LET IT SNOW, LET IT SNOW

What's a little snow? Except today's storm was a big one! It's still coming down, but Pete & Marlon are holding down the fort. Our Bar is open and we've had loads of friends stopping by to warm up, share some stories, and then brave the elements outside once again.

When I look out my window, I can see the wind blowing the snow, twisting and shifting before it has a chance to hit the ground. It's an amazing sight, beautiful to see from inside, and amazing to experience outside, walking & touching the fluffy white substance. My girls and I enjoyed ourselves outside after I was done with work, and even our dog, Pep, got into the action, chasing some snowballs Shiara would throw, only to discover (again and again) that the "ball" had somehow disappeared into the blanketed ground. He didn't stop playing though, until she stopped throwing them.

Driving is another story though. But that's the beauty of Frenchtown, where our neighbors can simply walk over to say "hi," hang out a little bit, meet other friends, and then make their way home on foot. And that's also the beauty of being part of the Delaware River towns, because so many people find it easily accessible to have a short drive from one point or another to The National Hotel in Frenchtown. With the building being at the terminus of Route 12, intersecting with County Route 513, and the start of Route 29, it definitely feels as though we are often at the crossroads of many people's lives.

But be careful out there if you are going to be heading out now; some of the tertiary roads are not yet plowed and it's a bit hazardous. We had a wonderful friend of The National Hotel, who is also an active participant in our Thursday Open Mike Nights at The Rathskeller Pub Lounge, take some beautiful photos (including the ones posted at the top of this blog post), as well as others on her fb page. Really beautiful shots.

The weather reports keep detailing the amount of snow that is yet to fall through the rest of the night. Good thing The National Hotel is a true hotel/B&B, because if Pete can't get home tonight, he has a few guest suites from which to choose right there above the Restaurant & Bar. Better safe than...well, you know the rest.

THERE'S MUSIC EVERY THURSDAY...HAVE YOU MET THE STAFF AT THE NATIONAL HOTEL?

How about that! I just published a post yesterday & I realize that I am missing half the story. Our Open Mike Nights went off like gang-busters (is that the term??) last week and our 2nd installment is this Thursday beginning at 8:30 p.m. for sign-ups, with the show kicking off at 9 p.m. I know there's going to be a blanketing of snow in our area (or so they've been announcing for days and it started coming down earlier tonight), but instead of staying home and feeling the winter blues, why not come out to Frenchtown and share a musical night in our Rathskeller Pub. You can mingle with others in the Pub while you get a drink and warm up next to our wood-burning fireplace, or meander onto our Lounge area to sit, chat and listen to music. What could be better? Click here if you'd like to contact us via email to sign up or if you have any questions.

On top of that, I also talk so much about the building itself and our wonderful guests, that I think I've neglected telling you about our wonderful staff. I know I've mentioned one name here and there, but really, without the infrastructure in place to have consistently good service, great food and wonderful drinks, where would we be?

So rather than an homage to our own staff, I'll just share some anecdotes as to why our home away from home is so special. Take for instance our executive chef, Ron Rittenhouse. Yes, he has all the credentials that any serious establishment would be proud to publish, but it's his deep devotion to quality, to supporting our local farmers, our local economy, that is an integral part of Ron. When I've been there before the sun comes up working on this press release or trying to put into effect that marketing tactic, I am always pleasantly surprised by Ron's presence before anyone else enters the building. When I see him though, I know I'm cutting it short on getting myself out the door to my other work in NYC...so I run, but it's always a pleasure to see him jump right in, taking care of inventory, prepping for the day, and in general organizing everything for his kitchen staff.

Not long after Ron arrives, Lisa walks through the door...now I know I'm going to be late...should've left 10 minutes ago! But seeing Lisa in action starts my day off just right. First of all, she makes sure the coffee is percolating. Love that! Second, she knows just where to go and what to do to fit right in with Ron; they have a lot of chemistry and compliment each other nicely.

When I return to NJ from a full day away, Lisa is usually gone, and I'm greeted as I walk through the back door of the kitchen, by Zack and Jeff. I have yet to find them in a bad mood. The "hello's" and "how was your day" always await me. They don't get thrown off by me or by my two munchkins who are always in tow, as they come to greet their dad, Pete.

And then there's Marlon, of course. Wonderful Marlon, or "Merlin" as one of our long-time customers calls him, "Merlin, the magician, because he always makes magic here and takes care of everything." Do you have any idea how fantastic it is to hear comments like that? We've only been open since November 3rd of last year. To have people constantly coming up to me and telling me just how great Marlon is, how wonderful Kasey is at the bar, how great Glenn makes the drinks (not to mention his collection of jazz music that he has allowed us to share with all of you, beautifully complementing Marlon's extensive jazz collection), or just how terrific Chris, Kevin, Ryan, Brenda and Bryan are at catering to their every need, is just fantastic.

Oh, and let's not forget The Rathskeller Pub. It just wouldn't be the same without Lynn. Even with a brace on her leg, she managed to work through all that pain, going up and down the stairs to get this or that. She's now working with our newest bartenders, Donna and Tobi, who are proving to be quite the assets to The National Hotel. Just like our clientèle, who enjoy mingling upstairs as well as hanging out downstairs, our bartending staff work the upstairs Bar and the downstairs Rathskeller Pub bar.

On any average day, it's a joy to be around our staff, who seem to enjoy being our ambassadors of good will and courteous service to our clientèle. There's no doubt in my mind that we've got a solid team on board. Having my husband, Pete, at the helm, supported by all these wonderful individuals, who bring their passion for this industry and their love of this historic building each and every day, I am sure we will withstand the ups and downs that go hand-in-hand with the restaurant business.

If there is anything that you'd like us to add, change or review, please feel free to contact us directly at info@thenationalhotelnj.com, or pete@thenationalhotelnj.com. Your feedback is critical to us, so feel free to email us, or post your comments on this blog.

Thank you to all of you who have helped make The National Hotel a welcome spot for our community!

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???

THURSDAYS AND SUNDAYS JUST GOT BETTER!

I am so impressed by all that my husband, Pete, has been able to accomplish. You might think that it's a very subjective view given that he's my husband, but truly, every day he manages to push through the daily grind to find the beauty in The National Hotel. While I'm in NYC working at a local non-profit and spending my evenings with our two beautiful daughters, he is working towards creating a truly special atmosphere, a welcoming environment, and a destination for all who want to feel like they are a part of something unique, all through The National Hotel. It's a joy to witness, and an even greater joy to be able to share this through our blog, marketing, communications, and outreach efforts.

Tonight was just full of exciting prospects. Our Thursdays will kick off our Open Mike sessions beginning on Thursday, February 4th!!! Sign-ups start at 8:30 p.m. and the show jump starts at 9 p.m. downstairs in The Rathskeller Pub. Click here to get contact information to let us know if you're interested in participating!

And, Sundays truly got better! Not only will we feature local artists in our Rathskeller Pub Lounge, but we will also be the proud hosts of an open mike session for writers and poets. Wait...that's not all. Pete has also secured other entertainers, who will just wow you. And everything is done through our local artists, our local talent! I'm going to leave those details to my next post, because I don't want to gush all over this page.

Super Bowl Sunday is on the 7th, so we'll save our next performer, Teri Rambo, for the 14th. Please join us in the Rathskeller Pub Lounge, on February 14th, from 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. Teri is an Indie/Folk musician who has written her own music. We hope you'll make the time to share this special upcoming afternoon with us. Mark your calendars!

I do think it's important to recognize how fortunate we were to be able to feature a truly special Sunday afternoon on January 24th. We were treated to the performance of Dennis Thatcher ("Den"), and after the 1st hour or so, he was joined by two lovely ladies who accompanied him with beautiful voices, rhythm and talent.

Den played classic cover rock, and was able to entertain one and all. Even our youngest daughter, Laina, who is a Beatles' fan, was able to request a song from Den. He captured all of our attention, even drawing some of our staff from the upstairs Bar, downstairs to The Rathskeller Pub Lounge, to listen to his music. We were all transfixed by his music, and by his stories. He told some pretty funny tales about growing up in Frenchtown and the different people from town who helped shape his life.

It truly was a fun, relaxed and enjoyable afternoon. I even had the pleasure of having 2 assistants: Laina, as the new videographer, taking turns with Shiara, our oldest daughter, as an additional photographer! And to add to this wealth of involved people, I received an email from one of our very first supporters, Alana Balogh, who helped spread the word about Den! She took it upon herself to email her friends about our Sunday program. This is after all she did a couple of months ago, when she single-handedly contacted musicians in the area to let them know that The National Hotel was hoping to feature live music in the near future. We received such an incredible response from musicians who were interested in performing, that we will always be grateful for her interest and for her continued support. The National Hotel has truly allowed us to meet wonderful people, who continue to give of themselves, and to show us an immense trust in our ability to ensure that The National Hotel surges forward even in this recovering economy. Thank you to all our friends, new and old.

We hope you had the opportunity to join us, but if you didn't, click on the webclip below to get a sampling of the music Den played.

We hope that you'll come and support our local artists and send us your feedback if you'd like to see us reach out to other musicians, or have a particular one in mind. You can also email us at info@thenationalhotelnj.com if you'd like reach us directly rather than on this public forum.

See you on the 14th to welcome Teri Rambo!

FROM INDIA TO FRENCHTOWN...HANDICRAFT SKILLS IN BOTH PLACES

What a joy to see the tapestry quilt that Pete and I bought on one of our many trips to India together. We had traveled to northern India with our two daughters, and had the opportunity to visit some local artisans. The handicrafts they had created with their own hands, some with very rudimentary tools, were just extraordinary. Just looking at these pieces, and then having the opportunity to actually touch them, to feel the history behind each carving, each stitch...extraordinary. And what made it that much more special, was that we knew that whatever article we were touching, had been created through visual, tactile, and verbal memory; an inter-generational tradition of passing down their family's skill-set.

Truly from the moment we took the boards off the facade of the building and had a chance to take in the scope and breadth of the building, Pete and I knew that we would want to mount and frame this beautiful tapestry quilt to share with all our new friends in Frenchtown. This town has such a community of artists, of appreciation for all things old, hand-made and even foreign, that we just couldn't wait to choose a frame, background, etc. Well, with everything else that took place in just our enormous effort to open our doors barely two months after we took over ownership, the tapestry took a backseat. But it was not forgotten. Oh no. In fact, Marlon Aranha, our General Manager, will gladly share tales with you of how many mistakes we made trying to get this artwork on our wall. Frustrating? An understatement. But now that it is proudly displayed in our private dining room, it was all well worth it. My incessant calls to Marlon for updates, his follow-up on the work, the on-again-off-again mounting...all worth it. You really must drop by to see it. It's centuries old, and yet, the colors used (which eerily match the colors throughout our building), are vibrant and alive.

And this is the fun part! Not only did Pete and I decide to share a piece of our travels by displaying this piece of art at The National Hotel, but we also decided that the frame should be a part of our own home. Yes! In fact, Dan Maltby, owner of Maltby Construction in Kingwood Township, and a master carpenter who has done a lot of restoration work for properties in the Princeton area, as well as a lot of work for us on our 1850s farmhouse, and also helped us with a couple of projects a The National Hotel, used some pretty old wood from our farmhouse, to create the frame. And I cannot leave out Glass Castle, who helped us with cutting the right odd-size glass for the frame, to actually offering to mount it for us. Thank you Glass Castle and thank you Bryan, our wonderful staff member who pulls double-duty by working for Glass Castle too. The tapestry, centuries old from India, looks gorgeous in our private dining room.

We hope you'll drop by to see it. It's been a long process to have it framed and mounted, but when you see the tapestry quilt, you'll know it was worth it. When I look at it, I can almost see the artisans in northern India, working to save the little worn-out pieces of clothing from their ancestors, in order to do a tapestry quilt from which generations of handicraft skills are passed. What a treasure we found in our travels. We just love being a part of the energy that participating in microfinancing of sorts (on a very small scale on our part) creates. The joy and feeling of accomplishment you see in their faces is unforgettable. Please do stop by and let us know what you think. We'd love to have you post your feedback on this blog.

IT'S ON THE SCHEDULE NOW: MUSICIANS WILL PERFORM ALMOST EVERY SUNDAY

This weekend we're in for a treat! We have Dennis Thatcher performing on Sunday, January 24th, in the Rathskeller Pub Lounge, from 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. Den plays classic cover rock, including James Taylor, Lifehouse, Poco, Crosby/Stills/Nash, Dave Mason, Elton John, America, Bob Seger, Bread, Stone Temple Pilots...the list goes on...Neil Young, Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Dylan, Simon/Garfunkel, Emerson/Lake/Palmer, and many, many more!!!

Do come out on Sunday and join us to enjoy Den Thatcher's music. It'll be a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon....and you can even get drinks from the Rat and sit in the lounge to enjoy the music. Can't wait for Sunday!

And this follows another great weekend...we had Sandy Zio in the Rathskeller Pub Lounge, and just down the hall, we had sports enthusiasts enjoying the football season in the Rat. Sandy started the afternoon with some beautiful melodies, some of her own compositions, and some from a list of composers she loves. When the room started to fill up, Sandy connected with those in the room immediately! She joked with them, she took requests, she had conversations...a lot of fun to watch!

It was wonderful to see the sports enthusiasts tearing themselves away from the Rat throughout the afternoon, intrigued by Sandy's beautiful voice and talented piano skills. They would run from the Rat to the lounge and back, and each time they sat for a bit to listen to Sandy, the comments were unanimous: "What a talented musician." "What a joy to have music at The National Hotel again." "What a great space you've created in the lounge for musicians."

Well, after all the accolades, all Pete and I could say, truly from the heart, was "Thank you." We truly wanted to create a space that would make anyone walking into our establishment feel welcome, feel comfortable, and feel like they want to come back again and again. It's such a feeling of accomplishment to know that we have gained the trust and loyalty of so many of our Frenchtown neighbors, and now expanding our reach to other areas of Hunterdon County and Bucks County.

Pete and I feel blessed to have been given the opportunity to join the Frenchtown community and share our passion in this industry to bring alive the history and rich background of The National Hotel. We hope you will join us this Sunday, and on many other occasions to help us continue to grow our community of friends. See you soon!

The National Hotel is proud to welcome Sandy Zio on Sunday, January 17^th as she performs from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. Please mark your calendars and join us on the 17^th.

Sandy Zio has honed her vocal and piano style by playing hundreds of concerts over the past eight years, and because she is a relative newcomer to the club scene, she exudes freshness and an engaging spirit that makes her live shows a treat.

With regards to Sandy's original music, in the words of famous drummer Manu Katché (who has performed with Sting, Peter Gabriel, JoeSatriani), “cool stuff, nice voice!!” Zio has also been fortunate enough to have shared the stage with such well-known performers as Richie Cannata (Billy Joel), Julio Fernandez (SpyroGyra), Tony Beard (Paul McCartney), Joel Rosenblatt (Spyro Gyra), Glen Burtnik (Styx), Bobby Bandiera (BonJovi), Teddy Royal (Fats Domino),and Liberty Devitto (Billy Joel). Zio has released her debut CD available on CDBaby.com, I-tunes, Amazon.com, etc. Currently Zio is playing several acoustic solo shows and she is also performing with the local band, the Mojo Mystics as well as other projects including the Saloon Chicks, The Reock N Roll Revue, and of course, the Sandy Zio band.

Please join us at The National Hotel’s Rathskeller Lounge on Sunday January 17^th, from 3 p.m. – 6 p.m. to help us welcome Sandy Zio to our musical afternoon series. Click here for more information, or post a comment below. See you on Sunday!