Tuesday, January 1, 2019

MOUNT VERNON INN RESTAURANT




I am going to be sharing a few posts of our activities over the holidays.  We had a dear friend stay with us for the week.  She left yesterday and we missed her as soon as her car drove around the corner.  Our son and daughter-in-law came over on Christmas Day.  We had a lovely time together and I will be sharing those photos also in the next few days.
This post is of our dinner at the Mount Vernon Inn and Restaurant.  The photo of my friend is when we were waiting for Gregg to join us.  They have a very comfortable seat outside the restaurant's entrance.  The room where we usually wait was being used for a 50th wedding anniversary dinner.

It was after the 25th and these posts will not be in chronological order.  Our reservation was for five p.m.  We arrived half-an-hour early so that we could browse around the gift shop.  

I also took photos of the Christmas Tree in the large foyer.  Here's one with our friend standing next to it.  We had fun looking at all the ornaments.  Many were these dolls.


I remember seeing them in the stores 40 years ago when we were living in Newport, Rhode Island for a while.  The company was out of New Hampshire.  It was the first time I had seen this type of doll.  Not to be played with, more a holiday decoration than anything.  I have three carolers in a box I bought at that time.  They didn't make it out of the basement storage room this year, because they are tucked away in a corner I couldn't get to.  We have more downsizing to do in 2019.  Enough of that!   Here are a few from the tree at Mount Vernon.


They are dressed in colonial style.  The ones I have are Victorian (David Copperfield days).


I didn't get the whole animal in the photo below, but on the right you can just about make out the legs of a toy camel.  They are on sale in the gift shop, along with these decorative figures. 


In 1787 George Washington paid 18 shillings to bring a camel to Mount Vernon for the enjoyment of his guests. When we visited a few years ago during the holiday season, there was a real camel on the grounds, as there is this year.  According to their website you can visit Aladdin, who normally lives in Berryville, Virginia.  You can read about him here.  There are pewter camel ornaments for purchase in the gift shop.  There are also plush toys (those shown on the tree) and a children's book which tells the story of Washington's camel, and other animals at Mount Vernon.

There are also miniature replicas of Mount Vernon, and some were painted on glass ornaments.

And George Washington in clothes-pin form.
At five o'clock we went into the restaurant and had a very nice time together, and a nice meal.
We all ordered the peanut and chestnut soup (sorry, no photo except for the bowls you can see in front of us).  Our friend had the salmon dish, Gregg ordered the turkey pot pie, and I the shrimp and grits.  It doesn't look like it in the photo above, but the restaurant was very busy, as were the staff.  That's why I appreciated it very much when the young man I asked, stopped long enough to take our photo.  He was very gracious, polite and kind, giving us a genuine smile as he said that he was not very good at taking photos and hoped ours would be okay.  It was I assured him and thanked him as we looked at the photo.  
Here is a collage I put together of our meal.  We had asked for the cornbread but the lady who took our order wasn't sure it was still on the menu as it had changed recently.  We ended up with the Colonial Hoecake which was topped with country ham, sautéed crabmeat and hollandaise sauce.  It was very good but I hope we can get the plain cornbread next time.  You can take a look at the dinner menu if interested right here.  The other menus can be found on their website.  We also took home their famous bread pudding.  I never fail to order a piece, to be eaten later that day or the next.  It seems even better the day after.
On our way home we found ourselves next to a Mini Cooper.  I have a soft spot for these cars.  This was the first vehicle I ever owned, in my early 20s. I had saved up for several years.  It was the old style, with rusty spots here and there that contrasted beautifully with its grey color, yes it did.  I loved that old car.  I had my independence and didn't care what it looked like, though I gave it a lot of tender loving care. It was a Rolls Royce to me, four wheels to get me from A to B. When I met Gregg I had owned it for about a year, and on our very first date I picked him up at Torquay Harbor and drove him on a sight-seeing tour over Dartmoor.  The radiator had a leak and I had to carry a bottle of water.  He carefully filled the radiator regularly.  On subsequent dates he rented a car for us, which was probably wise as my old car went into the shop soon after.  Getting back to this fancy little number at the side of us, what I noticed was the Union Jack design on the rear lights, and no rusty spots in sight!  I have seen the Union Jack painted on the roof of these cars, but have never noticed the design in the lights before. 

That's it for our trip to the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant, until the next time that is.  

Thanks for stopping by and on this, the first day of January 2019, Happy New Year!




44 comments:

  1. Love that Union Jack on the lights.
    And your incredibly social selves look as if you were ALL having a wonderful time. Which is lovely.

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  2. These doll decorations are wonderful on the Christmas tree and it looked like you had a great time and meal with your friend.

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  3. This restaurant looks divine, and I love everything on the tree. Especially the carolers. The food all looks so good. I love Mini Coopers, there are quite a few around here. Do you often wish that you still had yours? My first car was a Mustang, and I loved it like you did your Mini Cooper. But of course now I am too old and decrepit to even get in and out of the thing.

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    1. Hi Ginny, I would like my old car back. I could probably get rid of those rust spots :) Mustang's are a great car. I probably wouldn't be able to get out of my old mini now either :)

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  4. I wouldn't mind a meal in that restaurant ... and I wouldn't mind a trip in a Mini Coo, as a then boy friend called it! Oh happy days.

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    1. Love the name, thanks Valerie! Happy days indeed :)

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  5. There’s nothing as warm and welcoming as a visit with a good enduring friend. Haha … it’s so cool you were the one with wheels to pick up your future husband on your first date. Also, the caroling dolls on the tree are a true delight!

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    1. Thanks Penelope, I agree wholeheartedly. My hubby was on a navy ship that had dropped anchor in the outer harbor. He had no transport except for that ship :)

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  6. Happy New Year to you and Gregg, Denise. From this post and your photos, it looks like you had a wonderful time with your friend at the Mount Vernon Inn. Thanks for sharing the decorations and your food choices as well. It was nice to see all of you as well.

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    1. Thank you Beatrice, to you also. Glad you enjoyed our visit to the Inn.

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  7. I really enjoyed your memory of your mini cooper. I love the look of them but have never driven or ridden in one.. the dolls are really interesting and so is all that tree has on it... a beautiful place. I love hoe cake but not with all that stuff on it. my dad taught me to make a hoe cake as a child, and last week I cheated on my food plan and had one for breakfast, mine had butter and honey on it, but I love them plain with a little butter. Big Boy loved it to. bob doesn't care for it. I love corn bread, bob doesn't care for it either....

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    1. Thanks Sandra, I haven't ridden in one since. Interesting about your hoe cake. I would like to try the plain one. Although this was enjoyable, I found the toppings a bit rich. Yours sounds delicious!

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  8. What a lovely place!

    Hope all is well... Since you are using old posts....

    Hugs...✨

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    1. All is well and thank you so much for your concern. I actually wrote this post just before adding it to my blog. I am behind my current events and have a lot to catch up on. Hugs back to you too :)

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  9. Lovely set of photos. Cheers Diane

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  10. Excellent photos!

    George's camel is a story I can't recall hearing of before.

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    1. Thanks William! I didn't know the story until my visit to Mount Vernon a few years back, and saw the camel in the field.

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  11. Denise, you all had a lovely time at Mount Vernon Inn. I love going there! Our daughter and grandson visited last summer and we ate in their lovely restaurant. I loved seeing all the Byer dolls on the tree and your dinners look delicious! It's funny we saw a mini Cooper the other day with the Union on the tail lights! Love hearing about your's! ♥

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    1. Great to hear you were at the restaurant too Martha Ellen, What a coincidence about the Mini Cooper. Glad you enjoyed my memories. Thanks for sharing your trip to Mount Vernon.

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  12. Happy New Year from Poland. The tree is amazing

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  13. I so love the ornaments you showed us...thank you for taking the time to upload all the photos. Every time I see a mini-cooper I think of our neighbor. she was in her mid 70's when she moved across the street. She didn't have one but she sure loved them...

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    1. Glad you enjoyed them Rose, and you are very welcome. I loved looking at them myself. Nice to know of your neighbor and her interest in Mini Coopers.

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  14. New Year is the perfect occasion to celebrate love, friendships and all the good things in life. Let’s take the time to appreciate what this year has given us and what the new one is about to bring! Happy New Year!

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    1. Hi Ryoma, it certainly is and I liked your sentiments. Thank you and the same to you.

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  15. Gostei bastante das decorações das árvores de Natal e aproveito para desejar um Feliz Ano Novo.

    Andarilhar
    Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
    O prazer dos livros

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  16. You treat your company well. What a fun place to visit and enjoy a meal at.
    Happiest of New Years to you!

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    1. Thank you Ellen, and it is reciprocated. She is a dear friend. Happy New Year to you and your family.

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  17. What a lovely selection of photographs.
    Happy New Year Wishes to you and Gregg.

    All the best Jan

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  18. That is a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, it sounds like the three of you had a lovely dinner.

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  19. Hi Denise,
    What a marvellous place to visit, love the Christmas tree with the dolls, so original.
    Also appears you had a good and enjoyable meal.
    Enjoyed your memories and your Mini Cooper, that were a super little car but had as you say some problems with rust, my wife had to have a new sub frame in hers.
    All the best, John

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    1. Hi John, glad you enjoyed. That's really interesting about the rust on the minis. I never knew it was a regular problem. All the best to you too :)

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  20. Interesting story about the camel!

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  21. we have been there, it's a great place. your food looks so delicious....and what great pictures!! such a nice picture of the 3 of you!!!

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