This year instead of trying to decorate all at once, I decided to attempt decorating in layers instead of trying to do it all at once. The tip worked well for me here at the Fan District’s premier bed and breakfast. Thanksgiving weekend was warm, so I started with outside decorations, get them up wearing short-sleeves is the way to go!

This year may be the last year for this particular garland around our front door – lights are functioning a little quirky so I added some extra to make sure they would be bright all season. A natural wreath with a bright bow greets guests at the front gate and the garland and wreath at the front door reinforce my preference for slightly nontraditional colors: instead of red – use purple and fuschia, instead of green – use lime, and accent it all with bright gold and lights.  Don’t be afraid to experiment.  Of course, we have candles in the windows – but the ones in our guest rooms’ windows turn off at 9 PM so they don’t disturb our guests.

Come right on in! We're ready for the holidays!

This weekend, December 10 and 11, just happened to be the weekend of the Fan District Association of Richmond’s 49th Annual Holiday House Tour.  Most of the houses were within a short few blocks walk of the William Miller House and we are delighted that guests came from far and wide to enjoy this wonderful holiday tradition that is the sole fundraising event for neighborhood improvement projects. Guests from Easton MD visited tour homes for the third time. The record goes to a mother-daughter team who have been visiting the Fan for eight years now to check out the architecture, the individual interior design, and each homeowner’s interpretation of holiday decorations.

This year Kristen traveled all the way from London, England to spend her annual mother-daughter weekend in the Fan to shop at Carytown’s eclectic shops, to dine at the neighborhood’s bistros, to tour the homes, and to gather over snacks after the tour and compare notes on all the houses we’ve seen. This tour is over for 2011, but house tours are all the rage in Richmond.  We have tours in the Spring for historic Garden Week, as well as in the Fall and around the holidays.

Grapes, feathers, snowflakes, ribbons and bows make a festive wreath for the porch

After the outside layer of decorating was completed, I moved inside the inn to incorporate the wonder and merriment of this festive season. There are three trees (two of them are half-trees due to space considerations), three mantles, and wreaths outside on the blue antique garden gate, on the kitchen door, and on the garage.

Here’s a sampling of what’s inside The William Miller House Bed and Breakfast, the Fan District’s oldest bed and breakfast…..

Enjoy and we hope you’ll take advantage of those treasured items from friends and family to decorate your home for the holidays!

Here's what you'll find if you slip out the kitchen door

a jolly happy Santa just hanging around . . .

Santa flying high from the family room ceiling

homemade by Judie .... several years ago

another homemade made by Mom .....

A homemade ornament compliments of Mom

Kitchen Half-Tree with Homemade and food-related ornaments

Family Room Mantle in Blue and Gold - my personal favorite

Garden Room Tree (or half-tree - it's missing its back so it fits better)

Wreath by Janice Hall Nuckolls hung in the dining room on the mirror

The dining room mantle

The parlor mantel decked out with tree and table toppers

The parlor tree features snowflake ornaments crocheted by my Mom in 1999

This garland winds its way up to guest rooms

Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens as part of the GardenFest of Lights 2011 was open between 5 PM and 10 PM and pets on leashes were invited.  Morgan, the inn concierge at the William Miller House Bed and Breakfast, was delighted to visit. This holiday tradition includes more than a half  million lights, botanical decorations, and even trains! The fabulous peacock was there – moved from the lawn where it elegantly perched last year to a new location where its tail formed an archway under which to stroll. Penguins played on the lawn, candy canes, flowers made up lights, and even vegetables made from lights completed the picture.  The conservatory was a-blaze on the hill,  the promenade to access the conservatory was beautifully decorated with blue and white lights. Next Fido event is December 8th, followed by another January 5th. Leashed pets are welcome, a suggested $2 donation for the Richmond SPCA for each pet is recommended.

Morgan, the new concierge at Richmond's premier bed and breakfast, visits Lewis Ginter's GardenFest for Fidos

The magnificent peacock at Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens

Carrots in the Children's Garden at GardenFest of Lights

Even watermelons and mushrooms

Check out the bunnies and the carrier pigeons!

Going to stop by the gift shop at Lewis Ginter and pick up some of these lights! Definitely dramatic!

Morgan and friend in front of the conservatory Christmas Tree

The William Miller House Bed and Breakfast, Richmond Virginia’s premier historic Fan District inn, is pleased to announce that a new concierge has been added to inn staff.

Morgan, in the inn office, learning about email!

Innkeepers, Pat and Mike, are pleased to welcome Morgan to their bed and breakfast.  Morgan chose her position as inn concierge over the many options offered to her to take advantage of her friendly disposition, her desire to please, and her love of people.  Morgan is a five-year-old Lhasa Apso mix who will be in charge of porch-sitting and, upon invitation, entertaining guests.  She will be confined to the owner’s quarters generally, but she does love people and will truly enjoy attention from guests should they be inclined. At less than twenty pounds and boundless energy, she is a welcome addition to the inn.  She is adjusting to the bed and breakfast life and is learning about all about Richmond’s great attractions.

So, book a stay at the William Miller House Bed and Breakfast, meet Morgan, visit Richmond, Virginia’s attractions, and enjoy the urban lifestyle of the historic Fan District: sightseeing, shopping, and dining. Morgan may not be able to tell you where to find the best of the best; but innkeepers, Mike and Pat, can.

Morgan, inn concierge, tries out porch-sitting (before her haircut!)

Maureen of Real Richmond: Food Tours and More led a private group recently on a “VCU:Alternative Eats” tour featuring the architecture, culture, and food of the historic Fan District bordering on Virginia Commonwealth University’s Monroe Park campus . The tour’s next to the last stop was Richmond’s – and the Fan’s – premier bed and breakfast. Evidently, it was a big hit!

Think of it! Lavender Panna Cotta drizzled with honey and topped with fresh berries

According to Maureen: “What is so impressive is how everything – the house, the gardens, the 3 courses! of food – were perfect, but the perfection isn’t a bit stuffy or off-putting. On the contrary, your warm, comfortable way included us in the fantasy that living this well could be ours, too!”

Now about the food…..Mike had been working in the kitchen and produced three tastes for tour ticket holders.  After a quick tour of the inn built in 1869 and a little bit of history linking the inn to Hollywood Cemetery, the first taste broke the ice with a small puff pastry basket filled with yummy pastry cream and fresh, local, very sweet peaches. Recipes at the inn focus on fresh, seasonal, local ingredients sourced from family farms and farmers’ markets in Richmond.

Second course was a traditional French crepe with ham and cheese topped with a basil cream sauce. This course took advantage of our local fresh eggs that get delivered every Friday from New Kent and the fresh basil from our garden. The eggs really do taste different from those you get in the store and our guests agree!

Next up, was a recipe for a first course that is still in progress: Lavender Panna Cotta drizzled with honey and fresh berries. Stay tuned, Mike will post the recipe to our website when he’s finished tweaking it!

Thanks Real Richmond: Food Tours and More for including us in your tour! We love meeting Richmond’s visitors and residents who love Richmond’s history, culture, architecture and most of all – the food scene.

Recently, Larry Bleiberg of USA TODAY, published a list of ten great places for paddling in the city from David Brown, executive director of the American Outdoors Association.

Richmond's James River: One of 10 Great Places for Paddling

And, Richmond, naturally, made the list. Cities are often built on waterways, think moving people and goods before trains and trucks, and many of those cities have created greenbelts along their rivers, sheltering them from over-development.

According to Brown “Virginia’s capital offers rafters a thrill on whitewater routes as challenging as Class IV. (The 1-to-6 scale gets more demanding the higher the number.)  It’s certainly an authentic whitewater experience,” and “it’s a pretty popular urban run. Canoers and kayakers can also find calm stretches to take in the scenery. 804-646-8911; jamesriverpark.org”  Along the way, you’ll spot herons, eagles and other birds aplenty. You’ll cruise along, gliding between banks of trees and green; then, suddenly, the city skyline of Richmond, Virginia’s capitol, is straight ahead.

Full article

For insight into all the best Richmond has to offer, get personalized concierge services from the innkeepers at Richmond’s premier bed and breakfast, a boutique inn known for its hearty gourmet breakfast – the best way to fuel your days’ fun and activity.

At Richmond’s premier bed and breakfast, attention quickly shifted from earthquake assessment to hurricane preparations on Wednesday, August 24th. There were normal obligations, breakfasts for guests who were debating the best routes home, laundry, ironing, cleaning, and stocking up. Of course, every now and again a telephone caller would ask: “Is the hurricane coming your way?”  Innkeepers and bed and breakfast owners are pretty talented, but I don’t think knowing the future is part of the job description or even in the cards.  At the last minute, one guest room cancelled and we breathed a slight sigh of relief, our responsibilities were looming less large.

A special treat for guests: a HURRICANE to drink to go with the one raging outside

Back to the preparations: water, lots of it! new batteries for the personal flashlights! groceries to make a hearty gourmet breakfast that need no cold ingredients! That really stretches the limits of creativity! Buy ice, make ice, get ice any way we can to stuff available space in the freezer. Fill the bathtubs with water so we can flush if we have no water. Make sure we have enough D-Cells for the battery operated personal fans in case the electricity is cut.  Keep the cellphones fully charged – makes them a little less accessible while they are plugged in but if we lose power we’ll have maximum capability. Fill the car up with gas so that if we have o go anywhere we can, and if cellphones need charging, we can recharge them in the car.

Friday afternoon, there’s a knock on the door — it’s our guests here celebrating a very special birthday. We get them settled in their room, give them a tour of the house, hospitality: a glass or two of wine and some hors d’oeuvres. We discuss local dining options for the evening and they walk to Pescadoes China Street for a delightful dinner.  Our discussion is paused while we take delivery of our farm fresh eggs from New Kent County. These eggs get delivered every Friday evening right to our back door!

After our guests leave for dinner, we print out the weather forecast for tomorrow and place sweet treats on their bed. Naturally, we’re chuckling at how silly this usual task seems in light of expected Hurricane Irene. They make it back to the inn, settle in, and no storm yet.

In the morning we have rain and some wind, Mike, chef, here at the William Miller House, whips up Hurricanes to accompany breakfast. It’s a hearty breakfast consisting of a Hanover County tomato, mozzarella, and basil scramble topped with parmesan, bacon from Keenbell Farms, bourbon maple sweet potato home fries, southern biscuits, and, of course, water, juice, coffee and tea. We directed our guests to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to check out the Faberge exhibit – thinking indoors is best and it’s less than a mile away.  They return to the inn early, by now wind is fierce, trees are blowing in the wind, branches are falling.  We breathe a sigh of relief. We know where they are, then quickly realize we are responsible for their safety now.

The wind and rain continue, the bed and breakfast grounds are littered with branches and leaves. The reservation for dinner at a local restaurant is cancelled when the restaurant closes. We offer them two choices: we’ll search out a restaurant that is open or please feel free to eat dinner with us in the innkeeper’s quarters.  After about a half an hour, the decision is made, they will eat with us. A sense of relief takes over when we realize they will not be out driving this evening in this storm.

We decide to dine in the dining room, our guests provided a special bottle of French wine they brought back from Europe, and we get to know them better over a dinner of baked potato, prime rib eye steak prepared sous vide, mixed green salad with tomatoes and candied pecans and a vinaigrette dressing.  For dessert, we presented the birthday girl, with a brownie with candles and a scoop of pistachio gelato! It was quite an enjoyable time for us and I hope our guests enjoyed it as well.

4 pickup truck loads of branches like this get cleared from our small urban property

The entire day on Saturday and into the night, we watched as the street tree through which our communications and electric feeds span the street, whipped and stretched the lines. We expected to lose both communications and power at any time, but thankfully we did not. We laundered everything we could in anticipation and ironed all afternoon just in case power would be out for days like with Isabell several years ago.  Our only issue is that the communications span over the road is now low and the first truck up or down the street will take it out. We have our fingers crossed.

Our guests left us Sunday morning to return home and check out the damage there. We took 4 pickup truck loads of branches and leaves from our yard and sidewalk to the city dumpsters to make the property presentable for our next guests!

Innkeepers just keep on going – sort of like that pink bunny!

The rumbling started just after 1:50 pm on Tuesday August 23rd.  At first we thought a truck was rumbling by or that nearby Virginia Commonwealth University was in the middle of another major construction effort, but it was too consistent and hung on too long! Cabinets on the wall vibrated, chandeliers were swinging, the pot rack in the kitchen was swinging, and a stack of old bricks in the back yard tumbled. The aftershock (a 4.5 magnitude) was almost unnoticed after the excitement of the first.  A quick survey of our bed and breakfast, built in 1869, showed no cracks in the foundation or chimneys – but after all, the house was already almost 30 years old when it survived the last major Virginia earthquake in 1897.

But this was not the innkeepers’ first earthquake in central Virginia: guests visiting Richmond on Tuesday December 9, 2003 were resting their feet after a day of sightseeing, when a 4.5 magnitude earthquake struck about 4 in the afternoon. The guests were familiar with earthquakes and told us what was happening.  We just assumed it was construction, since VCU had a major expansion underway at the time. The epicenter of the 2003 quake was in Goochland County, just west of Richmond, and it was actually 2 events that took place 12 seconds apart.

We are grateful and fortunate that paintings and wall art needed to be readjusted, but at this point, that is all. Our thoughts and wishes go out to all those who did suffer some impact from this round of Mother Nature.

We look forward to greeting our guests this weekend as we batten down the hatches to prepare for Hurricane Irene’s onslaught. There’s even a special breakfast  treat  in store for our guests……..

Breakfast is the biggest part of the name bed and breakfast, so it is no surprise that Richmond’s premier bed and breakfast was asked to participate in the Real Richmond Food Tour of the historic Fan District on Saturday July 9. So, what did Mike prepare for the tour ticketholders?

Lilly P's for the Real Richmond Food Tour from the William Miller House Bed and Breakfast

First, a tasting sample of one of his newest first courses: the Lilly P.  The Lilly P is a creamy, layered, not too sweet starter consisting of one layer of fresh strawberries combined with Greek yogurt (the pink part) topped with a layer of basil white chocolate mousse (the green part), garnished with flavored whipped cream and chopped pistachios. Recipe.

Second, a tasting sample of one of his entrees an ebel skiever stuffed with marinated fresh peaches with maple syrup on the side.  Ebel Skievers, small stuffed Danish pancakes, require a special pan – one of the many tools in Mike’s closet.  They can be stuffed with jams, preserves, fresh fruit, cheese – and, yes, even chocolate!

Sample of Ebel Skiever stuffed with fresh peaches for the Food Tour

The wonderful aspect of these tours hosted by Maureen Egan and Susan Winecki is that you get a taste of culture, a taste of history, and a taste of Richmond’s best food! Tour Info. Future tours will visit Shockoe (the Bottom or the Slip), the Museum District, both sides of Broad, and other little explored parts of Richmond. Add these tours to your list; you won’t be disappointed!

Tour comment: “When can I move in?” But, you don’t have to move in, simply make a reservation for an overnight stay and a hearty gourmet breakfast awaits you in the morning! Enjoy!

Keeping white wine chilled during evening wine service has always been an issue. Those clay bottle holders or ice-filled wine buckets just don’t do the trick – especially in the summer.  The correct serving temperature for white and rose wines is between 8 degrees C and 10 degrees C (46.4 degrees to 50 degrees).  Red wine is usually served between 16 degrees C and 18 degrees C (60.8 degrees and 65 degrees).  Wine stored at too high a temperature will ultimately develop an overwhelming alcohol content.

This chiller by SOWINE keeps wine for evening wine service at the appropriate temperature - preserving the tasting quality of both red and white wine for our guests

Several years ago, we discovered a one-bottle electric wine chiller that was perfect for maintaining the appropriate temperature for our white wines.  Two weeks ago, it stopped functioning.  We, here at Richmond’s premier bed and breakfast inn, are testing a new chiller.

This new chiller has multiple functionality!  It has two compartments that can hold one standard 75 cl wine bottle each. But it cannot accommodate champagne or other “fizzy” wine.  The compartments function independently, so it can be used for 1 bottle of red and one bottle of white, 2 bottles of white or red, 1 single bottle either opened or unopened.  These compartments will slowly bring wine to the proper temperature once it is selected with the control buttons on the top of each compartment.

Perhaps, even more interesting, this particular wine chiller protects wine from oxygen once the bottle is opened. The chiller has an oxygen extraction system to preserve the tasting qualities by drawing oxygen from the bottle and sealing it. To use the oxygen extraction system, place an opened bottle of wine in the compartment in the center of the compartment. Close the door to the compartment. Gently push the oxygen extraction plunger down until a click is audible. The vacuum system will trigger for a few seconds.

To remove the bottle from the  chiller to pour, simply open the door – if the oxygen extractor plunger is engaged – it will automatically lift to release the bottle.

Stay tuned for updates, or to see it in action, just make a reservation at the Fan District’s top rated bed and breakfast, enjoy our evening wine service, comfy beds, and hearty gourmet breakfasts!  And, our hydrangeas are in bloom!

We spent the last two weeks in the outer banks of N. Carolina, so while here I thought I would share our dining experiences.  Because OBX is really about casual, we very seldom visit the 2 or 3 upscale restaurants, we have eaten in the past at Aqua S in Southern Shores in Duck, Prime Only in Nags Head and the Sanderling in Duck. However, after plunking down between $2000 and $4000 a week most folks are looking for casual dining with a slightly lower price, well much lower!

Our ist of places we have eaten is long, however, I will keep the list to our current visit.  We usually eat diner in because we always stay in a friens house at the 20-mile marker and usually have copious amounts of wine, need I say more?  This trip we have eaten at:

Blue Moon Beach Grill Located at mile post 13 in Surf Side Plaza on the beach road.

We have eaten diner at Blue Moon ever since they opened about 3-years ago, over the winter that expanded the restaurant.  This visit was for lunch, there were 4 of us, the girls shared a Spinach & Arugula Salad and split the beach burger and fries.  The guys each had the sour of the day, which was crab and blue cheese chowder and one of us had the shrimp “not a burger” and the shrimp  po’ boy. The shrimp “not a burger” a zesty sandwich comes with blackened shrimp, fried green tomato & sharp provolone.  Served on toasted ciabatta bread with arugula, basil aioli and a balsamic reduction and erved with fries. Excellent.

The Crab and blue cheese chowder  was thick with a slight tastes of blue cheese and loaded with crab and finished with a bit of sherry.  The chowder was not too thick, it could have been a bit warmers, this seems to be an issue here on the outer banks, possibly to protect the tender seafood ingredients. This was a very tasty soup and would be enjoyed by folks who may not be a fan of blue cheese. I would definitely order again if it appears back on the menu.

Food Dudes Kitchen located at mile post 9.5 on the beach road in Kill Devil Hills.

New to the area we were turned on to them by two locals who go often.  We when the for Sunday brunch after church.  We dined al fresco over looking the parking lot, the place is very small.  Everyone ordered off of the Sunday Brunch menu, the normal menu is also available.  Jo had the eggs benedict over country ham on sweet potato biscuits, Bruce the sausage frittata, with home fries, Pat the sausage, vegetable and egg scramble with oat grain toast and Mike the eggs benedict over pulled pork with chipotle Hollandaise  sauce on a toasted english muffin.  We also ordered a couple of orders of sweet potato biscuits with ham and apple butter.  Of course there was far too much food, but we had to try everything.

Everyone enjoyed their breakfast, my only complaint was  eggs were over cooked, probably becuse Jo ordered her’s well done, I should have made sure they did not do the same with mine.  The pulled pork was very tender but the chipotle Hollandaise sauce a bit thin and could have used a bit more kick.

We all agreed we would return in the future, for this group that is like a 4-star review.

Ortega’z Southwestern Grill and Wine Bar on Sir Walter Raleigh Street in Manteo across the bridge.

We were out for a late lunch and decided to visit Ortega’z.  We arrive about 45-minutes before they stopped serving, service was a bit slow due to a large part inside, we sat outside on the front patio, under the big fan, adjacent to the heater, I do not think they will need the heater for the remainder of the summer.

Three of us had the fish tacos, two on the hard blue corn tortillas and one of the soft flour tortillas, Bruce ordered a cheese steak wrap and the soup of the day which was a poblano crab bisque .  The bisque was flavorful but very mild with no poblano pepper flavor identifiable , and as usual no to hot, again the OBX way.

The fish tacos were made with sword fish and were very good served with pico de gallo, sour cream, and a remoulade, saffron rice with black beans.

Sugar Shack Dining on Roanoke Sound, just before the bridge to Manteo, and not in Virginia

The Friendly Staff

OK when on vacation we all have those craving whether it’s ice cream or whatever..

In this case it is fried seafood and I can think of no better place than the Sugar Shack, located adjacent to Sugar Creek which is a pretty good restaurant for seafood, but you have conflicts; waiters and waitresses, kitchen delays, etc.

At the Shack you check out the menu, sorry white board, or the cooler case and decide what you want an place your order.  The next you know it is delivered you your table, either inside or outside adjacent otnthe sound.  The staff is friendly and beer is on tap, of course that have soft drinks as well.  All baskets come with house made chip, there are also onion rings, hushpuppies, slaw and other southern favorites.  We had the flounder and the calamari, of course we always get asked if everything was OK because the portions are for the young appetite, and of course we leave a little on our plate!

It is not gourmet, just fresh seafood cooked to perfection served immediately, so net time in Nags Head give them a try and tell them Mike and Pat sent you!

Beach Road Grill – Mile Post 11 on the Beach Road

The Beach Road Grill on the Outer Banks features a casual menu featuring burgers, fresh Outer Banks seafood, wraps and a steam bar.

This is without a doubt the cleanest restaurant I have ever been in anywhere in this category of laid back casual restaurant.

They have a white board at the rear of the restaurant with the specials of the day.  Last night it was Ribeye, a shrimp with pasta dish, blackened Cobia, a couple of deserts, and the fish of the day was Mahi-Mahi and softshell crabs.

The Ribeye was $12.99 and done just the way you asked for it, we ordered medium-rare and that’s the way it came.  The girls had the BGR Burger, fish & chips and chicken tenders with a side of french fries. Fish tacos were discussed but never materialized.

We have been here before for lunch but this was our first time for diner.  I would recommend this as a great casual place to eat while in the outer banks.

Tortugas’ Lie Shellfish Bar and Grill -

Nestled among the dunes of the Outer Banks town of Nags Head, you’ll find a delicious slice of the Caribbean known as Tortugas’ Lie. Founded in 1989, Tortugas’ is home to some of the beach’s finest fare, from mouthwatering appetizers to dinners and desserts so delicious you can’t help but come back again and again.

The day we visited the two specials, which are always listed on their web site, were Yellowfin Tuna with provolone cheese and asian slaw on a roll and also a Shrimp Wrap loaded with shrimp, may be a halff-pound, and lettuce and tomato and severed with onion rings.  The Yellowfin Tuna sandwich was excellent, the tuna done to perfection; about medium-rare unlike many who cook it ti death.  The only complaint I heard about the Shrimp Wrap was there was a lot of shrimp, not really a negative.

I'm sure you can find something you like

Tortugas’ made Coastal Living Magazines list of 84 of Americas Best Seafood Dives this year (June 2011, page 95), a well deserved honor!  All Dive but a good place to eat!

Other places and our recommendations:

Pamlico Jack’s Pirate Hideaway – Great place to sit on the deck and have a drink and watch the sun go down  sun go down, may be have an appetizer then go some where for diner.

Awful Arthur’s Oyster Bar – Mile post 6 on the beach road.

As an added subject, if you are interested in the Outer Banks Beach Re-nourishment project you can get an update here

The project Plan

Courtesy of the William Miller House
Mike Rohde and Pat Daniels, Innkeepers
Richmond, Virginia