and labels at Pomp, it’s really not surprising. In awarding Paws Up’s fine dining restaurant, Wine Spectator noted the menu’s particular strength in California wines as well as its strong showings from illustrious Burgundy, Piedmont and Champagne vineyards.

Guests visiting during our annual WinterFest culinary weekend (February 12–15, 2021) will get a special viticultural treat: sipping alongside Lynn and Ron Penner-Ash, cofounders of Willamette Valley’s Penner-Ash Wine Cellars.

THE HOLIDAYS ARE SWEETER WITH CHEF AMANDA ROCKMAN.

Here’s one creature we love to have stirring: Chef Amanda Rockman will be joining us December 24–26 for her fifth trip to Paws Up. And each time she visits, she brings bubbling energy and a joy for baking.

“Really, what I try and do is give people of all ages skills they can use to get creative in the kitchen. If they’re going to take the time to come and talk with me, I want to feed them useful nuggets to take home,” she said.

And those nuggets she offers are decorated with kudos. A James Beard Award finalist and two-time Jean Banchet Pastry Chef of the Year, her pastry chef skills are admired from Chicago to Austin.

What’s she looking forward to this time? “It’s super fun to watch the kids,” Rockman said. “How they decorate their cookies. Some are so methodical about how they decorate each cookie … and some just dump the sprinkles on top and smile big.”

When she’s not whipping up flour-y goodies for Paws Up guests, you’ll find Rockman cuddled up in a dogsled making a mess of the snow.

To join Rockman over Christmas this year, start by visiting go.pawsup.com/holiday­treats for more info.

In the meantime, enjoy her recipe for sugar cookies.

Amanda Rockman’s Holiday Sugar Cookies with Royal Icing

INGREDIENTS

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg

6 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon oat milk

2 teaspoons vanilla paste

2 eggs

 

ICING

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

Food coloring and gel as desired

DIRECTIONS

Cookies:

In a medium-size bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and nutmeg. Set aside.

Using an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter, sugar and sea salt until light and fluffy. Add oat milk and vanilla paste. Add eggs, one at time, and scrape bowl after each addition. Gradually spoon flour mixture in, beating on low speed until dough is smooth and well-blended.

Turn dough out on work surface. Cut dough in half and shape each portion into a compact disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for 4 hours up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 325F. Unwrap 1 dough disk and roll on lightly floured work surface to 1/4-inch thickness (lightly coat rolling pin with flour to prevent sticking). Cut into chosen shapes and place 2 inches apart on parchment-paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate cookies on baking sheets for 5 to 10 minutes to help them keep their shape when baked.

Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges are golden brown. Cool cookies completely on wire racks, about 20 minutes. Repeat process with remaining dough.

Icing:

In a medium bowl, combine sugar and liquid until smooth. Add more sugar or milk as needed for desired consistency For outline icing, you want a consistency that will keep its shape; for the flooding icing, you want looser so that it can fill in the shape. Apply gel food coloring and extract for flavor.