Create Culinary Memories at a Bed and Breakfast
If you have ever wondered how innkeepers prepare those gourmet, three-course breakfasts, the secret is out. Some of the top bed and breakfasts across the country are sharing their culinary secrets in special cooking classes. So rest, relax and cook on your next vacation. Don’t forget to pack your chef’s hat!
NEW ORLEANS
For a fun food vacation, a trip to New Orleans is a must. From five-star cuisine to quirky cafes, this bayou belle has it all. Guests at the swanky House on Bayou Road Inn enjoy romantic period dcor at an 18th century inn just blocks from the French Quarter, as well as a variety of gourmet cooking classes. Immerse yourself in a 5-day culinary vacation or try one of the inn’s half-day lessons. Whatever the choice, you’ll love the food, dcor and period charm of this historic plantation home surrounded by two acres with a pool and hot tub.
SOUTH CAROLINA
Learn the tricks of the culinary trade at Abingdon Manor, a historic inn with a Four Diamond rating for both its cuisine and accommodations. Cooking classes at this Florence, South Carolina, locale are available throughout the year, limited to just six people per class, so there’s plenty of one-on-one instruction. Mornings at the inn begin with a sumptuous Southern breakfast, followed by a day of cooking lessons and capped off with a six-course gourmet dinner served in a romantic, candlelit setting. The beautiful home is decorated in period style and boasts many original features, such as a clawfoot tub in one guest room and a working fireplace in another romantic room.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
For nearly 25 years, the Bernerhof Inn in Glen, New Hampshire, has been host to the Taste of the Mountains Cooking School. Twice each year, foodies flock to this picturesque site to spend a weekend learning some of the historic inn’s delectable recipes. The lessons range from how to prepare a Sunday brunch to the delicate art of fish cookery. In addition to the classes, the inn has its own German-style restaurant, an intimate pub and the CyBear Lounge, where guests can snack and check their email at the same time. Rooms are cozy with country furnishings and quilt-topped beds, and the inn is close to ski areas, fishing, golfing and much more.
PENNSYLVANIA INNS
The historic Golden Pheasant Inn is well established as a wonderful, gourmet restaurant but it is also home to six restored guestrooms decorated by Barbara Faure. The fieldstone inn was built as a mule barge stop for travelers on the Delaware Canal. The five acre grounds resemble a French country estate and guests can enjoy the lush surroundings in a canal side Solarium dining room. There are two other dining rooms, including the original Tavern Room with pointed stone walls, exposed beams, deep window sills, decorative copper pots and Quimper pottery from Brittany, France. The restaurant’s French cuisine, prepared by Chef Michel Faure, is outstanding. One might start off with Michel’s pheasant pate, followed by a savory onion soup baked with three cheeses. Mesclun greens dressed in vinaigrette cleanse the palate before one samples roast duck with a luxurious apricot, ginger and rum sauce or perhaps a sirloin steak flamed in cognac. Looking to create your own masterpiece? Then look no further, as Chef Michel Faure offers cooking classes for a nominal fee which includes demonstration and tasting.
SONOMA, CA
Ramekins’ Bed & Breakfast Inn in Sonoma, California is a bit different: Rather than offering a cooking school within a B&B, this is a B&B that is housed within a cooking school! All six rooms feature luxurious comfy beds and tasteful appointments; perfect for relaxing in after a busy day in the kitchens below. Speaking of cooking, Ramekins’ classes (available in groups, one-on-one, or online) are held in two teaching kitchens. The first is a fully-equipped, 36-seat culinary demonstration kitchen-theater with mirrors and television monitors for easy viewing. The second is a complete restaurant kitchen used for full-participation hands-on classes. The International Association of Culinary Professionals recognized Ramekins’ teaching excellence with the IACP’s 2005 “School of the Year” award. Add a B&B and Ramekins’ location in California’s wine country, and the result is vacation perfection.