The Settlers Inn
Hawley,PA
Rating 4+ stars
This was another seredipitous experience. We were staying at a Pocono Caesar Resort for our tenth anniversary, but due to the booking, needed a place to stay for one night before reaching the resort. After having called the resort, one of their people reccommended the Settlers Inn. After a long eight hour drive thru fog, rain and very heavy Pennsylvania traffic, this place was a more than welcome refuge.
I'll save the information about the inn for a review of accommodations, but I have to tell you that upon entering the lobby next to the dining room with it's massive exposed beams, I felt sure I was going to enjoy that one night stay. The dining room was quite large, but still had a warth to it that with the meal, melted that cold October weekend. The atmosphere was warm and bright, but not cramped. The dinner was a little too avant garde - the filet, topped with a bitter arugalla sauce, was tender and delicious, once past the green crust. But it was the breakfast that came as part of the B & B package that still holds my memory.
The following morning, Terri and I went down to breakfast, unsure what to expect. Many places that have restaurants on site offer a small breakfast with the rooms with the option of purchasing their larger fare. We were rather delighted when we were invited to help ourselves to the fresh hot pastries, fresh granolas, fresh fruitsa, juices, gourmet teas and coffees on a huge sideboard at the end of the dining room. Fortunately, we had only just started to enjoy the "free breakfast buffet", when the same kind waitress, returned and interrupted our repast a few minutes later. You can image our dismay when we were caught mid fork from amidst three plates each, when she came to our table, obviously very busy with the crowded dining room and said "So are you ready to order?" I looked at Terri as she handed us two menus with the most mouth-watering arrangement of breakfast banquettes listed. I felt like Shasta, from C.S. Lewis' "The Horse and his Boy", unsure I wasn't dreaming. Here we were completely satisfied with the plates of fresh fruit, pastries and cereals and then we had fresh rainbow trout with horseradish sauce and capers on whole grain toast and sausage, and bacon and eggs and hash browns. Everything hot, everything of the highest quality and everything deliciously prepared. If only I had four stomachs. Needless to say we did not need lunch and only went to dinner very late that evening after a day of antiquing in Hawley.
One thing is for sure, if I ever go anywhere near that part of Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, or New Jersey, I will be thinking if not visiting the Settlers Inn.