The bar for our client's board June retreat was already set sky-high, simply by virtue of the mountaintop venue, Primland Resort in southwest Virginia. So if we were going to host it at a level worthy of the locale, we needed to really loft our ideas, expectations, and execution.
Turns out, that Blue Ridge resort was the perfect vessel for our ambitious vision.
Our twenty guests arrived to an evening that appeared intentionally themed relaxed, refined, and illuminated. We encouraged the group to take a minute... to take it in. But, really, the stunning, sprawling grounds of their retreat, cradled in a tree-lined, rolling range of mountain that seemed to go on forever needed more than a minute. So we lingered, basking in our exclusive access to this property, this view, this hospitality. Cocktails on the terrace moved unhurriedly to dinner inside the great lobby hall with its floor-to-ceiling windows. Even as each course was savored and glasses clinked, we never had to take our eyes off the landscape. Our first night's vibe was "get comfortable," but also, "remain in awe."
Night two was truly a singular encounter. At a nexus of good fortune and tenacity, we were able to arrange for our guests a true dining odyssey. To witness – and taste – the primitive splendor of open-fire cooking inspired by the method master Francis Mallman would have been delightful. But having the famed chef, author, and restauranteur on site for a rare private demonstration and personal meal prep was mind-blowing. Inside a domed "cage," whole roasts, pineapples, and cabbage heads dangled by twine over smoldering wood, flickering flames barely visible. Witnessing our guests engage with Chef Mallmann's team in a shared encounter they’ll never forget was gratifying beyond measure. How are we so lucky to do what we do? The extraordinary meal was served under sprawling white tents, native blooms softening the distressed dining tables. As dusk slowly curtained the Blue Ridge, guests hunkered into sumptuous leather seating to imbibe in spirits, cigars, and the soundbath of breeze-blown live music.
For our final evening, our guests were treated to dinner in Primland’s signature restaurant, elements, where the menu is dictated as much by the bounty of the season as by the brilliance of the chef. And when darkness drenched our mountaintop, we defied the night drawing to an end, allowing ourselves to get swept up in the revelry of dueling pianos. The Blue Ridge mountains may be known for bluegrass, but no genre seemed to escape the high-energy, rapid-fire play of the pianists.
Indeed, that's what you call ending an incredibly elevated experience on an even higher note.
