Sigal Rocklin

“The Panther is the perfect fit for me because the owners support my values of sustainability, creating community, and working closely with farmers.” –Sigal Rocklin

Sigal Rocklin was born and raised in Israel, in a small town that bordered Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea. Inspired by her dad who loved to cook and a love of fresh produce, Sigal chose to work on several farms while in high school. At one point, she was even growing banana trees. “I’ve always loved to see the full circle, from seed to plate.” Her dad’s joy in the kitchen infused Sigal and her sister. “During school vacations, we would open a cookbook, find recipes, and just make them.” Some were successful, some weren’t. But between working on farms and cooking with her dad, Sigal’s culinary foundation was laid.

After completing her mandatory military service in the Navy, the 21-year-old Sigal traveled to the United States in 2003. She spent the first few months as a dishwasher and then prep cook at an Arizona tourist lodge owned by a relative, and then worked at a bakery in a Colorado ski resort town. Those experiences led Sigal to enroll in the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, where she met the man whom she would marry. “I had planned to return to Israel after NECI, but meeting Michael changed all that.” Sigal signed on with the Four Seasons, which sent her to beautiful properties across the United States including Wyoming, Philadelphia, Houston, and Hawaii. “It was ideal for us because we love to travel, and I got to experience many different cuisines.”

Sigal and Michael married in 2009, not once, but three times! “We got married in April in a courthouse to make it legal; we had a formal wedding in May with my family in Israel; and then in September, we were married at the Wyoming resort wearing our chef coats. The executive chef performed the ceremony, and we cooked the meal ourselves with all our chef friends.” For their honeymoon, the couple toured the wine country from California to Washington State. “We didn’t have money so we camped and drank wine!”

When they decided to settle down, Sigal and Michael returned to Vermont in 2014 for its community feel and strong values. Sigal served as sous chef at The Equinox Hotel in Manchester, and then landed what has become her dream job: executive chef at The Reluctant Panther Inn and Restaurant, a premier, small luxury hotel also in Manchester Village. “The Panther is the perfect fit for me because the owners support my values of sustainability, creating community, and working closely with farmers.” Those local producers include Mighty Food Farm, Yoder Farm, Clear Brook Farm, cultivated mushrooms from Slipstream Farm, microgreens and specialty produce from Bromley Farm, and handmade ice cream from The Chocolate Barn.

“Working at The Reluctant Panther allows me to maintain a worklife balance,” Sigal reflects. “Having the time to enjoy my hobbies and a life beyond the restaurant makes me a better chef because I’m healthier and re-energized when I come back into the kitchen.”

The Reluctant Panther‘s inviting dining room where guests are pampered by Chef Sigal Rocklin‘s farm-inspired dishes.

“We create community through the relationships we build—with staff, guests, and farmers. I support them, they support me. During the pandemic, the local people kept us open and carried us through. That allowed me to continue to purchase from local farmers. Because I had worked on farms, I understand the hard work that goes into growing beautiful produce, or turning rich milk into amazing cheese. And I’m so lucky to have local foragers who bring ramp leaves, fiddleheads, morels, chanterelles, and hen of the wood mushrooms to our kitchen.”

Sigal creates magic with these earthly gifts—light, tantalizing dishes that sing of spring. “Let’s celebrate when we have it!” she says, eyes sparkling. Homemade linguini with chilled pea puree, mushrooms, fiddleheads, and ramp pesto. Goat cheese tart with spinach salad, burnt local honey, pistachios, and lemon poppy vinaigrette. Pea risotto stuffed in foraged morels served with white asparagus puree and fava microgreens. Israeli falafel accompanied by beet hummus, chickpeas, pickled fennel, radish, and a ramp emulsion. A grilled Vermont pork chop with polenta croutons, arugula salad, grilled shishito peppers, rhubarb compote, bacon vinaigrette.

The other key to success is the team she has assembled, composed primarily of women. “There’s a lot of communication, and we always bounce ideas off each other. Some of my favorite dishes come from this collaboration. And we all work together, without a hierarchy. Sometimes I work stations, sometimes I expedite. After service finishes, we all clean the kitchen together. We don’t leave the dishwasher to finish by herself; we work as a group until the jobs are done. I count on these people; they’re my family. If one of us struggles, we all struggle.”

“Working at The Reluctant Panther allows me to maintain a work-life balance,” Sigal reflects. “Having the time to enjoy my hobbies and a life beyond the restaurant makes me a better chef