Holiday Party
by Diana Cercone
It’s said Christmas is best spent with family and friends. But what happens when your loved ones are far away? You’re new to the area? Just want a romantic holiday getaway? Or, by happenstance, find the season with no tree to gather around, no special foods or toasts to enjoy? And no evening of gentle merry men and caroling to join into or—gasp—no fruitcake from Aunt Maude. (OK—you can be grateful for some things.)
What to do? No worries. I have the perfect solution: Get ye to Chestnut Hill on the Delaware Bed & Breakfast in Milford, NJ. There you’ll be warmly greeted by Linda and Rob Castagna, who with their first greeting, will make you feel like old friends—if not part of the family.
But even before you reach Chestnut Hill’s welcoming doorstep, you’ll be charmed by this Currier and Ives-like town. For Milford sits snugly tucked alongside of the Delaware and, driving along its streets, you can’t help but be put into a holiday mood by the gaily decorated storefronts and Victorian homes. And you just know that somewhere along a nearby stream ice-skaters have gathered for a frolicking good time.
Follow picturesque Church Road and before completing the bend in the road, you’ll find Chestnut Hill B&B on your left, its gracious front lawn meeting the Delaware. Park and take in the beauty of the river and watch its “ice flowers” gently floating by. Step onto the B&B’s wide Victorian porch decked out in holiday finery, open the front door and step inside where you’ll find a handwritten note posted on the front staircase welcoming you to Rob & Linda’s Christmas Brunch.
Don’t be surprised to hear laughter coming from the front drawing room where the other guests have already gathered, easily becoming acquainted and sharing in the Inn’s holiday cocktail, served in crystal glasses. (The cocktail is Rob’s specialty. Festive and refreshing, it’s made of sparkling apple cider, apple cider and seltzer water. But feel free to bring your own mixings for a holiday toast such as champagne, wine or Mimosas.)
Take a seat and join in the holiday cheer. But before you become too engrossed in conversation, take time to admire the beautifully decorated room which has been dressed for Christmas complete with a large decorated Christmas tree lit with multi-colored lights. Festoons of decorative ornaments grace the room’s fireplace mantle and the Castagnas’ prized nativity scene imported from Italy holds a special place of honor in a nearby corner.
The antique and vintage furnishings in the drawing room, as well as in the dining room, have a well-appointed Victorian feel, however, without the usual stuffiness or formality. It’s easy to feel at home here—which is just what Linda and Rob want you to do.
When all the guests have time to mingle, the Castagnas’ son, Michael (now affectionately called “Mick” by family and friends, and an attorney with offices in Doylestown and in New Jersey) calls us to Christmas Brunch in the dining room. Airy and spacious, it too is equally dressed in Christmas finery; the table set with vintage china, candles and crystal. Another large Christmas tree stands in the bay window, twinkling with 2,000 white lights and decorated with gold and silver balls, crystal icicles and snowflakes. “Every year we add something new,” Linda says, “such as the teal peacocks.”
Before taking our seats, Rob asks us to join hands as he delivers a short blessing for the food we are about to receive. And as we take our seats, we lift our glasses in a toast, wishing all a “Merry Christmas!”
For our first course, Linda has prepared a delightful winter salad of Bibb lettuce, Seckel pear, chèvre cheese and pomegranate seeds in a creamy dressing. Next comes her signature Christmas Brunch specialty. Linda has created a delectable “Christmas tree” for each of us made of a braised Portobello mushroom served with a lump crab cake nestled in its cavity, and topped with graduating smaller layers of mashed potatoes, with each layer laced with slivers of sautéed red and green peppers and Vidalia onions. More slivers of the peppers are sprinkled over the “trees” as colorful ornaments as well as kernels of corn to simulate sparkling tree lights. To complete the festive dish, boats of Linda’s homemade marinara sauce is passed—to drizzle over the top or place alongside.
Also plated with the main entrée are baby green peas, which Linda explains simply, “Because we love them.” Another side is passed. This one made by one of her inn-keeping friends and a guest today, Judy Livermore, who as a gift made her much-in-demand Texas caviar. It’s a colorful, ambrosial mix of tomatoes, green and red peppers, onions, black beans, garbanzo beans and cilantro in a tangy oil-n-vinegar dressing.
Now Christmas is also traditionally a time for sweet indulgences, and Linda took this as a mandate to call upon her friend Cathy LaGuardia, owner and baker of the sweet shop and bakery Chocolate in the Oven on Bridge Street in Milford. (And, yes, Cathy is related to that famous Fiorello LaGuardia, mayor of New York City from 1934-45; New York’s La Guardia airport is named in honor of him. Cathy’s grandfather was his cousin.)
Cathy who has loved baking since she was a child has perfected the art of baking since, turning out one heavenly creation after another. (She finally opened her shop in Milford last January.) For our Christmas Brunch desserts, Cathy created no less than three show-stopping and drop-dead delicious desserts. The 12-inch-round Gingerbread Cheesecake with a gingerbread graham cracker crust, topped with a Belgian chocolate granache icing and decorated with a ring of tiny gingerbread men was almost too gorgeous to cut. (Notice I said “almost.” Not a crumb was left on our plates.)
There are also large chocolate cupcakes with a cookie-n-cream filling and buttercream icing. Each topped with an adorable, edible Christmas ornament made of fondant. Measuring six-inches across and eight-inches high, the cupcakes are a holiday take on Cathy’s popular “Smash” cakes for baby’s first birthday. For her finale, she created giant snowflakes and snowmen-faced cookies which were handmade layers of Oreo™ cookies covered with a creamy fondant icing. Need I say more?
Before the last morsel is happily consumed, we all feel like good friends and family. But, then, that’s what Rob and Linda have been making guests feel since they first bought Chestnut Hill in 1982.
As Linda and Rob tell the story, they bought Chestnut Hill, which was built in 1860 by Wilson Thomas for his bride, Lizzie, and are the third owners. (No surprise, then, that what started as a romantic home for a newly wedded couple, has under the guidance of Linda and Rob, turned into one of the East Coast’s most romantic inns according to national surveys.)
Initially the inn was only to be a stepping stone—a three-year adventure into running a B&B to give Linda a creative break from her stressful job at a hospital in Michigan—and to satisfy Rob’s transfer from Michigan’s AT&T’s office to Basking Ridge, NJ. I should mention that the instigator behind owning and running a B&B was their son, Michael, who at the time was a precocious 13-year-old.
According to Linda, Michael had latched onto the idea on a family trip to different B&Bs in the British Isles. After looking through the guest books of each penned by people from around the world, Michael told his parents he thought it would be fascinating to meet people like them in their own home. They concurred.
And, indeed, it has been, says Linda, recalling their many guests who have hailed from all over the world. Though it was their son’s idea to open Chestnut Hill as a B&B, Linda says, it turned into a lifetime passion and joy.
“We’ve met so many wonderful people,” she says. The B&B has become a bridge to understanding other cultures and to finding our communality, she says. Not surprising, many of their guests since first opening return yearly, as well as their-now-grown children and their families.
The Chestnut Hill B&B has won rave reviews from local and national publications such as “Woman’s Day,” “Newsweek” and “The Discerning Traveler.” And, no wonder: Each room and suite (complete with a kitchen and dining area) is exquisitely decorated. For Linda possesses a true designer’s eye and, as she says, “Rob makes it happen.” And that he does, a hundred-fold.
After a quick tour of the guest rooms and suites (There’s also a large suite available for extended stays) both in the Main House and in its adjacent Country Cottage, I’d be hard-pressed to pick my favorite. For I could easily picture myself happily ensconced in each one.
But it’s not just the beauty of each room and suite that makes Chestnut Hill B&B so special. Linda and Rob are the quintessential innkeepers. They love to share in your stories or can respect your desire for privacy. They are also the area’s best ambassadors, always happy to recommend one of Milford’s excellent restaurants, shops and attractions. Even give you a history lesson.
That would come from Rob who has become the town’s historian. (Check out his cache of Indian arrowheads, antique postcards, glass bottles and other memorabilia now displayed in a glass-topped table in the dining room.) Rob is often called upon to give historical talks about Milford and its surrounding area. Just ask him about the railroad tracks that run in the back of their property and you’ll learn that it was once run by the popular old Bel Del Railroad, taking locals to New York City. Now, he says, the New York Susquehanna and Western Historical and Technical Society hope to revitalize the rail. As he talks, you can almost hear the whistle of the train running by.
Before saying good-by, Linda and I sit and chat in their charming parlor (which connects the front hall with the dining room). I again marvel at Linda’s exquisite taste and decorator’s eye for finding just the right pieces to tie a room together. Any decorating tips, I ask?
“Find what you like,” Linda says. “It’s a wonderful thing to go through magazines and get a feel for what you like. See the things that you like and then create pockets of beauty.” The collecting part is fun, she says. “But the real joy comes from sharing with other people.”
Chestnut Hill on the Delaware Bed & Breakfast is located at 63 Church Street in Milford, NJ; 908-995-9761; www.chestnuthillnj.com.
Chocolate in the Oven is located at 53 Bridge Street in Milford, NJ; 908.268-5571; www.chocolateintheoven.com.
Diana Cercone is an area freelance writer who specializes in food, art and travel.