Come for the chef series, stay for all the amenities the Abbey has to offer

Posted October 17, 2009 11:00 pm

By Samantha Nelson Daily Herald Correspondent

The Abbey Resort & Spa will host the third-annual "Great Chefs at the Lake" weekend series featuring distinguished chefs, four-course dinners and kitchen tips and tricks from the pros over three weekends.

The greatest strength of The Abbey Resort & Spa may be its location.

Situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, the spot is surrounded by trees showing off their autumn colors and farms welcoming visitors to pick apples and pumpkins, but close enough to Chicago to draw on the city's culinary and musical talents.

Add in a pampering spa and plenty of activities to keep kids busy and you have the recipe for an ideal fall getaway.

This fall, The Abbey hosts its third annual Great Chefs of the Lake series, a $219 per person package designed for vacationers with a passion for food.

"We look for an experience for the guests," said director of operations Michael Lucero.

Chefs from Chicago come up each week during the three-week series to prepare a special four-course dinner, perform a cooking demonstration, answer questions, and mingle with guests at a wine and appetizer tasting. This year features cibo matto's executive chef Todd Stein from Oct. 23-25, chef Dudley Nieto of Eivissa from Nov. 6-8 and Coobah's Jimmy Madla from Nov. 13-15. While the resort's normal menu is American, these chefs provide tastes of Italy, Spain and South America.

In addition to bringing in guest chefs, The Abbey hosts musicians from Wisconsin and the Chicago area every Tuesday through Saturday at The Waterfront. The casual restaurant and bar emphasizes its barbecue menu, using sauces designed by competitive barbecue chef Matt Whiteford and meats prepared in an outdoor smoker. If you're not up for a big plate of ribs or barbecued chicken, try the pulled pork sandwich, which is served with thick cut seasoned fries and a choice of four sauces. If you love the sauce, you can pick up a bottle from the resort gift shop, which sells gourmet snacks along with any basics you might have forgotten at home.

There's plenty to do between meals. Vacationing during fall means you can hope for nice days but should plan for rain.

Activity centers offer entertainment for kids of all ages, ranging from coloring and puzzles to "Guitar Hero" and Nintendo Wii games. A hall is set up with board games that guests can sit down and play and you can splash around all day in the pool and occasionally catch a movie while floating in the waters at night.

The highlight of The Abbey may be the Avani Spa, which was completed in 2008. The serene space even lures in people who aren't getting a service, with a price of $25, letting guests work up a sweat with exercise classes or spend the day lounging in the pool, hot tub and sauna.

Refresh yourself with apples, cucumber infused-water, tea and hot chocolate, all of which is included in the price. If you spring for a service, you'll get your money's worth. For example, the 50-minute $120 facial includes an arm, back and leg massage, while the creams and masks cleanse your skin. Just make sure to book ahead of time as popular services can fill up when The Abbey hosts big groups for weddings and conventions.

When the weather is nice enough to explore, staff members are happy to provide advice on where to go.

"We like to have a good number of things going on here but at the same time embrace the community around here," said director of activities Sue Thune.

If you want to see some fall colors, take a walk along the paths surrounding Lake Geneva. The 21-mile trail is segmented into more manageable sections that lead walkers past the homes and docks lining the lake, providing some spectacular panoramas of the trees across the water.

For a taste of fall flavors, head to Apple Barn Orchard and Winery (W6384 Sugar Creek Road, Elkhorn). You can pick a bag full of fresh apples from the orchard for $12 and choose your own pumpkin from their pumpkin patch while keeping warm with 50-cent cups of their delicious hot cider.

It's hard to resist the alluring smell of their doughnuts, and they also sell a variety of fruit wines ranging from spicy pumpkin to sweet raspberry and refreshing honey crisp apple.

Chef Dudley Nieto of Eivissa will talk about food and cooking techniques with a tropical island flair and flavor during the chef series Nov. 6-8.

The Abbey Resort & Spa will host the third-annual "Great Chefs at the Lake" weekend series featuring distinguished chefs, four-course dinners, and kitchen tips and tricks from the pros over three weekends.

Executive chef Todd Stein of cibo matto and ROOF at the Wit Hotel in Chicago will kick off the "Great Chefs at the Lake" series in Lake Geneva.

If you go What: The Abbey Resort & Spa Where: 269 Fontana Blvd., Fontana, Wis. Details: (262) 275-9000 or <a href="http://theabbeyresort.com" target="new">theabbeyresort.com</a>

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