Experience real life magic
When we now think of a luxury vacation, we think of Nemacolin. Reaching over 2000 acres in Farmington, PA, Nemacolin is a premier luxury resort like no other. The property offers over 300 guest rooms sprawling across numerous properties such as The Chateau, The Lodge, Townhomes, or the beautiful Falling Rock property. And during your stay, guests can partake in once-in-a-lifetime activities such as golfing in the Pete Dye-designed golf courses, indulging in award-winning spa and wellness services, look upon some of the best contemporary art in the world, experience both summer and winter outdoor activities, and even roam a wildlife exhibit on the property that features lions, tigers, bears, and wolves.
We had the opportunity of a lifetime to experience Nemacolin and all that it has to offer. We arrived at the Pittsburg airport on our first day and were greeted by a personal shuttle that partners with Nemacolin to transport guests to and from the resort. The shuttle took about an hour and a half and when we were roughly 5-10 minutes away, we could see the Nemacolin Chateau in the distance sitting atop the large hill. And when we reached the front entrance, the small Chateau we saw in the distance become a huge mansion-like estate. Taking inspiration from The Ritz in Paris, The Chateau is one of the main properties guests can stay in Nemacolin and has some of the nicest amenities you will ever see.
As soon as we walked in, we were impressed by the beauty of the main lobby. With huge chandeliers covering the ceiling to some of the most vibrant flower arrangements on the counters, we were nothing short of impressed.
We checked in to the Chateau King room and it exceeded our expectations. The pictures of the room we saw online did not do it justice. The room is a massive size with high ceilings and a beautiful chandelier overlooking the king sized bed. The bathroom was big as well and could easily fit you and another person with room to spare for morning and nighttime routines. And the whirlpool bathtub was one of our favorite amenities where you could add massaging jets to your bath which was the perfect thing to do after traveling for so long.
After we freshened up, we met our group at a restaurant within The Chateau called Rockwell’s. Rockwell’s features classic American dishes with a bit of French and Asian inspiration to them. Our group ordered all the starters for the table which included chilled shrimp cocktail, tenderloin carpaccio, iced seasonal oysters, steam pot clams, smoked trout rillette, and crispy Asian brussels sprouts. Out of all of them, we would say our favorites were the chilled shrimp cocktail, the smoked trout rillette, and the crispy Asian brussels sprouts. The size of the shrimp cocktail was massive and when you first bite into it you get a burst of juiciness that wraps your entire palette in the natural sweetness from the shrimp. The roasted tomato cocktail sauce adds a wonderful brightness to the dish that plays perfectly with the sweetness. Although a fairly simple dish, the quality of ingredients helped elevate it to a favorite of ours. The smoked trout rillette was another favorite too. If you’re unfamiliar with a rillette, it has a similar texture to a pate but prepared in the French style of a confit where the protein is slow cooked in it’s a fat for a few hours. And the smoked trout rillette had a beautiful creaminess to it texturally which made for a perfect spread on the crostini. After the first bite, the smokiness and sweetness from the trout keeps your palette engaged and wanting to come back each time. And the brussels sprouts were some of the best brussels sprouts we have had. The sprout had a wonderful char on the outer edges of the leaves while leaving the inside tender and not burnt. The teriyaki garlic sauce paired with the smoked bacon added bits of sweetness to the umami bomb brussels sprouts.
For our main we tried the 10 oz. filet mignon along with the pan-seared sea scallops. The filet was cooked a perfect medium rare and was extremely juicy and packed with flavor. Paired with a roasted garlic head to add to each bite added a wonderful nuttiness to the steak too. The pan-seared scallops were tender and perfectly cooked. Each scallop had a wonderful sear on the top and wasn’t burnt which added a great texture to the dish as well. The natural sweetness of the scallop was preserved and accentuated especially if you adds some fresh lemon juice that you can squeeze on top.
And for dessert we absolutely loved the pear frangitart made with an almond frangipan center, poached pear, a sugar dough crust, peach cream, candied almonds, and an apricot glaze. The dough was the first thing that was a standout with how crumbly it was while still being moist. The dessert was not overly sweet which was perfect for us because we have found overly sweet desserts to completely overwhelm your palette after one bite. The almonds had a wonderful nuttiness that played perfectly with the poached pear and apricot glaze too. It was a dessert we would order again and again given the opportunity.
After dinner we had a wonderful nightcap right outside Rockwell’s at The Lodge Firepit. There is a sitting section with a huge firepit where guests can take a drink and sit around the fire enjoying the cool fresh air. And if you live in a big city, the firepit is the perfect place to go to at night and look up at some of the stars. After a drink and a lot of laughs with other Nemacolin guests, we retired to our room to wrap up Nemacolin Day 1.
