Interesting article in today’s NY Times featuring restaurants whose favorite word is ‘No’ as in, no ketchup, no toasting your bagel, no changes to menu items. You get the picture. Especially interesting given that today’s diners have grown up with Burger King’s credo of ‘have it your way,’ and look at menu pairings merely as suggestions, usually switching veggies, sauces, starches and pretty much create all manner of havoc, to build their dinner to their liking. Could be why chefs are known to have terrible tantrums!

And Chefs do spend many hours creating their menus, not to mention making stocks from scratch that become delicate, flavorful sauces destined for greatness; a perfectly seared halibut, a tender rack of lamb. A chef’s creation is akin to fine art, carefully crafted so all components come together as if they and only they could possibly work in this dish. But not everyone shares the chef’s vision. I’ve been known to switch the veggies or starches myself when Jim & I dine at the inn. And while I adore A-1 at home, at the Inn my steak is adorned with nothing but for Ed’s own sauce.

It’s important to remember that the primary goal of hospitality, whether it’s a restaurant, inn, or hotel, is to please the guest, and to have the guest leave knowing they are special because their wishes were honored, and that makes them, and us, very happy!

What I’ve learned in the 13 years Jim & I have had Silver Thatch is that it’s not hard to make people happy, you just have to enjoy doing it. It becomes a passion. We go to inns or out to dinner to get ‘away’ from the ‘No’s’ in our life, to places where, as much as possible, we hear ‘of course you can!’

And there you are. Burger King has had it right all along. You can, and should, have it your way!

Terri Uncategorized

It’s been getting pretty cold in Charlottesville, and the winds are fierce. Our kitties, Chrissy, Lucy and Buster stick their noses out for a little while and then decide to curl up on a cozy blanket and go to sleep. The Inn has been very busy with parties, and it is such a great time of year to get reacquainted with old friends. Terri has been very busy baking and working diligently on the prelaunch of her Bo’s Bodacious Brownies website. Hopefully, it will be up and running
sometime in January and you will be able to purchase some of the best brownies you have ever tasted. Again, please stop by and say hello during the holiday season (or any other time for that matter) if you are in Charlottesville.

Terri Uncategorized

Wow, It’s already the first of December! We hope we don’t have another couple of blizzards like we had last year. Our Holiday menu is in full swing offering some great food together withour traditional Certified Angus Prime Ribs of Beef with all the trimmings. We also have severalnew wines on our list, including five new Virginia wines.

The inn has been decorated for the holidays and if you have never seen Silver Thatch at this time of the year, you are missing beautiful, traditional decorations. Please come and join us for a glass of holiday cheer!

Terri Uncategorized

It’s 96 degrees and 90+% humidity, and we are sweltering in June! Give me back the 24 degrees and 56″ of snow from last winter! Ok, not really, but it’s hard not to long for cooler temperatures.

Speaking of the blizzard of December ’09 and it’s ugly step-sister, February ’10, let’s revisit and mentally cool down. Curl up by the air conditioner, and let me tell you a story. . . . .

On December 17, 2009, the weather gurus predicted 24″ or more of snow. As usual, we ignored them and their almost 50% success rate. But they were right. By late that Friday afternoon, the light made-for-TV flakes were gaining weight and speed. By early evening, it was a serious snow. We couldn’t answer the phone fast enough to take the cancellations.

One couple, determined to have a romantic weekend escape from their 5 children, planted their feet and didn’t move. They were staying! Then, two young women walked into the Inn. Sisters. The older sis from W&L picking up the younger UVA student for the ride home to Baltimore, and Christmas break. But they couldn’t get any further, saw our sign and decided to stop for the night. They stayed for 3 nights, along with our romantic couple.

Saturday produced 26″ of snow. Since there was no going anywhere, and Jim and I stayed at the Inn as well, I put on my dusty ‘Mom’ apron and made lunch, then a big pot of chili for dinner. We lit the fireplace in the Hollymead room, and all 6 of us sat around the table and proceeded to get to know each other. It was like having family for dinner. Something I haven’t enjoyed for many years, and I was loving it!

Sunday was no different, and after breakfast, our newfound friends put on black plastic garbage bag leggings and braved the snow to try to dig out their cars. I was truly the ‘Mom’ again, starting lunch after breakfast, and putting a prime rib in the oven for dinner. Sleeping sisters on the Pub’s couch brought back memories of my daughter and her friends draped over couches and on the living room floor after a slumber party. I couldn’t ask for a better Sunday. Then dinner again at our table, and lots of laughing and stories.

In the wee hours between Sunday and Monday, a bobcat blasted through the parking lot, releasing the cars from their snowy bonds. After breakfast, everyone packing up and ready to head to their own homes and families, looking forward to starting their Christmas break and holiday preparations.

But, the front tires on the car the sisters were driving were completely bald. Without hesitation, our romantic couple with their own 5 children, took the girls and their car to our automotive guys down the road, and replaced the bald tires with brand new ones at their own expense, ensuring a safe trip home to Baltimore.

I have told this story numerous times since that December weekend, and it still touches my heart. It was one of the best Decembers I’ve had at the Inn in 12 years. And I’ll continue to tell the story.

Terri Uncategorized

The thing I like about Virginia is spring! Coming from Connecticut where spring lasts a few short weeks, it is a real treat to see the flowers bloom for almost 2 months. It starts with forsythia, then come the bulbs, then dogwood, ornamental cherries and Bradford pears, azaleas, rhododendrons, and finally magnolias around the first of June. If you haven’t experienced spring here, it is a must do. On aanother subject, Terri has put apple turnovers with homemade cracked pepper ice cream on the dessert menu. It is a real experience!

Be well,
Jim

Terri Uncategorized

We sure had a great time hosting our Champagne Brunch on Easter. We had almost 100 guests and all seemed to enjoy thenselves. Coming up….Mothers Day! We are again doing our traditional Mother’s Day Champagne Brunch which you can see by clicking on this link: Mothers Day Menu. Tomorrow I hope to post some fabulous pictures of Spring in Virginia.

Jim

Terri Uncategorized

We are pleased to announce that Silver Thatch has won the highest award, a five stem ranking from the Virginia Wine Board. This award, patterned after the Wine Spectator Awards, is the first annual one given to restaurants who actively promote and feature Virginia wines. We are proud that we have 53 Virginia wines on our list. In the 12 years we have owned the Inn we have seen a real maturation of Virginia wines. Having come from California, we were pretty particular about wines, and we are happy to now unequivocally recommend many beautiful Virginia wines.

Terri Uncategorized

Well, it seems like we will be entering the wonderful world of Facebook as soon as Terri can figure out the difference between a personal and a commercial account. If you would like to help us, just post a reply. We will appreciate it. Our Easter Champagne Brunch Menu is posted on our website and with temperatures hovering in the 60s lately, it is starting to feel like spring. The 56 inches of snow this winter is a record for this area…..wouldn’t you know! They say the snow season is not over yet, but we can dream.

Stay well,
Jim

Terri Uncategorized

Hello! Greetings from (starting to warm up) Virginia. The snow is rapidly melting….can spring be far behind? Terri has finally returned after spending a week in Seattle with her daughter, son-in-law, and granddaughter. I got to play pastry chef in the restaurant for a week and had forgotten how much I really enjoyed baking. Now we are busy doing the annual maintenance
and room refurbishment while things are less hectic. Our Champagne Easter Brunch menu will be up on our website soon, so make your reservations. It is always a sellout!

Take care,
Jim

Terri Uncategorized

Well, Terri is safely off to Seattle to visit her “other family” and I am the pastry chef for the week. The snow has finally stopped and the sunshine is wonderful. Perhaps I can let the stir-crazy kitties out in a couple of days. Now that Valentine’s is behind us (we had a record numberof diners this weekend), we are starting to work on our Champagne Easter Brunch menu. Not only is Easter always a sellout, but it truly welcomes the wonderful spring we get in Virginia. The Festival of the Book will be on us before we know it at the end of March. I hope you all are staying warm!

Jim

Terri Uncategorized