St. Augustine Log

Tony Bennett: You Can Find Your Heart in St Augustine!

2012-02-27T06:19:00.000-08:00

Frankly, I'm not entirely sure how you leave your heart anywhere...isn't that the type of thing that you usually pack first? And then you tap your chest on the way to the airport, just to remind yourself that it's still with you? (That's what I do with my driver's license on the way to the airport, every time).

Anyway, as I mentioned in the last blog, Mr. Bennett is coming to Saint Augustine on March 20. And YOU can see him for FREE!!

There is a small catch: you have to win the "History with Heart" contest at www.450years.com. It's easy to enter--just post a short video or write a small essay about why YOU (heart) St. Augustine, and if your answer is chosen as the winner, you get a pile of stuff:

2 free tickets to see Tony Bennett sing his heart out at the Saint Augustine Amphitheatre
Romantic horse and carriage ride around the oldest city
Brunch for two at the Raintree Restaurant
Dinner for two at the Floridian (one of our faves!!)
Mini flip cam
Basket full o' goodies
PLUS a whole lot more!!

All you have to do is go to www.450years.com and click on the CONTEST link. While you're there, check out the other cool things planned for the big 4-5-0...it's only three years away!!

Good luck!!

Top Acts in Saint Augustine

2012-02-26T08:42:00.002-08:00

We moved to Saint Augustine because we thought it was the most beautiful town we had ever seen. We loved the architecture of the old houses, the fort, the charming narrow brick streets.

Without sounding like too much of a geek, we also loved the amazing culture we found here--the Lightner Museum, the Oldest House museum, the Dow Museum of Homes, the pirate museum. For a little town, we've got a big list of museums!!

But as they say on the infomercials...THAT'S NOT ALL!!

It turns out that Saint Augustine also has an amazing venue for top-tier acts. It's the Saint Augustine Amphitheatre, and it's right across the Bridge of Lions. In the next few months, here are some of the scheduled events:

The Moody Blues, March 17
President Bill Clinton, March 19
Tony Bennett, March 20
Lyle Lovett, March 23
Martina McBride, April 13
The Beach Boys, May 2
Ringo Starr, June 29

Impressive, right? That's the kind of line up you might expect to see in a huge metropolis!! But no, it's right here in St. Augustine, and--unlike some of those "other" big venues, you don't have to lose $1000 gambling, or drive around for hours looking for a safe parking space (they have a huge lot right there).

Plus, you get all the charm of St. Augustine thrown in as a bonus.

If you want to see all of the acts playing in the next few months, you can check it out at www.staugamphitheatre.com. Don't forget, when you buy your tickets, be sure to reserve a room at the inn--because most of these acts are playing during high season.

Mike and I already have tickets to see The Beach Boys and Ringo Starr. But I'm eyeing some of those other acts, too...I just can't get over what a great line up we have this year!!

Holler if you need a ride across the bridge!!

MORE to Eat: Annual Oyster Roast

2012-02-04T05:12:00.000-08:00

As if there weren't too many great food choices ALREADY in St. Augustine, today there's one more: the annual Cathedral Parish Oyster Roast.

For just $20 in advance ($25 at the gate), you can slurp down all the salty slick goodness you want!! Bring your own oyster knife--or buy one at the event. While you're there, you might also want to purchase chowder, shrimp boil, wine, or funnel cakes (they're Pennsylvania Dutch, you know--who else could make a yummy fried dessert with leftover gooey dough!)

And yes, in case you're wondering, this event is about 30 steps away from the inn. So waddling home is easier than ever!!

Swing on by from noon til 4 today.

All proceeds benefit the school.

You (Still) Light Up My Life

2012-01-16T14:06:00.000-08:00

If you visit Saint Augustine, you might think--"Boy, that's a great place, and very cosmopolitan with all the museums, and artist studios, and high end architecture." But if you lived here, you'd know that deep down Saint Augustine is just a prettier-than-average country girl with a bit of a shyness problem.

All of us residents think that it's a great place--don't get me wrong--but at the end of the day it's just our little town. Despite all the prettiness, we don't have a lot of high-falutin' ideas about ourselves.

So you can imagine the uproar caused when our little, shy, prettier-than-average town was named as one of the Top Ten Places to See Holiday Lights by National Geographic. And we're not talking about one of the top ten places in the United States (although we would be pretty darn proud of that as well). We're talking about one of the top ten places IN THE WORLD.

Yup, it's us and a couple of little towns around the globe--towns like Vienna, Brussels, Copenhagen, Hong Kong and Madrid. Maybe you've heard of them.

It's like that shy, prettier-than-average, little country girl just went and got herself crowned Miss America. NO...WAIT...Miss WORLD!!

Anyway, we're all pretty psyched about it. It was on the front page of our local paper three days in a row.

Feeling left out? Well, you might not have time to fly to Hong Kong (I think their lights are down already), but you still have time to get to little Saint Augustine. The lights will be on through the end of January.

If you can't make it, here are a couple of pictures to whet your appetite for next year.

This is the park. It's the epicenter of romance, with all the trees lit up overhead.

The Casa Monica.

The town tree. (Note: the gift boxes are empty. A cruel joke).

And a little place we like to visit--the Bayfront Marin House.

Hope we see you there soon!!!

Marin House Sangria Recipes

2011-11-20T07:30:00.000-08:00

If you've stayed here, you know that our happy hours are practically world famous.

And the most famous part of our practically world famous happy hour is our red and white sangria. Can't decide which one you want? We are not judgemental if you'd like a glass full of each, or even if you'd like to mix the two for a festive pink sangria.

We're also not judgemental if you'd like to try your hand at making it yourself. If you want to try, here you go:

Marin House Red Sangria:

ingredients:
cabernet
orange juice
fresca
suga
fruits (we use fresh oranges and pineapple chunks, or canned if the produce doesn't look good that day!)

Pick a jar of any size (the bigger the better, as far as we're concerned). Then mix everythinbg together with these proportions: 3/4 of the jar should be filled with chardonnay, 1/8 jar of orange juice, 1/8 jar of fresca, 1 or 2 cups of fruit (enough to fill the bottom of the jar). Then add sugar to taste.

Marin House White Sangria
chardonnay
apple juice
fresca
sugar
fruits (we use peaches and pineapples, canned works just as well)

Use the same proportions--3/4 full of chardonnay, 1/8 apple juice, 1/8 jar fresca, 1 cup of fruit. Add sugar to taste.

And remember--sangria always tastes better with friends. So invite a bunch over (or plan a trip for all of you to come and see us in St. Augustine!!)

Light Up Your Life: A Holiday Special from the Bayfront Marin House

2011-10-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

I used to balk whenever I saw Christmas decorations in stores before it was even Halloween.

Then I met my nephew, who--when he was four--opened his last birthday present of the day then said "When is my birthday next year???"

Why not celebrate something that you really enjoy as soon as possible?

We've been thinking about Christmas for quite some time now. And we've got a GREAT deal for our guests who are planning to spend the holiday season with us.

From November 27 through January 26, guests who stay two weekday nights (that's Sunday through Thursday) are going to have a sweet time at the Bayfront Marin House.

First, when you check in, you'll get awesome chocolate peppermint bark and s'mores from the amazing Claude's Chocolates (a local favorite--just ask our staff!) It's a great way to start a romantic getaway with your own sweetie.

After you've fed each other chocolate, you can enjoy our almost-famous happy hour from 5-7 each night. Lounge around in our hammock--or one of our relaxing porch swings--with a glass of our sangria, and a plate of our nom-noms du jour.

But the most fun is yet to come. When the sun goes down, the lights go up--over 2 million twinkly white ones, part of the illuminating Nights of Lights celebration in Saint Augustine. You'll enjoy the perfect vantage point on a FREE and EXCLUSIVE ride on the Inns of Elegance red train. It will pick you up right from our inn (we're one of only 5 Inns of Elegance, so there will be plenty of room on the ride), and take you on a gorgeous tour through town.

If you and your loved one don't feel all lovey-dovey after that, well, then there's really nothing more we can do for you.

But that doesn't mean we're not going to try!! When you check in, we'll give you a gift certificate good for two cups of homemade hot chocolate and chocolate covered biscotti from Claude's. It's our holiday gift to you--to THANK YOU for helping to make our first full year as innkeepers truly sweet for us.

We hope you'll join us for the holidays this year. The Trolley Treat Tour begins November 27 and runs through January 26 (with the exception of the week between Christmas and New Year's, when even Santa takes a break!!) Call us soon to book your stay!!

By the Numbers: Weddings on 11/11/11

2011-10-14T09:50:00.000-07:00

A good friend of mine dabbles in numerology.

She can meet someone, add up the letters in their name, and determine if they will be best friends or simply acquaintances. She can tell you what numbers are "lucky" for you, and what months are the best months for business or love or adopting a puppy.

I, on the other hand, can't even split a restaurant bill five ways without the total either coming up short, or our group leaving a 45% tip.

But lately I've been thinking that the numbers are aligning for me to start looking at numbers more carefully. If you're going to study numerology, Saint Augustine is the place to start. Check out this post in wikipedia:

St. Augustine of Hippo (A.D. 354–430) wrote "Numbers are the Universal language offered by the deity to humans as confirmation of the truth." Similar to Pythagoras, he too believed that everything had numerical relationships and it was up to the mind to seek and investigate the secrets of these relationships or have them revealed by divine grace.

I've been thinking about numbers a lot lately, as we get more and more calls from star-struck couples who want to be married at our inn on November 11, 2011--which is 11/11/11 for the numerically challenged.

(If you're thinking about doing that yourself, you might want to consider a room for 12/12/12. We already have FOUR couples getting married on 11/11/11--and I think that's our limit!)

So why are couples choosing this date in droves? In my highly unscientific study (I simply asked two of the people planning a wedding with us on that day), this is what I learned: there are those people (read: women) who think that a repetitive date like 11/11/11 is so scarce (this particular date won't happen again in our lifetime--and after 12/12/12 next year, this won't happen again until 2101, when you can get married on 1/1/1) that it simply must be good luck. Other people (men, natch) think it's cool because 11/11/11 seems to be a date that even they can't forget.

I guess we'll find out on 11/11/12.

In the meantime, if you want to get married on a special date, give us a call at 904.824.4301. We have availability on 1/2/12, 10/11/12, and 12/12/12!

Outside a dog, Man's Best Friend is a Book

2011-09-24T15:55:00.000-07:00

Groucho Marx said:

Outside a dog, man's best friend is a book. Inside a dog, it's too dark to read.

There's plenty of light today, both in sunny Saint Augustine and at the Florida Heritage Book Festival. We're proud to host a great mystery writer at the Marin for the event--Diane Stuckart. If you find yourself outside of a dog, check out one of her latest books.

Or learn more about the Florida Heritage Book Festival at http://www.fhbookfest.com/.

Sand and Sound at the Pier

2011-09-14T07:02:00.000-07:00

Today's Wednesday, and that means two things:

1. It's homemade ice cream night at the Bayfront Marin House (5-7)
2. It's free concert night at the Saint Johns County Pier Pavillion (7-9)

Really? Can you top that?

Tonight's musical guest is RhythmFish, and the ice cream flavor is raspberry cheesecake with dark chocolate flecks. Frankly, they both sound pretty good to me. And one sounds like a great way to prepare for the other! (Because this way, you won't get hungry during the concert!)

But you'd better hurry...because free concerts and free ice cream are only available Wednesdays in September. So, unless you're funk and lactose intolerant, you'd better hurry on down to Saint Augustine. There are only three more opportunities to check it out!

95 Cordova Gets 100 From Me

2011-08-29T15:03:00.000-07:00

Although I work from home, and the hub works at the Inn (a mere 10-minute walk away...and that's if you have to wait for the light at King Street), we really don't have that much "couple" time.

Oh, we decorate for weddings together, and we pay the bills together, and late at night we sit next to each other, working on our respective laptops. But I'm not sure that any of that qualifies as couple time.

So today we decided to meet for a nice lunch. Mike chose 95 Cordova, the beautiful Moorish restaurant in the Casa Monica hotel. He ate there a few weeks ago for a lunch meeting, and he's been wanting me to go ever since.

The restaurant is exotic--with tall dramatic chairs and elaborate arches everywhere. The ceiling was burnished gold, and it seemed like every surface was decorated with a little sumpin sumpin. But too much is never enough for me, so I liked it just fine.

Since I was in a bit of a hurry (I had a phone call with the office at 1:30), Mike didn't get the coconut curry soup, and he probably is still a little miffed over that. So I can't report on whether that was good or not.

The waiter brought us some good chewy bread as a starter, with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and house made pesto sauce. My grandmother is coming to visit us in October, and the bread alone made us both say--almost at once--that we'll have to bring her to this restaurant (she loves bread!) It was excellent, and probably would have gone great with a bowl of curry soup.

As it turned out, I didn't need the bread, as my curry chicken salad ($12) came with little wedges of pita. The salad was delicious, although the write up had said it came with apples, dates and cilantro, and I don't think I had any of those things on my plate (many people would say that these are all just cheap filler, and they would be happy that every chunk in the salad was pure white chicken instead). I did enjoy the candied nuts on top of the salad...they added a nice sweetness to the spice.

Note: if you order this because you want a lot of greens with your salad, don't. This is pure chicken salad, like the kind you put on a sandwich, and there were just a few tiny greens underneath it for looks. Again, this was fine with me...it's the chicken that's the good part anyway!

The hub enjoyed meatloaf, made with beef and homemade sausage ($15). It was topped with mushrooms in a rich sauce, and bottomed with a HUGE pile of mashed potatoes and then an artful spray of green beans. The waiter said it was his favorite dish on the menu (the hub and I always compete to see who gets the heartiest "Oh, good choice, sir/madam" from the wait staff.) Why a heavy meal like meatloaf is a very good choice on a sweltering day, I'm not sure...it's possible that the waiter knew that Mike was paying the bill.

The service was very nice, and it was a great (and quick) getaway from the daily grind of the home office. The menu had lots of yummy looking desserts too, I'll have to check them out on the next trip!

A Behind the Scenes Look at the Bayfront Marin House

2011-08-13T19:07:00.000-07:00

The hub and I dreamed about owning a bed and breakfast for 14 years, finally buying the beautiful Bayfront Marin House last September 1 (our year anniversary is coming up, if you wanted to send flowers!!)

During those 14 years, I did all sorts of things that I thought would be helpful to me in my new career. Things like:

trying a new breakfast recipe every time we hosted a large group of people. I made breakfast burritos on Cinco de Mayo, French toast on Bastille day (it's best if you use Mexican vanilla and soak the bread slices overnight). I made homemade granola, muffins of all shapes and flavors, waffles, scrambles, omelettes, and maple-syrup baked bacon. Most of the time, these experiments were awesome. However, I'd like to take a moment to personally apologize to the family members who were forced to endure a batch of asiago scones that could have been used to build a retaining wall (I improved as I went along--the scones were an early venture into fancy breakfast baking).
peppering my Christmas and birthday lists with cookbooks of every type. I got recipe books from bnbs around the country; I got all of Williams Sonoma's books on breakfast. I dug out all of the church cookbooks I had gotten in my hope chest (where I found a bunch of family recipes--thank you Mammy for submitting your raised cake recipe in 1972!!) I also got lots of good dessert recipe collections--The Mrs. Fields I Love Chocolate Collection, Semi Homemade Desserts, Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Secrets, etc.
yelling at Mike every time we made a bed together, insisting he learn how to make hospital corners and keep his pillows EXACTLY even with the pillows I fluffed on my side of the bed. (Note: the key to always winning this "discussion" is to fluff your pillows first, and then let the other person try to match yours).
keeping an extensive idea book. Every time my job sent me to a high end hotel, I always tried to "steal" two or three great ideas that I could use someday in my own high end bnb. For instance, one of the hotels I visited had free postcards for people to fill out and mail, complete with a picture of the hotel on them (I'm working on the artwork for that now). One of them left little notes for us about our special occasion--which is why we now do that (assuming we know about it--we always love it when guests tell us if it's their anniversary or birthday!) We're still working on implementing all of the ideas...but they're all carefully preserved in my little book!

Anyway, for years (14 years, in fact) I worked on perfecting my skills to be a perfect, skilled bed and breakfast owner.

And then I bought an inn that was so large (15 rooms) it came with a complete staff. A staff with mad skills, who put my little amateur skills to shame!!

That's how I became the head gardener at the Inn (no one else wanted to do it, and they were all too busy anyway). And head blogger. Other than those two areas, they completely leave me in their dust (or lack of dust--you should see these women clean!)

Which is why it was a huge surprise to find myself cooking a whole oven-ful of bacon strata yesterday. The whole story is that Mary, our amazingly talented cook, went to the Inn at o'dark thirty, only to realize that the oven (pretty necessary for bacon strata), didn't heat up!!

So she called us in a panic, and the next thing you knew she was bringing the casserole pans over to my house. And dropping them off.

Other than making desserts, and strawberry soup once or twice, it's the most cooking I've done for the Inn (and technically, I still haven't made breakfast for our guests--all the strata were already made, just not cooked).

We took the strata back to the Inn at 7:55 (the first guest was eating at 8). Three of our staff came out to the car, all wearing oven mitts (I'm telling you, these ladies are always a step ahead of us!)

And the crisis was averted. (And a financial crisis was avoided as well...the appliance repair company--the amazing Appliance Technicians--fixed the oven for under $100!!)

Back to business as usual--the Eggs Benedict were completed this morning without any excitement!!

Gimme Some More: The Ice Cream of the Day in Saint Augustine

2011-08-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

Today is National S'mores Day! (Read more here: http://www.holidayinsights.com/other/smoresday.htm).

In honor of that, we're serving up Gimme Some More Smore ice cream tonight at the inn.(As a reminder, we're serving Mike's homemade ice cream every Wednesday night in July and August).

Last night, we took graham crackers and covered them in chocolate, then froze them and broke them up into bite-sized pieces. We then swirled these into a chocolate ice cream, along with massive amounts of marshmallow and caramel. I tasted it this morning, and it's pretty darn awesome.

If you're in the area, stop by our dining room tonight for a taste. We can almost guarantee that you'll want us to Give You Some More!!!

PARK It Today!!

2011-07-17T09:20:00.000-07:00

July is National Parks and Recreation month ( for more information, visit http://www.nrpa.org/july/).

Saint Augustine, as usual, is celebrating in style, with free admission to all of our parks today!

That includes our town's very cool forts--the Castillo de San Marco and Fort Matanzas (the latter is pictured above). Sure, these huge stone structures were originally built to keep people out of the nation's oldest city, but today they're dropping down the drawbridge and welcoming all to enjoy.

So pack up a peanut butter sandwich and a bottle of wine, and let's plan a picnic lunch--there's a breeze off the water and the sun is absolutely gorgeous.

See you at the parks!!

Crepe Exectations

2011-07-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

A hearty "dobro pozhalovatʹ" (that's "Welcome" in Russian) to Margarita Abramov, the owner of the newly opened Sara's Crepes Cafe (at 100 St. George Street, http://www.sarascrepecafe.com/).

The hub and I visited right after the restaurant opened last week; we had seen advance notice of the opening and wanted to check it out.

The restaurant itself is adorable, with cheery yellow walls, a collection of blue and white pottery in the corner, and great Paris flea market lamps hanging from the tin ceiling. When we went last week, there was a Russian dance performance playing on a large flat screen television.

And Margarita herself--who is beautiful with black hair and the most striking eyes--is a wonderful presence at the cafe, visiting with each table, refilling water and soda glasses and generally just making sure that everything is perfect.

I started with a very good split pea soup, garnished with smoky ham pieces, and the hub had a nice-sized caesar salad. I mention "nice-sized" because when you see the prices, you will wonder if the servings are child-sized. (The crepe I got, for instance, was $4.95). My crepe--the Napoleon--was filled with more of the smoked ham and topped with a house-made hollandaise sauce (not too much, which suited me perfectly). The hub had the Count Amaury ($6.95) which had beef tips, mushrooms, and a black truffle and thyme demi glace. We both liked them.

We didn't have time for dessert, but the hub visited again yesterday and sampled some fantastic banana chocolate crepes. So make sure you save room when you visit! (The cafe is hosting an opening party tonight from 5:00 - 6:30).

Sara's (the restaurant is named for Margarita's grandmother) is open for breakfast lunch and dinner and they have indoor and outdoor seating (we sat indoors and enjoyed the a/c). Order from the menu, or make your own crepe for a truly unique experience.

How to Bed and Breakfast: Six Steps to Maximizing Your BnB Vacation

2011-07-08T10:01:00.000-07:00

As I write this, our Bayfront Marin House has 365 reviews on TripAdvisor.

I read (and respond) to every one of them. But as I've been reading them for the last few weeks, I've noticed a trend--there is a large number of reviewers who start their review by saying "We've never stayed at a bed and breakfast before." A large number of those newbies then say something like "We didn't know what to expect." (Of course, they then all talk about how much they enjoyed their stay, how wonderful the service is, what amazing staff we have--I could go on all day, but feel free to read them yourself here).

That got me to thinking: what is so intimidating about staying at a bed and breakfast? If you're not yet a member of the bnb club, what do you need to know?

Here's what I would tell my best friend, if she wanted to know the "secret handshake" for bed and breakfast veterans.

1. Know what you want. If you've stayed at hotels your entire life, you probably have a favorite one (and maybe even a favorite chain). Why do you like it? Is it fancy and formal, with a formal lobby and a telephone in the bathroom? (Side note: what is that for, anyway?) Is it chic and sleek, with modern art and a hip bar? Is it laid back and fun, with a complimentary happy hour thrown by the manager? Are you into homey and comfortable, the kind of place that greets you with a cookie and encourages you to borrow a book from their shelves?

Just like hotels have different personalities, so do bed and breakfasts.

Let me rephrase that. Just like hotels can have one of about six different personalities (your Westins, Marriotts, Country Inn and Suites, funky boutiques, Holiday Inns, and Super 8s), bed and breakfasts have one of 18,000 personalities (that's how many bnb's Wikipedia says are in North America).

So figure out which one of those 18,000 personalities best matches your vacation needs, and book a room immediately.

If you're not sure which one is right for you (it can be hard to tell from websites), call the bnb and simply ask what the atmosphere is. The owner will be happy to tell you--and you'll get a sense of it from his or her demeanor on the phone, as well. The beauty of staying in a unique bnb--rather than a standard hotel--is that you can find one that fits you perfectly.

2. Once you're here, talk to people. Or not. Hey...this is *your* vacation. You had to finagle time away from your job, you had to sign the credit card slip. One nice thing about staying at a bed and breakfast is the wide variety of interesting people who stay there too (they're as unique and interesting as you are, of course), and it's easy to start a conversation with another traveler. But if you just want to reconnect with your traveling partner, or be alone with your innermost thoughts in a relaxing and beautiful place, that's completely cool too. The best bnb owners will allow you to do either...or any combination of the two.

3. Ask what's free. You already know about some of the bnb's amenities--it's pretty obvious if you have a Jacuzzi tub in the room, or a fireplace, or a balcony. But bed and breakfasts are the most generous places to stay--they give away what other places usually charge for. You may find that your bed and breakfast offers free wifi, or free bikes that you can borrow, or beach chairs/towels/umbrellas. There might be coffee and/or snacks available every day, or a happy hour. They could offer free parking. Ask for a quick list of what's available, ask what you need to do to use the amenities (do you have to sign up? sign a form? just ask at the front desk?), and use them. Then try not to look pity-ingly at the other visitors in town who are paying for all the things you get for free.

4. Ask what's cool. Bed and breakfast owners and employees love to interact with guests. But we don't want to be pests. Generally, I walk around at breakfast and happy hour and ask people if everything is perfect, and if there's anything I can get them that would make it more perfect. The couples who want to talk will typically respond with a lengthier answer, and we can go from talking about another glass of sangria to talking about my favorite secret bike path, or the best beach to go to in the morning, or the restaurant with the most amazing bread pudding. (For a whole blog on how to find the best restaurant for you, click here). We're locals, and we're glad to share our inside information about what we think is the coolest stuff in town. That means you get the coolest vacation ever.

5. Ask, ask, ask. We are bed and breakfast owners because we like to make people happy. Our employees are bed and breakfast people because they like to see people smile. (Trust me, none of us are doing it for the great salary!!) So ask us for help. If you're sunburnt, ask if we have aloe vera lotion; if you want to go somewhere for jazz, ask us for suggestions; if you want to learn how to make our delicious strawberry soup, ask us for the recipe. When people ask us for things, we feel good. And when we can help you with your request, we both feel good!!

6. Relax. Staying at a bed and breakfast is not brain surgery--it's pretty simple, really. Just check in, grab a cozy spot on the patio (or the living room or the garden), lean back, and relax. Going on vacation shouldn't be hard--and if you follow the steps above, not only will it be easy--it will be awesome!!!

I Scream for Ice Cream (Every Wednesday in July and August)

2011-07-06T14:28:00.000-07:00

1984 was great, wasn't it?

No, I'm not talking about the book that we had to all read in junior high, I mean the actual year. I remember it well: Torvill and Dean were ice dancing with the Olympic stars in Sarajevo; the first Mac was introduced, and I was finally a senior in high school (look out, you little punk freshmen!).

Good times.

To put the cherry on the top of the best.year.ever., President Ronald Reagan declared that every July from 1984 forward would officially be ice cream month.

Ahhhh...a dairy farmer's daughter's dream.

Actually, on the scale of ice cream lovers, I'm only about a 7. I would have thought that I was a 10, but then I met my husband, who completely blew the curve for the rest of us.

He LOVES ice cream. Don't believe me? I'm not making this up...when we go grocery shopping together, and I'm standing at the line and can't find him, he is ALWAYS in the ice cream aisle, just "visiting his friends", he says. He likes to see the new flavors, check out any new treats.

About 15 years ago, he realized that he loves to make his own ice cream as well.

Of course, he doesn't like to make vanilla. Or anything with less than 3 add-ins, really. He likes to make Kahlua Mocha Chocolate Cherry Crunch, for instance, which is a mocha ice cream, dried bing cherries (you're going to laugh, but he dehydrates them himself), Kahlua of course, and those little black chocolate things that are between the layers of Carvel ice cream cakes (we are the only people in the world who ever bought just a quart of the crunchies). He also makes a great banana Oreo, which is a simpler one to say, but no less delicious.

This year, in honor of ice cream month (and all the ice cream lovers out there), we're making homemade ice cream every Wednesday at the inn and serving it at our happy hour (5-7, every night). If you swing by tonight, you can sample some "Girl Scout Shout Out", which is a chocolate ice cream, with drizzles of caramel and gobs of marshmallow, swirled with crunchy pieces of Girl Scout Samoa cookies.

I shouldn't have to tell you it's good. In fact, it's really, really good.

1984 good.

See you at the dessert table!!

NOTE: Because we love ice cream so much, we actually plan to make it every Wednesday in July and August. So if you can't make it this month, next month will work too!!

Strawberry Soup for You!!

2011-06-05T09:22:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I am only a part-time bnb owner.

Well, I'm a full-time owner, I suppose, but only a part-time worker. (And there are some who would say that I'm only a part-time part-time employee!)

While the hub is at the inn every day, laughing with our guests, sampling the newest dessert recipes, and generally having a pretty good time, I spend my weekdays slaving over a hot computer, working for Farm Credit in Maryland. Sometimes, I'm slaving away in my home office in St. Auggie, and sometimes, I'm slaving away at my office office in Maryland (in fact, as I write this, I'm watching the clock because I have a 7:25 flight I have to catch for Baltimore).

Last week, I was in Maryland, visiting with our local members of Congress. As part of Farm Credit's legislative outreach, we hold an event called "A Taste of Farm Credit." The deal is, we bring in tons of local food and produce (eggs, beef, , chicken, potatoes, cheeses, strawberries, blueberries, lettuces, etc) and ask a local chef to turn it into magic. (Which he does).

One of my favorite things he makes is a chilled strawberry soup. He serves it in tiny plastic cups, like the kind you might use for mouthwash. It's usually at the end of the buffet, and I often skip everything else and just go to the strawberry soup station (since I'm talking and taking photos, it's easy to eat on the run).

Well...last week, our caterer made his famous strawberry soup. And I had *one* teeny tiny container of it.

I decided I needed more than that. So I made a big pot of soup last night (enough to fill a gallon pitcher this morning). And I shared it with our guests, serving it in champagne glasses (since we didn't have any soup bowls--you don't serve a lot of soup for breakfast!)

And there was none left over for me!! (Seriously, there were 2 flutes left, and I saved them for guests who asked if they could try the soup later today).

It looks like I'll be making chilled strawberry soup again next week. (And I'm quadrupling the recipe this time!!)

If you'd like to try to make this at home, here is Chef Dale Hawkins' recipe, with a couple of tweaks by me.

Enjoy!!

Sandy's Summer Chilled Strawberry Soup

2 pt fresh strawberries
1-1/2 teaspoon instant tapioca
1 c orange juice (I use the fresh juice we serve at the inn)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice (I use fresh lemon juice, but go a little light on it so it's not too tart)
1 dash cinnamon (I'm not sure what a dash is, so I use a pinch between my thumb and forefinger and then "dash" it into the pot, sometimes talking in a french accent)
1 dash allspice (again, a "pinch" "dashed" into the pot)
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup buttermilk
sliced strawberries or limes for presentation

Process strawberries in a blender or food processor until berries are pureed. In a medium saucepan (or larger stock pot if you double or quadruple the recipe), combine pureed strawberries, tapioca, orange juice, lemon juice, cinnamon and allspice.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Reduce heat and simmer uncovered over moderate head until mixture is thickened. The time for this varies; it may take one hour. Stir frequently.

Remove the soup from the heat. Add the sugar and stir until it dissolves. Refrigerate the mixture until well chilled. (I cool it overnight).

Add the buttermilk, and mix well with the whisk. Taste, and if it makes your mouth pucker (sometimes those strawberries are tart), I still in a little more buttermilk and a sprinkling of sugar.

Serve soup garnished with lime slices and/or sliced strawberries. Or just pour it into a champagne flute, and toast the start of the day!!

Tell me how it turns out! (Or join us next weekend to try mine!)

Who, Us? Remarkable??

2011-05-31T16:28:00.000-07:00

Last week, the Jacksonville Union-Times published their list of the Most Remarkable Rooms in northeast Florida.

There were some beautiful rooms in their list: the Garden Suite at the Ritz Carlton on Amelia Island (which goes for a mere $750/night), the Presidential Suite at Ponte Vedra Inn, the Presidential Suite at Jekyll Island Club.

And then there was...our Coquina Suite!!!!! Yes, Room 11 at the Bayfront Marin House, a favorite among honeymooners, and a gorgeous three-room suite (bedroom, jacuzzi and sitting area, and bathroom) with fantastic coquina walls (that's the shell-encrusted building material that's indigenous to Florida's first coast).

If you want to see the whole story, here it is:

http://jacksonville.com/slideshows/entertainment/remarkable-rooms

You're in Saint Augustine and You're Hungry: Where Should You Eat?

2011-05-13T20:12:00.000-07:00

A simple quiz that will help you find the perfect eatery for your trip to the ancient city

As innkeepers, my husband and I often get asked for recommendations for local restaurants.

We love eating out in Saint Augustine (see the photo at left for empirical proof). St. Auggie is a restaurant lovers’ nirvana. And we love it when our guests ask us about our favorites, because there are so many great places to recommend.

To make a perfect pairing for our guests and their restaurant of choice, we ask a couple of questions to narrow down the options. We ask: what kind of food do you like? Do you want casual or fancy tonight? Do you want to walk, and are you planning on wearing really really high heels? (I’m usually the one asking that question—if your shoes are 4” high or more, you’re going to want a restaurant within a few blocks, so you can walk there and not need medical treatment).

But let’s say you can’t ask us. Let’s say you’re at home, planning a trip to Saint Augustine, and it’s midnight (if you need help before 9 pm, you can always call us at 904.824.4301). In that case, we suggest you take this short quiz then read the key to learn what restaurants are the perfect match for you.

Here goes…

Question #1: You’re in a supermarket. What section are you most likely to be in?

A. The international foods aisle (and no, that doesn’t mean Mexican). You choose a supermarket with a fancy cheeses section and a big wine selection to go with them. (In fact, last year, you sent a letter to Wegman’s begging them to open a store in your town).

B. You’re in the seafood aisle, looking for appetizers for your next party. Can they make those pre-cooked crabcakes in a small popper size? On the way out, grab a bag of ice…you’ll need it for the beverage tub.

C. You head to the flower section first. Your honey would love to see a single rose in a vase, no matter what you’re making for dinner tonight. (Does takeout count as cooking? What if you put it on a pretty plate?)

D. Supermarket? That’s where you buy raw sugar and whole wheat flour. You buy most of your items from a farmer’s market, or at a local fruit and vegetable stand. If you must hit a supermarket, you head straight to the organically grown fruit.

E. Can you say “ready to cook entrees”? Why heat up the kitchen when that already-marinated beef skewer can just be thrown on the grill?

F. In the pop tart and hot dog aisles. No, they’re not good for you, and no, they’re not your ideal choice, but they’re the only things that your kids will eat this week. Sigh.

Question #2: You just redecorated your kitchen. What purchase are you the most excited about?

A. Your new gas stove. Things really do taste better when they’re cooked on gas.

B. Your new margarita machine (you literally had the contractor hang your cabinets two inches higher so that it would fit on the countertop). Let the party begin!

C. The granite countertops. You and your mate picked them out together, and you both knew they were “the one” the second that you saw them.

D. Your gorgeous sparkly backsplash, made out of recycled glass.

E. The airy French door that opens directly to your new deck, with your fancy new barbecue station.

F. The breakfast bar and barstools. Finally, the kids can sit down for breakfast all at the same time. And all within your sight…Bristol, stop taking your brother’s fruit loops!!

Question #3: You’re in a mall. Where do you shop the longest?

A. In the designer purse section. Even if you don’t buy anything, it’s nice to see what colors Coach is using this season.

B. Party store, baby. They now have a section of games to play at grown-up gatherings (because everyone was getting too good at Pictionary, anyway).

C. Victoria’s Secret. For a different kind of grown-up gathering.

D. You spend 20 minutes in front of the mall map, trying to figure out if they have a Naot store. Or any t-shirts made of hemp. Or a Starbucks.

E. It’s not technically shopping, but if there’s an L.L. Bean store around, and if they have outdoor furniture on display, you’re more than happy to plop yourself down in one of their Adirondacks and chill for a bit.

F. Toys R Us. Or any other toy store (including the Apple store, if the teens have lowered themselves to join you on the trip to the mall).

Last question: Your dream getaway is:

A. Cooking lessons with a French chef. Preferably in France.

B. A girls’ weekend at the beach. Or inland. Wherever, really, as long as someone brings the chardonnay.

C. A romantic resort somewhere balmy. With a couples’ massage scheduled for Tuesday.

D. A trip to Yosemite, with a book full of hiking trails, and a backpack full of dried fruit.

E. A week’s stay in Maine…with just t-shirts, shorts and a pair of flip flops. And a plan to have fresh lobster every night.

F. Hello, Magic Kingdom!! It’s where dreams come true, after all.

I have programmed the computer to now tabulate your answers. What? It’s not doing anything? Well, then count them up yourself, and find your perfect match.

If you answered mostly A’s:

You’re a foodie. No one needs to tell you that you love food. You enjoy a great meal out, with exceptional service, exquisite food, and that little extra that makes a spot unique (and is something you can brag about to your equally foodie friends).

For you, I recommend the following restaurants in Saint Augustine: Collage (lots of cache), Bistro de Leon (where the chef and his wife speak French as well as food), and La Pentola (where the bread alone can make a great meal). Each one of them has been on multiple “Best of “ lists…and each one has a waiting list most nights, so be sure you make a reservation. If you’re a modern foodie, and dig sleek, high end design, try Spy for sushi and sake. (They have over 50 varieties of the latter, so you can find the perfect sake for you).

If you answered mostly B’s:

You’re a social eater and greeter. You love food (and drink), but you love it

as a backdrop to a great conversation and lots of stories and laughter. When someone

asks you about a restaurant, your highest compliment is: “We had a great time there!”

You would enjoy the following restaurants (and yes, they all have tables large enough to seat you and all of your friends): the Columbia (a couple of pitchers of their tableside sangria will get the party started), or the Tasting Room (enjoy cushy couches with plates of tapas to share). You’ll also love Rhett’s, a hopping piano bar just off of St. George Street, or Meehan’s Irish Pub (no one does social better than the Irish!)

If you answered mostly C’s:

Awww….You’re in love! And looking for dinner for two. Head out to some of the most romantic places in Saint Augustine—the Raintree (where you’ll find great food in an old Victorian house), the Conch House (reserve one of the tiki huts—the tallest is thirty feet above the water—and sit on the same side of the bench with your baby. While the Conch House is the Caribbean, Athena’s is pure Greece—from the amazing spanikopita to the romantic murals on the walls. Grab a back table, and feed each other baklava.

If you can pull yourself out of bed, head to the Alcazar for lunch—it’s located in the deep end of a now-dry indoor swimming pool at the Lightner Museum. With its yummy menu, and its grand piano, it’s the perfect place to celebrate the fact that you “took the plunge” and your union is already going “swimmingly”! (Sorry, a blog without a bad pun or two is like a day without sunshine for me).

If you answered mostly D’s:

You’re an earth eater. You ate local before local was cool. You search out places with artisanal breads, close relationships with farmers, and in-house bakeries. You also like restaurants with beautiful, outdoor spaces…preferably with a soothing singer playing (not too loudly).

You’ll love the Floridian restaurant (they list the farms where they buy their ingredients), the harder-to-find Tasting Room to Go (with homemade breads and sandwiches for lunch), Hooked on Harry’s (and their beautiful outdoor courtyard and fresh salads and Cajun foods), and Caps on the Water (with its amazing tree-covered outdoor spaces and locally sourced fish).

If you answered mostly E’s:

You’re a laid back Larry. You don’t sweat where you’re going to eat. But you love a casual, interesting place with yummy food where you can relax.

(I should warn you...the hub falls into this category most nights. So I have a long list of recommendations).

I'm going to start with A1A Aleworks, a brewery with great views of the Bridge of Lions. Ask for a beer sampler, and see which brew you like the best. Speaking of the bridge, drive across it to the Gypsy Cab Company, a cute place with the heart of a diner but the soul of chef.

You also like laid-back ethnic foods, like Casa Maya (love the black chips), Habana Village (mmm…ropa vieja), La Herencia, whose Mexican-style breakfast (Cuban bread with an egg, black beans, salsa, and farmer’s cheese) has won numerous awards, and Gaufre’s and Goods, which mixes a laid-back style with Greek and Polish delicacies. Want seafood? Head to Creekside Dinery (or their sister property, Saltwater Cowboys), and enjoy a plank-grilled fish and the best key lime cheesecake this side of Key West. Great eats, and you’re still in your flip-flops. Finally, if you’re hungry in between meals, try the Hot Shot Bakery, and ask for something made with their famous Datil Pepper sauce.

If you answered mostly F’s:

You’re a generational eater—and your kids call the shots (mostly). If you bring your child to Saint Augustine (the Bayfront Marin House is a beautiful bed and breakfast, but it’s also kid friendly with two suites, kid-friendly breakfasts and bikes you can borrow for the day to tire those little darlings out), there are plenty of choices for you. Florida Cracker Café, right on St. George, is both kid-and pet-friendly. You should also try Pizzalley’s, which of course serves great pizza, but if you walk through the front dining room you'll find The Chianti Room, which also makes some great grown up Italian dishes; O.C. White’s (they make a mean hamburger just right for junior, and great sweet potato fries if senior wants one too), and the amazing Kilwin’s (okay, they serve chocolate treats and ice cream…but let the kids live a little too!)

If you answered a variety of different letters, then I offer the following advice: ask us about multiple night discounts, because you’re going to have to stay a week or two.

See you at the hostess stand!!

Flaglerpalooza--Say it Three Times Fast!

2011-04-08T04:11:00.000-07:00

If you haven't figured out what to do in Saint Augustine this weekend, here's a suggestion: Flagler Palooza.

Okay, so it's a little hard to say. Luckily, it's really easy to attend. Just swing by the campus tomorrow, Saturday 9, any time from 9 am to 10 pm. Seven different local bands will be playing throughout the day. Here's who's playing:

10:00am-10:30am Open Mic11:00am-12:00pm Waiting on Brian12:30pm-1:30pm Grandpa’s Cough Medicine2:00pm-3:00pm Feral Swine Experiment3:30pm-4:30pm The Wobbly Toms5:00pm-6:00pm Love Chunk6:30pm-8:00pm Amy Hendrickson and the Prime Directive8:30pm-10:00pm OneHit Wonder

Honestly, now...can you pass up a band called "Feral Swine Experiment"? (You can hear their tunes here, if you're interested. Some of their downloads feature Amy Hendrickson and the Prime Directive, so you can check them out as well).

To sweeten the pot even further, Flaglerpalooza is very wallet-friendly--admission is just $5. In addition to the bands, there are lots of activities--a rock climbing wall, games, photo booths, and much much more. The advance press also says that there will be many vendors and local restaurants. If you've read this blog before, you know that I'm hoping for fried Snickers.

See you there!

Visit the Conch House, Mon

2011-03-21T06:55:00.000-07:00

The weather is absolutely beautiful here. Mid-seventies, a generous breeze, and clear skies that make even the worst photographer look like a pro.
But it's never enough, is it?

So yesterday we went to our favorite slice of the Caribbean, the Conch House. We haven't been there for a couple of months, and I was excited to go again.

If you haven't been to the Conch House, you should know about some of the things that make it special: they have a ton of tiki's all over the place (they're worth walking around to look at--I took some photos but I can't remember which camera they are on, so as soon as I do, I'll post them), they are right on the water, the temperature there is about 25 degrees cooler than anywhere else (so take a sweater, even if you're sweating when you begin your trip there), and they have these really cool tiki huts up on piers where you can eat (and sway a little in the breeze).

When we got there yesterday, there was a tiki hut available (probably because the wind was a little whippy...and other less hardy souls decided to eat inside, or on the ground floor). We hopped on up there, and enjoyed the view and the breeze.

It definitely feels like the Caribbean. There's the rustle of the palapa's dried roofing material, the reggae music in the background, and the easy laid back attitude of the young and good-looking staff.

I started the meal with one of my favorites--the Minorcan conch chowder. It's a tomato-based stew, filled with potatoes and conch, and enough red pepper to leave a pleasant burn in your mouth afterwards. For my main course, I had the blackened mahi tacos, which were excellent. They had a little cabbage, and a tangy sauce that reminded me of doctored thousand island dressing (which downplayed the blackened part pretty well).

Mike got the Anastasia key lime shrimp, which comes with pasta. I snagged one of the big crustaceans off his plate, and it tasted very good.

Other members of our group got the cheesesteak (which came with batter-dipped fries, or "lumpy fries" as my FIL likes to call them), the fried oysters (which were big and sweet, according to Grandma), and the fish of the day (which was wahoo). We all were happy with our meals.

Unfortunately, we were too full to get the key lime pie, which I got last time we were there. I'm very fussy about key lime, and this one was a tart variety--which I prefer to the really sweet variety (although I could have done with a little more sweet on this particular version).

But it's okay...we can come back to the Caribbean again soon. It's just a short drive across the bridge; no passport required.

Guest Profile: Haven and Tony

2011-03-20T04:28:00.000-07:00

You know how your mother always told you to be nice to the other kids?

She was right. Because you never know when you might marry one of them.

That's what happened to Haven B. and Antonio R.

Here's the story: when Tony was born, he had cataracts. That meant he had to wear thick, thick glasses--even in the first grade. Tony said the other kids used to tease him, but not his cute classmate Haven. She was always nice to him. He never forgot that.

In ninth grade, Tony finally worked up the nerve to tell Haven that he had a crush on her. Haven doesn't even remember it: she said "I was just a typical ninth grade girl...I probably didn't know what was going on!"

Somehow, in the last few years, Tony either honed his message and made it more clear, or Haven figured out how to tell if a boy liked her.

They got married yesterday, on our second floor deck.

After the ceremony, Tony pulled out a large gift bag and asked Haven to open it. Inside, there was a framed photo of their first grade class, circa 1989!! Tony, that romantic leading man, went to the storage locker at his old school, and rummaged around until he found the old photo. He said the lady at the school didn't really want to let him do it, but he kept calling and bugging her.

We saw the picture yesterday, and there was Tony, on the far left, with his glasses on. Next to him, there was another little boy, and next to him, there was Haven. We're guessing he tried to stand next to "his girl", but that was as close as he got.

He doesn't have to worry now...the two will be side-by-side in all of their pictures from now on.

Congratulations to the happy couple--and best wishes from everyone here!!!

Top o' the Mornin to You, Lads and Lassies

2011-03-16T05:50:00.000-07:00

So, the other night I was enjoying a hamburger and the amazing french fries at Meehan's on Matanzas, and I was thinking about how I might like beer more if it were green.

Of course, I'd also like it better if it tasted more like a whiskey sour and less like a beer, but that's another story entirely.

It's easy to think about beer when you're at Meehan's, as it's a true Irish pub, complete with lots of laughter, people who seem to have known each other forever, and a tall Irishman who checks in on his patrons periodically. Oh, and some of the staff (I'm talking to you Reggie) have the strongest Irish accents you'll hear this side of Dublin (I'm convinced Reggie is actually from the Bronx, and I keep trying to get him to break character, but so far he's been good. Very good).

Anyway, Meehan's is the perfect place to celebrate Saint Patrick's Day. I'd suggest you get there early...they will probably be packed.

For the past week, they've been sponsoring the Romanza Festival, which is a celebration of everything Irish. You can read more here: http://romanzafl.org/romanza-staugustine-celtic-festival.php.

What's happened during this weeklong festival? There's been a cluster of people around the end of St. George all week (which is where the main stage is). There have been musicians, artists, writers and poets all over the place. They came from around the world, including Ireland (duh), the United States, and the Celtic region of Spain (what? You didn't know there was such a thing? Shame on you...it's the home of St. Augustine's founder).

Anyway, it's all coming to a head tomorrow...when they say the party will be gigantic. There is music planned all day (see the complete list of events here).
And I'm not sure...but I'm guessing there will be plenty of green beer as well.

In Like a Lion

2011-03-15T17:35:00.000-07:00

After five long years, the venerable lions are back at the base of the Bridge of Lions. I've been told that they're protecting Anastasia Island (apparently from low-lifes like us in the historic district). Even if they're there to discourage me from crossing the bridge, I think they're absolutely beautiful. It's good to have them back!!

Sacking Saint Augustine

2011-03-05T04:07:00.000-08:00

Today is a good day to hit the sack.

We're not talking about taking a nap (although that is always an appealing option!), but rather the "Sack of St. Augustine: Captain Robert Searle's Raid of 1668."

In 1668, Captain Searle (and by "captain", we mean "viscious pirate leader") sailed from Jamaica to Saint Augustine, with his eyes set on a stash of royal silver ingots here in Saint Augustine. Once he got here, the "sack" began. It wasn't pretty.

It's a lot less dangerous in the re-enactment, which takes place today at the Fountain of Youth Archeological Park on Magnolia Drive. There's food and fun there, as well as lots of 17th-century arms (unarmed, we're assuming). We plan on checking out the food later today, hoping that there's deep-fried fried snickers, or something similar. The event opens at 10 am, which is a little early for fried snack bars, but we'll see how we feel by then.

But the fun doesn't stop there.

Tonight at 4:00, the Raiders will proceed to the Plaza de la Constitucion. Then at 5:00, they plan on attacking the militia of Saint Augustine (faithfully enacted by the Historic Florida Militia), as well as the ancient city's citizens, chasing them (us) down St. George Street. We figure it will be a good way to work off that fried Snickers.

You can find more information at http://www.searlesbucs.com/.

George Washington Would Eat at the Bistro de Leon

2011-02-17T15:19:00.000-08:00

President's Day weekend is almost here, and we just got an awesome deal to pass on to our guests.

Bistro de Leon, one of the best restaurants in town, is offering our guests a free kir chardonnais from February 17 through the 20th. If you're interested, just stop in the office and we'll print a coupon for you. The coupon is only good this upcoming weekend, so celebrate the holiday the George Washington way--with a wonderful Frenchman (if you care more about food than history, I'm referring to Washington's bud the Marquis de Lafayette).

Jean Stephan and Valerie Poinard (two of our favorite French) have brought a little bit of their country to 12 Cathedral Street in Saint Augustine (about 3 blocks from our inn, so if you have really really cute shoes you want to wear to dinner, you can probably do it without too much pain). Jean Stephan is a fifth-generation chef, and his dna shows up in every meal, from the complementary amuse buche (last time I went, it was an amazing little spoon of soup) to the French pastries that greet you from behind glass as you walk into the door.

Don't plan on running into the Bistro for a quick bite. In fact, the menu itself extolls the virtues of slow food (it warns in a pleasantly broken English "as everything is home made "a la Minute" be aware that Chef Jean and sous chef Florian need some time at least 25 to 30 minutes to prepare and cook your entree, so order an appetizer waiting for it"). I have to agree--get an appetizer. I recommend their goat cheese salad...the smooth cheese is baked in honey and datil pepper sauce, and its combination of cool and hot and smooth and fiery is an awesome way to start the night.

For an entree, I love the Chicken Tajine, a breast of chicken slow cooked in candied lemons and Moroccan spices. It's complex and warm...a perfectly cozy little dish.

I usually don't have the gumption to get dessert, but as I said, the pastries will beckon you from the case (that's them, pictured above). I've been known to ask for one in a to-go box.

No matter what you ultimately eat, make sure you come downstairs and get your coupon for a free drink. And then get out there and celebrate...George Washington would want you to.

Guest Profile: Lovebirds Angela and Robert

2011-02-15T03:38:00.000-08:00

You know how they say it's never to late for a new beginning?

Well, Angela and Robert Prescott of Georgia know it. They're guests who just got married at the BMH. Besides being very nice people, they also have a very cool love story. (Attention Hollywood: this would be a great flick!)

Angela and Robert grew up in the same rural neighborhood. In fact, Robert was the first boy that Angela ever kissed (he was a very smooth 15-year-old she said, to her sweet and innocent 13). They were what Robert calls "school bus sweethearts."

And then Angela disappeared. She didn't move, but her parents pulled her out of the public school and shipped her off to a private one. (Having met Robert, who is so friendly and sweet, we're sure it wasn't because of him. He is literally the type of person that parents would love--quick to laugh, very considerate, and very handsome. Come to think of it, he's probably exactly the kind of boy that parents don't want their 13-year-old daughters to meet. So never mind!)

Angela's parents were strict, and Angela didn't get a chance to hang out with all of the boys and girls from her old school.

"I used to drive past his driveway for years," she said, "and look in there and think, Oh, that's where he lives!" She sounds a little like a smitten teenager even as she says it now.

So, time passed. Their lives went on. They met other people. They divorced other people.

But they didn't forget those school bus kisses.

And then a little thing called Facebook hit the scene.

"I kept looking for her, and looking for her," says Robert, laughing. "But she didn't use her maiden name online, so I couldn't find her!" Then, Angela's brother opened an account, and Robert asked him what had happened to Angela.

In a few days, they were Facebook friends. They talked, caught up on old times, scrutinized each other's picture, and finally decided to meet up again.

The rest, as they say, is history. They got married last Friday--on 2/11/2011.

"She could run, but she couldn't hide," says Robert, laughing again.

But who would want to hide from such a sweet man? Not Angela, for sure, who looked beautiful and happy during the wedding, and earlier today when they checked out. Robert bought her a Bayfront Marin House robe and some coffee mugs to remember their special day. They shared kisses in the dining room before they said goodbye.

"It won't be goodbye for long!" promised Angela. "We'll see you before our first anniversary!"

We hope you do, Mr. and Mrs. Prescott! And, in the interim, be sure to stay in touch on Facebook!!!

Lights Out!!

2011-02-10T14:08:00.000-08:00

The lights went out on the Nights of Lights on Monday night. The town is still beautiful, of course, but it seems so much darker at night!

Luckily for us, we're currently getting bids for new landscape lighting. So in the next few weeks, expect the trees and the stairs at the BMH to be back in glowy-ambiant light. We told the contractors we want the inn to look warm and inviting. And maybe even a little bit sexy! (insert wolf whistle here)

We'll post photos as soon as it's finished.

In the meantime, mark your calendars for Nights of Lights 2011...they start on November 19!!

Happy National Carrot Cake Day!!

2011-02-03T18:55:00.000-08:00

Yes, kids, it's a whole day to celebrate the only decent way to prepare carrots. (Eat up, it's good for you!)

Instead of making carrot cake, however, we've been busy in the kitchen experimenting with new quiche recipes. Tonight we sampled four of them--a delicious ham and cheese quiche, an awesome ABC quiche (asparagus, bacon and cheddar--and yes, we kind of made it up), a traditional quiche Lorraine, and a spinach and sausage quiche.

There were four of us in the kitchen tasting--and the ham and cheese won by an onion (seriously, Donna put it well when she said she liked the onion in this one). But that ABC quiche was pretty darn good too...I would expect to see that on the menu this spring.

And now, while the rest of the world is getting ready for bed, I am just starting my next experiment: teeny tiny little cheesecake bites. If I'm lucky, I'll have them read for prime time just in time for National Cheesecake Day.

Meet Our Guests: Mark and Marisol

2011-01-28T18:17:00.000-08:00

Don't you love hearing about how happy couples meet?

Our current guests, Mark and Marisol, are the winners of our "Second Honeymoon Contest." (You might remember reading about them here).

As we talked to them the other night, we heard the very cute story about how they met. They were at a restaurant in San Diego (separately of course), grabbing a meal with friends, and enjoying "six buck steak night." Mark (who was in the military) spied Marisol (who is from San Diego), and said to himself "I have got to talk to that girl." Which isn't surprising, because Marisol is exactly the type of girl you'd want to talk to too--cute, happy, smart, and bubbly.

So Mark eavesdropped on Marisol's conversation. "Everyone does it, don't they?" he asked us. "You always listen to what other people say in restaurants." Mark was listening especially hard at this restaurant, hoping he would hear something that he'd have in common with this pretty girl, so that he could jump into the conversation and say something witty.

But guess what? NOTHING. Marisol never said anything about any topic that he could comment on. He continued to listen to the conversation, but there was no opportunity, and it seemed to him that he and this girl had nothing in common (nothing that was apparent from this conversation, anyway).

Finally, Mark realized that this cute/happy/smart/bubbly girl was almost done with her dinner, and ready to leave the restaurant--and his life--forever. So he did the only thing he could think of. He walked over to her table, and said "Hi. I'm an eavesdropper. I've been listening to your conversation, and I'd like to know you better."

Now, I should mention that Mark is a pretty cute/happy/smart/outgoing guy. And Marisol must have thought so too, because she took the time to talk to him that night. Even if he was an eavesdropper.

The rest, as they say, is history. Mark and Marisol got married, and moved from San Diego to Jacksonville, just in time for Mark to get his orders and head off to Africa. That didn't give them any time for a honeymoon.

Then, Mark was deployed last year, and the young couple missed their first anniversary as well.

Luckily, all of that was rectified with a four-day stay at the Bayfront Marin House, which gave these two cute/young/happy/smart/bubbly kids the honeymoon that they deserved (finally). "We have just loved it," said Marisol. "Especially our room!" (They were in Room 5, the Robinson Lewis, pictured at right).

Even though they live in Jacksonville, this is the first time that Mark and Marisol have visited Saint Augustine. So what do they suggest to other people coming for the first time?

"Park your car in the parking lot," says Mark. "And walk everywhere."

Mark is from Texas originally, and Marisol (as previously mentioned) is from San Diego. "We weren't used to being able to walk places," said Mark. "Everything where we grew up is always half an hour away. But in Saint Augustine, everything is right here. And you really can see the town that way."

"We had a destination the first day," says Marisol (they were headed to the Hot Shot Bakery over on Granada Street), "but we soon realized that walking IS the destination here. You walk past all of these beautiful buildings, and the brick-lined streets. There is just so much to see!"

M and M suggest that visitors to the city check out the Lightner Museum, and hang around for the demonstration of all of the antique music boxes and Victrolas in the front room of the museum. "The ladies there are all so nice," Marisol said. They also enjoyed lunch in the hotel's old swimming pool. You literally sit in the deep end of the now-empty pool. I didn't ask the couple what they ordered...but Mike and I love the paninis there, and I sometimes get just the hummus appetizer when we go.

M and M also highly recommend the lighthouse, especially talking to Beau Phillips, who knew every detail about the place. "He was a wealth of information!!" said Marisol. (Beau is the public relations director of the lighthouse. And Marisol is right...he knows everything!)

They also said they recommend staying at a bed-and-breakfast. "If you don't know a town, and you stay at a family-run business like this, you get all of these great recommendations that you wouldn't get at a hotel," said Marisol. "It makes you feel like you've been to a place before because you get inside information."

Marisol has stayed at bed and breakfasts before--so she knew that she would love the atmosphere, and the ability to talk to other guests. She says she likes the back-and-forth conversations that go on in our big dining room. And, although he didn't say it, I have to assume that Mark liked eavesdropping on the other tables!

Mark and Marisol went home yesterday, feeling like newlyweds again. We hope they had a safe trip, and we hope that they come back and see us soon!!

National Chocolate Cake Day

2011-01-27T13:32:00.000-08:00

January can be a pretty tough month. The holidays are behind us, the weather forecast up north is for snow with periods of snow, and there's no great excuse to indulge in chocolate-y goodness until Valentine's Day. And heck...that's still weeks away!

So, thank goodness for the caffeinated geniuses who came up with National Chocolate Cake Day. What? You haven't heard of it? Well, mark your calendar for 2012, because it's January 27th every year.

In honor of National Chocolate Cake Day, we'd like to share one of our favorite recipes for this iconic dessert. Now, Donna does most of our baking...in fact, for the past few months, we've initiated what we like to call "Bake Night" once or twice a week, which is when Donna pulls back her long blonde hair and hunkers down in the kitchen for a couple of hours. She can bake pretty much anything, but she makes a really really good chocolate cake.

Here's the recipe for it. I'm no chemist, but I think the coffee really brings out the chocolate's sweetness.

Donna's Almost Famous Chocolate Cake

2 c. flour
2 c. sugar
3/4 c. cocoa (I recommend Hershey's, since I grew up so close to their chocolate factory)
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 c. milk (you only need a cup, but buy a gallon. Because you can't eat chocolate cake w/o a glass of milk!)
3/4 c. oil
1 c. instant coffee
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla (we use vanilla we buy in Mexico--it makes the whole kitchen smell good!)

Mix flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Add milk, oil, and instant coffee, beat together.

Add egg and vanilla and beat.

Pour into cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Now, if you're a chocoholic like the hub, you can go for a nice chocolate icing as well. Me, I prefer a little less chocolate, so if I'm making the Bake Night schedule, I request the following Peanut Butter Icing:

2 c. 10x sugar
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 T. butter, softened
2-3 T. hot water

Combine all ingredients in the mixer and cream together. Spread on a well-cooled cake.

ENJOY!!!

Guest Profile: Charles and Magaly

2011-01-18T07:20:00.000-08:00

Charles Strittmatter and Magaly Toro-Ibecata of Maryland got married in July of last year.

It was a busy time for both of them--in addition to getting married, Charles got a new job right before the wedding, Magaly was working on her Master's degree, and (in their free time) they were apartment hunting (then moving) outside of Washington, DC.

With all of that going on, they decided to postpone their honeymoon to a time when things were a little more settled. Which makes perfect sense to me, as I'm tired just *thinking* about everything that they had going on.

That time finally came earlier this month, when the still-newly wed couple came to St. Augustine, staying at the Bayfront Marin House for a couple of nights in Stephanie's Hideaway.

It was their first visit to our city, and they were blown away by the architecture and European feel of our narrow bricked streets. Magaly is from Chile, so she's used to old architecture...but she said she didn't know that the United States had anything as old as her home (technically, her home wins: Chile's capital city Santiago was founded in 1541; St Aug was founded in 1565).

So what did they like about the Ancient City?

The food. Charles and Magaly had just come from a large resort further inland in Florida (one of their relatives had given them a stay there as a wedding present), so they had become used to astromically high prices and gastronomically low food. That's not the case here in Saint Augustine, where the food is reasonably priced and absolutely amazing. They raved about lunch at the Columbia (pictured at right), lunch at Harry's, and dinner at Raintree.

Speaking of Raintree, that's where we suggested that they go for their celebratory meal (Magaly said Charles owed her a nice night out--we didn't really press as to why). They weren't disappointed with their choice...and said they felt spoiled from the time the shuttle picked them up (Raintree offers complimentary shuttles to the Bayfront Marin House so you can wear your highest heels!) til they finished their scrumptious desserts. (I actually forgot to ask them what they had for dessert...but Mike just loves the bread pudding there, and I know he recommended that to them).

Flagler University. The happy couple had hoped to catch the tour here, but in the end, the opportunity to sleep in was even more appealing. They did have time to walk through the lobby on their own, however, and were blown away by the detail that Henry Flagler put into his Ponce de Leon hotel. They said they hope to catch the official tour on their next visit.

Biking through the town. On their first day here, Charles asked us how much it cost to rent the bikes that we have corralled at the back of the Inn. "Free?" he said incredulously when we said they could just take them out whenever they wanted. They made good use of them on their second day, pedaling their way through the narrow streets (a much better way to see everything, they said, than trying to drive around town).

Walking through the lights at night. Nights of Lights in Saint Augustine goes through January 31, and Charles and Magaly enjoyed walking through the uber-decorated parks and plazas in our city. It's a romantic thing to do...whether you're on your honeymoon or not!

All in all, the young couple said that they will definitely be back. And, as I pointed out to them during happy hour one night, in just six months it will be their first anniversary--a great excuse for a return trip to our town and to the Bayfront Marin House.

Safe travels, Charles and Magaly! Hope to see you both again soon!

Bayfront Marin's Pirate Rum Cake

2010-12-12T11:50:00.000-08:00

Ahoy, ye maties!!!

St. Augustine's new pirate museum opened this week, and the hub and I were two of the first people in line. Look for a blog with more information in the next few days.

While you're waiting for that, I'm going to share something else that many of you have been waiting for.

It's the recipe for Heloisa's Utterly Amazing Rum Cake.

Renamed the Pirate Rum Cake (this week only) in honor of our city's newest attraction.

Now, if you're going to make this cake, I should warn you: there is enough rum in a slice of this cake to fell a mighty pirate. If you're a mighty pirate, or even an empowered wench--you should eat it at your own risk.

And the risk of the wimpy landlubbers around you.

Heloisa's Utterly Amazing Rum Cake

Cake:
1 butter recipe golden cake mix
1/3 cup of sugar
1 8ounce container of sour cream
1/4 cup of white rum
1/2 cup of cooking oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 eggs (added to the batter one at a time)

Mix all ingredients, adding the eggs one at a time to incorporate.

Pour mixture into a very well greased bundt cake. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes at 350 F.

Glaze:
1 stick of butter
1/2 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of rum

Boil butter and sugar for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add 1/4 cup of rum.

When the cake is baked, let it cool for 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the bundt pan, and add half of the rum glaze into the pan. Put the cake back into the bundt, and pour the other half of the rum glaze over it. Set aside for 1/2 hour.

Remove cake from bundt pan onto serving plate.

Serve with good friends and lots of laughs.

Drop Dead Bread

2010-12-05T18:53:00.000-08:00

My grandmother has been known to skip an entree entirely and just have bread for dinner.

When faced with a big bowl of glop, something that even the starving children in India might pass on, she has been known to say "A good roll could save this meal."

The rolls at The Tasting Room to Go, an offshoot of the wildly popular Tasting Room , could save more than just a meal. They could save humanity.

I'm sure you're anxious now to just run out and get one of these game-changing yeasty treasures. Not so fast, junior. It's not so easy to find. The Tasting Room to Go is at 39.5 Cordova Street, down a little path, behind the Floridian restaurant.

It's not a sit-down restaurant, although there are a handful of tables and umbrellas in the cute courtyard in front of the building. Inside, it's just a long deli counter. You order at the counter, pay for your meal, then go out in the courtyard and someone will bring the food when it's ready.

The hub and I went yesterday for lunch...and then we went back for take-out lunch today. Yesterday, he got the muffaletta, a salty olive-y mixture on one of the most heavenly pieces of big round bread you can imagine. I got the quiche of the day, a light concoction with a phyllo crust. Both were awesome.

Today, we both opted for cuban sandwiches and a long loaf of Italian, for dinner tonight. We also tried the lentil salad, which was even better than it looked, with crunchy pieces of onion and yellow pepper, and some soft feta cheese on the top. I'm not sure it's the traditional accompaniment to a cuban sandwich, but it was wonderful in its own right. (Note: you can tell that Mike was ordering--he of the "I picked up some brussel sprouts to go with the pasta tonight" fame. One time, when we were in St. Barth, he ordered some horrible combination of food and the waiter literally said "But no, sir. I can not leet you do zat." And then he proceeded to order something completely different for the hub).

But back to The Tasting Room to Go. My only complaint is that the counter closes at 4:00. And I'm just starting to think about dinner around 7. That would be a nice time to run over and grab some fresh bread (hint, hint, owners).

But, until they decide to have longer hours, I'll just have to write myself a note. And set an alarm for 3:00 in the afternoon.

No Thai Required

2010-11-24T05:54:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, the hub mentioned to me that if he had only ever eaten Thai food in Florida, he would not like Thai food.

We've had some pretty bad Thai-ms since we've moved here. Which is a big darn shame because the hub and I love a good drunken noodle, a spicy dish of Pad Prik King.

So imagine our excitement when we saw a sign go up on Route One a couple of weeks ago: THAI HANA 2: COMING SOON. The restaurant is about 5 minutes from our house...in a real Thai emergency, we could walk there.

The restaurant opened last Friday night, and we were right there. Along with about 100 other people. The very nice hostess said that she could seat us, but it would be at least an hour before we could eat.

We left with mixed emotions..disappointment, of course, because I cannot eat dinner after 9:00 at night, and it was already after eight. But also pent-up excitement. The huge crowd of people surely were there because they were familiar with Thai Hana 1, we said in the car. It must be excellent, we enthused.

We went back last night. The parking lot was substantially less crowded. But it was a weeknight, so we didn't take that as a bad sign.

We were psyched.

The restaurant was welcoming, lined with booths and a nice mix of dark wood and a light space. The only odd part was the "theater" seats at the front of the restaurant. I understand that some folks like to watch the sushi artists make the rolls, but these seats and tables are about 15 feet away from the kitchen. So all they were really looking at was us. And worse...we were looking at them. I wouldn't want to sit there.

Before I get to the food, I have to mention the staff at the restaurant. As we were ushered to our booth, no less than four people welcomed us and thanked us for coming. The hub and I looked at each other--if the food was half as good as the staff, we were going to be Very Happy in a couple of minutes.

We started with a bowl of Tom Yum and one of Tom Ka. These soups are kind of the canary in a coal mine for us...if they're not good, the meal will not be good either. If they're excellent, the canary starts to sing.

My Tom Ka was good, but the Tom Yum was not completely yum. It was, in fact, a little bland. It didn't taste like lemon or tomato, or anything else really. It tasted like broth.

But not so bad that the canary was dead. He was just coughing a little.

We headed further down into the mine shaft.

We ordered two dishes: the first, Hot Basil with chicken. It sure sounded like Pad Prik King to us, although our waitress wasn't sure. The menu promised green beans, basil leaves, snow peas, and a very spicy sauce (it had the little asterisk next to the listing, in case we didn't notice the word "spicy" in the description).

The second dish was a house special, Pad Thai with lobster. We don't usually get Pad Thai because it's too pedestrian. But, given the amount of almost inedible Thai food we've had in the last few months (we had a Pad See Ew last week that is still coagulated in my stomach), we thought playing it safe might be in our best interest. And the idea of lobster mixed with noodles sounded pretty good.

The Pad Thai wasn't pretty good, but it was okay (which is really good, if you're grading on the Florida Thai Curve). It didn't taste like Pad Thais we've had in the past, but we soon adjusted to the taste and were happy with the firmness of the noodles, and the very small amount of peanuts (they were what they're supposed to be--an accessory to the main event). And who could say anything bad about the lobster...there was a ton of it, with big pieces of claw meat (in several instances, it was the whole claw).

We both decided that we didn't love it, but we could eat it again.

The Hot Basil, however, was a huge disappointment. It wasn't spicy (no asterisk required); in fact, it really didn't have much taste at all. If it tasted like anything, it had that vague stale taste of those tiny ears of corn. Now there are people who love those, and they might love this. But anyone who ordered the dish because it was purported to be spicy is going to be wondering if they have suddenly lost their sense of taste.

Of course, there were lots of things we didn't try. We didn't try any of the curries, so those could be better. And we didn't try the sushi, either.

All in all, we're definitely not going to race back there. But we're not going to avoid it either. The other day I met a man who moved to Florida from New York. He said that, once you're here a while, you start to forget how good the food used to be at home. You begin to lower your standards.

Maybe that's when I'll start to eat Thai again.

You Light Up My Life

2010-11-23T20:18:00.000-08:00

I love Christmas. Last year, I had eight trees in my house.

This year, I have 3750 lights on my bed and breakfast (not including the icicle lights). To be honest, I was surprised by that number when we added up all of the boxes.

I had guessed it was closer to about 40,000.

Nights of Lights has begun in St. Augustine. If you haven't heard of it, don't worry...if you come to town from November 20 through January 31, you're not going to miss it. There are literally millions of tiny white lights everywhere. (We have heard rumors that you are NOT ALLOWED to use any colored lights, so we didn't. But I am tempted to use some on our outdoor tree and see if I'm really thrown into the Old Jail).

It's a great time of year, and it's wonderful to see so many people throw their recession fears aside and just ring up spool after spool after spool of lights down at the Home Depot.

The best way to see the Vegas-style town is to buy tickets on one of the trolleys--either the Holly Jolly Trolley Tour (904.829.3800) or Ripley's Big Red Christmas Train (904.824.1606). The Holly Jolly Trolley (which is just plain fun to say) is $23 for adults and $10 for kids, which gives you a pass for three days; Ripley's is $21.99 and $8.99.

Of course, for my money, you can't beat the FREE trolley ride offered by--guess who?--the Bayfront Marin House. If you stay two weeknights, you automatically get tickets. As they say, FREE is good.

The other thing that's good is the photo opportunities in the town right now. It's beautiful weather, and perfect for walking (or trolleying) and enjoying the romantic lights with your partner and your camera. The shot at right was taken by a professional photographer (duh); I snagged it off of a Florida tourism site (http://www.orlando-tours.com/). But bring a tripod, and your walking shoes (this shot is taken with a great zoom from Anastasia Island) and really--the city will do the rest.

I have to admit, I've never hung lights before in this kind of quantity (and technically, I didn't do it this year either. Brian and Emery did all the heavy staple-gunning). It took longer than I thought it would. But the results were well worth it.

Even though I had the Debbie Boone song stuck in my head for the two weeks that we were working on the lights. (You give me hope...to carry on!!! You light up my days, and fill my nights....WITH SONG!!! IT.CAN'T.BE-E.WRONG. When it feels, so right. But you.........you LIGHT UP MY-EYE-EYE-EYE-EYE....L-I-F-E).

It's not a Christmas song, but gosh darnit, it should be.

So, if you're in St. Augustine between now and January 31, check out the display. And spend some money while you're here--go out to eat, buy some Christmas ornaments. The sound of the cash register will help to drown out the sound of the town's electric meters spinning round and round like a pinwheel in a tornado.

Debbie Boone and electric bills aside--come on down and enjoy the lights.

5 Great Reasons to Gain Five Pounds in St. Augustine

2010-11-13T16:05:00.000-08:00

One of the reasons that the hub and I wanted to move to St. Augustine is because we loved the idea of being able to walk to dinner, and to the bank, and the post office, and pretty much anywhere we'd want to go.

I'm a big fan of the walkable town. When you walk you get a chance to really see the details of a place (and the Ancient City has plenty of details to share). You connect with other people. And you can eat dessert every night without feeling guilty at all.

Even if you aren't burning off calories like an incinerator during the day, there are plenty of reasons to have dessert in St. Augustine. Here are five of them:

1.The key lime cheesecake at Creekside (photo at left). Even our waitress admitted that she had it every time they put it on the menu. If I worked there, I would force them to make this dessert every single night.

2. Pastries at the Bunnery. My mother-in-law discovered this place., so I want to give her the credit. Last time she was here, she bought a whole box of little delicious fruit and chocolate thingies. Every time I tried one (and I tried several), I thought it was the best.pastry.ever.

3. Chocolate and caramel covered rice crispie bars at Kilwin's. I know it's a simple dessert...heck, my five year old nephew could make it (if I made sure that the entire kitchen--and Jack--were completely covered in plastic wrap first....because There Would be a Mess). But it was the very first dessert that the hub and I enjoyed in St. Augustine--years ago--and it still has a soft, sweet spot in our heart.

4. The bread pudding at The Raintree (left). Now, people can get pretty darn territorial when it comes to bread pudding. There are contests, and smack talk, and occasionally a duel (well, maybe that last part is a little exaggerated). But the best bread pudding is exaggerated...it should be the richest, densest, craziest dessert on the menu. And it should come with a bourbon sauce, which it does at the Raintree.

5. Heloisa's rum cake at the Bayfront Marin House. Now, you're going to think I'm biased...and I am. But not the way you think I am. I *hate* rum. I have ever since high school, when I poured out half a can of diet coke and refilled it with rum then threw it back like a cowboy in 1867. You can imagine how the evening ended. Anyway, suffice it to say I don't like rum. And yet, despite the bad memories, I ADORE Heloisa's rum cake. Our guests have literally taken a small bite in an absent-minded way, only to exclaim crazily "OH MY GOD THIS IS GOOD!!!" And then they take a huge bite. And then a second piece, to take upstairs for later. And then they ask for the recipe. Honestly. It's That Good.

And if you're good, netties, I'll print the recipe here later this month. Consider it my gift to you.

That, along with the gift of a couple of pounds on the ol' scale. Trust me; it's worth it.

A Big Wet Kiss for our Veterans

2010-11-12T19:01:00.000-08:00

Happy Veteran's Day!

Here at the BMH, we celebrated the holiday with a free night for the first member of the military who called and reserved a room, and discounts for any other veterans who stayed with us this evening.

As much as we love the idea of a special geared to our veterans on Veteran's Day, we can't take credit for it: most of the bed and breakfasts in St. Augustine participated in the promotion.

In honor of those vets, and all of the others who have protected/are protecting us around the world, I thought it would be appropriate to focus on one of St. Augustine's most recognized landmarks: the Castillo de San Marcos. It's the fort that "welcomes" you as you come into town. It's been "welcoming" visitors to St. Augustine since 1672.

The fort was built by the Spanish, like most of St. Augustine. It's the spitting image of two forts I toured in Puerto Rico: the Castillo de San Cristobal and Castillo de San Felipe El Morro.

The Castillo de San Marcos was designed by Spanish engineer Ignacio Daza using the "bastion" system. That just means that it's got diamond-shaped projections (or bastions) at each corner of the fort, so that there were no blind spots for the guards. Speaking of guards, they all hung out in the garitas or sentry boxes at the corner of each bastion. Whenever they were under attack, they shot from those garitas. Because of the shape of the fort, they could shoot at a target from several different angles without shooting each other.

The fort is owned by the National Park Service, and is open for self-guided tours. Each visitor gets a walking tour pamplet and a map, both full of some surprising facts. Like the fact that the walls are up to 19 feet thick at the base of the fort, and they're made of blocks of coquina, a sedimentary rock comprised of shells, that's found in Florida. The coquina is actually soft when harvested, and has to harden for one to three years before you can build with it (there goes my plan for a coquina-built cement pond in the back yard). Once used in a building, the rock retains some of those soft qualities, so when it gets hit with a cannon ball, the cannon ball sinks into the rock like a big butt sinks into a Tempurpedic mattress.

To give you an idea of the size of the fort, you should know that it was built with over 400,000 blocks of that coquina stuff.

And as big as that number is, it's only about 1/3 the number of active military personnel we have in the United States. And it's half the number of people in the reserves. That's a lot of people. And a lot of forts.

I don't have enough space here to thank all of our country's veterans. If I were to buy a red carnation for every man and woman who have served through the years and then placed that carnation in the Castillo de San Marcos, I'm sure that the fort would be overflowing with flowers (and I would be completely broke).

So I'll simply say "thank you" to the selfless veterans who have served through the years. All the way back to the men who protected St. Augustine in the Castillo de San Marcos 300 years ago.

Thank you. And happy Veteran's Day!

Happy Halloween, St. Augustine!!!

2010-10-31T05:43:00.000-07:00

St. Augustine, they say, is one of the most haunted cities in America (it is the oldest, after all, so I suppose it's had the most time to acquire ghosts).

Donna, who works our evening shift, swears that our Inn is haunted by its original owner, Francisco Marin. The other night, the front door to the Inn was open every time she walked out to the dining room (three separate times). On the third time, she says she said "Okay, Francisco. Stop playing with me!!" And then the door stayed shut.

Whether you believe in ghosts or not, it's hard not to believe in snack-sized candy bars. We bought a bunch last night, so if you're in the area, stop by and show off your costume!!

(Here is a shot of our first trick-or-treaters: Melissa, Dave and Holly from the Green Trolley. But they turned the tables on us and brought US treats!! How cute are their costumes?????)

Tasty Little Morsels

2010-10-23T14:58:00.000-07:00

We got a nice note from Tony and Rebecca B. a couple of days ago.

They stayed with us earlier this month, and fell in LOVE with one of the appetizers we made for happy hour. "I would love to have the recipe!" Rebecca said.

Well, getting recipes around here isn't always easy. The women in our kitchen aren't the types to use measuring spoons. Mary, who mans the stove five days a week, has been working in the restaurant business since she was a teenager (her parents owned a restaurant in North Carolina). She stopped measuring things a long time ago. Heloisa cooks two days a week...she has a background as an engineer, but she's not so precise in the recipe department either.

Anyway, the appetizer Rebecca loved was one of Heloisa's...a crunchy little toast point with a creamy, gooey topping. I call it Heloisa's Cheesy Toast Appetizer (my creativity knows no bounds). I spent a couple minutes in the kitchen this morning as she said "I take some big spoons of mayo..plop plop (she pantomimed putting them into a bowl), then some parmesan cheese--this much (she pulled out a jar of cheese and showed me a couple of inches". It wasn't an exact science, but I think I got the gist of it.

If you make the recipe before Heloisa does, let me know how it turns out!!

Heloisa's Cheesy Toast Appetizer

6 tablespoons mayonnaise
5 tablespoons parmesan cheese (we usually use grated but shredded works too)
1 small onion, chopped very fine
1 pinch baking powder
black pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together (it will be pretty gritty).

Cut any kind of bread (white, wheat) into
the shape you desire (we usually do triangles--but Christmas shapes could be fun), and place on a cookie
tray. Top the bread with a small amount of the mixture.

Bake at 400 degrees until the top is golden and the cheese mixture puffs a little.

ENJOY!!!

Don't Even Ask Me about the Secret Handshake

2010-10-22T11:01:00.000-07:00

Since I've paid my first mortgage, I guess I'm officially a small business owner.

I know I've said this before, but I never really thought of a bed and breakfast as a small business. I didn't think of it as a business at all, just like I don't think of people who sell vitamins or jewelry as small business owners. (Sorry to all of my friends who do that. It's not that I belittle the work; in fact, I tend to think of you all as industrious people with a part-time job. I just don't think of it as a small business).

But I've been told I'm wrong about that. We are all Small Businesses (in capital letters), and we comprise a vital part of the country's economy.

You can imagine how excited I was when the media declared two weeks ago that Congress and the president wanted to help small businesses. I stayed up all night at the bed and breakfast with a toilet brush and a bottle of Greenworks. After all, if Congress really wanted to help me, Nancy Pelosi could swing by and clean one of the rooms. And Barbara Mikulski looks as if she could really scrub out the inside of a Jacuzzi; she's small enough to get in there underneath the faucets.

Needless to say, Nancy and Babs never came.

Then I scoured the mail, assuming that help would come in the way of a nice check to help me "jumpstart the economy."

Again, nothing.

I was starting to think that being a small business owner pretty much sucked.

Until, that is, I learned about "the cult".

The cult of small business owners, that is. The secret society of people who have to pay their taxes every single month. The sleepless cell of business owners who answer their emails at midnight, shop only when things are on sale, and do their "books" in a corner of the tv room.

Now, being pretty slow, I didn't "get" what was going on at first. I just thought people were being nice. Like the green trolley people, who sent over a nice plant welcoming us to town, along with an invitation to happy hour. And the ghost tour people, who invited us to a VIP tour, along with a cute bag full of homemade soaps.

"Southerners sure are nice," I thought, as I pocketed the soap and put the plant in the Marin's dining room.

But then, I went to Meehan's on Matanzas, and something started to click with me. When the bill came, it didn't include our drinks (being the big drinkers that we are, it was just a single iced tea, but still). So I pointed it out to our pleasant waitress, who said, "Oh, that isn't a mistake" and she gestured towards John Meehan, the handsome owner of said restaurant. He smiled like Robert Redford, then gave me the ol' finger slide down the side of the nose. I was suspicious that something was going on, but then I just assumed that he had nasal problems.

A few weeks later, I got a nice note from Stacie at the Green Trolley, who said that she'd be happy to drop off a Yellow Pass. It was free entry to almost every.single.venue in St. Augustine.

"That way," she said, "you can talk first-hand about the different activities with all of your guests." Activities like riding the Green Trolley through town (which I do highly recommend, incidentally, but more on that later).

So here's the deal: it seems that being a small business owner is hard. Really hard. And we're all pretty interdependent on each other (is that even a word?) So...I send someone to Raintree Restaurant, and recommend the seafood chowder; they send someone to the Bayfront Marin, and recommend having breakfast in bed. I suggest taking the Schooner for a sunset cruise; they recommend the sangria at our happy hour.

It's all very mason-like, isn't it? Without the confusing symbols, of course (although there are all of those quatrafoils around the town).

Of course, I'll probably be thrown out of the club, or shunned socially, for mentioning this society to you. But I feel like I have an obligation to take you on this ride with me, and that means sharing everything.

So, to all of you non-small business owners...I feel sorry for you. As you sit back and enjoy your company-paid holidays and flu shots, I have a perk that you don't have. I have peeps...comrades in arms...buds. I am a member of the *club*, baby. And I have a yellow pass, which is just as good as having keys to the city. (Better, actually, as my keyring is already overloaded with all the keys to the b and b).

I'm going to do as many of those free things as I can. (And maybe even a couple that I have to pay for--in the interest of being thorough). I'm going to visit as many restaurants as possible, too, and report back to you on what to do and don't do in this beautiful old city of mine. I'll try new drinks, dinner specials, and more historic tours than most people could stand.

It's going to be hard, netties. But I'm willing to do it. Just for you. And the free drinks, of course.

Congrats to our Honeymoon Winners!

2010-10-18T06:43:00.000-07:00

Mayport FL Couple Wins National Honeymoon Contest

Their Story Wins Grand Prize to The Bayfront Marin House

St. Augustine, FL (October, 2010) Mrs. Debra Roman submitted a story to the Inns of Elegance, a collection of historic bed & breakfast inns in St. Augustine, Florida…thinking that she would like to surprise her daughter Marisol by winning the Inns’ 2^nd Honeymoon Contest 2010. Much to her surprise, she did win one of five luxurious 4-night Grand Prize 2^ndhoneymoons that the Inns are giving away throughout the year.

The winning couple will be staying at the Bayfront Marin House, a bed and breakfast that offers luxury and romance right on the Matanzas Bay.

According to Roman “I want to reciprocate some of the generosity that my daughter Marisol Riddell and her loving Husband Mark Riddell have shown to me. They are a dedicated Navy family with a 13-year old daughter; when they married, they never got to have the honeymoon they had planned due to Mark’s call to duty.”

Marisol and Mark are overwhelmed with their Grand Prize. “As a military family, we are often asked to give up certain things, like our first Wedding Anniversary, Christmas & Thanksgiving due to Mark's deployment overseas. Winning this award means so much us. First, we feel loved and appreciated by my Mom. She is a precious member of our family. People didn't used to live so separately from their elders. It is a blessing to our family to have her. Secondly, we are grateful to Inns of Elegance for offering us the opportunity to experience a true honeymoon. We feel lucky to live so close to such a romantic destination and to stay in such luxurious accommodations. THANK YOU!!!!”

Winning an $1800 2^nd honeymoon will give the Riddell’s (living in Mayport, Florida) something magical to remember forever, when they check into the Bayfront Marin House, one of the five Inns of Elegance. Inn owners Sandy and Mike Wieber couldn’t be more delighted since their historic Inn specializes in honeymoons and romance.

The ROMANCE IS INN THE AIR prize includes the following:

1. 4-night Accommodations at the Bayfront Marin House

2. Champagne & Chocolate – upon arrival

3. Dinner For Two at Bistro de Leon – St. Augustine’s popular French bistro featuring Chef Jean-Stephane Poinard’s exquisite cuisine – a romantic little corner table of course!

4. Lunch For Two at Columbia – The Gem of Spanish Restaurants, celebrating its 104^th Anniversary

5. Dinner for Two at Raintree – One of the legendary romantic restaurants in St. Augustine

6. Old Town Trolley Tickets – unlimited train transportation throughout the Historic District for length of the 4-day Honeymoon

7. Tini Martini Bar – a Welcome Honeymoon Cocktail in St. Augustine’s newest chic bayfront cocktail lounge

8. Claude’s Chocolates – European gourmet bon bons featuring passion fruit filled dark chocolate hearts

9. ‘Fountain of Youth’ tickets – World famous archaeological park ‘where history began’

10. Schooner Freedom – Romantic Sunset Schooner Sail

11. St. Augustine Lighthouse – One of the grand working lighthouses & museum in America

The Only Time I Have is Growing in An Herb Garden

2010-10-16T11:44:00.000-07:00

Hello again, netties. I know it's been a while since I've written, but it's not as if I've been sitting around drinking sangria and baking cookies all day.

Oh wait. I actually have been doing that. At least in the afternoon, which is when I head over to the bed and breakfast to give the hub a break.

We've owned the Bayfront Marin House for about six weeks now, and we're starting to get into a routine. We get up in the morning, make a list of things to do, the hub goes to the bnb and I go to my home office (I'm telecommuting to my job of 10 years at Farm Credit), the hub gets a hundred phone calls, I plug through my emails, the hub comes home for lunch, asks me to help him with some things, I start crying that I can't be two places at once, he goes back to the bnb, I go back to my computer, we reconvene for happy hour, hang out and visit with our guests until 7, eat something in a drive-through, go shopping for the next day and then start the process all over again.

You may have noticed that at no point during the day do we ever look at the list of things to do that we make first thing every morning, If you did notice that, then you are very astute. Just the kind of person who would make a list then actually do the things on that list.

You are not only astute, you are possibly super human. Or, you simply don't own a small business.

When the hub and I talked about buying a bnb, I never thought of it as a small business. I thought about it like a hobby, I think, or a pen pal coming to visit. It would be cool and exotic, and a nice break from all of the mundane parts of my life.

Right.

No one really owns a small business. The small business owns you.

And right now my owner is at full capacity (30 guests--yay!!), and demanding another pitcher of sangria. Which I'm going to go fill immediately. Even though it's not on the list.

See you at Wal-Mart later tonight.

The Fourteenth Year of a Five-Year Plan

2010-10-15T13:12:00.000-07:00

Well, hello netties!

If you've come to this blog from Historic Traveler, then you already know a little bit about me and the crazy adventure I've just begun by buying a bed and breakfast in St. Augustine, Florida. You can skip today's posting and just jump to the next post, where things start getting good.

If you don't know anything about me, here's a quick run down: fourteen years ago, the hub and I decided that sitting in a cubicle was lots and lots of fun, but we might prefer living on the beach (even though it wouldn't have that nice view I had of the upstairs ladies' bathroom).

Because the hub and I were both good corporate doobies (and because some manager or other had forced us to read "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" every two years for some improvement initiative or other), we immediately sat down and made a plan to detail how we were going to get from business meetings to surfside greetings. We came up with a five year plan.

That was in 1996.

Since that time, life was pretty much normal. We went to work. We pretended we loved it. We held our traditional annual parties--the football party in January, the movie party in March, the Christmas party in December. And at every party, we'd say to our friends: "This might be the last time we'll be here to have this party". Or "Next year, we can have this party at the beach."

A couple of years ago, our friends started telling us to shut up. They no longer believed it.

Well, believe it now, baby, cuz we are living the dream. Our dream, anyway. And yours, if you have drempt of getting 5 hours of sleep each night, visiting Wal-Mart at least once a day, and dealing with broken Jacuzzis, daily beer runs, and guests who wish their mattress was harder/their pillows were softer/their sangria was colder, and whatever else they want that would make their stay with us just perfect.

It sounds like I'm complaining, but the truth is that I love it. When a guest says they haven't been on vacation for years, and that the past two nights have been the best thing that's happened to them since cable, well...it's hard not to be pretty darn happy.

Working right across from the water every day doesn't hurt, either.

That's assuming, of course, that that water isn't dripping from your ceiling. Which is what is happening today in our storage room. Nothing's been ruined, but I should probably go move the boxes of shampoo and conditioner just to be sure.

I can tell already this is going to be an adventure. I hope you'll hang out here, netties, and experience all of the fun with me.