Chicago (August 2011)

My spouse and I visited Chicago for a 3-day weekend in August 2011 to celebrate my birthday. We traveled out to Chicago together (and ran into some people on our flight from Allentown who worked at LSI in Milpitas). After checking into the Palmer House Hilton, we ate a late dinner at The Gage. The next day (Saturday), we visited Frank Lloyd Wright's house in nearby Oak Park. We rode the subway there and back, and the other passengers looked a bit dicey! Upon our return, we ate lunch at Giordano's, and avoided a rainstorm. That evening, we dined at L2O, which at the time held two Michelin stars. On Sunday, we took an architectural Segway tour and then had lunch at Hot Woks Cool Sushi. After recuperating, we took a cab north to have drinks at Vinci followed by the most incredible dinner at Alinea, the best restaurant in the United States and winner of 3 Michelin stars. The next morning, I flew home, but my spouse stayed in the city to do some work. Another great Chicago weekend!!

Hotel: 

• Palmer House Hilton Link to My Review

 Restaurants:

• The Gage Link to My Review
• Giordano's Link to my review
• L2O Link to My Review
• Hot Woks Cool Sushi Link to my review
• Vinci Link to my review
• Alinea Link to My Review

 Activities:

• Frank Lloyd Wright Oak Park Link to my review
• Segway Tour Link to my review
• Millennium Park (Cloud Gate and Crown Fountain)

Chicago: Steve’s Segway Tours (August 2011)

My spouse and I participated in a Steve’s Segway Tour one day during August 2011. There are several segway tour companies in the downtown area, but we chose Steve’s because it offered the possibility for a private tour (billed as three hours, but it lasted a bit longer) as well as a tour that focused on an area other than the museum campus area, which we had already seen (although not via segway). The cost for the private tour wasn’t too much more than a group tour, and we were glad that we splurged. (It was difficult enough to keep the two of us and our guide together on the city streets, so we could not imagine keeping a group of 10+ people together, although the group tours do not venture into the city but stay in less-trafficked areas, so I’m sure that it is possible.) The architecture tours take place only on Sunday mornings and afternoons when the pedestrian and vehicle traffic in the downtown area is at its lowest volume. The only downside to this time, that we could tell, was that we weren’t able to go inside the Rookery Building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright (we had been to his home and studio in Oak Park the previous day, so it would have been a nice addition to what we saw there). The segway tours operate rain or shine, and it was a cool and drizzly day when we were there; we had brought rain gear, so the weather didn’t really impact us at all. It is necessary to wear a helmet on a segway tour. They can provide you with a little backpack-type thing to attach to the handlebars that can hold some small items; it is not recommended that you wear a backpack while taking a tour because it throws off your balance. The tour was a bit more physically challenging that I thought it would be - standing in the same spot in the same position while riding (and even stopping to look at different sights) was tiring! So don’t be afraid to step off the segway when you are stopping at different points to give your legs a break. (There was no recovery time after the tour, though - five minutes afterward, we felt terrific and not at all sore or strained.) Bill Elliott, of Redcap Walking Tours, was our private guide, and he had great knowledge of the neighborhoods and buildings in the Downtown Loop area. The segways are really fun to use, and it is easy to “get the hang of” how to operate them. We will definitely take another segway tour should the opportunity present itself (a place like Central Park in NYC would be ideal, however, the “vehicles” aren’t allowed in Manhattan; another great place would be the museum and monument area in Washington, DC, but I don’t know that they are permitted there either). Steve’s has an extensive website, with lots of great information on the segways, why to choose their company over another, available tours, and so on. Be sure to read the directions to the location - it isn’t as easy as it sounds, although it is right in Millennium Park across from the Art Institute. Steve himself went to great lengths to return our phone calls and answer all of our questions; he seems like a business owner who truly cares about his guests having a pleasant experience. The other guides that we met (April and Autumn) were very high energy and positive, so I’m sure they make entertaining guides as well. Highly recommended!

Chicago: Giordano's (August 2011)

My spouse and I dined for lunch at Giordano’s in mid-August 2011. We were caught walking the streets in a rainstorm, and we ducked into the restaurant for a brief respite. The recipe for Giordano’s now-famous stuffed pizza is one that has evolved over 200 years. Its creation began in a small northern Italian town near Torino. Mama Giordano was famous around town for her exquisite cooking. Of all her renowned dishes, her most beloved meal was her “Italian Easter Pie”. Mama Giordano would serve this double- crusted, cheese stuffed masterpiece every year for Easter. This pizza pie became a sacred tradition in the Giordano family and a legend in the town of Torino. Years later, original owners and Italian immigrants Efren and Joseph Boglio moved to Chicago to start their own pizza business. The brothers introduced their Mama’s recipe for stuffed pizza. In 1974, on Chicago’s historic south side, Efren and Joseph opened the first Giordano’s. Over the next 40 years, hundreds of critics announced Giordano’s as the city’s “best” stuffed pizza! The rest is history you can still taste today, along with our other great starters, fresh salads, outstanding pastas and unique sandwiches. We continue evolving to bring you a taste of real, fresh Italian! Giordano’s has been acclaimed “Chicago’s Best Pizza” by NBC, CBS Chicago, New York Times, Chicago Magazine, Chicago Tribune, Chicago Eater, Home and Garden Magazine, Concierge Preferred and more!

Chicago: Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio (August 2011)

My spouse and I visited the Frank Lloyd Wright (FLW) Home and Studio in Oak Park, Illinois for one partial day during August 2011. We have visited the city of Chicago several times in years past, but always visiting the tourist attractions within the city limits, so this sight always remained on our “to see” list until this year. We reached Oak Park via the green line to the Harlem exit (alternately, you can use the Oak Park exit). From the Downtown Loop area, it took about 30 minutes. Although several people recommended taking this train, it didn’t feel completely safe to me (despite my decent travel background); there were some stops just outside the Downtown area that admitted and dispatched some sketchy passengers. But we travelled there and back safely without any incidents, so perhaps my feeling of uneasiness was just a figment of my imagination. Oak Park is a lovely town, and the FLW neighborhood houses are a highlight. We took a combination tour, first strolling the neighborhood while listening to a self-guided audio tour on the MP3 players that the FLW studio provided (the players weren’t difficult to use; however, the young man handing them out and providing explanations made them seem so). The walking tour took about 1.5 hours; however, we did not go inside Unity Temple, which we feel would have added an additional half hour to hour to the walking tour. Our walking tour was followed by a 1-hour guided tour of the home and studio. Visiting on a summer Saturday afternoon, we booked our tickets ahead of time online (using their Etix system), which was an excellent idea because some tours were sold out on the day that we were there. You could easily make an entire day of your visit to Oak Park, stopping for lunch and shopping at one of the many restaurants and stores nearby. The home and studio was where FLW spent the first 20 years of his career (from the late 1890s to the early 1900s) testing out his concepts on the home of his first wife and six children, and it has been preserved beautifully. You cannot take photographs inside either the home or the studio. There is a nice gift shop on-site, but no cafe. There are just a few restrooms, and lines were long. The site also provides a locked bag check area if you bring along a purse or backpack that you don’t wish to keep with you on the tour. 

Chicago: Vinci (August 2011)

My spouse and I enjoyed drinks at Vinci before dining nearby at Alinea in August 2011. (The Steppenwolf Theatre is also nearby Vinci.) Since 1991, Vinci has been a fixture restaurant on Chicago's North Halsted Street. Warm, rustic interiors welcome you – evoking a historic Italian villa. This restaurant serves traditional Italian dishes in a rustic, villa-like dining room near the Steppenwolf Theatre. This restaurant is part of the daVinci Group (which also owns Adobo Grill and PIKK’s Tavern). Since opening Vinci on Halsted in 1991, Paul LoDuca has developed a large following of critics and patrons alike. Warm, rustic interiors welcome you, evoking an historic Italian villa. Traditional Italian has never tasted – or looked – so good. In January 2000, he expanded his culinary repertoire to include Adobo Grill (Old Town), a regional Mexican restaurant, which has become one of the leading Mexican restaurants in the city. Crowds thronged and daVINCI Group was born. The "FiestAdobo" vibe caught on. Their newest concept – PIKK’s Tavern – opened June 2007 in Valpo, IN. This classic American steakhouse serves quality food and drinks in a casual, comfortable setting. daVINCI Group has a simple plan : combine mouth-watering flavors, authentic and inviting interiors with stellar service and a great location. It’s all about the customer – come in once and you’ll understand. Vinci Restaurant's pasta wizards conjure a menu of traditional Italian cuisine. The warm-toned dining room greets guests with rustic tiled murals and a floor-to-ceiling wine rack as they are seated at round tables, which encourage intimate conversation.

Chicago: Hot Woks Cool Sushi (August 2011)

My spouse and I dined for lunch at Hot Woks Cool Sushi in mid-August 2011. Hot Woks Cool Sushi has four locations: Pulaski Road, Roscoe Street, Willis Tower, and Millennium Park. We dined outdoors at the Millennium Park location on their sidewalk cafe. The restaurant “chain” serves Chinese fusion cuisine.

Chicago: L2O (August 2011)

My spouse and I ate dinner at L2O in the Belden Stratford Hotel in mid-August 2011. We (relatively easily) used Open Table to make a reservation about two months prior to our desired date. Our only regret is that we didn’t investigate the tatami rooms - we feel that this is one of the things that truly separates L2O from its competitors. We had thought that the tatami seating was only available for larger groups, and because we were only a party of 2 it would be unavailable to us, but that was incorrect thinking. We sat in the main dining room area, which is spacious, stark, and lovely. Our main complaint was that on the evening that we dined there, there was a large VERY NOISY party seated in one of the areas a few steps up from the main dining room. It may have been a private party area, but the area was the mirror image of the lounge area near the restrooms where diners could have drinks, wait for their tables, and/or order from the more casual lounge menu. Although we realize that this LOUD party could not really be asked to “keep it down”, their exuberance greatly lessened our dining experience. We aren’t sure what the restaurant could have done to fix this problem, but the entire main restaurant floor of patrons shouldn’t be made to “suffer” because of one boisterous group. We were seated almost as far away from that loud group as we possibly could have been, so I can’t imagine how loud the volume must have been for the tables seated near that area. The food was excellent, and some of the preparations and presentations were terrific. I won’t go into any detail about what we ordered, except to say that it was the 8-course summer (seasonal) tasting menu; other options are the 3-course prix fixe or the 6-course singular (luxury) tasting. Other than not being able to experience the 10-course tatami menu in one of the special seating areas, we are happy with our choice of the summer tasting menu. This restaurant was awarded 2 Michelin stars, but we aren’t sure that we agree based on the night that we were there. Service was spotty - very good at the beginning of our meal when the restaurant was only at half capacity, but noticeably tapering off towards the middle and end of our meal, when the restaurant became more crowded. It was evident that there was some issue with the service that evening, perhaps because of the large party, perhaps a server called in sick, or someone quit, or there were a few newer employees). One of us had the wine pairing, which we thought was adequate, but admittedly, we are not wine connoisseurs. The other of us had non-alcoholic beverages  - iced tea in particular. Usually, we are made to feel somewhat bad when one or the other of us orders non-alcoholic drinks, but at L2O, they made a huge deal out of steeping the tea in front of our eyes, and then pouring it into a tall glass filled with iced tea-flavored ice cubes. It was one element of our meal that we will never forget, because it has never happened before in our dining experiences. In summary, our meal at L2O was quite good, but too expensive to have as many problems as it did.

Chicago: The Gage (August 2011)

My spouse and I ate a late-night dinner at The Gage in mid-August 2011. The restaurant borders Millennium Park on Michigan Avenue, and was a quick and easy walk from our hotel, the Parker House Hilton. The restaurant facade has some Louis Sullivan background, for those interested in architecture, and served as a millinery factory in years gone by (some relics still decorate the walls, and the former factory usage is apparent in places - which I mean in a good way!). We arrived at the restaurant around 8:30 pm after an afternoon flight to Chicago, and the place was bustling! We were glad that we had the foresight to make a reservation using Open Table, or we would have had a long wait. It appears to be a popular place for locals, because it seemed to be filled with many larger groups of families and coworkers all celebrating and enjoying one another’s company. The indoor space is enormous, with many, many tables, and there is some limited outdoor seating as well. The menu was interesting, with a sort of a gastropub-y, upscale comfort food twist. We shared a lovely cheese plate as an appetizer; this is one starter that we often share, and it was well done here as compared to others we have had. I had an awesome crispy rabbit salad followed by an Amish chicken entree accompanied by quinoa, while my spouse had an octopus salad followed by an entree of local sausages and crispy brie potatoes, and we shared the roasted brussel sprouts tossed with brie and bacon as our vegetable. (Sounds like cheese, overload, I know!) The food was very tasty, and the portions were large. Sadly, we had no room for dessert, but the offerings sounded delicious (beignets, brulees, lemon tarts). The service was good; there were many staff members on hand and they worked well together. We would definitely recommend this restaurant and would gladly try it again!

Chicago: Alinea (August 2011)

My spouse and I ate dinner at Alinea in mid-August 2011. We called for a reservation on June 1, 2011, when the “book” opened for reservations in June, July, and August. This reservation was the most difficult that we’ve ever secured (and we’ve dined at The French Laundry, Per Se, and Momofuku Ko). Both my spouse and I telephoned repeated over a period of SEVEN HOURS before finally getting through and making a reservation, and even then, we weren’t able to reserve the exact date or time that we requested. Because we were visiting Chicago for only one weekend (three nights), we had only three dates that would work for us - Saturday, Sunday, or Friday (in that order of preference). After getting the busy signals for seven hours, Saturday evening was completely booked, but we made a reservation for Sunday night, our next choice. I chuckled to myself as the hostess was proud to tell me that she could take us “at any time we desired, up to and including until 5:45”! How generous! So we had to choose between 5:00, 5:15, 5:30, and 5:45, and we chose 5:45. Our greatest “regret” (and our most fervent suggestion for future guests) was in not taking the earliest time slot available - we would have benefited tremendously from not seeing what other guests ahead of us were eating. We felt like we had to keep our “blinders on” so that we didn’t look at other tables and wonder what they were eating, instead trying very hard to focus on the course on the table in front of us. It would have been a complete surprise if we had been the first diners of the evening.

We were seated upstairs in the room towards the front window of the restaurant, which we felt was the choicest seating area for the entire restaurant, but none of the tables/rooms/floors is truly unfavorable. There were lots of “food paparazzi” dining on the night we were there; I had read that Chef Grant Achatz forbids this practice, mainly because in the time it takes to photograph the food, the temperature can drop below what he originally intended for you to consume. But on the night we were there, diners were happily “snapping away”, some with HUGE camera lenses, and no one mentioned it.
The meal was phenomenal and worth the time, money, and effort it took to get there. I won’t ramble on about the food, the preparations, or the presentations, because they frequently change, but be assured that all were creative, delicious, and stunning! The ingenuity and innovation in the presentation is what sets this restaurant apart from any other.

The service was excellent, and the 18 courses came out in just the right amount of time - not too much waiting between each course, nor too little. Don’t be afraid to ask how things are meant to be eaten, although usually the servers are forthcoming with instructions without your having to ask. Some of the dishes are even a bit messy, but the table settings have been well thought-out and designed to be minimalistic. After dining there, we completely understand the need for no tablecloths, but it just surprised us in a Michelin 3-star restaurant.

We did the wine tasting, which we didn’t love, although it was done well and the “pours” were generous, even refilling our glasses during a course so that we would have enough to complement the entire dish. We aren’t experienced wine drinkers, but we thought that if we were to fully appreciate a wine tasting anywhere, this would be the place! Because you are never presented with a menu until you leave the restaurant, you are told ahead of time that the cost for the pairing is about 2/3 of the menu price (which you probably know ahead of time is $210 per person), with an even more expensive pairing of reserve wines available. Although we wouldn’t do the wine pairing again, other diners with more knowledge of wines may feel differently. We did feel a bit “nickle-and-dimed” by the charges for the $8 bottle of Evian (when asked “Sparkling or flat?”, we requested flat, expecting tap, but perhaps that was our mistake) and the $5 glass of (unlimited refills) iced tea. There was absolutely no attention paid to the iced tea service (as opposed to the previous night’s dinner at L2O, which did an amazing presentation with their iced tea). A lemony simple syrup was served, but after discovering that it wasn’t sweet enough, I began to use a packaged sugar substitute, and surprisingly (not in a good way), the sweetener wrappers laid on the table throughout the ENTIRE meal, growing in size with each glass that I drank, which seemed a bit out of character considering the otherwise great service and attention to detail. 

The restaurant is located near the Steppenwolf Theatre in Lincoln Park, and it is surrounded by a few other restaurants should you arrive early and need to “waste” a few minutes having a drink somewhere (there’s no bar or lounge area at Alinea). We stopped at Vinci, which was a Mediterranean restaurant, but we also saw one called Boka that looked interesting. From the downtown Loop area, we took the red line to the North/Clybourn exit, and then walked about a block to the restaurant. We got an ironic sense of satisfaction in that we arrived via public transportation at a cost of $2.50 per person en route to THE most expensive dinner that we’ve ever eaten! It was also, admittedly, one of the most memorable dinners that we’ve eaten, but we can’t say that we liked it any better than The French Laundry, Per Se, and Momofuku Ko. We love that Alinea was so different than those other unforgettable meals; it seems that every truly fine restaurant has some unique way of distinguishing itself from others. For Alinea, the phenomenal food presentations make it shine! 

Chicago: Palmer House Hilton (August 2011)

My spouse and I stayed at the Palmer House for three nights in mid-August 2011. As Hilton Hhonors Diamond members, we always check prices and availability for Hilton-branded properties first. The location of this hotel appealed to us for several reasons. It is one block from the blue line, so it's a snap to get there from O'Hare (Monroe/Dearborn). The hotel is on the same block as the red line, which was handy for getting to our dinner at Alinea (North/Clybourne). The hotel is one block from the green line (Monroe), which worked well for our visit to the Frank Lloyd Wright's Home and Studio in Oak Park (Harlem). The hotel spans nearly an entire city block, with entrances on Monroe, Wabash, and State Streets (there is no entrance from Adams). There are two CVS pharmacies and two 7-11 convenience stores within a block of the hotel, in case you are looking for a store purchase drinks and snacks for your room. The hotel is one block from Michigan Avenue, Millennium Park, Grant Park, and the Art Institute.

The public spaces of the hotel are gorgeous, particularly the soaring painted ceiling in the lobby, off which the Lockwood Restaurant and Bar is found. The lobby itself has a bar, surrounded by additional comfortable seating. Potter's Lounge is accessed from the street level, where there is a Starbucks and small shopping arcade (gift shop, shoe store). The indoor pool is small but adequate. The hotel has an odd configuration. The lobby is on the second level, not the street level, so it is necessary to bring your luggage either up the escalator, elevator, or stairs to check in; however, there is a bellman at the Wabash Street entrance. Both the Wabash Street entrance and the Monroe Street entrances are staffed by doormen who can help you hail a taxi. It seems like the hotel is comprised of several different buildings, along with several different elevator banks; it is necessary to find the correct elevator that will take you to your desired floor, because not all elevators stop on all floors. The Executive Level elevators (and lounge) require key card access.

Keep in mind that many of the rooms are TINY! We checked in the day before online, and after reading all the possible room options available to us, we chose the description that stated LARGE ROOM, LARGE BATHROOM. Other descriptions claimed SMALL ROOM, SMALL BATHROOM, NOISY ROOM, and the like, so we felt that we got lucky with room 10171. There was no upgrade offered to us as Diamond members, even though we had booked the second-to-lowest category of room (the lowest being a DOUBLE room with one DOUBLE bed); the hotel was not full, either. Upon seeing the room, if that was a LARGE room, I would dread seeing what the SMALL rooms looked like. Although it would have been possible for the room to be a bit smaller (there was an arm chair in addition to a desk with a chair), I don't see how the bathroom could have been any smaller unless you had to stand in the bathtub or atop the toilet to close the door. The décor of the room was attractive and modern, but the size prohibited us from enjoying a relaxing space. On the third day of our stay, we didn't receive service on our room until about 4:00 pm (despite departing the room at 8:00 am), at which time we were showering and dressing for an early dinner. To be fair, we asked the maid to return in an hour after we had departed for dinner, and she did service our room while we were gone. The room had no mini-bar, which we found odd - it's a quick and easy way for a hotel to make a few extra bucks on the guests - although in our room, there was no space to allot for that amenity. Our room had an interior courtyard view, but at least it let in some natural light. Our major complaint about the room occurred on the evening of our second night, when my spouse, dressing for dinner, skimmed a bare foot along the dust ruffle of the bed and withdrew it with a USED CONDOM attached! It doesn’t get much more DISGUSTING than that! We immediately telephoned the front desk - and our call was put on hold - then we called the concierge - and our call was placed on hold again - and finally, we called the special guest services number (I think it we dialed 26 on the phone) - also to be put on hold! Because we were preparing to depart for dinner, we attempted to stop by the executive lounge to voice our discovery (no one was manning the desk), as well as the concierge (where the lines were “a mile long”) and finally, the Hhonors front reception desk (where there were no long lines, but where every desk attendant appeared to be waiting on the non-Hhonors patrons). We just wanted to tell someone about our "find", as well as have it removed from our room, but no one was available. Later that evening, we left a message with the front desk staff for the manager; we were told that NO MANAGER WAS ON DUTY ON WEEKENDS, which is a bit disconcerting for a hotel of this size. We don’t understand how a routine cleaning of a room wouldn’t remove such a personal item. The room assumably had a thorough cleaning after the previous customer had checked-out, and we ourselves had some type of service after our initial night stay. It wasn't as if my spouse had gotten on his hands and knees and looked under the bed, or that we had arrived with an ultraviolet black light searching for “creepy crawlies”, so there's no reason why a maid's vacuum cleaner did not uncover the condom. We spend a lot of nights in hotels, some of them at lesser Hilton properties than this full-service Hilton (for example, Hampton Inns and Hilton Garden Inns) and never has this happened before! Apparently, spending extra money on a “better” properties guarantees you some extra personal-care items! We never received a call from the manager, although we did receive a message from the maid asking us to call and discuss the matter, which we didn’t have time to do.

The executive lounge was a bit disappointing - extremely crowded on the weekends at both breakfast and evening cocktails. The breakfast buffet was small but adequate - pastries/muffins/bagels, fresh fruit (whole not sliced), hard-cooked eggs, sliced luncheon meats, hot oatmeal, yogurt, juices, flavored waters, and coffee. The evening cocktail hour featured sliced fresh fruit, fresh vegetables and dip, and some hot hors d'oeuvre items, along with complimentary non-alcoholic beverages. My spouse purchased a beer, which was $6; I'm not sure if that was a "deal" as compared to what they were charging in the lobby bar, nor could we compare the price to that of the mini-bar because our room didn’t have one. From the sizable crowds in the executive lounge, it seems that everyone is either a Gold or Diamond Hhonors member these days, although no one really checked guests in and verified that they belonged there. We saw many extended families, some with as many as 6 family members, staking out places in the lounge and partaking of the freebies. Key card access is required to access the lounge from the lobby or street level, but with the many additional elevators and staircases in the hotel, you can get around that if you know how.

Overall, this was a disappointing stay, and we would not recommend this hotel, which is a shame, really, because the location is great. We could overlook the size of the room (even though it was billed as LARGE but to us appeared SMALL), but the whole USED CONDOM ISSUE is pretty unforgivable!

Montgomeryville: Joseph Ambler Inn (August 2011)

Tucked away on 12 acres of rolling countryside, the Joseph Ambler Inn is a unique Eastern Pennsylvania establishment. The award winning restaurant and beautiful hotel offer exceptional features, including 52 individually decorated guestrooms, a banquet room for up to 200 people, and several smaller meeting and
conference spaces. Comprised of five historic buildings, the Joseph Ambler Inn is a peaceful and harmonious setting unmatched in Bucks and Montgomery Counties. The Inn today is the result of 25 years of work and vision by the owner and his dedicated staff. What started as a simple, 12-room farmhouse B&B in 1983 is today a 52-room luxury inn and restaurant located in five historic buildings: The Farmhouse, The Barn, The Thomas Wilson House, The Corybeck Cottage, and the John Roberts House.

The Farmhouse: The land on which the Inn now stands was originally part of a large expanse owned by William Penn. In 1682, William Penn granted 1,000 acres to Richard Pearce. In 1711, 50 acres were sold to William Morgan. Morgan built the original section of the Farmhouse, which consisted of a ground floor where
meals were prepared, and a small upstairs sleeping chamber. When Morgan died, the property was sold to Joseph Ambler. The house remained in the Ambler family until 1825 when the property was acquired by squire John Roberts, who married an Ambler daughter. It was Roberts who built the middle section of the
farmhouse, adding the living room and dining room. Over the next 100 years, the property had many owners. In 1929, under the ownership of the Wright family, the "schoolroom" was constructed. It was in this room that the children of the house were schooled. The property passed from the Wrights, to the Flood's, to the Wolfe's,
and finally in 1983, the remaining 12 acres were sold to Richard Allman, the present day owner. It was Allman who put the property to use as a small bed and breakfast.

The Barn: Squire John Roberts constructed the stone-bank barn in 1820. The ground level now housing the restaurant contained feeding troughs, milking areas, and animal stalls. The magnificent two-story window at the front of the barn replaced the wide double door, which opened to allow hay to be forked to the ground.
The barn was completely gutted and renovated in 1987. Whitewashed walls were sandblasted to reveal the original stonework. This building now also features guestrooms on the second and third floors.
The Corybeck: This house was built in 1929, and served as a tenant farmer's cottage. Corybeck means "crow's nesting place." The cottage is quite quaint and houses 5 guestrooms.

The Thomas Wilson House: A stone beauty, this house was named for six generations of Thomas Wilsons who settled and helped to develop Montgomery Township from 1778 to 1892. The first Thomas Wilson came to America from Ireland and attained the rank of Captain in the Continental Army. It is believed that
Thomas Wilson IV probably built the house as he was a contractor by trade. In 1892, the Wilson Family sold the house and property to settle a debt. It passed through a series of owners, and in 1983, it was inherited by Albert & Anna Horvath. By the 1990's, the house stood empty — stucco crumbling, shutters drooping
and property choked with weeds. In the fall of 1997, upon hearing that there was a demolition order for the house, Richard Allman purchased the home and moved it one mile west to the grounds of the Joseph Ambler Inn. With great care, the stucco was stripped to expose the stone underneath, the inside was restored to its
original beauty, and an addition was added to the back of the house.

The John Roberts House: Named for Joseph Ambler's son-in-law, this house was moved to the grounds of the Inn on November 23, 2003. It was picked up and painstakingly moved 2 miles — a feat that took almost 16 hours. The initials of John Roberts carved into the stone of both the Barn and the John Roberts House now
face each other on our property, finally bringing the history of these families back together. The original rooms were restored and a new addition was added to include a total of 15 guestrooms. This house is state of the art with high speed internet access, spa tubs in every room, seven of which also boast fireplaces. The
beehive ovens in the original dining room area have also been restored to add an additional sense of style and grace to this magnificent house.

Theatre: Pride and Prejudice at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival (August 2011)

Pride and Prejudice is a novel by Jane Austen, first published in 1813. The story charts the emotional development of the protagonist, Elizabeth Bennet, who learns the error of making hasty judgements and comes to appreciate the difference between the superficial and the essential. The comedy of the writing lies in the depiction of manners, education, and marriage, and money in the British Regency.

Mr Bennet of the Longbourne estate has 5 daughters, but his property is entailed meaning that none of the girls can inherit it. Having married a woman who had no fortune, it is imperative that one of the girls marries well in order to support the others on his death. However, Jane Austen's opening line 'It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife' is a sentence filled with irony and playfulness. The novel revolves around the necessity of marrying for love, not simply for mercenary reasons despite the social pressures to make a good (i.e) wealthy match.

Pride and Prejudice retains the fascination of modern readers, consistently appearing near the top of lists of "most-loved books" among both literary scholars and the general public. It has become one of the most popular novels in English literature, with over 20 million copies sold, and paved the way for many archetypes that abound in modern literature. Continuing interest in the book has resulted in a number of dramatic adaptations and an abundance of novels and stories imitating Austen's memorable characters or themes.


The Bennet Family consist of five daughters. The elder of the girls Jane and Elizabeth are intelligent, rational young women; The younger daughters Mary, Kitty and Lydia are thoughtless and silly. Mr Bennet himself is an aloof father watching rather than guiding his daughters, Mrs Bennet is as foolish as her younger children.

The novel opens with Mrs Bennet trying to persuade Mr Bennet to visit an eligible batchelor Mr Bingley who has arrived in the neighbourhood. After some verbal sparring with Mr Bennet baiting his wife it transpires that this visit has taken place. The visit is proceeded by an invitation to a ball at Netherfield (Mr Bingley's rented house).

At the ball Mr Bingley is open and cheerful, popular with all the guests and appears very attracted to the beautiful Miss Bennet. His friend, Mr Darcy, is reputed to be twice as wealthy, however is haughty and aloof. He declines to dance with Elizabeth suggesting that she is not pretty enough to tempt him. She finds this amusing and jokes about the statement with her friends. Miss Jane Bennet also attracts the attention of Mr Bingley's sister Caroline, who invites her to visit.
Jane visits Miss Bingley and is caught in a shower on the way catching a serious cold. Elizabeth, out of genuine concern for her sister's well being, visits her sister there. This is a chance to see the Bingley family circle and is the point at which Darcy begins to see the attraction of Elizabeth. The reader also becomes aware of Miss Bingley's jealousy of Elizabeth.

Mr Collins, a cousin of Mr Bennett and heir to the Longbourn estate visits the Bennett family. He is a pompous and obsequious clergyman though because of his position as heir expects each of the Bennett girls to wish to marry him. He does not propose to Jane because he is led to believe that she is otherwise engaged however he does intend to propose to Elizabeth.

Elizabeth and her family meet the dashing and charming Mr Wickham who singles out Elizabeth and tells her a story of the hardship that Mr Darcy has caused him by depriving him of the money promised to him by Mr Darcy's late father. Elizabeth's dislike of Mr Darcy is confirmed.

At a ball at which Mr Wickham is not present Elizabeth dances with Mr Darcy rather against her will. Other than Jane and Elizabeth all the members of The Bennet family show their lack of decorum. Mrs Bennet states loudly that she expects Jane and Bingley to become engaged and each member of the family exposes the whole to ridicule.

The following morning Mr Collins proposes to Elizabeth: She in sparkling terms rejects him to the fury of her mother and the relief of her father. It is here that the reader sees that Elizabeth will not conform to societies expectations. The news is received that the Bingleys' are leaving for London, and that Mr Collin's has proposed to Charlotte Lucas a sensible lady and Elizabeth's friend. She is slightly older and is grateful to receive a proposal that will guarantee her a home. Elizabeth is aghast at such pragmatism in matters of love.

Jane goes to visit her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner at an unfashionable address in London. Miss Bingley clearly does not want to continue the friendship and Jane is upset though very composed.
In the spring, Elizabeth visits Charlotte and Mr Collins in Kent. Elizabeth and her hosts are frequently invited to Rosings Park, the imposing home of Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Lady Catherine is Mr Darcy's aunt and extremely wealthy. She expects Mr Darcy to marry her daughter. Mr Darcy and his cousin Colonel FitzWilliam visit Lady Catherine. Colonel FitzWilliam tells Elizabeth how Mr Darcy managed to save a friend from a bad match by convincing the friend of the lady's indifference. Elizabeth is horrified at Darcy's involvement in an affair which has caused her sister so much pain. Mr Darcy, however has fallen in love with Elizabeth and proposes to her. She rejects him in a dazzling display of independence. She states that she could not love a man who has caused her sister such unhappiness, and also accuses him of treating Mr Wickham unjustly and almost ruining him. Mr Darcy accuses her family of wanting propriety and suggests he has been kinder to Bingley than himself. Both are furious and they part barely speaking.

 The following morning Mr Darcy gives Elizabeth a letter that explains that his treatment of Mr Wickham was caused by the fact that Mr Wickham after wasting all the money that he inherited from Darcy's father, who was Wickham's godfather, tried to extort extra money with threats and then trying to elope with Darcy's 16 year old sister Georgiana. He also claimed that he believed that Miss Bennett did not love Mr Bingley. Elizabeth begins to rejudge Mr Darcy on a clearer basis.

Some months later, Elizabeth and her aunt and uncle Gardiner visit Mr Darcy's estate in Derbyshire, Pemberly. While there Elizabeth hears an account of him from the housekeeper as being kind and generous. She looks at his portrait and is struck with how kind he looks. When Mr Darcy returns unexpectedly he is overwhelmingly kind and civil and invites Elizabeth and the Gardiner's to meet his sister and go shooting. Elizabeth is surpised and delighted by the kindness to herself and her aunt. However she suddenly has very shocking and distressing news from Longbourne. Her sister Lydia has eloped with Mr Wickham. She tells Mr Darcy immediately and departs in haste believing she will never see him again as Lydia's disgrace would ruin the family's good name.

After an agonizing wait Mr Wickham is persuaded to marry Lydia with only the payment of debts required. With some degree of decency restored Lydia visits Elizabeth and tells her that Mr Darcy was at the wedding. Mrs Gardiner informs Elizabeth that it is Mr Darcy who has made the match and hints that he may have a motive for doing so.

Lady Catherine visits Elizabeth under the impression that she is going to marry Mr Darcy, Elizabeth refuses to deny this claim and Lady Catherine leaves outraged by her perceived insolence.

At this point Mr Bingley and Mr Darcy return to Netherfield. Bingley proposes to Jane and is accepted much to the delight of all. Darcy and Elizabeth go for a walk together and at this point Elizabeth thanks him for all he has done for her family. Darcy replies that he thought only of her. In the course of this walk they become engaged.

Elizabeth then has to convince her father that she is not marrying for money. He is very concerned and it is only after she speaks about Mr Darcy's true worth that he is happy about the wedding.

Link to the review by The Morning Call here