Friday, May 22, 2009

Spring in Blue Hill

It has been such a lovely spring--I can't believe you aren't here. A few lobster boats fish out of the boat landing just a block and a half from the inn. It's a tidal boat launch so you will only find the lobstermen there at high tide. We have tide charts available for guests, thanks to Melone Madix-Jackson of Slaven Realty. This photo of the Brady Caleb is from an early morning walk--can you see why I sometimes have to resist dashing through the halls at the inn, shouting, "Wake up! Wake up! It's a beautiful day"?! One nice advantage to the inn being just up from the water--we don't awake to the diesel engines roaring out to sea before dawn.

The lilacs beside the kitchen door are heavenly and the apple blossoms came out just in time for our guest Meredith's wedding. Much of her party were staying here as well. I was so proud of the inn's garden looking so marvelous, just in time.

We've spruced up the inside of the inn, too, and thrown open the doors just this past weekend. The sun has been streaming in the breakfast room windows.

A guest asked for the recipe for Matt's carrot cake cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting (our first afternoon treat offering). Let me know if you'd like me to send you a copy, too. They work well as muffins without the frosting... Or as muffins with the frosting. Who says a muffin can't be frosted?! We often make mini muffins. I figure, if you like it, you can have another (or two, or three). If you don't care for it, there's very little waste. This is a photo of Matt, working on hors d'oeuvres we served at our open house. We also served Maine shrimp ceviche from the Blue Hill Co-op at the open house. I had their scallop ceviche recently. Both are amazing and just another example of how lucky we are in this gorgeous town--we get great food, too.

There is so much to tell you! Jill Smith, from Millbrook Bakery, is becoming an ice cream lady! She'll be scooping right downtown Blue Hill, near the Chamber of Commerce, across from the post office (where I go every single day. It's a very good thing the inn has a lot of stairs to climb and grass to mow). She'll be opening this very weekend.


Elvers
may not show up on our menu but they do get flown to o la la restaurants like the French Laundry and Four Seasons. Folks around here have been fishing for these little eels for generations.

"Had an absolutely wonderful time" wrote some guests, former innkeepers themselves, as they checked out. They were heading through Belfast on the way home, hitting the fun stores and Chase's Daily.

You know we only have the nicest guests here--this week it's been Meredith the bride, Fischer the groom, and all their friends and family. And, John and Vera, guests from last year, called to check in. They wrote a lovely review of their stay on TripAdvisor--very thoughtful! We really appreciate the compliments and kind words. Thank you thank you!

Tuesday, May 5, 2009

The season blooms this month!

May finds us deep cleaning the inn and preparing to open the newly-painted red doors to another season. Our Cape House accommodations, the Suite and the Studio, are available year-round but from May to November, the inn's 11 rooms welcome guests.

I have another book to tell you about! I think it must be in the water here--Blue Hill is chock-a-block full of talented folks. Marjorie Kernan might look familiar to you as she is often in her antique store right down the street from the inn (it's the one with the incredible French items). Her novel, the Ballad of West Tenth Street, is all New Yorky, though, and just a great read. In a small town, everything is connected--Marjorie's partner Andre Strong, an amazing cook, used to prepare dinners at the inn.

I'm often suggesting guests stroll through the cemeteries in town. We have the Seaside, which is... on the water, and we have the Early Settlers Cemetery, which is full of... early settlers, and we have the Mountain View, which... ! The photo above is from earlier this spring, at Seaside.

We're still sad about the Oakland House closing--and still worried about the lack of lodging to be found in this area. Please, please, if you know you're coming and will want to stay here, call ahead! We are already sold out for a number of weekends. I hate to say no but we can't make more rooms the way El El Frijoles sometimes has to make more food (I went out there tonight to celebrate Cinco de Mayo only to discover the early worm gets the special chocolate menu. Latecomers didn't leave hungry, though. I had a great quesadilla. With their salsas--the corn and the mango are my favorites--I didn't miss the mole sauce at all).

Another sadness is that the Wescott Forge has closed its doors. We really would be devastated but Cleonice, a favorite restaurant in Ellsworth, has a plan up its sleeve. I believe it will be called Table. More details to come.

I love a silent auction and recently won 15 pounds of lobster at the local elementary school. I bid over Bob Stephens, boat designer extraordinaire, so felt it was only fair to share the goods with him and his family. He did the cooking honors. Lobster is just soooo delicious. And this was for a good cause.

Maine Built Boats has produced a great video about... Maine built boats. You really have to watch it--beautiful boats and great scenery.

I hope you're planning your summer vacations, packing the binoculars and the bike helmets, the beach books and the car snacks. We're getting ready for you.