By Rosemary T. Sage, PillartoPost.org's outdoor dining writer--There are retreats where one is expected to survive three days on cucumber water, inspirational quotations and the uneasy suspicion that everyone else has already achieved inner peace. Wild Rice Retreat, outside Bayfield, Wisconsin, appears to be something far more civilized: a handsome woodland refuge where contemplation is encouraged, supper is taken seriously and nobody confiscates the butter—although the kitchen may persuade you that roasted vegetables, properly handled, can be every bit as satisfying.
And now, thank heaven, to the food.
The onsite kitchen, called Root, follows what the retreat describes as a holistic, Ayurvedic-inspired approach. That phrase may frighten the diner who believes “wellness cuisine” means a radish balanced upon a teaspoon of lentils. But the emphasis here is on real ingredients—fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices—prepared to nourish rather than punish. Resort stays currently include a light breakfast, brunch and dinner, so one is not required to attain enlightenment on an empty stomach.
Earlier reported menus have included crisp sunchokes with black-garlic aioli, nettle-and-cashew agnolotti with wood-roasted mushrooms, and rice pudding with blackberries, coconut and maple syrup. That is not penitential cooking. That is a kitchen paying attention. The cooking is predominantly plant-forward, but it appears to understand the essential culinary principle that healthfulness is no excuse for timidity. Food must have flavor, contrast, texture and enough generosity to make the diner glad to be alive.
Between meals, Wild Rice offers yoga, meditation, movement classes, creative workshops and guided retreats. Guests may follow the program faithfully or construct their own day. The wisest course may be to attempt one class, congratulate oneself extravagantly and then retire to the sauna. The Sanctuary includes a sauna, rain-room experience, firepit and meditation space; massage and other private wellness sessions are also available.
The retreat’s great strength is that it does not appear to insist upon improvement. It provides the conditions—quiet, woods, movement, thoughtful cooking—and allows the guest to decide what to do with them. You may practice yoga at sunrise. You may write. You may hike the Brownstone Trail toward Bayfield. Or you may sit in a robe with a cup of coffee and watch Lake Superior conduct its ancient business.
There are cautions.
Some RicePods are genuinely small, and at least one guest reported expecting greater space and privacy. Another found the cabins insufficiently screened from one another and a class space somewhat crowded. Anyone requiring a ballroom-sized bedroom, complete seclusion or an evening with cable news should examine the lodging categories carefully before booking.
Wild Rice Retreat will not suit the traveler who judges a vacation by the number of attractions conquered before lunch. It is for the person who has become tired without quite noticing it—the writer whose sentences have grown stale, the cook who has forgotten the pleasure of a proper carrot, the couple who would like to hear each other without a television commenting from the corner.
The verdict?
Wild Rice Retreat appears to accomplish something rare: it offers luxury without gaudiness, wellness without scolding and vegetable-centered cooking without making dinner feel like a medical appointment. Go prepared to breathe deeply, eat splendidly and relinquish the remote control. And should someone place before you a plate of wood-roasted mushrooms and cashew agnolotti, do not ask whether it is good for you. Take a bite. You will have your answer.
WILD RICE RETREAT PHOTO GALLERY
