WE'RE CELEBRATING VALENTINE'S DAY WITH ROMANCE AND HISTORY

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, we're so excited to announce that we will be OPEN, even though it's a Monday--and traditionally, this is the one day we give to ourselves as a day to recuperate, rest, and refresh to return on Tuesday with our spirits renewed.  But not next Monday.  We've had so many inquiries about whether we're open, and requests to please open the doors to this historic old lady of a building that has so much meaning to so many--from first dates, to high school graduation celebrations, to wedding proposals--that we couldn't say no.  We'll be open from 4 p.m. - 10 p.m. and welcome you to share this special day with your loved one at The National Hotel, enjoying a specially designed romantic Valentine's Day menu that is sure to please both of you.  Do call us to make a reservation at 908.996.3200, or contact us via email.  Here's a little sampling of what we have in store for our guests:

GREENS

WARM BING CHERRY SALAD

Warm Bing cherry, cipollini onions, goat cheese croutons all tossed in spinach and mustard vinaigrette $10

ROSE PETAL SALAD

Dried Beet chips, blood orange segments, pomegranate seeds and shaved red onion tossed with arugula leaves and blood orange thyme vinaigrette $12

MEDLEY BOBO LINK ARTISAN CHEESE

Assorted local artisanal cheese with a sweet cognac soaked apricots, pistachio honey and homemade crackers and bread $12

SMALL PLATES

OYSTERS

Market Fresh oysters – ask your server for our selection

RABBIT STEW

Sweet braised rabbit, granny smith apples, sausage, all served under puffed pastry $12

LOBSTER

½ Butter poached Maine lobster, over brandy braised leeks, and topped with a crispy pommes maxim $15

CEVICHE

Diced jail island salmon, marinated in grape fruit, jalapeno and fresh coriander $10

And our entrees (a.k.a Plates) will not disappoint, from Filet Mignon, to Scallops over creamy shrimp risotto, drizzled with a spinach Pernot sauce to marinated, grilled and stuffed eggplant rolled with macadamia nut cheese and wilted spinach over roasted tomato and pepper sauce, to braised Turbot fish with white wine and fennel over gorgonzola polenta and sauteéd watercress with fried capers...you will find that there is something for everyone.  I haven't even talked about the specialty drink of the day...or desserts for that matter!!!  Do come by and experience this special menu that our executive chef, Lisa Frederick, has put together for all those out there who want to have a special Valentine's Day with a loved one over a delicious meal that excites the senses and sets the mood and tone for Valentine's Day.  It's sure to be a meal that will create memories you'll recall for years to come.  

But if you're looking for an entire weekend celebration, we can deliver a fabulous getaway that will be unforgettable.  From a spa session to chocolates and champagne in your room, you just can't beat a full weekend experience.  Click here for more information or call our General Manager, Marlon Aranha, at 908.996.3200 to discuss your specific needs.

This is sure to make you forget the amount of ice and snow that is still on the ground.  We've really been hammered up here in the northeast, especially with the last ice/sleet storm.  Not to complain or whine, but boy have we gotten our fair share!  Those of us living in or near Frenchtown have been dealing with school closings that have also affected our days at work these last few weeks--and future vacation plans as well.  But moving past that, the fact is most of our kids have had a blast playing outside!

And inside, we've had so many events at The National Hotel, from the Frenchtown Lions Club Casino Night at the end of January, to our weekly Open Mic Night sessions, to our beloved Wednesday By the Fireplace singer/songwriter series, to even celebrating Chuck Schaeffer's birthday as he performed during our last Sunday Musical Afternoon series.  Do you know what he wanted??  Ice cream cake!  Oh yeah.  We made sure to get it for him.

From all these events to the hear and now, post-Super Bowl Sunday life.  You have no idea how pleased Pete and I were to hear from a patron that she loves coming to The National Hotel because she "can feel the genuine warmth that the staff extends to her when she walks through the door."  She further shared that we have given her "a familiar place to just relax and unwind after a long work day, knowing that you're open late and always have music, trivia, or something else that allows me to sit back and enjoy."  Now if I'd been a little quicker, I would have asked her if it was OK to share her name along with her feedback...next time.

But one person who did share her name with me, and who surprised us with an exceptional and exquisite gift, is Melissa Maier, from Euphoria Studio.  Melissa used our home away from home, The National Hotel, as the venue for photographing models highlighting some of the romantic styles that Euphoria Studio specializes in creating for their customers.  She had these photos bound in the most beautiful book that she presented to us as a holiday gift.  Thank you, Melissa!

   

Wait...and if those photos aren't enough to get the blood rushing, how about the article in this month's 54 Magazine?  This is a magazine that truly captures the essence of the arts and culture in our area.  We are just floored by the review.

I cannot tell you how pleased we are that we are being "found" by editors and writers from different publications who are truly thrilled that The National Hotel is bringing to the community a menu that is full of new flavors, ethnic seasonings, multi-cultural offerings, and surprises in our Additions to the Menu (every Thursday to Sunday), intertwined with our traditional American fare.  We are so happy to hear from those "in the know," that we are doing "it right."  THANK YOU!

Help us to put Frenchtown on "the map," so that The New York Times readers and nytimes.com visitors can come to our town.  It's a win-win for everyone.  Please visit  http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/travel/2011-places-to-go.html?ref=travel#/1265/.  The registration is as simple as adding your name and email address. 

I know that Pete and I have only been the proprietors of The National Hotel for a year and a half, but I can only continue to say thank you to each and every single one of you who have stopped by, talked to us, shared a drink, had a meal, stayed overnight, or enjoyed one of our programs.  We get up every morning with absolute enthusiasm thinking about what the day will hold in store for us.  There have been challenges along the way, but not a single one that we would take back.  Every difficulty we've faced has been rewarded with extraordinary measures of kindness and support by the community...by you.  We cannot imagine doing anything else.  The National Hotel is a treasure, and we absolutely love being in Frenchtown!

CASINO NIGHT, MUSIC, POETRY, LOOKING FORWARD

We are honored to have been chosen by the Frenchtown Lion's Club as the venue for their 75th anniversary celebration!  They do so much for the children in our area, that we're thrilled to be gearing up for next Saturday night's Frenchtown Lion's Club Casino Night fundraiser, 7 - 11 p.m. ... it's going to be FUN, FUN, FUN.  We hope you'll join us too, and support this wonderful organization that strives day in and day out to raise money for projects that impact the lives of children and their families, right here, in our community.  Last year they helped 170 children in Hunterdon County.  And you have to see just what they have planned to make sure the winter blues disappear next Saturday night!

Alright, how do you get involved?  Contact Pete directly (908.996.3200) or contact Sally/Andy at 908.996.7900 or via email.  The tickets are just $95/couple or $50/person and include a specially designed menu by The National Hotel and 1 beverage.  You'll get $75 in Casino Money to be used for Casino PRIZES at the end of the evening.  What's not to love about this special night to close out this bitterly cold January month?!  Do come out and support our local institutions and let them know how much you appreciate the humanitarian work they've done for the past 75 years.

  

  

And January isn't over yet.  There's still over a week left to enjoy the snow, the ice storms, the incredibly cold temperatures we've had--and for those of us with children, the school closings and delayed openings.  But yesterday as we brought in the firewood into The National Hotel's cellar pub, The Rat, I realized what a great month it's been already.  It might be 8 degrees Fahrenheit outside, but inside, next to that beautiful wood-burning fireplace, with a drink in hand and listening to the melodic sounds of Teri Rambo and Jesse Ketchel last night...there's just no better way to spend a January evening.

And just wait until next week, when we have Beannacht on Saturday evening, and then Chuck Schaeffer brings the house to their feet on Sunday the 30th.  He's actually going to celebrate his 40th birthday with us that Sunday.  He's one of our faves and has never disappointed, sharing his unique sounds featuring contemporary music, rockabilly, americana, and folk music.  Oh yes, foot-stomping, get-off-your-seat-and-dance kind of music.

Photo courtesy of Lois Heyman

It's truly been quite a month!  We were featured in Lois Heyman's Food Blog (The Food Chain), as well as her food column in The Courier News and MyCentralJersey.com.  Thank you, Lois, for the detail with which you covered our executive chef's accomplishments.  Lisa Frederick has been with The National Hotel since we opened, but some months ago, she became our executive chef and has been instrumental in incorporating many of the ethnic and exotic flavors and ingredients into our new menu.  Lois' coverage of Lisa's new status and ability to translate our vision for meals that consistently exceed expectations, providing visually stimulating dishes that tickle all the other senses, while still creating classic all-American favorites, summed it all up.  Kudos to Lisa and her staff!

More kudos to give out:  our local musicians and artists, who come week after week to inspire us, to entertain us, and to make sure we all get out of our homes and escape that dreaded winter "cabin fever."  They bring their favorite songs, and they bring the songs they've composed that they want to share with us and our friends.  I don't think that 2011 could have started off better than to know that we already had a line-up of musicians willing to commit to come to Frenchtown, NJ, regardless of the weather, right from the beginning of the New Year.  And equally important, are you, our friends, our patrons, who also come out, whether it be on Wednesday evenings for our By the Fireplace singer/songwriter series, our Thursday Open Mic Night (actually, Alex Wolfson renamed that:  The Frenchtown Underground!!), our Saturday Night Live Music series, or for our Sunday Musical Afternoon series.  Check out some past performers:





And let's not forget about our monthly poetry open mic, the People's Poetry, on the 3rd Sunday of every month from 2 - 4 p.m. in our Rathskeller Pub Lounge.  We were disappointed to have had to cancel December's installment due to our broken boiler situation, but we're off to a great start having had many of our good friends take the mike last Sunday, the 16th.  Here are some webclips from previous months--and there are others posted on our youtube channel:





For more up-to-date information, like us on facebook, follow us on Twitter, subscribe to our youtube channel, follow this blog, or visit our website.  Thank you for making us feel so welcome.  Pete and I truly feel like you've embraced us, like you've wrapped your arms around us and are holding on tight.  And so will we. Let us know if there's anything else that you'd like us to do, to add to our programming, or just send us your contact information (either by posting a comment below or sending it to marie@thenationalhotelnj.com) so we can add you to our e-distribution list for upcoming events and information.  Thank you again, and best wishes for a healthy, happy, and prosperous 2011!

SEPTEMBER INDIAN MENU & RECAP OF AUGUST

These last few weeks have been incredibly fulfilling, because so many of our efforts came to fruition. You are not going to believe the great weekend of Indian culinary fare we are planning for September 24th, 25th and 26th! Ron Rittenhouse, our executive chef, is busy putting the final touches on a special Indian dinner that is sure to delight the senses and bring a special touch to our ethnic and cultural heritage, to Frenchtown. Hey, it was just the Independence Day of India (August 15th)...it inspired us to plan a special menu to celebrate this special country's culinary fare that is embraced by countries throughout the world--so why not Frenchtown??? After all, Pete is an Indian-born US citizen, so why not incorporate that into the fabric of our great and historic establishment, that has honored and hosted so many previous owners' passions. We've played with some of the traditional spices from India and incorporated them into our menu choices, much as we have done with our traditional Chilean spices and those from Spain, in honor of my own heritage. But since India's Independence Day just passed, why not delve deeper and beyond the simple spices...why not actually offer our patrons a taste of India? We can do it!!!

We'll just extend the August Indian Independence Day celebration into September...and keep enjoying our traditions--the old and the new--while we have fun delivering the best service , best food and best drinks we possibly can. This picture of Kasey Goyette, our lead bartender, and one of our dear and loyal patrons, "Stoney," says it all, as they enjoy the music on a recent Sunday and create a dance floor right there in our Bar! Now that's having fun!!!

And this just piggy-backs so many other things that have recently happened. From hosting fantastic and entertaining Sunday Musical Afternoon series (visit our youtube channel to see some webclips I've uploaded, in addition to these performances:

We had such a good time hosting performances featuring Mike Pfeiffer, Ray McGeehan, Chuck Schaeffer, and The Royal Arboretum,

to being able to support this year's National Night Out, sponsored by the Frenchtown Police Department, the Lions Club, and the Borough of Frenchtown, to celebrating our 1st anniversary since we received the keys "that changed our lives"--the keys that opened the doors to The National Hotel...so much, so fast!

Last night we had another installment of our Wednesday Ladies' Night, with 1/2 off drinks from 5 - 7 p.m. We were so happy to see so many familiar faces, friends breaking up their mid-week by coming together and sharing some time with each other--and with us. How lucky are we? And, their feedback is invaluable--we learned, for instance, that some of our lady patrons want us to host a DANCE night! Oh yes, dancing in the Rat Pub Lounge. So, Pete and I better start investigating how to make this possible...

And how about a trivia night? Hey, why not? Oh so many good ideas, just waiting to be put in place. Pete and I are very fortunate to be able to count on so many friends in the community who have managed to take the baton and run with it. Our special nights and events thus far have grown organically, grown out of the goodness of their hearts, grown because the community wanted them in town--whether it be Open Mic Night on Thursdays, or the People's Poetry on the 3rd Sunday of every month.

Don't forget that we have another installment of our People's Poetry coming up in September--our August session was inspiring and filled with humorous moments that lightened all of our spirits on that afternoon.

Where do we go from here? Up to you, my friends...up to you. Post a comment with your feedback or email me with your specific ideas. I always appreciate what you share. Don't forget to look us up on facebook. Stay up to the minute on activities and events by signing our guestbook, or post comments on our facebook fanpage to share with others.

I'll write soon about our upcoming events...in the meantime, drop by to The National Hotel and say "hi" to the gang:

OFFICIAL GRAND OPENING, SUNDAY DINNER THEATER & NEW SUMMER MENU!

We're preparing for this Sunday's launch of "Boxing with Gaia" (or love your mother) dinner theater, in conjunction with Steven Dennis and River Union Stage. We are so fortunate to be able to host 3 Sundays of dinner theater, starting TOMORROW, beginning at 4 p.m. This has come to fruition thanks to Keith Strunk, Managing Director at River Union Stage, who helped us participate in this incredible program, which will also have a showing at the Prallsville Mills in Stockton, NJ this summer. For reservations or for more information, contact Pete directly at pete@thenationalhotelnj.com or just call us at 908.996.3200. We do hope you'll help us celebrate and support this artistic community by making Sundays in July memorable together.

In fact, July started with Frenchtown's First Fridays with shops open later and music in the streets. It's quite a month. Especially for us at The National Hotel. We launched our brand new seasonal menu, and we're committed to continue to support our local and sustainable farmers. Take a look here for our new choices. And you'll find the same menu now at our upstairs Restaurant also offered downstairs at The Rat.

Our "official" grand opening took place last Saturday and we are still floating from the warm welcome all of our guests extended to us. We were hugged, kissed, celebrated, and lifted in more ways than one. Did you join us on the 3rd? What a day!!! Our Frenchtown mayor, Ron Sworen, the Chief of Police, Allan W. Kurylka, friends like Chris Poh, and our wonderful staff, helped us get the 12-hour marathon celebration off to a great start! We even had the support of our local businesses, as many called to let us know that they had posted The National Palooza information in their establishments for their clients to see. Thank you Frenchtown Business and Professional Association (FBPA)! In fact, the FBPA is responsible for all of the planning of Frenchtown's First Fridays and Bastille Day in Frenchtown...that's just a week away!

But back to last Saturday. First was the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Next, the conversations, the music, the St. Germain cocktails (which appear to be a favorite of Martha Stewart now, with many variations), the wonderful food (whether you stayed outside or chose to pick from our new summer menu choices inside), and the dancing! Oh yeah!! Let's not forget the dancing--all the way through midnight.

And how lucky we were to have the sun shining down on us all day, with a warm breeze making the day's temperature oh so tolerable, and a great time to be outside. 12 hours of music and fun, all progressively getting busier, getting more lively, and filling our outdoor space.

The fun really started when Chuck Schaeffer took the stage with Vern Warta and Jim Thompson. They're foot-stomping rockabilly music got everyone into the right mood. It was early in the afternoon and people were just arriving, but it certainly enticed a few of our guests to get on the dance floor and dance away all their cares. But we knew this would happen, because Chuck has participated in our Sunday Musical Afternoon series at The National Hotel, and he delivered a standing room only afternoon. He is not only talented, but also incredibly engaging; the connection he establishes with the audience is incredible. He has a rapport, an ease, that creates an incredible comfort level. Last Saturday was no different. It was fun to be on the sidelines and watch all this...and fun for those who chose to join that first couple...even the kids got in on the action and swayed to Chuck's music.

I'm still working on Chuck's Part II of the day webclip...there was so much to share & it just wasn't possible to fit it all into a clip under 10 min. Stay tuned!

A little break while the next band set up, was just the perfect chance to have a sip of our St. Germain cocktail, chilled and served ice cold. Mmmmmm, nice! Pair that with a yummy plateful of our delicious sweet potato salad and one of the main dishes served, and it was just enough time to welcome our next band, Top Soil.

And boy, oh boy, did things get heated then! This local trio of "punk polka" didn't disappoint. It was a high-energy, high-voltage performance that got literally EVERYONE out on the dance floor, young and old, parents, children, grandchildren. You just can't watch or listen to this band and not want to jump up and down. Did I say "fun" already? But really, that's what it was!!! Even an encore...no one wanted them off the stage. Everyone in town knows them, and just absolutely loves them. Crazy fun!

People came in and went out, took a stroll, wandered into the Rat, or upstairs to our Bar, but they came back to listen to Rainbow Fresh, a wonderful rock/pop/alternative band, that captivated the audience, had people on their feet and many of us dancing spontaneously! I found this description on the internet about Rainbow Fresh, and it absolutely describes this band perfectly: "Rainbow Fresh represents alternative music in its most sincere and imaginative form. In their music, you can hear the best elements of 70's rock, flavored with Samba and Latin jazz influences. Their artistry lies in their ability to create beautiful songs that everyone can relate to; songs that powerfully emote expressions of love, loss, and hope." (http://payplay.fm/rainbowfresh)

I have to say that Rainbow Fresh's lead guitarist and founding member, Rich Seiner, blew us away with the kindness of his words and the authenticity of his delivery. Check out what he says at the start of this webclip:

We will never forget his graciousness. Together with Martin Purcell (Bass, vocals), and John Purcell (drums), Rainbow Fresh provide a mesmerizing performance, full of tenderness, intensity, and talent. After you have a chance to look at this webclip, you'll probably want to keep watching...I separated them into manageable clip sizes, so come back to digest some more on The National Hotel NJ youtube channel if you have time.

The truth is that all of these artists are beyond talented. They have established themselves with a following, a fan base, and an area tour schedule that keeps them busy throughout the year. And they deserve our support. If you have the time, do check out their webpages to see where they'll be performing next and catch their live act, buy their CDs or download their music from their sites. It's a terrific opportunity to grow as these talented artists also grow and develop their musical styles. We wish them every success possible. One day, we'll be able to say, "Remember when they performed at The National Hotel? We saw them live back then. Shucks...should've asked for their autographs!!"

And now that we're "officially" open...ha ha...well, the possibilities are endless. We've been planning. We've been putting our thoughts on paper and plans into action. And Sunday, we'll have out first dinner theater experience at The National Hotel. We do hope you'll join us! Let us know what you think, won't you?

New Entertainment, New Menus, Inside and Out

We can’t wait until later this afternoon, when Chuck Schaeffer ("The Chuck Wagon") together with Vern Warta, makes us all move, when he entertains us with his mix of Rockabilly, Folk, Americana, and Country Rock. Does the word “FUN” come to mind? We’ve been approached by so many talented musicians, that we are now pleased to offer music at The National Hotel almost every Sunday through the end of June. Be sure to join us today, Sunday, April 18th, from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m., downstairs in The Rathskeller Pub Lounge to catch Chuck Schaeffer.

And don't stop there, because you'll find that we're going to play hosts to other wonderfully talented musicians throughout the next couple of months. There are so many people involved in putting together a successful event. I know this from my own life, having worked in the non-profit sector for nearly 20 years, but what's so unusual about The National Hotel, is that so much of the "fun stuff" we offer, the Open Mic Nights,

the Poetry Open Mic,

the Sunday Music in the Afternoon series, actually happens because of the efforts and interest of the community. Pete and I essentially play hosts, offer the venue, but it is our Frenchtown and Hunterdon County friends and neighbors, who have made it a point to ensure that their treasured gem of a building never again closes its doors, never again is boarded up to create sadness and angst amongst all who pass by. Pete and I have been charged with taking on a business venture that is less business and more passion. We have engaged in an exercise of personal and community necessity, which drives us every single day to do our very best to make sure we meet (and wherever possible, exceed) expectations--our own, and those of our great neighbors.

Pete and I are just blessed to have been embraced by this community of artists and art aficionados. And to have captured the attention of the media, just means that we are also getting recognized for consistently creating quality dishes and providing an inviting atmosphere for the local resident as well as the traveler who comes from afar.

It ‘s only been about a month since our last review in The Courier News, where The National Hotel dominated the front page of one of their interior sections. The reviews of the food were fantastic and of the establishment itself too. And now, just 2 weeks ago, we were fortunate enough to have been a featured center story in The Good Times section of The Trenton Times. They captured one of our bartenders, Tobi “in action” pouring a martini, and offered a beautiful photo of our historic Bar.

It also captured the new covers to our menus, which we just LOVE! It seems like such a small detail, but to us, a lot of thought, time and attention to detail went into picking out just the right covers, making sure there was synergy between them and the room’s décor. Have you seen them? Do you like them?

And then you open them, and you find the most incredible assortment of wonderful food carefully planned and prepared by our kitchen, led by our executive chef, Ron Rittenhouse. From the appetizers to the small plates, to the main entrees, we have gotten such wonderful feedback from our patrons. They love the food, they love the classics on the menu, they love the exotic seasonings we offer for some of our dishes…and they love the prices.

It’s still a recession out there. There are still so many people hurting, looking for work, struggling. The National Hotel is not the kind of establishment you frequent only once a year. Oh no. Pete and I are living the American Dream, but precisely because this great country has allowed us to do so, we are also well aware of the struggles and road blocks/challenges we have faced and that others in our community are currently facing. Two immigrants, naturalized citizens from two different parts of the world—it could really only happen that one person with an Indian passport meats another with a Chilean passport and actually connect—came together, formed a family, took a risk and started their own business, and now have the support of neighbors and friends, many of whom can trace their roots for generations in this very area.

And that’s a very powerful reason why we want to offer a variety of choices on our menu where everyone can find something that they can afford and that they can enjoy. And this extends to our commitment to support our local merchants and our local farmers. Pete and I want very much to make sure that our establishment adds to the growth of our local community. And we are pleased that Ron has been able to make our vision and our goal a reality, by working with local producers and farmers and to offer these great products to our patrons.

From menu choices that run the gamut in ethnicity to sensitive pricing of the dishes, to offering what used to be “alternative” choices, and are now desirable and sought-after food choices labeled as vegan and vegetarian, The National Hotel’s vision is to create a culinary experience that will keep you coming back.

I hope we have achieved that. I know our patrons have embraced our Thursday to Sunday Specials Menu, to the point where we were just “testing the waters” to see if we should even deviate from the main menu, and now have made it a weekly tradition to offer new options at the end of the week to liven things up a bit. Your feedback did that. It was your comments, your suggestions, your interaction with us that helped us bring these dishes to fruition. Pete, Marlon (our General Manager), and Ron, always keep their ears open for these nuggets of information. Hearing our patrons tell us that “We’ll have to bring our parents next time. They’d love this place,” or “What a great meal…and those martinis!” We can’t get enough of it. And Ron and Kasey Goyette, our lead bartender, who designed the signature drinks for The National Hotel, just get such a bolt of energy when they hear that they’ve hit a home run, that we cannot thank you enough for letting us know.

Now that our Thursday to Sunday Specials Menu has been so successful, keep your eyes open for our summer menu that we’ll kick off as the weather gets better…we’ve even planned some dishes that have a stronger ethnic fusion, while still offering your traditional favorites. We can’t wait for your feedback once we launch it!