MY THOUGHTS AFTER THE BOSTON MARATHON BOMBING...

I had a whole other stream of thought for this month’s blogpost—and then last week's horrible events unfolded. Like many who saw the news reports, I was brought to tears by the senseless loss of life, unimaginable suffering that so many will now face, and the absolutely devastating aftereffects to innocent bystanders that have yet to be determined. Pete and I lived through 9/11 when we called New York City home, and our thoughts and prayers were and continue to be, with the city of Boston, those who lost their lives, and those who sustained injuries and whose lives are forever changed. 

 

Image courtesy of www.10News.com

Just like during 9/11, so many first responders risked everything and ran towards the blast. And in addition to them, there were also volunteers and bystanders who put themselves at risk and did the same, helping the wounded, helping in whatever way they could. And then a few days ago, I listened. I stopped what I was doing and actually listened, as the interfaith service in Boston offered words of comfort to everyone present, and the overarching theme that no act of terrorism will deter the city of Boston from standing up and rebuilding with renewed vigor, a community united and strong.

 

Well, this weekend, we saw the end of a long 24 hours of law enforcement activity, culminating in the death of “Suspect #1” and the capture of “Suspect #2.”  There are so many questions buzzing everywhere, with the “Why?” being the most common one.  It’s just incredible.

 

It’s harder still to look out from the lobby of The National Hotel, in peaceful, idyllic Frenchtown, NJ, and imagine the horrifying events that took place this last week in Boston.  On Sunday, as I stood outside of the main Restaurant & Bar, gazing at the beautiful cars that were driving past, the lovely, sunny day that had come our way, I realized that in the end, this is the day we needed; a day of normalcy, a day to run errands, to take the kids to the park or to visit friends, a day to let our guard down and take in the beauty that surrounds us.  We are truly lucky to live in this little hidden gem of a town, that’s just an hour and a half from New York City or Philadelphia.  This is the escape that I used to long for when I lived elsewhere, and now that I live in this area, it’s still the “escape” that helps me put things into perspective.

 

And it’s not that Frenchtown is such a sleepy town; by no means.  There’s a lot happening in town every single week this spring.  For example, "Les Pluies d'Avril," or "April Showers" in Frenchtown, is designed to help local residents and visitors alike celebrate spring through numerous festivities.  For example:

• Every weekend:  A Community Garden of Frenchtown booth will be set up on Race Street with Spring Flowers available, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.  Donations will be accepted for the flowers to benefit the Garden.  
• Wednesday, April 23rd:  In honor of World Book Night, the Book Garden will be giving away books at different locations.
• Wednesday, April 23rd:  Ladies Night at The National Hotel with 1/2 priced drinks, 5 - 7 p.m.
• Thursday, April 24th:  A local area favorite of musicians and artists, now in its 3rd year, Open Mic Night at The National Hotel, 9 p.m. - closing.
• Saturday, April 27th:  Poetry comes to Frenchtown in honor of National Poetry Month, with poetry readings throughout the town in different shops and restaurants.
• Saturday, April 27th:  David Turner entertains The National Hotel's Rathskeller Pub patrons, 9 - 11 p.m.
• Saturday, April 27th & Sunday, April 28th:  Enter to win a one-of-a-kind hand-painted Blue Fish Bag.
• Sunday, April 28th:  Chris Bauer performs at The National Hotel's Restaurant & Bar, 5 - 7 p.m.
• And much more at other shops in town, including, Designs for Tranquility, Paddle Creek Frenchtown, and Yellow Dog Pet Supply.

Perhaps this is the respite that we needed—at least, that I needed—to clear my mind and to enjoy the day.  Sunday's performance by Dennis Mascarone, at The National Hotel was a real treat.  And we got such great feedback from our guests, not just about the music, but also about our new spring menu.  Our guests have even shared on our facebook page, how thrilled they are about the different ingredients and succulent flavors our executive chef, Lisa Frederick, has woven into it.  For example:

• Ahi Tuna Sliders (Corriander Crusted Grilled Ahi Tuna, Mint-Marinated Cucumber, Spicy Pepperade, Mint Aïoli, Fresh-Baked Slider Rolls)
• Lamb Kofta Sliders (3 Moroccan-Spiced Lamb Sliders, Pickled Red Onions & Preserved Aïoli, Fresh-Baked Slider Rolls)
• Lentil Burger - Vegetarian (Ground Lentil Patty, Traditional Indian Dahl Spices & Cilantro Coconut Chutney)
• The ‘Raw’ Wrap - Vegan (Ground Walnuts, Fresh Vegetables in a Bib lettuce Wrap, Avocado, Red Onions, Cucumber, Tomato, Lemon Sumac Vinaigrette)
• Wild Boar Chops (10 oz. Pan-Roasted Wild Boar with a Cherry & Chili Gastrique, Smoked Onion Mashed Potatoes, Choice of Vegetable)
• Cardamom & Coriander Fish (Market-Fresh Fish Crusted with Cardamom & Coriander over Ginger-Coconut Broth, Kaffir Lime & Summer Squash, topped with Grilled Scallions)
• And much more--check it out online, or just come by and have a taste for yourself!

Equally exciting are the activities that recently took place, including the celebration of the 150^th Open Mic Night, a terrific fundraising night by the Frenchtown Lions Club (that helps the community in our very own area), as well as other events and programs.  Every week there is something to do in Frenchtown and the surrounding Hunterdon County and Bucks County areas—and every week, there’s something fun planned at TheNational Hotel.

 

Ringing Rocks Park

From hiking in the recently preserved Horseshoe Bend Park right outside of Frenchtown, to enjoying other natural attractions across the Delaware River (e.g., Ringing Rocks Park), to simply taking a leisurely walk down the Delaware & Raritan Canal State Park (or towpath running parallel to the Delaware River), Frenchtown is central to a host of ideas and activities that will help any visitor unwind and relax—or invigorate and recharge “the batteries.” 

Photo Courtesy of www.frenchtownboro.com 

Stay tuned for more ways to enjoy spring, because there's a lot that the community is planning, including the start of Frenchtown's Second Saturdays in May, filled with music.  And beginning in June, Frenchtown will launch a weekly Farmer's Market at the 4 Kingwood Avenue parking lot.

Photo Courtesy of Bob Mulcahy

Pete and I continue to be in awe of the area’s natural beauty; we don’t tire of it.  And that’s nothing in comparison to the lovely people of Frenchtown, who go out of their way to be helpful and welcoming.  It is these individuals that make the town what it is.  Some, are still working to help those devastated by the aftereffects of Superstorm Sandy, oh so many months ago.  I loved reading the article about local Frenchtown resident, Bob Mulcahy, and seeing the webclip as to how he and his fishing buddies are continuing to help those in need.  

We hope that you will continue to visit this little corner of the world and make a point to stop by The NationalHotel to join us for dinner, drinks, special events, become a member of our monthly National Wine Club, sign up for our e-newsletter, and/or even prolong your visit to Frenchtown by making it an overnight or multi-night stay with us.  For information, please continue to leave comments here, email me, visit our website, call us at 908.996.3200, or:

      

 

Thank you for your continued support and patronage.

FALL IS ONE OF OUR FAVORITE SEASONS IN FRENCHTOWN, NJ

During this beautiful fall season, make sure to visit Hunterdon County's Frenchtown, NJ.  The town puts on its best fall colors with special decorations lining the streets and Mother Nature contributes to this autumn theme with the beautiful changing colors of the leaves that are ablaze in oranges and reds throughout our scenic winding roads as you make your way into town.

Frenchtown has something special to offer every single visitor, from the child looking for that special toy that Sunbeam Toys offers, or the children's book that can be found thanks to the learned and dedicated staff at the Book Garden, to collectibles, art, unique and individually designed and hand-crafted jewelry and furnishings, and so much more, all within this quaint, small, and easily "strollable/walkable" town.

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I recently had a guest who enjoyed lunch at The National Hotel--YES!!...We launched our new fall menu last week--and it was a joy to get such wonderful feedback from her.  She also let me know that she was in love with architecture of the houses that are "behind" our downtown business district.  The truth is that it is worth the trip here to see that on its own.  The houses are just incredibly beautiful, some even painted pastel and unique colors, highlighting the period architecture, and many boast beautifully designed and maintained front gardens and back yards.  The local residents go out of their way to welcome visitors to the town, and even help them better plan their stay in town or around the area with tips, directions, and suggestions for dining or lodging.  We are so grateful to them!

And front and center of our town's "destination" revitalization, is the Frenchtown Business and Professional Association, made up of business owners who volunteer their time to promote Frenchtown, improve the relationship with our town's residents, local business entities, government officials, and visitors.  They are responsible for creating the highly successful 2nd Saturdays live music series where musicians performed all summer outside to entertain passersby, as well as numerous other initiatives, including events every weekend this month, and many more that will be planned out for the rest of the year and holiday season.  

On our end, we've got big news regarding the upcoming elections.  We'll soon be posting information on our facebook page about a little contest we're designing that might be more indicative of the outcome than some of the polls all the news channels are touting.  Visit our facebook page soon and find out!

Another area that has kept us busy, busy, busy, is selecting wines that we'll feature exclusively at The National Hotel for our monthly National Wine Club members.  Thank you to those of you who have already signed up and those who have asked for more information.  We've started contacting guests who have emailed us or have asked for additional information, so stay tuned if you are one of those individuals.  This is exciting on many levels, but more so because the impetus for creating this monthly club came from our very patrons, who wanted to experience a more intimate approach to enjoying wines, to learning about wines, and having the opportunity to meet others who are interested in wines when we have special wine tastings and exclusive events.  Launching this alongside our new fall menu, has been a labor of love, incorporating the many areas that Pete and I love, alongside our long-time Executive Chef, Lisa Frederick, and the rest of our staff.

In fact, Lisa took center stage recently, when we had the pleasure of having been chosen for a a wedding reception that took over the entire first floor of our building.  She was on top of every detail, from the decor of the food stations, to the wait staff continuing to come out of the kitchen with tray after tray of beautiful appetizers and finger food, to the main course, where she took it upon herself, alongside Pete, to personally serve each dish and plate them according to the guest's needs.  This attention to detail is what sets her apart, and what elevates the level of service at The National Hotel.  It truly was a memorable day for the bride and groom, but an equally memorable day where the staff showed Pete and me, just how capable they are, just how committed they are, and just how dedicated they are to providing exceptional service to our guests.

If you are planning on coming to Frenchtown this weekend, you're in for a treat.  Not only will the town be featuring numerous events (in-store and around the town, from face-painting to fall-themed events), but there will also be a couple of Halloween-themed events, including a Halloween Afternoon at Two Buttons, starting at 3 p.m. filled with "candy, stories, and SPOOKINESS," and follow that up with a great night of fun with our very own Halloween Celebration, downstairs in The National Hotel's cellar pub, The Rathskeller Pub (a.k.a. The Rat), where we'll start getting ready for a night of fun in the late afternoon, with music starting at 9 p.m., featuring one of our favorite bands, Rainbow Fresh.  



This is an annual celebration that just keeps getting better and better with patrons donning anything from a simple sheet with two holes cut out, to extraordinarily complex costumes.  Prizes will be given out all night for best costumes, as we all enjoy the music of Rainbow Fresh. 

October has already proven to be a beautiful month, and we've witnessed spectacularly gorgeous autumn days, perfect for sitting on The National Hotel's front porch and watching as the day goes by, to lovely days to stroll through the town and listen to the outdoor music that has been a part of our weekend activities, and now to this concluding weekend that will showcase a multitude of activities preceding Halloween.  

Photo courtesy of Paula Focazio

We even had a fantastic event that spoke volumes about our little gem of a town:  Our Mayor, Warren Cooper, married Bonnie Pariser (aka AmarJyothi), owner of Yoga Loka in town, and instead of limiting their reception to a select group of individuals, they opened up the celebration to THE ENTIRE TOWN!!  Talk about being inclusive, about being accepting, about being community-centered and community-oriented.  Unbelievable--except, totally expected and within the realm of possibility here in Frenchtown.

It's just going to get even better...November promises so much more, including something very close and dear to our heart:  Pete and I opened the doors to The National Hotel on November 3rd, 2009--and it coincides with one of our favorite nights of the month, our Monthly Music Themed Night.  Mike Pfeiffer will perform music that you will surely remember and that will take you back to that oh-so-special-night, starting at 9:30 p.m. with our star bartender, Donna Jane Sampler, mixing special drinks and serving great micro-brews on tap.  Come with your favorite songs to test Mike's knowledge!  In just a little over a week, we'll be celebrating our 3rd anniversary that YOU have made possible.  It has only been through the generosity of our friends, neighbors, and traveling guests, that has shown us day in and day out, that YOU want The National Hotel to be a part of this amazing Delaware River community.  You continue to support us, to stop by just to say "hello," to participate in our events, and to encourage us to try new things.  

All we can say is "thank you."  Truly, truly, thank you for all that you have helped us make possible, and for giving us bragging rights after just a few years.  We are so fortunate to be blessed with a wonderful and supportive staff, terrific friends, and genuinely dedicated patrons who continue to enter through our doors for lunch, dinner, drinks, activities, and even overnight stays.  Whether you know it or not, Pete and I look forward to entering this grand old lady of a building every single day, because we know how important she is to so many of you.

Thank you again.  And as always, do stay on top of all that's happening in town and in the area, by liking our facebook page, following us on twitter, subscribing to our YouTube channel, and of course, visiting our website.  If you have feedback that you'd like to share, please do post it here, or email it to me directly, or call us at 908.996.3200. We look forward to welcoming you to Frenchtown and to The National Hotel again in the near future.

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!