The finished product

 
 

Q? What do hand-carved ships and the Hawthorne Hotel have in common?

 


A. They are connected by an extraordinarily talented culinary worker named Jose Rivera.

This is the rest of the story, which began on these pages on October 21, 2005. So, fair reader, it's off to the archives for you.

These photos show Jose's finished work. Sous Chef Ken O'Keefe was the lucky recipient of this model, hand-carved by Jose, and finished last week.

We hope you enjoy seeing how this all turned out.

Juli 

Hand-carved lettering makes a finishing touch

 
 

Employee of the Month, September 2005

 >

Juli Lederhaus (left) and Shannon Civitarese (right) congratulate Jonah Pringle, our full-time employee of the month for September 2005. Shannon nominated Jonah just as soon as he completed his 90-day period after returning to the Hotel this spring. Jonah is a top-notch staff member, who helps out in virtually every department. He has a great way about him, and is able to accomplish a wide variety of tasks, while remaining calm and cheerful no matter what is going on.

Congratulations, Jonah!

Juli 

Flags of the week for November 28 through December 4, 2005

Monday November 28: Uruguay and Wisconsin
Tuesday November 29: Uzbekistan and Wyoming
Wednesday December 30: Vanuatu and Alabama (Flag and map of Vanuatu are shown here)













Thursday December 1: Venezuela and Alaska
Friday December 2: Viet Nam and American Samoa
Saturday December 3: Yemen and Arizona
Sunday December 4: Zambia and Arkansas

Wreaths and flower boxes dress up the Hawthorne Hotel for the holidays

 

Hawthorne Hotel sets the stage for the Holidays in Salem

 
 

Just as winter follows the fall, Salem's Holiday Happenings follows its Haunted Happenings. The Hawthorne Hotel is all ready for the snow, although I'm personally hoping for a non-snowy winter so I can continue to play golf. Yes, I'm a diehard golfer, and I was out there yesterday afternoon.

Juli

Hawthorne Hotel's Living Poinsettia Christmas Tree

 

Dressed for the Holidays

The Hawthorne Hotel is always the center of holiday activity in Salem, no matter the holiday. Yesterday and today was spent getting all of the wreaths put up on the windows all around the hotel, and putting up the live poinsettia tree in the lobby.

I'll post some photos for you to see what we have accomplished in my next post.

Juli

Salem Today & the Weekend

Don't miss the annual and superb antique show and sale at the Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) that starts today and goes through Sunday. It is an event that surpasses all others of this type.

We hope to see you in Salem,

www.PEM.org



Juli & The Staff of the Hawthorne Hotel

The Rudland and Cheshire Families

 

Families come together from all over to celebrate Thanksgiving at the Hawthorne Hotel in Salem, Massachusetts. These families have members that came all the way from England.

Juli 

Bountiful Thanksgiving Day Buffet at the Hawthorne Hotel

 

Salem, Ma 

Hawthorne Hotel Ballroom Entertainers

 


Nina Vickers and her students play their harps for our guests. 

 


Bread table at the Hawthorne Hotel Thanksgiving Day Buffet. 

Thanksgiving at the Hawthorne Hotel

 

Guest Dave Lake enjoying the bountiful Thanksgiving buffet at the Historic Hawthorne Hotel. 

Steve Nelson Honored

 

The Hawthorne Hotel's Executive Chef, Steve Nelson, was honored on Wednesday for his 20 years of service to our guests and our staff. Shown with him in this photo are Karen Cotton and Michael Harrington, who have also been part of the Hawthorne team for as long as Steve.

Congratulations, Steve, and thank you for all of the work you have done, including the half-million chickens you've cooked!

Juli 

Hawthorne Hotel's Flags of the Week -- November 21 to 27, 2005

Monday: Turkmenistan and Utah
Tuesday: Tuvalu and Vermont
The flag and a map of Tuvalu is shown below. The story of the flag and the struggles related to it are quite interesting. I hope this will prompt you to do a little more research, as I did when this island nation's flag came up in our rotation. The capital of Tuvalu is Funafuti. Be sure to remember this tidbit of information when you get selected to appear on 'Jeopardy'.






Wednesday: Uganda and Virgin Islands
Thursday: Ukraine and Virginia
Friday: United Arab Emirates and Washington
Saturday: United Kingdom West Virginia
Sunday: United Republic of Tanzania and Wisconsin

Juli

Our sister hotel, the Publick House in Sturbridge, Massachusetts

Today I am staying at the Publick House, our sister hotel in Sturbridge, and I thought it an appropriate time to remind you, gentle reader, that we do indeed have another side to our small hotel company.


There are many reasons for visiting Sturbridge, from a trip to Old Sturbridge Village, or as a convenient meeting place at the intersection of the Massachusetts Turnpike (MassPike), also known as I-90, and I-84, or to make a stop in the Publick House's famous bakeshop for some wonderful goodies.

Whatever the reason for your visit, if you do stop in, please tell them Juli from the Hawthorne says hello! And if you're headed back to Salem, please bring me a chocolate eclair!!!!

Here is a link to their website: www.PublickHouse.com

Juli

The lobby staircase at the Hawthorne Hotel

Here you see our long-time staff member, Judy Picone, as she greets the arriving wedding guests at the Hawthorne Hotel on Saturday night. The staircase is a focal point of the lobby, and is often the subject of additional decoration by our wedding clients.

Juli 

Another view of our lobby staircase

 

Salem Common in November

Step outside the Hawthorne Hotel's front door, and take about 20 steps to your right. The scene shown here is what you will see at this time of the year. You will be afforded a good clear view all the way across Salem Common, to the stately mansions on the other side.

The Common is a perfect place for a walk, a jog, or to exercise your pet. It has a small playground for children, and some great open areas for a picnic in the summer.

Juli 

Where can I find a mailbox?

This is our lobby mailbox at the Hawthorne Hotel. It is connected to a mail chute that comes down to it from the sixth floor, and is accessible from every floor in-between. The post office personnel hate it and we love it, in spite of having to polish the brass often to keep it shining.

The post office hates it because sometimes our guests are naughty and put things in the chute that are not mail. The post office staff are the only ones who can come and unlock and clean out the insides of it, so you can see why they dislike it so much.

With the increasing use of e-mail, I often wonder how long it will be until 'snailmail' is obsolete, and a new generation will not even know what something like this mailbox was? Many times now our guests will walk right past it to ask the location of the nearest mailbox. . .

Juli

Wine Dinner Menu November 16, 2005

Last night we enjoyed an excellent menu created by Chef Steve Nelson,

and Sous Chefs Ken O'Keefe and Jennifer Normant,

of the Hawthorne Hotel.

The menu was created to match the wines of Louis M. Martini and MacMurray Ranch.

Reception
Assorted Olives and Caponata, pita crisps and sliced breads
Baked Fresh Maine Crab Dip, crackers and toasted breads
Savory Ground Lamb Pies, pistachios and kumquat marmalade
Shrimp Tempura, dried apricot soy dipping sauce
Risotto Arancini, risotto with Fontina and Parmesan cheeses coated with panko crumbs, deep fried
Napa Valley Vineyards Chardonnay
2002 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County

Dinner
Tangerine-Seared Nantucket Cape Scallops
Sugar snap peas, Minneola tangerine segments and

ginger-pinot gris reduction
2003 Mac Murray Ranch Pinot Gris, Russian River

Pan Roasted Duck Breast and Leg Confit
Golden chanterelles sautéed with duck demi glace,

leeks and green French lentils
2001 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa

Pepper Grilled Petite Rib Eye Steak
Balsamic slow roasted shallots, multi-colored carrots,
Yukon gold garlic-mashed potatoes and sautéed broccolini
2000 Louis M. Martini Cabernet Sauvignon, Alexander Valley

Dessert
Chocolate Walnut Truffle, English Stilton with Grilled Pears
2000 Louis M. Martini Gnarly Vine Zinfandel,

Monte Rosso Vineyard, Sonoma

A Toast to Chef Steve Nelson of the Hawthorne Hotel

 


John and Jeanne Fletcher toast our chef, Steve Nelson, and our sous chefs, Ken O'Keefe and Jennifer Normant, who prepared a delicious wine dinner tonight.

Bon Appetit!

Juli 

Wine Dinner Guests of the Hawthorne Hotel

 


Shirley C. and Richard F. Walker enjoying a glass of Louis Martini Cabernet Sauvignon at the Hawthorne Hotel Wine Dinner tonight. 

The Self-described "Evil Table" at the Wine Dinner

Right to Left are:
Kate Bedard, Jerry Zanni, Ann Dwight, Diane Zanni and Phil Dwight

They asked to be described as the 'evil table', in an effort to try to outdo last wine dinner's 'bad table'. Go figure!

A wonderful time was had by all of these zany folks! 

Guests Enjoying the Hawthorne Hotel Wine Dinner

Mike Allen, Liz Pierce and Allison Christiansen were among the guests this evening at the Hawthorne Hotel's quarterly wine dinner, the last of this year's season. For next year's schedule, please check our website at www.HawthorneHotel.com. 

Guests of the Hawthorne Hotel Quarterly Wine Dinner

 


Suzanne Rowell of Newton, New Hampshire and Charlene Chase of Danvers, Massachusetts 

Tonight's Dessert, Hawthorne Hotel Quarterly Wine Dinner, November 16, 2005

 


English Stilton, Grilled Pear with Rosemary and Black Pepper, Walnuts, and Cranberry-Walnut Bread
Followed by a Chocolate Walnut Truffle
Louis M. Martini Gnarly Vines Zinfandel, Monte Rosso Vineyard, Sonoma Valley, 1999