Thursday, July 24, 2008

Breakfast is included

and so are afternoon treats and our evening hors d'oeuvres, and the pillow chocolates, and the bottled water we send with you on your hike, and the fruity iced tea we serve you when you arrive, and the coffee we offer morning, noon, and night. So don't worry about extras being added to your bill (other than the wine or drinks, as per our liquor license, but we have some nice choices to offer you, with reasonable price tags).

But let me tell you about the breakfasts. They're served in our sunny breakfast room (OK, I can't guarantee it will always be sunny. But on foggy days--and in a seaside village, we get fog sometimes--we light the candles). This photo shows two paintings of my grandfather's. Thanks to my mother and Aunt Sal, I get to have them welcoming you to the dining room.

We begin breakfast with a fruit course, fresh and local when we can, and juices, followed by our bread course. My three favorites are the apple tarts, the pecan mini muffins, and my own pecan coffee cake. You'll have to decide among our entrée options. (I took a friend to a B&B once--a tall, big guy who happened to be a vegetarian. We were served sausage and a very sweet French toast concoction. He was miserable.) The Blue Hill Inn always has choices for you--the blueberry pancake recipe has been served at the inn for decades and many many guests have told me they are the best they've ever had! We offer waffles some mornings with a fruit sauce or a special syrup or French toast with a raisin bread--my favorite so far this year. It's bread from Millbrook Bakery, in nearby Sedgwick.

And eggs! Ruth is our egg lady. She drops by every Thursday and brings her gorgeous eggs into the kitchen. Her chickens must be sunshiny happy--their yolks are bright and beautiful. We'll make omelettes with yummy fillings or scramble them with cheeses or poach them with local organic tomatoes. This morning, Head-of-the-Kitchen Matt added local organic scallions, too, that added purple and green to the red and yellow. Add an orange nasturtium from the garden and it was art on a plate. Why didn't I take a picture to show you?!

We offer toast from breads Kathy at Blue Hill Hearth makes for us. And don't forget bacon from Smith's Smokehouse or the organic chicken sausage from Island Acres Farm. Don't worry--you can hike Blue Hill Mountain, walk out to the Seaside Cemetery, or go for a swim. You'll be hungry for a cookie later.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

"I fell asleep in the hammock"

We have a portfolio of techniques to help you relax: our fruity iced teas we deliver to your room or to the garden or to the library, the wingback chairs with reading lamps, the waterfront park two blocks from the inn, our heavenly mattresses, pressed luxurious sheets, fluffy duvets, and pile of pillows; afternoon snacktime (not unlike kindergarten, though you don't have to nap on the floor), the day spa two blocks away that has two practitioners, one for you and one for your partner who also needs to relax--or both for you! We can send you off to the salt water, to swim or boat or just sit with the salt breeze in your hair. We have bubbly and bourbon and bonbons. We'll print you out driving directions, wherever it is you're heading, we'll help you with the GPS, we'll carry your bags up and get them situated on the luggage stands for you. It would be silly to call it "the very relaxing, wonderfully calming, deeply satisfying Blue Hill Inn" but we could.

I realized I hadn't shown you the red doors yet. I've been making small changes throughout the inn as I settle in (one year on July 17th!). I can't tell you how many guests have asked me to take their pictures in front of the new doors.
I'm always adding more books to the library, including three very Mainey books this week alone: Linda Greenlaw's latest, Fisherman's Bend, Blueberries for Sal (not sure why I hadn't had a copy of that one) and Yellow Boatie (which I first read this winter but now have two signed copies--one for the Cape House and one for the library). Helen Sylvester, the author of Yellow Boatie, had a book signing at the Lobster Crate, the marvelous giftshop and seafood shop on the road to Brooklin. I could pick up books and lobster for breakfast at the same time! I'm not usually on the schedule to cook breakfasts--I'm on in the afternoon making cookies and in the evening making hors d'oeuvres--but I filled in the other day and got to make the pecan coffee cake from the Silver Palate cookbook. Mmm, mmm. I hope your July is going as deliciously as ours.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Perry's Lobster Shack

Now you know I sacrifice a lot for the good of the guests. Last night, I had to go to Perry's Lobster Shack in Surry, down Newbury Neck Road. I could hardly continue to recommend it to guests without trying it myself, could I? I know I gush too much but... The sun setting, the almost full moon rising, the breeze mostly keeping the bugs at bay (and I was with Don, the inn's photographer and sometimes breakfast cook, who is apparently sweeter than I am. He got the bug bites. Remember this when dining al fresco with friends!). It's BYOB, and I brought a bottle of bubbles, Jules Bertier, a blanc de blanc we've been serving at the inn to great response. I've always been opposed to drinking out of paper cups so send guests to Perry's armed with the proper stemware. Don, his family, and I had pretty much what Perry offers--fresh lobster, mussels, and corn on the cob. So, so heavenly. Perry himself is a delight. Try to resist asking him the obvious questions--here's the answers to help you: he and his wife have been doing it for about ten years, yes, they do live in the little building all summer long, yes, he is here seven days a week, no, he doesn't advertise much (he doesn't want people to have to wait too long for one of the three picnic tables on his pier), no, he doesn't make the ice cream sandwiches but he buys then from a farm which makes the ice cream from milk from their cows, the corn is only local during the season but he can tell you where it's from (and it was soooooo good. Next time, I'm going to be piggy and order two or three or four ears). The moonrise photo was the view from our table!

We've just made it easier for you to have a game of tennis at the courts right across the street. We now have a supply of great rackets and balls for you to use. The courts are public, first-come, first-serve (I am ridiculously amused by puns). And, just like climbing Blue Hill Mountain--exercise means you can have a bigger lobster at Perry's and more dessert or an extra afternoon treat at the inn. Treats at the inn the other day were chocolate chocolate chip cookies, yesterday a plum cake, today? Who knows--something delightful, for sure. If you were here, you would know.

Speaking of being here, it breaks my heart when you call for reservations and we have no room for you, especially returning guests. I always wish I could just make another room, like we make another plate of canapes during hors d'oeuvres when we need to. The fall is a great time to visit Maine and we do still have rooms for the Foliage, Food and Wine Festival, October 16-19, always a magical weekend of great wines and food and fall walks and the smell of woodsmoke from the fireplace in the parlor.

And, happy anniversary to me and the inn! Today marks one year since I took the title, Sarah Pebworth, innkeeper at the Blue Hill Inn. Thank you for a fabulous, wondrous year!

Friday, July 11, 2008

Fishermen's Family Fun Day

Have you ever watched a cod fish relay? Ever tried to row a boat blindfolded, depending on the navigations of your sighted sternman? Is your fish face prize-worthy? July in Stonington brings an opportunity to try or watch all of these and more (there's live music, knot tying, and rope splicing, too). July 20 is the 19th annual Fisherman's Family Fun Day. Louie, one of the waitstaff here at the inn, and I tried out our fish faces. Clearly, he wins. Strangely, we couldn't get others to join us.

If you need earlier entertainment, the Lobster Boat races are held July 13. Last year, 88 boats ran in 11 different classes including the lady skipper race, wooden boat race, and work boats under and over 24 feet.

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

July in the garden

What to do with all the fresh strawberries I can't resist? Daiquiris! So far this week we've had two drink specials to accompany our wine list--mojitos as the mint in the garden is thriving and strawberry daiquiris. The evenings have been so delicious we've been enjoying drinks and hors d'oeuvres in the garden. Last night the steel drum band played in the town park, just two blocks from the inn. Live music, the water in the bay, the moon coming on... I hope your July has been as summery and lovely.


On your way to Blue Hill, you could stop in Yarmouth and meet Eartha, a three-story tall scale model of our planet. Eartha, the world's largest revolving/rotating globe, awaits your visit at the DeLorme company.

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Talented Guests

I've always said I have the nicest guests. I also have the most talented. I had the nicest time with guests Carol and Carlton during hors d'oeuvres in the garden the other night but I wasn't able to be here to say goodbye when they checked out this morning. Carol left me the most beautiful card. She makes etchings, but also quilts pieces of her work together in collages. Carlton, meanwhile, is taking photographs and doing interesting things with color. You can get to know them better at their website (or by visiting them in Connecticut before Christmas to pick up a tree).

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

July!

Barbara, of Gallery 66, loves sheep as much as I do. She also likes cows and one of her compilation works is hanging in the Chamber office in Blue Hill. You wouldn't want to miss going to the gallery proper, though, as other artists have work there, including Margaret Whalen, whose fabulous October Wine, Food and Foliage poster image will adorn the area in the fall.

One of the most beguiling features of the Blue Hill Inn is its in-town location. Guests can enjoy a sparkling blueberry cocktail at the inn during our hors d’oeuvres hour and then walk to a lovely dinner and not worry about having to drive home after a nice bottle of wine.

Kneisel Hall is also within walking distance of the inn but the last little bit is uphill and I wanted to walk there again thinking about our guests to see what they might think. So off I went to the Sunday afternoon program of Beethoven's sonata for cello and piano in G minor, Op. 5, No. 2; Kodaly's duo of violin and cello, Op. 7; and Faure's piano quartet No. 2 in G minor, Op. 45. Jane Coop, one of Canada's leading pianists; Jerry Grossman, principal cellist with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; and violinist Laurie Smukler, professor at the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College (SUNY) were among the performers. Magic!

Kneisel Hall, the Bagaduce Lending Library and the Blue Hill Inn are all touted in 1,000 Places to See in the U.S.A. and Canada Before You Die.The three institutions are raffling off prizes this summer in celebration. If you'd like to enter and you won't be in town, let me know and I can put your information in the raffle bowl.

Kneisel Hall Chamber Music Festival can trace its origins to 1902 when Franz Kneisel, founder of the first professional string quartet in America, began bringing students to Maine for summer study. It is the oldest summer chamber music programs in the United States--and walking distance from the inn! Under the artistic direction of pianist Seymour Lipkin, the 2008 season runs through August 24 with concerts every weekend and many musical events during the week.

The lending library, under the current directorship of Susan Theriot, began in 1983. It is one of the world’s largest music libraries. And more music is being added all the time. Their collection includes over 2 million copies of printed scores and sheet music. Visitors can stop by to browse the collection and search for bargains in our sale bins. For the non-musical (such as myself), they have great note cards and sheet music with fabulous illustrations that are frame-worthy.

Louise Bourne stopped by with some postcards of her paintings--I love the feel of this one. Her gallery is a short drive from the inn.

I just found out that the Woodlawn Museum, in Ellsworth, has a croquet lawn!

"Short blog entries are better." But I still have to tell you about the rock and roller who stayed here recently, and about picking berries from our very own strawberry patch (doesn't a very fresh, very local strawberry dipped in dark chocolate and finished with crushed pistachio nuts sound like the perfect pillow chocolate? If you were here tonight, that would be on your pillow!)

Cindy Bullens is the musician. She has a place on North Haven Island, which inspired her to collaborate on a musical, Islands: The Musical. After listening to a snippet of "Jellico Highway," I had to order a CD from her new band, the Refugees. Enjoy!