Looking Forward to this New Year with YOU!

Our 6th New Year's celebration came to a close in the early hours of 2015. Thank you so much to those of you who came out to share the beginning of a new year with us at The National Hotel--and thank you to all those of you who made 2014 an absolutely memorable year because you were a part of it!! Everything we've accomplished has been thanks to your support and the dedication of our talented staff. Spending time with you and seeing you return to our establishment just propels us forward more than you can ever imagine, and we are grateful beyond words.

Although we are closed today, we will reopen our doors tomorrow, January 2nd, and be fully energized after spending a day with our respective families. And, we've got a lot planned for the next few weeks:

• Sunday, January 4 - Arnie Baird
• Monday, January 5 - Happy Hour, 5-7 pm in The Rathskeller Pub (a.k.a., The Rat)
• Wednesday, January 7
  - Happy Hour, 4 - 6 pm in The Rat
  - Forks and Corks Special Dinner (1 lb 100% grass-fed Porterhouse steak w/mashed potatoes and veg and/or 50% off a bottle of wine of YOUR choice)
  - Karaoke Night, 8 pm - Midnight
• Saturday, January 10 - Mike Jaimeson
• Sunday, January 11 - Dillon Taylor
• Tuesday, January 13 - Bi-Weekly Trivia Night
• Wednesday, January 14
   - Karaoke Night, 8 pm - Midnight
   - Happy Hour, 4 - 6 pm in The Rat
  - Forks and Corks Special Dinner (1 lb 100% grass-fed Porterhouse steak w/mashed potatoes and veg and/or 50% off a bottle of wine of YOUR choice)
• Saturday, January 17 - Jesse Ketchel
• Sunday, January 18 - Brian Colburn
• Check our website for additional information please.

We also have our weekend Additions to the Menu planned out already, and posted on our website for this 1st weekend of 2015:

DRINK SPECIAL

THE POINSETTIA

Champagne, Cranberry Juice, Cointreau $8

GREENS

SUPER FOOD SALAD

Black Quinoa with toasted Sesame & Pumpkin Seeds, Pomegranate Seeds, Orange Slices, Kale marinated in a Orange & Lime Vinaigrette, Avacado Slices $12

SMALL PLATES

OYSTERS

Taylor Bay Oysters, MA – High Brine, Sweet Finish

Wild Martha Vineyards Oysters, MA – Mild Brine, Clean Finish

West Falmouth Oysters, Buzzard Bay, MA – Briny with a Dry Finish

$2.5 each, 6/$13, 12/$25

LAMB PIZZA

House Made flatbread, Ground Lamb with Mediterranean Spices, Curried Green Tomato Sauce, Garnished with Mint $10

PLATES

FISH

Sautéed Salmon with a Dill Sauce, Salmon Caviar, Sautéed Kale, Red Rice $24

MEAT

Grilled 8 oz. Fillet Mignon, Sautéed Shrimp in a Lemon Butter Sauce, Grilled Asparagus, Black Garlic Mashed Potatoes $32

PASTA

Lobster Ravioli, Lobster Crème Sauce, Diced Tomatoes, Sautéed Spinach $19

DESSERTS

Rum Chiata Tres Leche – Traditional South American dessert made with a moist cake soaked in three (tres) milks (leche) and topped with Rum Chiata Liqueur $8

Cheese Cake – Sweet Potato & Maple Layered Cheese Cake $6

Sweet Apple Empanada – house made Granny Smith & Gala Apple turnovers, dusted with Cinnamon Sugar $7

ASK YOUR SERVER FOR ADDITIONAL DESSERT OPTIONS

CAPPUCCINO, ESPRESSO, FRENCH PRESSED COFFEE

Please talk to us if you are thinking of a special occasion or an overnight stay for yourself or as a gift this winter--we have special packages that we can customize just for you, including a mid-week escape, and Adventurer's Package, and more. We want to help you create special moments in Frenchtown. Our knowledgeable General Manager, Marlon Aranha, will help craft a memorable experience for you and your loved ones. Call us at 908.996.3200 or email us with any questions.

We send you our warmest wishes for a healthy and prosperous 2015. May it be filled with joyous moments and the opportunity to share a day with friends and family. Pete and I thank you for all you do to help us stay the course, better ourselves and improve every day. Do continue to email us or post a comment here if you like. Thank you for your continued patronage and support. Happy New Year once again!

       

GOOD-BYE 2013...HELLO 2014!!

Pete and I are so excited to celebrate the birth of the New Year with you at The National Hotel!  Thank you to so many of you who have already RSVP'd for tomorrow night's celebration in The Rathskeller Pub (a.k.a. The Rat), starting at 9:30 p.m.! We have just a handful of tickets left--as in just 4!!--because we are limiting the number of people so that those who registered can truly enjoy our featured musicians, Rainbow Fresh!!  If you didn't sign up and are interested, please call 908.996.3200 tomorrow morning, in case any spots remain.  With a humble door fee of $10 per person in advance and $15 at the door, we knew this would be a sold-out event, and still allow everyone to enjoy a special night with an area favorite.

And to boot, by popular request:

The National Hotel's main Bar will be open on Wednesday, New Year's day, from 3 p.m. - 8 p.m.  Sorry, but our kitchen staff needs a day off after the 31st, so we will not be offering food, except for the "liquid" kind.  Now that's the way to keep the celebratory mood going right into 2014!!

To bring this full circle, I recently heard someone say that the holiday season is the closing punctuation to the year, where we are forced to stop what we are doing, give thanks, and take the time to breathe and be with friends and family.  I found this to be incredibly poignant.  How true it is that the month of December captivates all of us, with people of different faiths reuniting with their families, friends, neighbors...building community.  This speaks volumes about how Pete and I look at our roles as proprietors of The National Hotel:  Community.  We thank you for a blessed 2013 that you have made so special for us, for our staff, and for other patrons.  Your support has carried us through our 5th holiday season at The National Hotel, and has allowed us to have great expectations for the New Year ahead.

We look forward to seeing you tomorrow and into the New Year.  Don't forget about our "regularly scheduled programs," including:

• weekly Thursday Open Mic Night
• weekly Saturday Night Live music series
• weekly Sunday Musical Afternoon series
• bi-weekly Tuesday Trivia
• monthly Music Themed Night on the 1st Saturday of the month
• monthly National Wine Club ($10/month) exclusive selections

If you'd like to make it a get-away week, be sure to call us at 908.996.3200 or email us to make your reservation.  We have wonderful overnight packages including one for this special time of year.

Overall, whether it's a night out or an overnight stay, our patrons make The National Hotel what it is today--and continue to add to its many years of history.  It all comes down to COMMUNITY.  And, we are so fortunate to be right smack in the middle of the best group of people with whom we've ever shared our lives, from patrons, to musicians, to neighbors, to staff.  Thank you!

As we approach the very last days of this year, Pete and I want to thank you again for your patronage and support.  You buoy our spirits, and we will carry this immensely satisfying feeling well into 2014!  Happy New Year to you and yours!!

Please do email me with any feedback or questions, or leave a comment on this blog.  You can also reach us at 908.996.3200, or fill out our guest inquiry page on our website.  Stay up-to-date with all of the activities and programs we have planned for this special season:

      

Thank you again.