“Love conquers all…chocolate does the rest”. I think that says it all.And here at The Chophouse Restaurant our staff did their best to help our guests “celebrate love” on Valentine’s Day. Chef Dave offered a five course dinner for a set price per person.And what a menu it was! The courses were renamed just for the “love holiday”.
“First Date” was a choice of four appetisors featuring shrimp, crab cakes or beef. Two soup selections, Truffled Shrimp, or Asparagus Bisque, were placed under the heading of “Love Potions”. Delicious! Next, “Field of Dreams” featured two salads made with the delicate greens, and fruits of the season, like apples and pears, crispy Brie crouton, and tossed with a Champagne and Hazelnut vinagrette. The Wedge Salad combined Iceberg with house-cured bacon,beef steak tomato, red onion, and a bleu cheese dressing. It tasted so good, I thought it was summer.
For dinner, “The Perfect Match” offered guests a choice of Surf and Turf or Pistachio Crusted Sea Bass. Chef Dave gave our guests three more choices under “Sweet Heart Specials For Two”, of Chateau Briand, Seafood Lovers, or The Wildside. Just use your imaginations! And finally dessert came to us as “Happy Endings”. The selections included Death By Chocolate Cake… all seven layers, Banana Split Pie, Chambord Cheese Cake, and Chocolate Fantasy for Two, a selection of Hand-Rolled Truffles, Petit Fours, Mousses and Homemade Candies.
All we have to remember is to stay in love…It makes the world go round, you know.

By April and May Keith and I are well into preparing for the summer season. Cleaning the grounds of winter debris, mulching the beds, opening the pool and spring cleaning the hotel fills the weeks leading to Memorial Day, the official start of summer. We were almost there, then Mother Nature changed our plans.
On Thursday evening, May 26th, severe thunderstorms moved through the Poconos and left a large area of destruction. Winds in excess of 60 miles/hour swept over the grounds of Woodfield Manor and in a matter of minutes 7 trees were down due to the storm. Four 70-100 ft. pine trees were snapped in half and three large deciduous trees were uprooted. Branches and leaves littered the roads leading to the cottages.In a cul-de-sac area near cottages 17-20, 40 feet of a pine tree came to land on the road shared by these cottages. Very close! Within the hour we lost electricity.There was nothing to do but wait. Fourteen hours later, a little past noon on Friday, our service was restored. Thank you PP&L. We’d also like to give a nod to our guests who were very patient with a situation out of our hands. But I also want to send a BIG Thank You to George for coming to our rescue with two strong arms and his chain saw. We couldn’t have done it without you. All in all it turned out ot be a great Memorial Day weekend!

Traveling the back roads, not far from Woodfield Manor, is what Keith and I encourage our guests to do. With rolling hills, deep forests, mountain views and abundance of wildlife, it makes for a great afternoon road trip. One road to follow is one that takes you through the villages of Barrett Township. Less than 10 minutes away, you’ll begin your journey as you travel onto Rt.390/191 from Rt. 940. From here you’ll pass a variety of places to stop as you move on an uncongested rural road.
Begin with a stop at Momma Carol’s Cafe in the big red barn, for breakfast or lunch. Soups, signature sandwiches, and homemade baked goods await. Across the road sits Callie’s Pretzel Factory. Pick up a bag or two of snacks to take along. Continue on and you’ll pass The Stonehedge Gallery and Mountainhome Antiques.You may find yourself lost, lingering over their beautiful gifts and jewelry.
As you continue into Moutainhome, the road splits at a Y, with Rt. 191 to the left and Rt. 390 going straight. Rt 191 is a great ride as it takes you through the woods and into La Anna, a quaint village, and Holly Ross Pottery with it’s colorful selection of Fiestaware pottery. There are also other gift items as well. Continue on and you’ll come across Blueberry Hill Furnature and nearby town of Newfoundland. The Hotel is a great eatery.
If you decide on Rt 390 instead, at the Y continue straight onto Canadensis and visit The SkyTop Lodge. The entrance road to Skytop is on the left. Once you travel over the small bridge, the view of the Hotel is stunning. Go inside and have a look at a great old style grand hotel. At the front desk ask for a map of the grounds and explore some of their 5,oo acres or just take a walk around the lake.
Now this was just a short version of a great day on the road. Maps for this drive are available at Woodfield Manor. It’s all up to you! And remember, watch along the road for deer, turkey and the occasional black bear. You just might get lucky!

Calling all Woodfield Manor “wine lovers”! We’re starting our Fall Events with a Wine Tasting on Wednesday, October 6th, 2010. The party begins at 7pm in The Chophouse Restaurant and features wines of Spain and Argentina. It will consist of five food courses with a complimentary as well as a harmonious wine pairing. The cost is $40.00 pp and reservations are required.This is the perfect time of year to enjoy a new wine and also the colors of the season. Gather some friends and make it a night. For our guests coming to stay the week, make your reservations now and remember to visit one of the Pocono Mts. local vineyards like Cherry Valley in Saylorsburg or Blue Mountain Vineyard located in quiet farmlands of New Tripoli. These locations are not far from Woodfield Manor and will promise to make for a wonderful afternoon.

Well, it’s official. I’ve been told by more than a few people who had the opportunity to attend The Barrett Friendly Library’s “Books and Bubbly” fund raising event that our Harry Potter display was a hit! As the hostess for our table, I have to say I had a great time meeting so many supporters of the Barrett community and was very pleased they enjoyed our food and presentation. In keeping with the Hogwarts Banquet theme our display was made with wizards in mind. We featured Harry’s favorite, “Cheddar Mac with lobster and crab”and our table was decorated with candleabras, cauldrons, and wands, with a costumed wizard as hostess. We served “Butterbeer” as a beverage and a cake stand was filled with “Chocolate Frogs” for a sweet ending. We felt honored to be a part of this event that helped raise almost $10,000 for the library. I can’t wait to see what’s on the agenda next year!