Lake Estate on Winnisquam ready for 1st holiday season

TILTON — The season’s holiday charm has come to life at The Lake Estate on Winnisquam, where staff have gone above and beyond to create a refined atmosphere of twinkling baubles, tinsel, and ribbons of red and gold for the Lakes Region resort’s first holiday season.

“We are preparing to bring out all the stops, beautifully decorated public spaces and a culinary experience like no other,” said Chef Chris Viaud, director of culinary arts at The Lake Estate.

In the Great Room, elegance drips from every corner, with garland decorating railings, doorways and windows. The room’s fireplace was flickering and alive on Friday as stockings hung above it, rounding out the picture-perfect cozy moment.

There are elegantly adorned Christmas trees throughout the resort. The spa features a blue and ivory-themed tree, while the Great Room offers a more muted display with snowy owls, whites and ivories, and green-wrapped presents underneath.

There’s a giant gingerbread house — a re-creation of The Lake Estate on Winnisquam itself. Created by Chef Emilee Viaud, it welcomes guests and curious passersby to come for a closer look at all its intricate details.

The majority of the holiday magic can be credited to Adele Maroun, the in-house florist, who decorated the entire luxury hotel in just two days' time with the help of her assistant.

Every mantle has a different aesthetic, every room has a different feel. Patti Rocco, general manager, likened Maroun to a Christmas elf working in Santa’s workshop. After all, Maroun started shopping in October, and all last month, her floral shop filled up with splashes of the holidays.

“We asked Adele to stay on budget, and stay within the DNA of The Lake Estate,” Rocco said on Friday during a tour for The Laconia Daily Sun. “It all works.”

There are six public areas decorated throughout the massive hotel, and while there’s a wedding this weekend, the Estate Ballroom will be ready to go just in time for the holidays.

Nearby in the kitchen, Viaud and his team are pairing seasonal and local ingredients to bring guests exclusive flavor fusions. In essence, he’s creating culinary magic for guests to experience just in time for the holidays.

We want "guests and the community to gather to enjoy an experience with good food, music and ambiance,” he said.

This month, visit The Lake Estate on Winnisquam for the holidays and experience a Christmas like none other. Viaud is offering two different three-course meals, all locally-sourced, of course, for a series of Farm to Table Holiday Dinners. The meals are exclusive, available for guests on two different occasions, Friday, Dec. 12, and Saturday, Dec. 20.

The menu is “really just having to do with what’s seasonal,” said Viaud, who admits this isn’t his first time hosting community events of this caliber. “Think fall flavors, like squash, kale, cranberries.”

Imagine perfectly plated dishes popping with orange and yellow hues from freshly harvested squash — pureed and roasted — painstakingly topped with seasonal herbs like thyme and candied sage. For dessert, dream of the rich taste of chocolate mousse complemented with tart fruits like pears and apples.

The menu for Dec. 12’s dinner starts with roasted delicata squash with smoked maple labneh, spiced pepitas and red watercress with sage oil. The second course includes a duo of pasture-raised, oven-roasted chicken breast and a smoked chicken thigh, paired with fondant potatoes, braised kale, pickled onions and spiced cranberry with pink peppercorn jus. The final course packs a punch: an olive oil sponge cake with poached pear, orange mascarpone mousse, almond oat crumble and salted caramel blood orange gel.

The Dec. 20 menu will feature completely different flavors. The first course kicks off with pan-seared scallops and parsnip puree, cranberry gastrique and crispy prosciutto. The second course includes buttermilk brined heritage breed pork loin, a melange of local beans, mirepoix and cornbread stuffing with pear butter and crispy shallots. For dessert, guests will be treated to a molasses cake with cranberry compote, spiced molasses pastry cream, cocoa lace cookie and roasted white chocolate pecan crunch.

Each dinner takes place from 6 to 9:30 p.m., where guests can enjoy an evening of warmth, flavor and community, along with visits from culinary experts explaining the notes of each dish.

“I think it’s the more intimate aspect of it. We have these high-level culinarians who will come out and present each course and how flavor profiles work,” Viaud said. “It truly provides a dining experience.”

Also upcoming at The Lake Estate are musical performances by the Gilford High School Choral Group on Tuesday, Dec. 9, and then on Friday, Dec. 19, Reckin Crew Ensemble, Gilford High School Adult Musicians and singers from Powerhouse Theatre Collaborative will perform between 3 and 6 p.m.

A Floral & Watercolor Workshop will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 9.

For more information on holiday events, visit thelakeestatenh.com/experiences/holidays.

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Katlyn Proctor can be reached at katlyn@laconiadailysun.com or by calling 603-524-0150.