Like a kid counting down the days until Christmas, 43-year-old Keith Wenger always looks forward to The Desmond Hotel’s annual Cigar Dinner.

Living and working more than an hour away from Malvern has not deterred the Lebanon County resident from circling the event on his calendar.

“One year, The Desmond had two Cigar Dinners, and I went to both,” said Wenger, an employee of the Lancaster Stone Company in Leola. “It’s a nice, social evening. You get to meet and network with a number of different people.”

Wenger will again be in attendance Thursday, as The Desmond hosts its 12th edition of the Cigar Dinner.

“It’s very much like an Esquire type of event, with our outdoor private area,” said Michael Chain, The Desmond’s general manager who grew up in the hotel industry. “It was my father’s idea. He (Michael Chain Sr.) had worked for John Desmond since graduating from Cornell in 1974.

“The event is from 6:30-9:00 PM, but people don’t want to leave. Most stay until 11:00.”

For $125 per person, the night includes a reception with an array of hors d’oeuvres, open bar, and three-course dinner with wine and cigars provided by Cigar Cigars.

Pre-registration is required.

“Our chef really goes out of his way to prepare something special, something unique that you wouldn’t get at a restaurant,” Chain said. “He’s knows exactly how many people will be there and exactly how much to make.”

This year’s menu includes:

• Appetizer: chilled hamachi salad with seared ahi tuna, sea scallops, and apple.
• Dinner: Colorado elk, wild swordfish, late summer corn, Yukon potato mousseline, chilled huckleberry-horseradish sauce, and sage-veal reduction.
• Dessert: upside-down pineapple tarte Tatin, caramel, coconut ice cream, and vanilla-crème fraiche.

“We’ll also have the (highly anticipated) NFL season opener (a Super Bowl rematch between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers) on our smart board,” said Chain. “Like always, it will be an awesome environment for the guests.”

It won’t be a surprise if Wenger is the first one through the door.

“Mike’s hospitality is unbelievable,” he said. “There really is nothing like it. It’s a quaint, intimate event that has come to have a lot of meaning for me. Every year, I try to bring someone new.

“One time I brought a chef from a small restaurant that I like to go to in Lancaster County. He was a sniper in the Marines, and I thought it would be my way of thanking him for his service. Mike brought him back and showed him his kitchen, and he loved it.”

Click here for more information on The Desmond Hotel’s Cigar Dinner or to make your reservation.