Epicurean Series Ode to Spring featuring Poet Laureate Ed Lent, Madison, CT

Join us for an exclusive, curated five course dinner menu prepared by our culinary team under the direction of Executive Chef Peter Hamil with wine pairings selected by sommelier Tanya Raisz.

Special guest Town of Madison Poet Laureate Ed Lent will share readings inspired by the five course dinner menu.

I am incredibly excited to be partnering up with the Madison Beach Hotel because it’s truly a unique gem for any town to have.

There is a wonderful energy from the moment you arrive to the glow of a great experience after you leave that’s unique.

Edward Alan Lent

Event begins promptly at 7 p.m. | Attire: Jackets
This ticketed and exclusive event has limited seating.

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Menu

Welcome Reception includes a selection of passed hors d'oeuvres and reception displays.

Features include:

Glazed short rib on crispy potato rosti, horseradish cream, fine herbs

Shrimp leche de tigre, red gem falafel, quick pickled mushrooms

Dinner Menu

Wine pairings included with each dinner course.

FIRST COURSE

Iced Lobster

Tomatillo salsa verdi, smoked pimento coulis, vegetable relish, kalounji onion seed, shoestring leek crisp

SECOND COURSE

Seasoned Red Snapper paired with mint-lime infused melon, passion fruit.

Sunflower, radish and coriander micros with confit tomato dressing.

THIRD COURSE

Petite Tender of Beef, rhubarb chutney

Savory souffle with sea salt herbed butter, spring vegetable terrine, ramp chimichurri, beet demi

DESSERT

Lemon Mousse, gingersnap cookie, rosemary gel

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While we do our best to accommodate all requests, Dietary Restrictions may not be able to be accommodated due to specially paired and designed menus. Please reach out directly by email with any specific questions. Jpfeiffer@DHGHotels.com

PRICING:

Reception and Dinner : $150.00 inclusive per person, includes all food and beverage, gratuity and sales tax.

SEATING: Upon check out, please indicate your seating preferences and let us know if you are attending with a group, but purchasing tickets separately. We will do our best to accommodate all seating preferences. Seating is banquet-style accommodating 6 - 10 guests per table.

Ticket Pricing DOES NOT includes EventBrite Processing Fees .

ABOUT CHEF PETER HAMIL

Peter Hamil, Executive Chef at Madison Beach Hotel, Curio Collection by Hilton is a culinary maestro with more than two decades of distinguished experience in the hospitality industry.

Located on Connecticut’s captivating Long Island Sound shoreline, Madison Beach Hotel is a AAA Four Diamond Award-winning boutique resort renowned for its exceptional setting, hospitality, legacy and cuisine, and Chef Hamil is the creative force behind its celebrated dining experiences.

Chef Hamil trained at The Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in St. Helena, California, and his passion for cooking and commitment to excellence quickly propelled him into the limelight. Throughout his career, he has garnered numerous accolades, including cooking for the prestigious Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs at Sandals Royal Plantation. His exceptional talent was further recognized when he won the Master Chef Award at the Jamaica Observer Food Table Talk Awards, and his innovative approach and dedication to his craft also earned him a place in Food & Wine Magazine, where he was featured for his remarkable contributions to the culinary arts.

Chef Hamil orchestrates the entire culinary program at Madison Beach Hotel, shaping the dining experiences that define the resort. His role encompasses everything from curating the menu for the acclaimed restaurant to crafting bespoke culinary experiences for special events, weddings, and private dining. Chef Hamil’s culinary approach emphasizes a celebration of New England seafood and continental classics; each dish infused with a modern twist that highlights his creative prowess.

A staunch advocate of farm-to-table and local sourcing principles, Chef Hamil ensures that The Wharf’s menu reflects the seasonality of fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. His approach not only supports regional agriculture but also delivers a dynamic and ever-evolving dining experience for guests. Each dish at The Wharf is a testament to Chef Hamil’s dedication to culinary innovation and his commitment to delivering exceptional flavors that captivate and delight.

Under Chef Hamil’s stewardship, The Wharf Restaurant and at Madison Beach Hotel have become a beacon of gastronomic excellence, earning an enviable reputation for its inventive cuisine and exceptional dining experience. His leadership elevates the resort’s culinary offerings, making it a destination for discerning diners seeking a taste of New England’s finest.

ABOUT ARTIST AND POET LAUREATE ED LENT

I am an artist and a poet (currently serving as the First Poet Laureate of Madison, Connecticut). Often these creative responses from paint and words are so close for me, that they become linked. There is the poetry of art, the art of poetry, like twins, each the same while each with unique individualism of course. The Spanish artist Joan Miro is quoted as saying, “I try to apply colors like words that shape poems, like notes that shape music”.

As an artist and poet -and someone who enjoys good food- what I think Miro forgot - “ Like a chef prepares food, creates flavor combinations and arranges it so it’s a feast for our eyes before we even take a bite”.

My previous career was in the dinnerware industry. The design, manufacturing and merchandising presentation of china and crystal. It was in our hotel and restaurant division, that I was often called upon to work with chefs in closing plates to present their menus upon.The plate was only the stage to their culinary creativity and expertise. The representation, combination, education and presentation of their food is an art, a visual poetry that everyone can appreciate.

So, when I paint, I can’t help but sense the symbolism of colors, the psychological references of colors and shapes, the play of shapes, the attraction or curiosity created by shape, form or texture. Like poetry, I am arranging colors like words, telling a story so the viewer in a sense is actually reading a story visually.

I’ve been a poet since retiring about 15 years ago and in 2024 became the Poet Laureate of Madison, Connecticut, which I am highly honored by. I created and lead the Ekphrastic Poetry Trust of CT, and often put together custom classes or workshops, working with after school Middle and High School writing programs for teaching Ekphrastic Poetry. I have been very fortunate to do this for the American Mural Project, the Adams Middle School, the Morgan School and the Guilford Art League at the Guilford Art Center. ( see events 2024 for more detail from index, top right, on this web page. I could easily tie poetry to art or art to poetry during a show exhibition, as well as do a lecture on my art or art appreciation if so desired.

Learn More about Ed Lent

Make it an Overnight!

Overnight accommodations are available at the award winning Madison Beach Hotel. Arrive early, stay for the weekend.

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