Day 30: The Baldpate Dining Room

It’s fun to try to imagine the early days for our Baldpate Dining Room.  For many years we have been honored with rave reviews about our homemade food and quality of service from locals and well as from travelers from afar. 

Even in our earliest days, Baldpate was winning the prestigious Duncan Hines recommendations, along with recipe features in his travel and cookbooks.  Hot tuna casserole anyone?

Baldpate Inn Main Dining Room

What we do notice from our old photos is that when you count the posts and look at the layout, originally our Main Dining Room was at one time actually larger than it is now. 

We assume that when bathrooms were added to the main floor, this room became smaller, since we discovered a window from the lobby front desk into the men’s room! (Feel safe, it’s been firmly covered with a solid wall, so no peeping option!)

 

Old photos also indicated that our current Sun Porch was just a sitting area, and not a part of the original dining room operations. 

Sun Porch as sitting room

Charles, Ethel, Gordon & Gloria in Dining Room

This 1950s photo of Charles, Ethel, Gordon & Gloria, which I used to think was the Sun Porch, is not! (The French doors in the background have always opened into the Sun Porch)

Of course as primary cook, I do applaud the old advertising that notes the “Best cook in captivity! This matter of meals receives our special attention, consequently our chef is the most important individual on the place and in accordance with the prevailing custom of the day, meals are served three times a day.”

Baldpate Sun Porch Dining Room View

Today our Sun Porch dining room is most popular for its panoramic views and hummingbird watching.  Guests often comment it’s like eating in a treehouse. (Hopefully that is reflective of the view not the food!)

Often I am asked if we serve any of the original recipes that we were so famous for, such as fried chicken and trout, but alas, since I am not a formally-schooled chef, (only school of hard knocks) we have chosen a simpler, fresher menu with our Soup, Salads and Breads buffet.  

Always a point for comment, our Dining Room bathtub was here when we arrived, and continues to prompt most to smile at its eccentric presentation. 

What is your favorite Dining Room feature? 

Written by Lois Smith