the most enchanting inns in the State of Vermont has the“Everyone asks where ‘Reluctant Panther’ comes from, and everyone has a different story,” says Peter Sharpe who, together with his partner Jeff Ferrar, owns the 20-room property in Manchester Village. to one version, the panther refers to the rarely seen catamount (a kind of mountain lion) who is indigenous to what makes  the panther reluctant? couple we had dinner with offered a story they’d heard about a dispute over the border of Vermont and New York during colonial times and the panther-like creature up in the mountains of Vermont who was reluctant to give up his home when the New York boundary was extended. The Reluctant Panther makes for  a site is memorable too. Until 1897, it was the locale of the historic Green Mountain Tavern where Ethan Allen and his Green Mountain Boys planned their campaigns against intrusive New Yorkers seeking land grants and afterwards the

British enemy during the American Revolution. until the 1960’s that the Reluctant Panther came on theAt that time, its owners, in keeping with the tenor of the times, painted the exterior a shade of dazzlingIf some locals looked askance at such an outrageous violation of New England tradition , the oddly colored inn made for a useful landmark especially for visitors needing directions around the quintessential New England village. a stylized figure of a purple panther set into the signpost outside what is now a pristine-white exterior along West Street and little panther icons serving as decorative designs on menus, stationery and such are the sole remaining referents to a when we came down for breakfast on a beautiful June morning, looked out the window to the garden behind the dining room, and saw clumps of irises beside a stream at the height of their “deep purple” bloom along with an abundance of lace-like lilacs in shades ranging from pale lavender to

blue-violet hanging from heavily leaved branches, the color purple – for the moment, at least -- was still very much a part of the Reluctant Panther experience. from the view -- a difficult task given the floral display, the spray of water shooting up from the center of a sizeable pond, a little white bridge crossing the stream, and a backdrop of the Green Mountains in the distance topped by imposing Mount Equinox --  we were enjoying a full American breakfast (a welcome rarity in this day of the standard breakfast buffet) served on delicate Villeroy and Boch china when Peter Sharpe joined us for coffee. second year at the Reluctant Panther  which he acquired in“There is a phenomenon that occurs in Vermont which we call the Bob Newhart syndrome,” he told us (an allusion to a popular television series that depicted the misadventures of a sophisticated New Yorker who takes over a New England inn), “where people from New York or Dallas or

any cosmopolitan area say ‘Let’s chuck the corporate life and open an inn in Vermont.’  They don’t realize it’s a whole different world from staying in great places to owners bought this property at the height of the market incomputer chair to avoid back pain 2005.  They had done well in the corporate life, and nowwhere to buy a portable massage chair wanted to run a country inn. sandra chair covers to buyThey looked all over beforecanvas deck chair seats settling on the Reluctant Panther which had a lot of charmwhere to buy gravity chairs

and character although it was hopelessly outdated. within 30 days of buying it, they had a stroke of extraordinary bad luck – the main building burned to theThey decided to go ahead and rebuild. they brought it back on line, it was late 2007,  just whenwrought iron chairs and table Peter paused, took atiffany blue chair covers for sale sip of coffee, then continued, “I’m the third generation ofused massage chair canada hoteliers in my family. bean bag chair ukWe had the Carlyle, the Stanhope, the Gotham and the Roger Williams in New York. grandmother had owned the Beverly Wilshire in L.A.  I live nearby, in Weston  and had been

looking all over Vermont for a country inn. “When I saw this place, I felt it could easily stake out the high ground inJeff came on board, and we worked it out with the previous owners.  As soon as we closed the deal, we began renovation, starting slowly by upgrading theIt was our intent to keep the historic ambience while adding all the improvements a contemporary property accommodations, their goal has been met. We slept in a room with antique cupboards standing against walls painted hunterA free-standing gas-fired fireplace, open on both sides and offering atmosphere as much as warmth, divided the sleeping from sitting areas. The king-sized bed was deep, outfitted with fine linens, piled high with luxuriant pillows and covered with a paisley spread that mixed autumnal shades of dark green, sienna, persimmon, and burntIn the sitting area comfortable chairs and ottomans upholstered in a soft fabric were the color of cinnamon.

up-to-date bathroom combined black marble surfaces with wood trim and pewter fixtures in a colonial design. ambience was 19th century, the comfort level was 21st . throughout the inn: beamed ceilings, art reflective of historic themes (we were fascinated by the collection of David Roberts drawings based on his 19th century trips to Egypt and Palestine that hung along a public hallway), motifs from the world of hunting, fly-fishing, and New England woodlands  all contributed to a sense of time andOn the other hand, the dining room was streamlined with sand-colored walls, simple high-back chairs of black leather, unadorned white table linens. “When we took over, the dining room was in trouble,” said Peter. improve the dining experience and, at the same time, reach out to the community. So we installed a price-fixe menu during the week which is more affordable and attracts localThen we introduced a raw bar – there’s nothing else

like it in Manchester. It’s set up on the patio (accessed through the dining room) and opens at 3 o’clock in thePeople come in, order a bottle of champagne to go with the oysters, and chances are 80% they’ll stay forThe patio’s floor is Danby marble, the seating is comfortable, the scenery beautiful. And should there be a chill in the air, we take out the fire pit.” our staying around for dinner, but apparently the restaurant has proved a lure. Focusing on locally grown products when in season and American cuisine, it offers such preparations as wild mushroom risotto that makes use of local trumpet mushrooms and black autumn truffles, cornmeal-dusted soft-shell crabs, roasted beets and house-made ricotta, dill-scented grilled salmon, and sesame crusted seared ahi tuna – all eminently appealing choices. “We don’t view the Reluctant Panther as a country inn, a bed and breakfast. Instead we see it as a small boutique luxury hotel,” Peter