The Stirling House is inducted into Tripadvisor's "Hall of Fame"

THE STIRLING HOUSE BED & BREAKFAST AWARDED TRIPADVISOR CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE FOR FIVE CONSECUTIVE YEARS

Inducted into ‘Hall of Fame’ of Five-time Certificate of Excellence Winners on the World’s Largest Travel Site

GREENPORT, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES – May 22, 2015– The Stirling House B&B today announced that it has been recognized as a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence Hall of Fame winner.  The Certificate of Excellence award celebrates excellence in hospitality and is given only to establishments that consistently achieve great traveler reviews on TripAdvisor. The ‘Hall of Fame’ was created to honor those businesses that have earned a Certificate of Excellence for five consecutive years.  Winners include accommodations, eateries and attractions located all over the world that have continually delivered a superior customer experience. 

 “Being awarded the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence five years in a row and inducted into the ‘Hall of Fame’ is a true source of pride for us here at The Stirling House and we’d like to thank all of our past guests who took the time to complete a review on TripAdvisor,” said Clayton Sauer, Owner at The Stirling House B&B. “There is no greater seal of approval than being recognized by one’s customers. With the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence based on customer reviews, the accolade is a remarkable vote of confidence to our business and our continued commitment to excellence.”

"Winning the TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence for five consecutive years is a remarkable feat. TripAdvisor is pleased to induct five-time award winners into the ‘Hall of Fame’,” said Marc Charron President, TripAdvisor for Business. “By putting a spotlight on businesses that are focused on consistently delivering great service to customers, TripAdvisor not only helps drive an improvement to hospitality standards around the world, it also gives businesses both large and small the ability to shine and stand out from the competition.”

When selecting Certificate of Excellence winners, TripAdvisor uses a proprietary algorithm to determine the honorees that takes into account the quality, quantity and recency of reviews and opinions submitted by travelers on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period as well as business’s tenure and ranking on the Popularity Index on the site.  To qualify, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months.

Stirling House Pear Recipe

In 2014, as we get ready to launch the new cookbook, we thought it would be nice to put up some of our recipes onto the Stirling House blog. Many guests have requested this over the years. Enjoy!

Recipe - Stirling House Baked Pear

This one recipe makes me proud as it makes converts of non pear lovers. I

know...I was one of them. My mom liked to bake fruit, and drizzle cognac over a pear or apple as a nice dessert. I thought tweaking this a bit would be a nice addition to the breakfast repertoire. The other ingredients create a nice balance and the pear makes a nice start to the day. It is so easy and yet seems so

complex when it is served.

You need (for 3 couples):

6 large, ripe pears (I prefer red pears, d'Anjou or Bartlett, but honestly, they

all work well)

6 tsp Mascarpone cheese

2 tbl almonds, sliced thin

6 tsp honey. I use local honey from our friend's farm

(optional 1 tsp cognac, cointreau, or grand marnier...I can't help it, I'm French)

• Preheat the over to 350*
• In a small skillet, and no oil, toast the almonds until golden brown. Get them off the stove and out of the skillet when they are ready, or they will burn.
• Slice the pears in half lengthwise. and with a small melon baller scoop out the seeds in the middle, as well as the bottom of each half where the stem grows
• Slice the back of the pears, eyeballing the front so that they sit flat on a surface. Take that sliced bit and cover the seed hole you created, much like putting a lid on a pot. At this point you may add the optional tsp of hooch to the well in the pear. This will aid in the cooking of the pear. your call 
• Wrap the pears in one large non-stick piece of foil and bake at 350* for 30 minutes 
• Remove the foil of pears from the heat and place one pear on each serving plate
• Scoop 1 tsp of mascarpone into the "hole"
• Drizzle the honey over the cheese ...a little goes a long way
• Place the toasted almonds artistically on top of the cheese
• Serve them up.

You can add a garnish of fruit and granola to the plate with a dollop of

whipped cream if you like.

Bon Appetit.

The Shoulder was slung by the chimney with care

I have just hit the two week mark wearing this giant sling, after having rotator cuff surgery at Hospital for Special Surgery. The care could not have been better, and Dr. Allen is a pro. Actually he works on pros as well. He is the go to surgeon for the NY Knicks. I felt I was in very good hands...and I was. Jackson Hole, Wyoming no longer has the great appeal, as I tore my shoulder out there. I am taking the Holidays easy. I will not be skiing again, I fear. 

 Let's see...In other news. Vineyard 48 lost its liquor license and is closed permanently.  No one is above the law, apparently and no one is surprised about this news. My one time there was more than enough, having to hear the horror stories from the tasting room manager. The bus loads or tri-state drunks were not the clientele the wine region wants...just getting smashed on a bus, not buying anything and acting like drunken fools. 

Main Restaurant also closed its doors after a short year. A chef should know not to bite off more than you can chew. Sad, Main had the potential to be the shining star of the East End, but the other three ventures got in the way. Luckily, there are still many top places in Greenport.  On the acting side, very Excited that the advance Screeners are coming to the house. Advance film viewings...a great thing! The only one not offered...American Hustle. ALL the others are here. 

Typing with one hand is not easy. Cooking is not possible for me for at least the next full month. Thank goodness for my friend Cheryl, who owned Homeport B&B in Peconic, who has been a real lifesaver, and a great friend.  Many thanks to Renate, Diane, and Lorri, and Jocelyne who have all been terrific while I have been disabled. And Frank has been the best! 

Business has slowed as it does around this time of year. Personally, I am OK with it this time, as I am wincing in pain as I type this. Tourists everywhere need to realize that the North Fork is alive and well and open for business year round. This is the best time to come...no insane crowds, but hundreds of great businesses available to you. And while I am talking freely, consumers need to realize that inns and B&Bs are FAR superior to hotels. Go to any review site. The hotels are rated so far below B&Bs. For so many reasons. Your innkeeper is the owner of the business, and therefore live in that town or village, and knows everyone, where to go, where not to go., where to taste, drink and buy. A hotel manager does not have that personal buy-in. Also, the level of cleanliness is so high at a B&B and inn, while a hotel with many rooms, has a staff of housekeepers. Innkeepers follow up  and make sure each room is just so, so the room is perfect. The food? You have some chefs on a level with local restaurant chefs working in the B&B kitchens.  As far as amenities  - B&Bs are not like your grandma's B&B...so true. The B&Bs are on a boutique hotel level. wi-fi, flatscreen TVs_DVD players, fireplaces, etc... I am astounded to hear people say "this is their first B&B experience". Where have they been staying? I know that guests at the local B&Bs out here are receiving top shelf service. The word needs to get out about it. Restaurants , great and not-so-great are reviewed at the drop of a hat, but B&Bs don't seem to get the recognition they should. Spread the word.

Merry Christmas!

Clay's Tip of the Week Keith Luce's MAIN Restaurant & Oyster Bar opens right up the block in Greenport Village!

Stirling House B&B is thrilled to have such a quality place right up the street. Keith is a  former White House chef, as well as a James Beard Award winner. He is also a friend, and so we are excited to have another great place to send guests to. But here's the thing...Stirling Square now has four new places, all under Keith Luce's watchful eye. Since opening a few weeks back, it has already received raves from the Wall Street Journal, The New York Times...and me ; )

• Main Restaurant and Oyster Bar boasts an amazing variety of oysters for shellfish lovers. The oysters are only outdone by the delicious choices on the menu. This is a place that is lively with music, and has a covered outdoor terrace. 
• There is Nosh, which is a gourmet snack shop. While Stirling House guests won't need it for breakfast, they do have breakfast food available, as well as many great treats for the rest of the day and night. 
• There is Prep, which offers street food, with a twist. The flatbread pizzas are amazing 

Here is the website, so you can get an idea of the Square. 

Go to nofosquare.com for more information

Stirling House Bed & Breakfast 

was just awarded the 

 2013 Award of Excellence.

Thank you to our guests. We are honored to win this for the fourth year in a row!

Main Restaurant & Oyster Bar in the New York Times

Click here to see the New York Times story!

Here is the link to the story. I just ate at Main last night.  Amazing... I will write my review on here next...stay tuned
Clay
The Stirling House
Thestirlinghouse.com

Long Island Wine Country and the North Fork welcomes Long Island Winterfest, with Jazz on the Vine. 

Stay at a B&B, shop in Greenport, eat at top quality restaurants, and enjoy world class entertainment at some amazing wineries. Call us for more info!

631 477-0654  thestirlinghouse.com 

Check out Winterfest at www.liwinterfest.com 

Call The Stirling House to find out what special is being offered that week