Our family’s favorite toast: Cheers to Life! Inspired by a friend who takes a photo of her feet standing at a special place or event, we began to commemorate some special places and events with a toast. So here’s to 2011 ~ here’s to life!
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
Thank you to all our guests for making 2011 our best year yet at the Nicolin Mansion. And wishing you the all the best in the year to come!
Jordan attracts the antique seeker, and the antique dealer. Our latest addition is The Jordan Junker, and it certainly will not disappoint the antique enthusiast.
Jordan's Newest Antique Shop ~ The Jordan Junker
The shop is open as an occasional sale store, open posted days during the month with a constantly changing inventory.
Constantly Changing Inventory Creates an Eclectic Collection
During my visit in December, a focus on holiday decor and gift giving was a feature.
Santa Invites the Holiday Seeker
There are eye-catching treasures around ever corner in this shop.
Holiday Collection on Display in December
You Just Might Find the Perfect Find!
I set up a vintage tree in our middle parlor bay window, complete with vintage ornaments and bubble lights. These vintage wreaths were the perfect addition! Two of these went home with me.
I Just Could Not Leave the Store Without This Wreath (or Two)!
They look awesome in our middle parlor. Just might not be able to see them from the front street…a venture into the winter courtyard might be needed.
Finds from The Jordan Junker Find a New Home!
Be sure to watch their website and Facebook page for the schedule of their open dates.
The Jordan Junker
315 Broadway Street South, Jordan, MN 55352
952-210-5188
http://www.thejordanjunker.com/Home.php
Follow the Sign for Treats or Creeps...
Dare to Grab Your Candy
Courtyard Cemetary
Do You Dare?
While watching Jordan’s local Heimatfest Parade Saturday morning from Nicolin Mansion’s front porch, I turn to our innsitter, Cindy Nevins, and make an offer: you clean the room that’s checking in this afternoon while I finish my computer work and we’ll go on a Nicolin Mansion Fieldtrip to Crofut Winery for the annual Grape Stomp. Deal!
Innsitter Cindy and Innkeeper Terri
Cindy Stomping Grapes
Terri Stomping Grapes
Wine Tasting List
Tasting Toast
We head into the barn that serves as the usual tasting room and gift shop to buy our bottle of wine.
Wine Tasting Barn & Gift Shop
There’s also this fabulous iron piece outside the door that I’m convinced would fit perfectly in our courtyard, but of course it’s not for sale.
This belongs in the Nicolin Mansion Courtyard!
After purchasing our bottle, we were off to the arts and crafts tent. The artists’ selections are great: from jewelry to outdoor art, from candle holders to wine holders, the creativity is terrific!
Hands-free Wine Glass ~ A Must Have!
The Most Luminescent Globes I've Seen
But this is the Grape Stomp after all, so we find ourselves a table under the tent and sit down with our wine and a cheese plate to enjoy the festivities.
Tent-Side Seating for the Big Stomping Event
The groups of stompers start out a bit tame…
The Stomping of the Grapes Begin
Then the grapes start sailing instead of just stomping…
The Grapes Start Flying!
Finally reaching full grape assult!
Until Full On Grape Battle (These Shirts Started Out White!)
A definite must-see event! Stomping spots are snatched up pretty quickly, so reserve your spot early. If you miss getting to stomp, it’s definitely still worth it to stay, sip some wine, and see the stompers in action!
Don Crofut, your Vineyard Host
Crofut Family Vineyard & Winery
Open April – December (Check website for exact hours)
Friday: 2 pm – 8 pm; Saturday 11 am – 6 pm; Sunday 12 noon – 5 pm
21646 Langford Avenue Jordan, Minnesota 55352
952-492-3227
http://www.crofutwinery.com
Suzette’s is likely the most popular dining destination for our Nicolin Mansion guests. And it’s likely the most unexpected in our quaint town.
The restaurant in located in a very unassuming building, an old Bridgemann’s, along Highway 169 about a mile out of town. We’ve heard people drive up and think they are not at the right place – so we usually tell our guests beforehand to go, sit down, and order – you will be amazed.
We refer a lot of guests, but we usually dine at Suzette only about once or twice a year. The funny thing is, every time we are seated (with maybe one exception) we get the same table! Do they know we’re coming and save it for us? Who get’s it the other 363 days? Anyway, I digress.
So Sunday night, we’re here to celebrate – we survived the grand opening weekend of Kevin’s other project, the Minnesota Harvest Apple Orchard. Our waitress, Kati, greets us and explains tonight’s specials. We simultaneously exclaim “OK!”
But while Kati’s off getting our soup, we actually look at the menu and realize we haven’t ordered an appetizer. Bummer! So, she holds our soup so we can have our Portabella with Chicken Mousse and Brandy appetizer first.
Our enthusiasm continued through the appetizer, as I forgot to take the picture before we ate three-quarters of it! Sorry. Just imagine a full portabella cap. Other appetizer choices we had (and have had in the past) are Escargot with garlic butter and onion, and Crab Cakes with dill cream sauce.
We finish our appetizer, and now Kati can actually bring us our soup. We both ordered the Shrimp Bisque. Lovely! Kevin ordered extra rolls, which were warm and crusty, and awesome dipped in the soup. The other soup of the day was Cream of Broccoli (I know, we should have ordered one of each to report, but neither of us were willing to give up Shrimp Bisque).
And now for the main event – the specials of the day. I ordered the Ribeye - my family are not huge red meat eaters (and I even abstained for years until I was pregnant with my second son), so whenever I go out for dinner I tend towards the beef specialty. And I was not disappointed. It was enormous, and I got to enjoy it for lunch the next day in my cubicle, and even more unexpected setting for fine French cuisine. Other beef choices on the menu are Steak Cafe de Paris (Grilled New York Strip topped with garlic butter) and Chateaubriand (beef tenderloin topped with bordelaise sauce). Suzette’s also offers pork options of Pork Suzette (twin medallion of pork tenderloin topped with shrimp and swiss cheese) and Cranberry Pork (sliced pork tenderloin topped with fresh cranberry sauce). I’ve had Pork Suzette and can highly recommend it. Suzette’s chicken options include Chicken Fettuccine, Chicken Marsala, and Chicken Wellington (chicken breast stuffed with a blend of mushrooms, wrapped in a pastry shell). These are also representative of some of the Italian offerings of that Fine European Cuisine. I’ve never tried the Lamb, a New Zealand Rack of Lamb, but I think that will have to be my next choice (in October for our anniversary).
Kevin’s entrée choice was the Stuffed Salmon special – no surprise if you know Kevin, salmon is his all time favorite. And he loved this, stuffed with crab and scallops (Awesome! I tried some off his plate). The Seafood selection is the largest on Suzette’s menu: Seafood Manicotti, Crab Cake Meal, Salmon Dill Beurre Blanc (salmon broiled and topped with dill white wine cream sauce), Marin Grivois (shrimp, scallops, chopped onions, garlic and linguini - I overheard Kati tell another table this was her favorite – Kevin will have to get that in October), Petite Fillet with Shrimp (beef tenderloin with large broiled shrimp), Shrimp Provencal (gulf shrimp sautéed with olive oil, onion and garlic), Sea Bass, Seafood Mix Grill (gulf shrimp, scallop, and petite lobster tail), and Suzette Mixed Grilled (petite lobster, beef tenderloin, and pork tenderloin – I’ve heard a common favorite of our guests). And there is a Vegetarian choice of assorted vegetables served with mushroom cream sauce and your choice of pasta, rice or pastry shell.
We are feeling completely satisfied, and Kati comes out with this Fruit Napoleon compliments of Chef Ban! Beautiful! For a split instance we thought of boxing it up and bringing it home to the kids, but quickly decided to have Ban cut it in half and share with another table, our Chamberlin Room guests sitting across the room from us! It was perfect. Another dessert favorite of ours is the Creme Brule.
Chef Ban (formally Banrith Yong) joined us at the table for a moment, as he usually does, to chat a few minutes about all our ideas of bringing this beautiful small-town’s offering to yet another level. He also likes to joke about bringing Kevin back to Cambodia and starting a band – we’ll make lots of money he says.
Speaking of the kids – they do have a kid’s menu: Spaghetti and Meatballs, Chicken Fettuccine, and Pizza ($4.95 each). Our boys keep asking us to take them to Suzette’s and we keep disappointing them by only going there on our date nights. I guess it’s time for the Mama to take the Boys out for our own date night at Suzette’s.
Suzette’s Restaurant
Open
Tuesday – Friday: 11 am – 2 pm & 4:30 pm – 9 pm
Saturday & Sunday: 4:30 pm – 9 pm
Closed Mondays
20251 Johnson Memorial Drive (Highway 169)
Jordan, Minnesota 55352
952-492-2422
http://www.suzettesrestaurant.com/
Served up this morning, our signature scones, which were “heaven” according to our guests. This recipe has even passed the test of our British guests! So, thought it was about time to share – so you can experience a taste of the Nicolin Mansion in your own home.
2 cups flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick butter
1 large eggs
1/2 cup half and half
Preheat oven to 425 degrees° F. In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter and cut in with a pastry blender until crumbs forms.
Stir in any special ingredients (this morning was candied ginger and chocolate chips). Options include nutmeg, candied ginger, raisins and cinnamon, dried cranberries, dried blueberries, or a handful of chocolate chips. Options are endless, but use dry ingredients rather than anything that would add additional moisture.
In a small bowl, whisk together egg and half-and-half. Add to flour mixture and stir with a fork until ingredients are moistened and hold together. Knead dough by hand and gather into a ball.
Transfer to a lightly floured surface; knead several more times. Pat dough into an 8-inch round. With a sharp knife, cut into 8 to 10 equal wedges. Place wedges slightly apart on an ungreased baking sheet (a clay baking sheet is best).
Bake until golden brown, about 12 minutes.
Carasim Coffee Shop is far more than just Coffee. While it’s true they do serve coffee, espresso, chai, fine teas, Italian sodas and real fruit smoothies, there is a lot more going on in Frank Nicolin’s former Opera House.
Dining at the vintage bar or booths not only includes a great nostalgic atmosphere, there is also great home cooking.
From simple breakfast items, to soup, salad and sandwiches, the menu changes to include freshly made daily specials. They were serving a Roasted Red Pepper Tomato soup the day I took these photos.
One of our favorites is the pizza. It’s become a tradition whenever we have family staying with us from out of town. The crust is thin, the way I like it, made to order. And at $9.95 for a large, two-topping pizza, it’s a great value as well. But the ice cream counter and the Themed Elegance chocolate shots are the hands down favorite for the Knox boys!
Like I said, there’s more than just coffee, and dining. Carasim is located right next door to the Nicolin Mansion, and through the Mertz era, the two properties were jointly owned. The historic building, built in 1876, has housed Nicolin’s Opera House, Mammoth Store, and a favorite the locals still talk about, Geno’s Tap. A walk through to just admire the interior is well worth a stop. Besides the classic wooden bar and booths, there’s a beautiful hand painted mural of historic downtown Jordan.
It’s doesn’t stop there. The shop is stocked full of antiques for sale. From antique depression glass to furniture, it’s my first stop whenever I’m looking for something to add to the bed and breakfast. And I’ve bought several items. They also sell great historic photos of Jordan, including one of the U.S. 4th Calvary en route to Fort Snelling in front of both Carasim and the Nicolin Mansion in 1908.
Carasim also hosts a thrift shop with great clothing buys supporting Broken Pottery Outreach, as well as the Geneva’s Daughter Ocassional Sale. The upper room where the Opera stage still stands, is host to a variety of special events. And the back room hosts entertainment events, such as junk swap, Thrift Shop fashion show, and live music. Watch the Jordan Events Calendar for upcoming events. The building was known as the HUB in it’s day, and with all that’s still going on, the name is appropriate.
Carasim Coffee Shop
231 Broadway Street South
Jordan, Minnesota 55352
952-492-5553
Hours:
10:00-5:00 Wednesday-Thursday
10:00-9:00 Friday
8:00-5:00 Saturday-Sunday
I like to set goals for renovation projects, now that we’re open, specifically on dates for upcoming events. So when we booked a recent courtyard wedding (watch for a future post), I set the goal, well actually Kevin’s goal, to have the only yet untouched room in the mansion completed for that wedding.
Breeggemann Before
So when “we” renovate a room, that means I design and buy, and Kevin makes it happen, and I come back and put on the finishing touches. I’ve called it “our dance” – he says it’s more like mud wrestling. So I bought, and he made it happen, and I compromised along the way when the room called it’s own shots (which happens any time you open up the walls in one of these old houses).
Breeggemann During
Turns out we finished, just barely, on time.
Kevin and Kevin
Toast: Breeggemann Almost Done
And the wedding guests were able to use that only bathroom not connected to a guest room. Must have seen a hundred-plus trips from the courtyard to the Breeggemann that day (one guest even suggested a Biffy – now that would have spoiled all my plans for a remodel!).
Breeggemann After
Nicolin Mansion B&B
I was devastated when I learned a fire consumed The Bohemian Bed and Breakfast, and took the life of my friend and mentor, Bobbi McCrea, her precious girls Abby and Savannah, and 3 of her guests. The tragedy is overwhelming and beyond comprehension. It has left New Ulm devastated and grieving - it has left multitudes of loved ones devastated and grieving. I too am grieving and remembering Bobbi…
We met when Kevin and I were guests celebrating our anniversary at The Bohemian. She and Mark Wood, her husband then, had started the B&B earlier that year and were eager teachers as we shared our someday-dream of owning our own bed and breakfast. As we found our property, they openly shared everything we could imagine – their experiences renovating and opening, their business plans, even their tax returns. We talked of online marketing and community networking. We even reviewed our mortgage agreement during a stay in New Ulm, and cancelled when we realized we had unknowingly walked into one of those now infamous sub-prime mortgages – we could have lost everything long ago had we not changed courses then.
Over the past eight years since we’ve opened our bed and breakfast, Bobbi has been there as a mentor and a friend. One of the few who can relate to the blessings and challenges that being an innkeeper represents. And at every turn, she was enthusiastic and determined, and pressed on through any challenge. She truly embodied the spirit of her “hospitality savant” title, and that spirit was infectious.
I cherish the times I’ve spent with Bobbi. The times she mentored and we later related innkeeping experiences. The times Kevin and I celebrated birthdays and anniversaries at The Bohemian (and that one year Abby offered the complimentary Shell’s beer herself, and hung out with us for an hour in our room with her kitty, as the cool breeze blew in the window – it was strikingly memorable). The time my Bible Bunch gals spent our fall reunion at The Bohemian. The time my friend and innsitter Cindy and I escaped for a girls weekend at The Bohemian. I always felt special that I was the one allowed in the kitchen or on the back porch late at night having a glass of wine alone with Bobbi. And felt I’d really arrived as an innkeeper when we had our first innkeeper trade when she and Charlie and Abby stayed here at the Nicolin Mansion while she was pregnant with Savannah.
In some regards I’m envious of those who shared her life on a more regular basis, as our few times a year turned into once a year and into once every couple years. But as I’ve read other’s tributes, I share their sentiment of being anything but grateful for having been given any time with her at all.
On Father’s Day we drove past Bobbi’s house, so beautifully repainted and landscaped, and Kevin asked if I wanted to stop. I did, but said I didn’t want to intrude on a holiday, that we’d stop if she was outside. She wasn’t, so we didn’t. I wished I’d have at least knocked.
You have touched my life more and I will miss you more than you probably ever realized…
Update 7/25/11: Investigators determine fire caused accidentally by unattended candles.
