Kitchen & Dining
A shared table works best when everyone knows the rhythm of it. What follows are a few notes on how meals are kept at Lansdowne.
Remember: come hungry, enjoy the meal, clean your plate, and lend a hand when the meal is done. The work of feeding a full house belongs to many people, and every helping hand is valued.
Coming to The Ranch? Meal Planning & Dietary Requests
Local seats at the table?
The bell rings….
Meal Times
Two meals are served each day in the Kitchen Cabin:
Breakfast: 8:00–9:00 AM
Dinner: 6:30–7:55 PM
The kitchen assistant rings two bells for each meal. Breakfast bells ring at 7:30 AM and 8:00 AM. Dinner bells ring at 6:15 PM and 6:30 PM. Please try to arrive promptly so meals may be enjoyed together.
Meals are intended to be shared and enjoyed, though dining rooms should be cleared after roughly an hour. The kitchen staff begins work early in the morning, and timely clearing allows them to finish the day at a reasonable hour.
Leaving the Dining Room Well
At the end of each meal:
Please leave dining room surfaces clear when departing.
Scrape plates into the trash bin in the second dining room.
Place flatware, drinking glasses, wine glasses and plates in the grey bin.
Bring serving platters, bowls, plates, leftovers from the serving station and beverage area to small kitchen.
Placemats stay on the table
Guests & Meal Counts
Dining room seating is limited to 20 people (10 in each dining room).
When space allows, guests staying locally or in the New House may join meals with advance approval from the cook. Please confirm additional guests at least 48 hours in advance, both for planning and invoicing purposes.
Meal counts and attendance changes should also be finalized at least 48 hours before service, as last-minute changes are difficult for the kitchen to accommodate.
Unless otherwise arranged in advance, the cook assumes those staying at Lansdowne will be attending breakfast and dinner. Advance notice helps reduce food waste and allows meals to be planned thoughtfully.
Dietary needs should be discussed with the cook well ahead of arrival whenever possible.
A Few Kitchen Notes
Dining room dishes and serviceware (including Spode) should remain in the dining room. While meals are best enjoyed together at the table, paper plates and utensils are available for late arrivals when food must be saved.
Hosts are encouraged to meet briefly with the cook upon arrival to confirm plans and communicate any changes discussed in advance.
Sundays are a quiet day for the Kitchen Cabin and the building remains closed.
The dining room is a shared table rather than a restaurant, and works best when meals are approached with patience, flexibility, and consideration for one another.