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...

OPEN MIC NIGHT @THE RAT

What a week! What a night! Not only was it a great Open Mic Night session--they're ALWAYS good, thanks to our local musicians and our friends who come to support them--but moreover, it just got better and better the later it got...I'm still recovering from how it ended! Our regular musicians and hosts--hey, you know who you are, and THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, for all you give to our community week after week--were so inspired by Mike Pfeiffer's solo performance, that after he played his sets, no one wanted to let him stop!

Oh no, not only did we all want him to keep playing, we had one musician after another just running in and taking the mike, taking the floor, joining in, participating, sharing, laughing, singing, playing...as our daughters would say, "OMG!" It brought chills down your spine, it inspired, it motivated. It became an incredible jam session that allowed all of the musicians who were willing and able to join in, to enjoy the night to the last little minute we were able to stay open. And for those of us in attendance, again, "OMG!" I've just finished uploading just 4 of these impromptu jam sessions (3 are embedded here) to our "The National Hotel NJ" youtube channel. I can't wait to share these with you! And I have other clips that I'll post to our youtube channel featuring other musicians from our Open Mic Nights. The talent just keeps pouring out!

And the funny thing, is that last night was probably one of the MOST enjoyable nights at The National Hotel, simply because of how naturally and organically it happened. Thank you, Mike. I know you're coming back next Thursday night for our weekly Open Mic Night, and then again on Sunday, August 8th for our Sunday Musical Afternoon Series. One of our very own, regular and local musicians already nicknamed him, "The Rhythm Machine." All I can say is, we cannot wait!

On that note, do check out our updated roster of artists who will participate during our Sunday Musical Afternoon Series through September. They'll be performing upstairs in our Restaurant & Bar, from 5 - 7 p.m. Pete and I are buoyed by the support, the enthusiasm, and the encouragement that we receive from our local artists, and in turn are thrilled to be the venue of choice for them to perform and share their talent. You have to realize that having the arts be an integral part of The National Hotel is one of the key reasons Pete and I just love our relationship with Frenchtown, love having taken this giant leap of faith, and being a part of the breathing fabric of The National Hotel.

And don't worry, now that we've finished a successful 3 Sunday series of dinner theater in conjunction with our own local River Union Stage, we will continue to look for opportunities to bring different artistic talent to the building. We have a few things "in the works" now that we'll share later in the month...stay tuned!

Do post a comment if you have any suggestions, ideas or feedback. And keep on finding information on us by becoming a fan of The National Hotel on facebook, follow us on Twitter, or just visit our website regularly for updates. I've come to terms with all the technology--it really just means that everyone has the choice of retrieving and accessing information in the manner that he/she wants. It's no longer "fed" to us; we search and retrieve it the way that we want, when we want. Now that's empowering! So follow us, find us, visit us...I hope we've covered all our bases!!

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...

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?