MARDI GRAS ADDITIONS TO THE MENU THIS WEEKEND!

Frenchtown is in full swing, celebrating it's annual Riverfest weekend. We put our heads together, and Ron Rittenhouse, our executive chef, came up with a wonderful Mardi Gras inspired menu that is sure to please. From crabfritter salad (boston and romaine lettuce with creole mustard vinaigrette topped with fried crab fritters), to shrimp, andouille and gritts (sauteed andouille sausage, jumbo shrimp served over creamy grits with a hot pepper cream sauce)...or how about trout meuniere (fresh trout filet, dredged in flour, panfried and served with a New Orleans classic meuneire sauce), or even, pecan chicken (chicken breast breaded in pecans and bread crumbs, topped with bourbon green onion sauce accompanied with red beans and rice)...and so many other dishes. But let's not forget the beignets. After all, it wouldn't be Mardi Gras without beignets!

We hope you'll make some time to come out to The National Hotel to sample some of Ron's creations. His team in our kitchen is just stellar. Pete and I feel so fortunate to have such a dedicated and committed staff, from Lisa, to Teresa, and Mikey. They truly make it such a smooth process for everyone involved. And when Ron and Kasey Goyette, our lead bartender, get together to plan out menus and discuss specialty drinks that will enhance each other, you know it's a winning combination.

Do join us for this special weekend in Frenchtown, when all the shops will feature special events, activities, and a fun time for the family. We're looking forward to a terrific holiday weekend in Frenchtown, and everyone who works at The National Hotel is looking forward to getting a sampling of this special Mardi Gras fare. Those of us who have been to New Orleans before know what a special place that is, and how central truly great food is to their way of life. I do hope you'll share this with us, and that you'll post a comment or email me directly with your feedback at marie@thenationalhotelnj.com.

HONORING THE ARTS DURING BASTILLE DAY WEEKEND IN FRENCHTOWN

Coming up for air after another great weekend! We hosted the People's Poetry in the Rat from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. on Sunday, and followed that with our 2nd dinner theater program in conjunction with River Union Stage, Boxing with Gaia (or love your mother), at 4 p.m. in the Restaurant. The building was filled with the arts, with people who enjoy performing, as well as those who love to be a witness to creative talent unfolding before their eyes.

And it was Frenchtown's Bastille Day weekend celebration too! The town was filled with people from the surrounding areas, and from distant places. People were walking around, shopping, enjoying the sunny (albeit HOT) days. We enjoyed having so many guests stopping by to cool down, have something to eat, and have a refreshing drink. Kasey Goyette, our lead bartender, made so many of her St. Germain cocktails, lychee martinis and pomegranate margaritas that even I got tempted and opted for a taste of the latter. But the St. Germain cocktails, made from a liqueur of elderflower blossoms, are an absolute hit. There was even a fabulous New York Times article recently about it, which even has the basic recipe at the bottom of it:

Two parts Champagne or dry white wine, two parts sparkling water or club soda and one-and-a-half parts St-Germain, garnished with a lemon twist.

The additions to the menu were outstanding! I kept hearing such great comments from our guests, that I just needed to share that statement, because it came from many of you...everyone seems thrilled with the new menu that our executive chef, Ron Rittenhouse developed, taking advantage of seasonal items, and maintaining our commitment to support local and sustainable farmers. It's so important for us to keep the community ever-present in everything we do. And this is just one way we've been able to "stay local."

I know that Ron is already thinking ahead to what he can change for the fall season...I can't wait for that!!! It seems so far away, and yet, I suspect these hot summer days will end soon enough given the speed at which all our lives travel these days. Soon we'll be welcoming Labor Day, planning our wine tasting dinners and martini nights, and gearing up for the start of that busy fall season.

In the meantime though, we plan on absolutely enjoying the summer months, continuing to welcome your feedback on what we're doing right and what we could improve. It looks like the People's Poetry is a big hit for our community, from your feedback. It was an organic process, completely organized and created by members of our community, Skye Van Saun and John Smith, and now features other moderators each month. And our Thursday Open Mic Night sessions are always well-attended, featuring numerous performers, each of whom have their own style--and many who have impromptu jam sessions. It really is so impressive how this comes together week after week. And that too was created through one of our Frenchtown resident's efforts, Alex Wolfson, and now it is hosted by numerous others in our musical family.

I've been neglectful in putting together the webclip that I envisioned creating from multiple video snapshots of our Open Mic Night sessions...making a note (again) to myself to do that. I'll post it on our National Hotel NJ youtube channel--there'll be additional clips from Chuck Schaeffer too! I just uploaded a couple of other clips from The National Palooza's live music festival. Those musicians absolutely got everyone in the mood to dance, linger, and enjoy a great summer afternoon and evening.

[More from Top Soil]

[More from Rainbow Fresh]

And it's only the middle of July! Wait and see what's in store for August...

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!

IN THE NEWS: TRIPLE PLAY

[photo by Lois Heyman, Courier News]

It's mid-week, and what a great way to spruce up our spirits at The National Hotel, than to pick up the Courier News (and Home News Tribune), to see a most incredible write-up about our establishment! Thank you, thank you, Lois Heyman, for penning such a superbly written article: http://www.mycentraljersey.com/article/20100303/LIFE09/3030304. We also owe a debt of gratitude to Chris Poh, editor of the American Public House Review and Pub Talk, the American Public House Review blog. And thank you Walter O'Brien, fellow journalist at the Courier News for introducing us to Lois when we first took over The National Hotel.

[photo by Lois Heyman, Courier News]

As if that weren't enough, we are also featured in their Photo Gallery, which has some outstanding photos of some of our dishes, our guest suites...even Marlon Aranha, our GM, is there checking his cell phone (always checking on everything...what would we do without him!!), as is Ron Rittenhouse, our executive chef (who is also nicely featured in the article).

Wait...& there's more: I received an email from a fellow member of the Frenchtown Business & Professional Association (FBPA), who shared an article that will appear in approximately 100 community newspapers in western PA and Ohio (CNHI News Service), about Frenchtown itself, where we are mentioned as "the" place to dine if traveling here. I've placed all these articles on our website's In The News page.

So much to write about...I've got to separate some of these into different posts, but I'll squeeze in 2 other items that I wanted to share: Don't forget about tomorrow night's Open Mike Night. It's a tradition now; every Thursday night, with sign-ups starting at 8:30 p.m. and music beginning at 9:00 p.m.

And how could I forget about this past Sunday's star performance of The Jericho Mountain Grass ("The Grass"), who returned to a standing-room only afternoon at The National Hotel. All the tables filled up fast as soon as they started playing their traditional ballads blended with new-grass tunes. We had every generation in the room, from a baby all the way up...and boy did that baby dance in her mother's arms!!! It was just so entertaining, so lively and warm. What a great way to close out the weekend.

We do hope you'll join us for our next musical afternoon...more on that for another post. Let us know if you'd like us to feature anything in particular, or have a comment about anything on this blog. You can also reach us directly at 908.996.3200 or click here to contact us via email. Enjoy the weather...is it really going up to 50 degrees by next Monday/Tuesday???

SUPER BOWL SUNDAY IS OVER, BUT THERE'S SO MUCH MORE!

Last night was so much fun! Super Bowl Sunday party at The National Hotel!!! The day had started like any other Sunday and perhaps a little slower than most, because the weather was probably more conducive to people staying at home than venturing out. However, just at around 6 p.m., friends, neighbors, and people we’d yet to meet, started arriving. At one point we had several groups of 15 people coming in at the same time! My husband, Pete, and Marlon, our General Manager, were there to greet everyone and take care of everything. Boy, what would we do without Marlon! He works hand-in-hand with Pete to make sure that nothing is overlooked and that our customers receive the absolute best service possible.

This weekend follows a terrific month of January, where Hunterdon Life Magazine did a feature story about The National Hotel in their January issue, even doing a story about Super Bowl Sunday dishes where our executive chef, Ron Rittenhouse, was one of the featured chefs. They captured him “in action” creating his delicious signature empanadas in our kitchen, and took photos of The National Hotel and of Pete too.

I didn't blog for a few weeks at the end of 2009, for many reasons. Mainly, we were so busy with the end-of-year activities, that all our energy was directed towards making sure we exceeded our customers' expectations and on updating our e-presence. Add to that being a parent, that blogging took a backseat for a few weeks. But having blogged recently, it felt cathartic! So here I go again.

We've shared with you on another occasion that we discovered beautifully preserved pumpkin pine floors in our lobby area and in other areas of our establishment. Well, on New Year's Eve, I had several--not just one or two--guests, ask me if they could go to the lobby area to see the floors. Well of course! Why not, we want to share every little piece of The National Hotel with everyone.

Anyone who has asked to see a room, to see the ones with the large jacuzzi tubs, to see the porches or the very private and separate Rm. 207 Loft Suite, we've gladly accommodated.

The pumpkin pine floors have become a definite draw--we don't know whether it's the story of how we found them under two layers of wood flooring and a dilapidated wall-to-wall carpeting that needed to be changed--but people keep asking, and we're thrilled to share!

Even the other day, we had the pleasure of having an interesting conversation with someone from Flemington who asked us, "You did a great job restoring this great old building, but I'm from Flemington. Why didn't you save our Union Hotel?" She walked around our lobby area, admiring the pumpkin pine floors. We told her that those floors were a real discovery for us.

After pulling up a corner of the carpet, we didn't find anything but plywood and we were incredibly disappointed. But then, when the day came to replace the carpeting, one layer came up, then another layer, and still a third--and that's when Pete sent me a text with a photo attached of the beautiful and well-preserved floors that he'd uncovered! Wow!!!

Thanks Pete for persevering and not just dropping new carpeting on top of the plywood. Another bit of "news" is that just a couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of meeting one of the people responsible for doing the renovations after the 1984 accident when a truck lost its brakes and came crashing through the front of the building. He confirmed that he did not do any work on the pumpkin pine floors at all. The front door had to be renovated as did other areas of the building, but not the lobby, which confirms our assertion that the floors are the original deal!

Does anyone have any knowledge as to whether the lobby area was always carpeted or somehow had the floors preserved? It looks like no one ever really set foot on them. We are so fortunate...I say that a lot, don't I???