SO MUCH TO CELEBRATE: ANNIVERSARY, WINE TASTING DINNER, AND THE ARTS

[Photos courtesy of Terry McCarthy Earhart]

  

Now that Halloween is over, the costumes have been put away, the Halloween Bash at The Rat is finished, with three prize winners enjoying their gift certificates for their terrific costumes (even The Mike Pfeiffer Band members were in costumes as they performed late into the night), we decided it was the perfect opportunity to launch our new seasonal menu. I finished typing it into our website and even before I clicked on the "update" button, I was craving too many of the new items on the menu; just had to reach out and get some.  Virtual reality has nothing on the real thing!  Delish!!!

Amazingly, November 3rd came and went, without much fanfare, without any special celebration.  Oh yes, November 3rd--election day in 2009, was the day we quietly opened the doors of The National Hotel--and this year, this past Wednesday, those of us who have been working there from the beginning, again, quietly, wished each other a Happy Anniversary.

We've been so busy planning and preparing for our first Wine Tasting Dinner that this past Wednesday's significance didn't get the "play" it might have deserved.  But we're so excited about this event...it's coming fast--Sunday, November 14th, 2 p.m. onwards, by reservation only.  The wines of the Rodney Strong Winery will be featured and Chef Lisa has prepared an exclusive menu that will complement the different wines that have been selected for that special event.  If you're interested in joining us, click here for more information.

Many of our patrons have been asking us to put this type of an event together, but we wanted to do it right.  We wanted the experience to be memorable for everyone involved, and for it to be the type of event that our patrons and wine enthusiasts will gladly attend the next time we offer it.  As soon as we mentioned it to some of our clients, you could feel the excitement.  More hugs!!!  But we weren't the only ones giving out hugs this week...we had many, many loyal patrons who remembered our anniversary, who sent us texts during the day and who came in on Wednesday specifically to extend their well wishes and their thanks. 

As business proprietors we owe so much to our clients, but we also owe so much to our staff.  We have been told time and again just how inviting and dedicated our staff is, and we know this ourselves.  The staff is completely vested in bringing their best when they walk through our doors.  And they gladly give of themselves.  Just watch them interact with each other, as well as with our patrons--whether it's one of our loyal and consistent patrons, or a new individual coming to town.

And our hotel guests have shared this same sentiment with us--they've even written about it on travel blogs and websites.  That's partially what distinguishes our lovely little gem of a town from so many other destination areas.  Our business owners and residents alike, all truly enjoy having out-of-towners visit and explore Frenchtown.



In closing, I just want to extend an invitation to all of you to drop by and support our local artists who perform week after week during our weekly Thursday evening Open Mic Night (a.k.a. The Frenchtown Underground, renamed by our friend and The Rat's Open Mic Night originator, Alex Wolfson); come read one of your favorite poems (or one you've written yourself) during our monthly poetry open mic, renamed The People's Poetry by one of its originators, Skye Van Saun, who together with John Smith, created this wonderful and intimate afternoon series, the 3rd Sunday of every month; stay after our weekly Wednesday 1/2 priced drink special Ladies' Night for our By The Fireplace music series that just kicked off this past Wednesday, featuring Steph Hayes--check out the video she and Mike Pfeiffer created:

...join us for our weekly Sunday Musical Afternoon Series; or come and have a great night out on Saturday night for our Live Music Series organized by Mike Pfeiffer, as we feature different bands who will perform late into the night.  There's literally something to see or do almost every day of the week in Frenchtown, and The National Hotel has become "the late night destination" to wrap up your day.  Subscribe to our youtube channel, follow us on Twitter, or find us on facebook for the latest news or activities at The National Hotel. 

If you'd like me to add you to our email list to be the first to know about upcoming events, email me directly at marie@thenationalhotelnj.com.  Your comments and feedback are always welcome, posted here or emailed to me.  Looking forward to seeing you!

THE PEOPLE'S POETRY, CHILEAN MINERS, MUSIC & MORE MUSIC

Feeling absolutely elated, watching the rescue of my country of birth's trapped miners: "Chi Chi Chi, Le Le Le, Los Mineros de Chile!!!" What a worldwide effort...what a humanitarian effort...what a testament to global cooperation, bringing in experts, machinery, and moreover, multi-national cooperation to help "Los 33." Just a wonderful story. So proud of our US teams that went to Chile, their stories now being covered in today's early Sunday morning news programs and in the news these last few days. I for one, couldn't stop watching CNN & their full coverage of the event. Even the cartoonists are joining in on the fun--now these are talented people, telling a whole story w/just a small amount of space through their imaginative drawings.

Even our Thursday night Open Mic Night session this week had musicians abuzz with talk about the miners' rescue. Thank you, Alex Wolfson, for honoring Chile in your facebook post about Open Mic Night. And thank you to so many of our great friends and patrons of The National Hotel, who shared in the tears, the anxiety, and the exhilirating feeling of watching the rescue of these 33 men this week. This is "the stuff" that inspires great writers--a tragedy, an uncertainty, hope, anxiety, and in the case of Chile, a truly blessed and happy ending.

And how appropriate that today, we hold another session of our monthly People's Poetry (our 3rd Sunday of the month Open Mic Poetry session), from 2 - 4 p.m. I just know that we will once again be in awe of those who take the mic, who are willing to share the words they've written to express memories, precious moments, lost opportunities, regrets, or true elations. I think about Skye Van Saun's poems, which express so much pain, and yet are intertwined with lessons of survival, of grabbing life and moving forward. Or how about John Smith's poems, that move us, immerse us in the images he conveys. And so many other wonderful writers. Here are just a few morsels of what you've seen if you've attended the People's Poetry, or what you might be able to catch if you have the time to come to The Rat, where we hold these very friendly, open, and intimate poetry readings:

Last month's session was hosted by Warren Cooper, and each month we have volunteers who self-identify as being able to host the afternoon program. Thank you to all of you involved with this wonderful event, and for sharing your own poems (or favorite authors' poems), as well as for giving one of today's greatest gifts to all of us: your time. Can't wait to see what's in store this afternoon!

If you'd like to share any of your poems with us, please post them as a comment here, or on our facebook fan page, share a link from any youtube clip you may have to put on The National Hotel youtube channel, or a link on our twitter page. Or just email me at marie@thenationalhotelnj.com.

Stay tuned for more news on our upcoming music schedule...today we have Kenny Cunningham upstairs in our Restaurant & Bar, from 5 - 7 p.m. But we've got quite a line-up of musicians that I'll post soon on our website.

Thanks again for choosing The National Hotel as a venue for the arts!!!

INDIAN NIGHTS @THE NATIONAL HOTEL, DINING REVIEW, MUSIC & THE ARTS...SO MUCH IN JUST A FEW WEEKS

It must be September, because the days are just SOOOOO full of things to do. Between The National Hotel, the girls' school (and let's not forget their afterschool activities), friends' fundraisers, etc., the days have escaped me and I am only now putting "pen to paper" to post another installment of our blog.

Pete's been in the kitchen! I know he's my husband, but I'm so proud of all that he's been able to do and the enthusiasm with which he embraces every day. He's been hard at work re-creating some Indian delicacies with which he grew up in India, and combining his memories with some delicious traditional recipes from classic Indian cook books with our terrific kitchen staff. These will make up our entire Additions to the Menu that started this past Thursday, September 23rd through tomorrow, Sunday, September 26th. Be sure to stop by and savor some exotic flavors right here in our own backyard--Indian Nights at The National Hotel! Click on the link to see some of the delicacies we'll be featuring this weekend...

This follows a wonderful write-up from Icon Magazine by Robert Gordon. Their Dining Out section took our summer menu to task and we are just so pleased to have passed their litmus test. What a terrific endorsement from a wonderful publication.

And we just hosted another Open Mic Night session on Thursday too, featuring Brian Molnar. The night's host was Kevin Gilson and it was a total crowd pleaser. Our other Open Mic Nights have seen new talent the the mic as well as some familiar faces.

And many of these familiar faces came out to support our featured performers these last few weeks, during our Sunday Musical Afternoon series. We've been fortunate to have had so many talented performers, including Mike Pfeiffer once again, Chuck Schaeffer returning for another successful night of country rockabilly fun, Steve Jones , and a former Frenchtown resident, Russell Norkevich . We also were treated to the sounds of David Falcone on the 12th of September, and tomorrow we'll host the return appearance of Ray McGeehan. Every week, another wonderful 2 hours of music that delight our patrons, and lift the spirits of those of us working on the premises. Sunday is one of our favorite days of the week! Just look and listen to a few of our featured musicians...find more at our The National Hotel NJ YouTube channel:

This entire month has been a month filled with the arts. We just finished hosting the last installment of "our" monthly People's Poetry last week--and I say "our" in quotes, because it's a program initiated and supported by our local community members...not something that Pete and I put into motion, but rather something that has grown organically. It was a treat to be a witness to the wonderful poets who took the mike. Be sure to visit the People's Poetry facebook fanpage to get up-to-date information on the poets, the events, and future plans. And last Sunday's poetry open mic was followed by our weekly Sunday Musical Afternoon series that has provided our guests with the wonderful musical performances of local talent. Again, yet another opportunity for The National Hotel to shine, simply because these artists have adopted The National Hotel as their chosen venue. Thank you!!! Thank you for bringing your art, your talent, your creativity to our establishment, for ALL of us to enjoy.

We can't wait to see you at The National Hotel. Whether you're coming to savor our Indian Nights Additions to the Menu items this weekend, spending time with us at the Rat's weekly Open Mic Night, joining us for our monthly People's Poetry, or supporting our local artists as they perform during our weekly Sunday Musical Afternoon series, please continue to visit our facebook fanpage, search our artists' webclips by subscribing to our National Hotel NJ youtube channel, or sign up for our twitter page. If you'd like to leave a comment on things you've enjoyed at The National Hotel, send a note to one of these artists, or just share some thoughts, please do so, or email me directly at marie@thenationalhotelnj.com. Hope to see you this weekend...the food is YUMMM!

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.

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:

Sunday Musical Afternoon Series Hits the Spot!!!

There are so many reasons to be proud of our little corner of the world...from the beauty and history of Frenchtown itself, to the businesses around town that welcome outsiders "into the fold" and encourage them to come back to our little town, to the local residents who go out of their way to support our local establishments and be a part of our community.

Today, we have the pleasure of hosting another session of our Sunday Musical Afternoon series. It's a day that we have been anxiously awaiting for a few weeks: Mike Pfeiffer will perform from 5 - 7 p.m. upstairs in our Restaurant & Bar. If you have been fortunate enough to catch him during our Thursday Open Mic Night series, then you know you have to come to The National Hotel today. What a performer! Just super. I'll try to capture some of it today on video & will post it to The National Hotel NJ youtube channel. In the meantime here's one from an impromptu jam session where musicians jumped in at The Rat:

For us, having recently celebrated our one-year anniversary of the date we took ownership of The National Hotel, it's just another gift Frenchtown has given us. One year. Oh yes, we remember the renovations in the dark, using flashlights to make our way around the shuttered building because JCP&L was busy restoring power to homes who had suffered losses during a recent storm, and was therefore unable to establish new lines...and the water that had been turned off and took yet another week to have in our building. Oh yes, we remember cleaning borrowing buckets of water from our neighbors...But no matter the challenges, we are so pleased with the result today--especially, because The National Hotel has become family to so many people who come through its doors frequently to enjoy wonderful food, great drinks, and above all, that sense of community, that warmth you feel when you see familiar faces, old friends and new.

Yesterday was Frenchtown's National Night Out, an annual celebration and "give-back" to the community, where the Frenchtown Police Dept. organizes a special day in town with lots of activities for the children, good food, and fun for the whole family, together with the Lions Club. Pete and I stopped by to share in a little bit of the fun, and we were greeted by SOOOOO many people that we felt as if we were floating. The music was fun, the food hit the spot, and the Birch Beer was awesome!

We loved seeing the kids enjoying themselves in gigantic inflatable bounce houses and slides...and to see their anxious faces when the raffle drawing came, each one waiting to see who would win the bicycles and helmets, raffle tickets in hand...incredible fun! Congratulations Frenchtown!

Alright, lots to do today...off to the races...getting ready for this afternoon's performance, while actually still having warm memories from last week's fabulous performance by The Royal Arboretum, featuring Lee and Kristen. I'm not done editing, but will share clips soon...