The Putney Inn, Putney

We had a large family dinner here on Easter Sunday, and was very disappointed. For one of the busiest days of the year it was obviously understaffed. We had to go to the bar for beverage orders, it took forever to take food orders, and when it finally came it was cold and incomplete. My lamb (at $28) was supposed to come with a mint sauce, and when I asked the bus girl she didn't seem to know what to do about it. I asked the waitress and she just gave me a flat "no" and didn't even go to the kitchen to check. She did, however, refill our partially comsumed wine glasses with two different types of wine, at least they were both reds... I don't know where the "nationally acclaimed cuisine" description comes from. The Imperial Management serenely viewed the chaos in the dining room, but did not think of rolling up their sleeves to bus or wait tables, they seemed to just let the overworked waitressess and bus persons flounder on. The manager took my name and address and promised to get back to us - still waiting to hear from them. I think she just wanted us out the door. Burger King is a much better value for the money.

The room was clean and comfortable and very well maintained each day of our one week stay. I chose the The Putney Inn because it looked very nice and they accommodate guests with dogs. The air conditioning unit didn't work very well and we were experiencing symptoms of allergies. This was unpleasant due to the summer heat. A look inside the unit reveals thick dust and it was clear that this A/C unit hadn't been cleaned in quite sometime. The restaurant menu contained many offerings, but not all were well prepared. The brook trout looked appealing, and was ordered, but the menu didn't indicate that it was deep fried. On another evening, the ham dinner was sent back because the ham was past it's use by date. It tasted like it was just beginning to spoil. The chef apparently told our waitress that it was fine but they would take it off our bill. It was not fine. We don't normally send back meals. The salad bar greens were a bit wilted. A bowl of fresh melon contained watermelon that was past it's prime. It was mushy and starting to ferment. A glazed pork chop was tasty on the outside, but lacked an marinade or seasoning past the glaze. The chocolate layer cake was really good, but the chocolate pyramid was served with mold on top and in the dessert. The country breakfast scrambled eggs were some of the best prepared ever. They were perfectly cooked and fluffy. Pancakes were inconsistent. One day they were excellent, another day over-cooked and burned on the edges. The inn serves their special pumpkin bread at breakfast and at dinner. It is very good, but it would be nice to have the option of regular toast with the free country breakfast that is served to overnight guests. A new chef who understands when to throw out older food and who can maintain consistent food quality would be an improvement. It did not speak well for the palate of the chef that he was unable to taste or acknowledge that the country ham was beginning to spoil. The housekeeping and wait staff in the restaurant of the motel/inn were exceptionally nice. A reservation made by an employee who was no longer working there when we arrived, was arranged at a discounted rate. Despite numerous conversations about how this rate would be honored even though this employee was no longer there, were forgotten on a regular basis and our bill was calculated at a much higher rate than what was agreed. The former employee checked with the owner before offering the quoted rate. The fact that I was the only one with an email record of this commitment was surprising. The fact that is had to be discussed several times was iritating. My last comment, a little disgusting, is that the trash can where one places the plastic bags used to clean up after your pet, was not emptied for the whole week. That was nasty. I guess that is job no one wants to do. Can't say that I blame them.

The food was excellent. We stayed one night and had a very nice breakfast. We arrived lunchtime the day before and lunch was so good, we had dinner there, too. I was disappointed in the 50s or 60s style double decker motel behind the restaurant when I saw it. But the room was decorated very nicely, was very clean and very large and comfortable to sit and unpack and move around. Unfortunately, the mattresses were hard as rocks and I had to fold up my bedspread under my pillows and get the 3rd pillow from the closet to raise my head as much as 1-2 pillows at home. I woke up with a backache. This one thing would keep me from staying there again.

We only stayed 2 nights but had the best time. The rooms were spacious, nicely decorated, immaculate and had comfortable beds. The atmosphere was happy and friendly in a quaint setting. The food was excellent, best free breakfast and they even gave us recipes. Conveniently located, will definitely stay there again.