Hotel Pastis: A Novel of Provence

Book Description

Having delighted millions of Americans with A Year in Provence and Toujours Provence, Peter Mayle treats us to a wonderfully entertaining novel of escape, romance and adventure. played in the landscape he has made so irresistible.

Simon Shaw, a forty-two-year-old advertising tycoon, worn down by insatiable clients and a rapacious ex-wife, wants to get away from it all. On impulse he drives to the south of France. When an accident leaves him stranded in a small village in the Luberon, an enchanting Frenchwoman, who is between husbands, comes to his rescue and soon lures him into buying the local gendarmerie. Together they transform it into a little jewel of a hotel. And life seems idyllic.

But at the same time, a crook, recently released from the Marseilles prison, is plotting to rob the bank in the nearby town. Paths cross. schemes go awry -- and through it all Peter Mayle delights us with the intrigues of the haut monde that descends on the Hotel Pastis and the machinations of the bad guys, as everything conspires to threaten the heaven on earth that Simon Shaw has envisioned.

Customer Reviews:

Very nice book.......2007-07-31

I'd been looking around for some light reading for a while. Hard thrillers, fantasy, nonfiction, business books..I'd had enough. Then I stumbled across Mayle's other book - A Good Year. Just what I was looking for. The characters were well drawn, and life in Provence really seemed like the ideal vacation.

Hotel Pastis is even better. Great characters, good flow, some excitement, but nothing too head-pounding. If you're looking for an escape, and wouldn't mind learning a little more about France, try this out. You'll probably be back for more.

entertaining but irritating.......2007-07-26

This book zipped by, and held my attention, but I think whether you like it will depend on how much you agree with Peter Mayle's personal opinions. I found a number of elements in the book irritating. The main character, Simon Shaw, is bored with his life, but it never once occurs to him to do anything for charity, although he's rich enough to own several sports cars that he never drives. In general, the characters are used to express the author's likes and dislikes. For example, Mayle thinks that people who worry about cancer are silly, so the cool characters all have "healthy, tanned faces" and some of them smoke, while the fussy and stupid characters hide from the sun, and wave the smoke away in horror. Some of what seems witty to Mayle didn't work for me at all. I don't see anything clever in putting a replica of Brussels' "Mannekin Pis" in a garden, or referring to a bit of sexual foreplay as "Breakfast of Champions".

The author's attitude toward his female characters struck me as odd, but that may be due to generational or national differences. Shaw calls his secretary by her first name, while she says, "Mr. Shaw." Shaw loves to watch women eat, and hates it when they spend a lot of money, but, paradoxically, the heroine of the book is constantly complimented for being slender and extremely well-dressed. (To be fair, Mayle does insert a few non-slender women who are also depicted as attractive, but it's obvious that the heroine is the queen bee.) Many of the female characters depend upon alimony for their living, and they talk as if living on men's money is the natural order of things. Perhaps Mayle knows a lot of women like this, but I found it depressing.

The story of the novel is curiously divided. Several Marcel-Pagnol-esque chapters describe a gang's preparations for a bank heist, and these seem unconnected with the ritzy world of Simon Shaw. I think Mayle should have written two separate books, rather than trying to mix these two styles together.

On the positive side, the book's personages are memorable, though not realistic, and the Provence setting is attractive. However, I don't think these pluses overcome the book's minuses.

GOOD IDEA.......2007-01-04

THIS IS ALSO A GOOD READ FOR PETER MAYLE FANS, AFTER READING IT, I WANT TO OPEN MY OWN HOTEL IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE.

A lovely read.......2006-11-07

Charming and delicious! The characters aren't exactly realistic but they are well done and fun to know. The plot isn't exactly realistic either, it's fiction after all! I've never been to the south of France but this book made me fall in love with it.
I was a bit confused by the side plot of the bank robbery, but even that was enjoyable and funny, even funnier when it all came together towards the end.
Definitely a book I'd recommend!

fairly OK book - could have been better.......2006-10-15

the protagonist Simon is a owner of an advertising company - the portion of the book where Mayle talks about the advertising world - then it is realistic and you will love it but the portion of the book which deals with kidnapping and other childish activity is quite immature

Average customer rating:

Twenty-Two Beautiful Houses

Luxury Houses: Country (Luxury Houses)

Manufacturer: Te Neues Publishing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

General | Home Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Decoration & Ornament | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Style | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

French | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

German | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Italian | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Arts & Photography | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Nonfiction | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Professional & Technical | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Travel | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

All French Books | French | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Arts & Photography | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Nonfiction | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Professional & Technical | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Travel | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

All German Books | German | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Arts & Photography | Italian | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Italian | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Professional & Technical | Italian | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

Travel | Italian | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

All Italian Books | Italian | Foreign Language Books | Specialty Stores | Books

ASIN: 3832790616

Customer Reviews:

Twenty-Two Beautiful Houses.......2006-01-20

With room to spread out; often a view of the ocean, valley, mountain or lake; fewer restrictions on things like building codes, the opportunity to develop fantastic houses away from city life has long been popular. At one end of the scale is a crowded campground or small house in a crowded area. At the other end are the houses shown here.

In this book the author has selected twenty-two houses that I believe any of us would call luxurious. From a 16,000 square foot house in upstate New York overlooking a valley to homes with a view of the sea in Hawaii, Italy and other places, the homes here are fantastic. Each house is profusely illustrated with color pictures.

This book is produced by teNeues. The teNeues books are truly beautiful. The company is headquartered in Germany and they bring a sense of quality to their books that is not common. The books are printed on heavy paper using very high quality printing techniques. While this is essentially a coffee table picture book, or perhaps an idea book for the house you are planning, it is beautifully done, almost a work of art.

Michelin Red Guide San Francisco 2007: Bay Area and Wine Country (Michelin Red Guides)

Average customer rating:

Easy to use, but limited scope and Francocentric
Zagat is better
Useful dining guide
A Good Debut
Culinary traveler

Michelin Red Guide San Francisco 2007: Bay Area and Wine Country (Michelin Red Guides)
Michelin Travel Publications
Manufacturer: Michelin Travel Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 2067120840

Book Description

Michelin Guide San Francisco 2007

Customer Reviews:

Easy to use, but limited scope and Francocentric.......2007-08-13

What I like about this book is that it's very user-friendly, especially for the City itself. The reader can quickly glance through a neighborhood, and readily find the restaurants' basic price category, food category, "fanciness" (or "category" as they put it), phone number, fax, website, hours/days open, and location on a map. For those of us used to the European guides, this guide goes into far more detail than the European ones--whole paragraphs describe each restaurant and hotel.
The long descriptions, however, seem to hide the fact that this guide is very limited in scope. I feel it's a bit much to say that this is a "Bay Area" guide when only 16 pages (each describing only one or two restaurants) are devoted to the entire East Bay, for example. There are a million people living in Contra Costa County, and 1 1/2 million living in Alameda County, yet only two cities in that entire region are discussed: Oakland and Berkeley. There are also only two hotels listed in this area: the Claremont and the Washington Inn in Oakland. For areas south of San Francisco, only three hotels are mentioned, all in San Jose, and only two in Marin county: Casa Madrona and the Inn Above the Tide, both in Sausalito.
My other major beef with this guide is its Franco-centric opinions. I went to the Bistro Jeanty in Yountville based on its receiving a Michelin Star. Having lived in France for over 4 years, the food there certainly did remind me of a meal one might find in a country restaurant in the south of France. The recipes there were quite standard, however, and the quality of the ingredients nothing to write home about. No way did I find the food there as good as that of Domaine Chandon in the same town. Not only are the menu items at D.C. more unique and obviously carefully tested by trained chefs, but the quality of the ingredients at Domaine Chandon is also superior. I do not even consider the food quality of those two places to be in the same class. Other unstarred restaurants in the area which I considered to be substantially better than Bistro Jeanty include Brix, Mustards Grill, and Tra Vigne. Just because they serve California or Italian cuisine rather than French does not make them inferior.
I should also mention the guide's most famous controversy: giving Chez Pannise (California cuisine) only one star. This restaurant is widely regarded by multiple food critics as one of the best restaurants in the country. The only restaurant deemed worthy of three stars is called... hmm... French Laundry.
I hope subsequent editions broaden the scope of coverage, and also broaden the idea of what constitutes quality cuisine, since I do like the format of the guide. Good quality isn't measured by how closely the food resembles French cooking. And there are two and a half million of us living on the other side of the Bay with lots of good restaurants. "Bay Area" refers to more than the City and wine country...

Zagat is better.......2007-07-16

Always good to get another view on Bay Area restaurants, but one could argue with a lot of their ratings. And the descriptions don't help, restaurants with one star have identical descriptors to restaurants with none. What is unique that drove the ratings???

Useful dining guide.......2007-01-14

Easy to use and evaluate but there must be a limit to how many possible candidate restaurants and hotels could be visited by inspectors and hence few "discoveries" could be made. The area covered is just right for both residents and visitors to the Bay Area. South to include Paso Robles should be considered.

A Good Debut.......2007-01-11

This is a successful launch of Michelin's coverage of the San Francisco Bay Area. As can be expected from any Michelin Guide this has very useful information, including colored street maps, a comprehensive listing and commentary of major hotels and restos. I recommend this guide to visitors to the Bay Area. I would hope, though, that future editions would have more depth and insights to the region's real jewel, its high quality neighborhood restos.

Culinary traveler.......2007-01-09

There are many excellant restaurants in the Bay area. The Red Guide is the most respected guide to plan your trip. It has everything that the experienced culinary traveler expects to know.
I hope Michelin will expand these guides to the rest of the USA just like France.

Bed & Breakfasts and Country Inns, 18th Edition

Average customer rating:

Saved us money!
Great B&B book -- with a FREE night, too!
Add some pizzazz to your vacation stays
State maps locating each inn are provided
Bed and Breakfasts and Country Inns

Bed & Breakfasts and Country Inns, 18th Edition
Deborah Edwards Sakach
Manufacturer: American Historic Inns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1888050187

Book Description

A certificate for ONE FREE NIGHT on your next visit to any inn listed in this guide. A value of $50.00 to $650.00. An easy-to-use reference to 1,550 carefully selected inns. Detailed listings of inns in all 50 states, Canada and U.S. territories. State maps locating each inn. More than 500 illustrations. Index of inns with special significance, such as inns in lighthouses, former school houses, and Safari type inns.

Customer Reviews:

Saved us money!.......2007-05-01

Buy one night get one free is worth the price of this book. Just don't tear out the coupon, most places want the entire book.

Great B&B book -- with a FREE night, too!.......2007-01-09

We've purchased this book every year for the past five years. It's very comprehensive, with a great selection of B&Bs, and most have website information that you can visit online as well. There's a great "Free Night" coupon in the front of the book that entitles the book owner to a free night with one paid night -- that feature alone makes the book more than pay for itself with its first use! Highly recommended.

Add some pizzazz to your vacation stays.......2002-04-16

The discovery of "Bed and Breakfasts and Country Inns" has greatly enhanced my family's vacation experience. The variety of inns and accomodations has been amazing. We have used the book on both coasts and have not been disappointed one time. Even though we are always on a budget, the wonderful 2 for 1 coupon allows us to go places we normally could not afford.

My hat off to the publisher, editor, and producer of this very fine listing--the book's ease of use and tremendous value and breadth deserves at least one trial. My family and I look forward to the little "sidetrips" that naturally come with going with something a little different.

State maps locating each inn are provided.......2001-02-21

Now in a newly revised and expanded 12th edition, Bed & Breakfasts And Country Inns continues to be the premier reference for anyone seeking the best and most memorable lodgings for overnight trips ranging from weekend excursions to cross-country traveling. Deborah Sakach's easy-to-use reference covers more than 1500 selected inns spanning all 50 states, Canada, and U.S. territories. State maps locating each inn are provided, and the informative descriptions are enhanced with more than 500 illustrations. Bed & Breakfasts And Country Inns is the only travel lodging guide anyone will need to ensure memorable, adventurous, thoroughly delightful experiences.

Bed and Breakfasts and Country Inns.......2000-08-22

This book is a must have all of us B&B lovers. If you love to get away with that special someone this is the best guide available as well as the coupon included (serious money saver) Find the most romantic, quiet, off the beaten track and wonderful relaxing B&B's and Country Inns around! So sit back, relax and enjoy!

The American Country Inn and Bed & Breakfast Cookbook, Vol. 1: More Than 1,700 Crowd-Pleasing Recipes from 500 American Inns

Average customer rating:

It's my 'go to' cookbook of choice!
Great Ideas for Food and Travel in One Great Book.....
Excellent source for finding forgotten recipes...
the american country inn and bed and breakfast cookbook
I have BOTH American Country Inn books.

The American Country Inn and Bed & Breakfast Cookbook, Vol. 1: More Than 1,700 Crowd-Pleasing Recipes from 500 American Inns
Kitty Maynard , and Lucian Maynard
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Breakfast | Meals | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1558530649

Book Description

The best crowd-pleasing recipes from widely acclaimed country inns and bed and breakfasts in the United States are collected in this unique cookbook and travel guide. Includes over 500 inns and more than 1,700 recipes from every state.

Customer Reviews:

It's my 'go to' cookbook of choice!.......2003-09-07

I can't you how many times I've gone to my copy of this cookbook for recipes... it's the one I reach for first! It's like taking a trip around the country without leaving my home! VERY user friendly format, too!

I love the small-sized recipes that many of the B&B's and Inns use... hubby and I are 'empty nesters' most of the year with our sons away at college so there's no need to make big meals or we'd be eating leftovers forever.

Great Ideas for Food and Travel in One Great Book............2003-04-28

This review refers to "The American Country Inn and Bed & Breakfast Cookbook"(vol 1) by Kitty and Lucian Maynard....

St Chuck Poolside Jambalaya to North Carolina Applsauce Muffins, Aunt Ruth's Baked Eggs and Cheese to Dorothy's Chocolate Zucchini Cake, Guacamole to Lobster Pie to Salt Lake City Taffy, you'll find the biggest and best collection of regional homestyle cooking from all over this great food lovin country in this fabulous cookbook!

Whatever type of fare you have in mind you'll find something good in these pages. The Manyard's have done all the work. State to State(including Alaska and Hawaii) they have found us some great recipes from Country Inns and Bed and Breakfast's from all over the country. With more than 1700 homestyle recipes you really get your money's worth.

You can go state to state(without leaving home) and try something new and different, or find some of your old favorites that you've been longing for.
There are two indexes to check through. You can check by city, or by food. For a good look at what's inside, the book, click on the 'Look Inside" link to several pages to browse through.The recipes range from meals as simple as Biscuits and Eggs to the more exotic tastes like Veal Scallops with Gorgonzola Sauce. You'll find several different ways of making the most everyday things, like French Toast, depending on what State or Regional taste you're in the mood for that day!

There's an additional perk to this cookbook as well. If you want to get out of your own kitchen and do a little traveling, you will find a little description as well as the addresses and phone numbers for all the Inn's used here, on the pages with their own recipes.In some cases there are nice little sketches of the lodgings as well.

I use this cookbook more than any other in my kitchen. although I haven't loved every single thing I've tried, it is stained and sticky with the remnants of some terrific recipes(some of my favorite pages are in worse shape than others!). Everytime I look through it for a new idea I find one. I love it! You will too.

So have fun, eat hardy and try to get someone else to do the clean-up.....enjoy...Laurie

Excellent source for finding forgotten recipes..........2003-01-01

Have both books - and they are both much used in our kitchen. I have been able to find recipes for dishes others would not share based on ingredients. The index of foods is probably the greatest thing about this book and directly contributes to the usability.

Absolutely something for everyone in this book - even holiday recipes. Between the two books, I have noticed a couple of recipes duplicated, but not enough to lessen the value of either.

Definitely one to have on the shelf if you enjoy having a broad sampling of American cooking close at hand!

the american country inn and bed and breakfast cookbook.......2001-07-01

This cookbook is great !!!! i borrowed it from a friend and never gave it back (bad!!!) but it really is a great source for entertaining. Fanstastic and easy recipes. A good way to impress your friends with your cooking. Also what i like is they usually have serveral recipes for similar dishes so lets say you want to make scalloped potatoes - you can look at them all and then kind of use the info to make your own variation with the pieces of the recipes you think sound good. Also it is good if you are doing theme parties. I love asian cooking we were having a party where i needed to bring an asian salad - they have like 5 different types. and they arent what you would expect. Note this is just not breakfast foods - all types of cooking are in this book and from all types of us regions.

I have BOTH American Country Inn books........2000-05-06

They are both terrific. I am waiting for another? I buy them and give them for gifts. There aren't any pictures, but they are not needed. Lots of variety, of both food, and in the variety of the B&B's all over the US.

Frommer's France's Best Bed & Breakfasts and Country Inns

Average customer rating:

Frommer's France's Best Bed & Breakfasts and Country Inns
Arthur Frommer
Manufacturer: Frommer's
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Frommer's | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0764561308

Book Description

You'll never fall into the tourist traps when you travel with Frommer's. It's like having a friend show you around, taking you to the places locals like best. Our expert authors have already gone everywhere you might go--they've done the legwork for you, and they're not afraid to tell it like it is, saving you time and money. No other series offers candid reviews of so many hotels and restaurants in all price ranges. Every Frommer's Travel Guide is up-to-date, with exact prices for everything, dozens of color maps, and exciting coverage of sports, shopping, and nightlife. You'd be lost without us!

Features include:

Nearly 450 outstanding B&Bs, small private hotels, guest houses, inns, and farmhouses, with detailed descriptions of each, plus service information and recommendations for local activities.
Each property personally inspected by professionals from the Automobile Association (AA) of Britain-the same group that developed the successful Frommer's Driving Tours and Adventure Guide series.
A 16-page, full color atlas locating every property, cross-referenced to the text.
More than 600 photos bringing each B&B and inn to life.

Italian Country Hideaways: Vacationing in Tuscany's and Umbria's Most Unforgettable Private Villas, Castles and Estates

Average customer rating:

Beautiful book!
Behind Italy's Curtain
Seeing the romantic heart of this beautiful country.
Plan your trip around this book
Rich resource to discover hidden Italian inn splendors

Italian Country Hideaways: Vacationing in Tuscany's and Umbria's Most Unforgettable Private Villas, Castles and Estates
Kelley Hurst
Manufacturer: Universe Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books

San Marino & Umbria | Europe | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0789302608
Release Date: 1999-07-30

Book Description

Opening up their ancestral homes, the owners of these preserved and fully-functional estates now offer you a key to the hidden splendors of the Italian countryside. A detailed appendix provides all the practical information you'll need for planning your visits. Taking you off the beaten track of tourist Italy, Italian Country Hideaways invites you to the most unforgettable private villas, castles, fortresses, and farmhouses which you can actually stay. Tuscany and Umbria are divided into a number of sub-regions based on cuisine and culture as well as geography. An introduction to each region's local food and wine, sites, festivals, and other points of interest is followed by a selection of unique estates memorable for their meals, decor, architecture, grounds, and history. Opening up their ancestral homes, the owners of these preserved and fully-functional estates now offer you a key to the hidden splendors of the Italian countryside. A detailed appendix provides all the practical information you'll need for planning your visits, including a complete contact information, prices, amenities included, and dates of availability, plus helpful facts and advice on transportation, seasonal considerations, and making reservations.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful book! .......2006-03-27

This was such a fun book to read and the photography is absolutely beautiful! Italy is much more fun off the beaten path anyway...and I'm so glad to see more and more books that take the traveler to the unknown places!
--Vicki Landes, author of "Europe for the Senses - A Photographic Journal"

Behind Italy's Curtain.......2005-05-02

A beautiful book that takes travelers to places in Italy that are not generally publicized. An excellent travel guide.

Seeing the romantic heart of this beautiful country........2001-07-25

An excellent guide that takes you off the beaten tourist trap path. This warm and wonderful book invites you to the most unforgettable private villas, castles, fortresses, and farmhouses-places most of which you can actually stay. This book also is a good introduction to each region's local food and wine, sites, festivals, and other points of interest. The book continues to a selection of unique estates memorable that are known for their meals, architecture, grounds, and history. Opening this book is like the owners of these preserved and fully functional estates opening up their ancestral homes many of whom actually do and this book shows you how. The book further lays a full featured and detailed appendix providing all the practical information you'll need for planning your visits, including complete contact information, prices, amenities, and dates of availability, plus helpful facts and advice on transportation, seasonal considerations, and making reservations. Ever think of traveling to Italy and seeing the romantic heart of this beautiful country. This is the book you will need. ...

Plan your trip around this book.......2000-12-22

This is not only a beautiful book, with gorgeous pictures of Tuscany's castles and countryside, but also provides an excellent service by relaying contact information for all of the castles profiled in the book. My husband and I stayed at Castello di Ripa D'orcia this past fall and it was the highlight of our Italy vacation. We chose the castle as our base since the pictures were so magnificent--and we were not disappointed. It was well off the beaten path and it was the only time during our vacation that we were exposed to a real slice of Italy without the onslaught of tour buses that seemed to invade many of the other small villages in the area. If you are planning a trip to Italy, I highly recommend that you comb through this book and choose one of the country estates to stay in. It will make your trip much more memorable and enjoyable.

Rich resource to discover hidden Italian inn splendors.......2000-06-19

This is a wonderful Italian guide book that provides the reader a selection of off-the-beaten- track inns in the very scenic and culturally rich regions of Tuscany and Umbria. We used Ms Hurst's "Italian Country Hideaways" to book a glorious stay at a 19th century, castle-estate in Umbria. Her description of the Titignano estate accurately captured its atmosphere, our stay there was the highlight of our Italian vacation.

The audience for this book is anyone who has an appreciation for Italy and is looking for information to go beyond the typical tourist staples of Italy, i.e. Rome, Venice and Florence. Ms Hurst impeccable research provides the reader a rich resource to discover the hidden splendors that a non-native Italian tourist would not find. The books starts with a short introduction in which Ms Hurst describes her criteria for featuring the 30 unique inns. The text is well written by someone who knows her subject and obviously enjoyed doing her research. "Italian Country Hideaways" is filled with splendid photos that aptly portrays the scenic and immensely civilized Tuscany and Umbria regions and its featured inns. In essence its a tourist guide and coffee table book in one. Included is all the prerequisite information on how to contact (phone, fax and email addresses) the inns. The only quip I have is the lack of an updated map, it would have been helpful to provide an idea where these inns are relative to the say Florence and Rome. Otherwise, this is a great travel resource for anyone contemplating a trip to the Tuscany region and who wants to interact with the local culture.

Average customer rating:

Is Charles Holcomb actually Douglas Hensley (and Pattie Hensley's husband)?

My wife says rate this one a 3

Americas Best Bed & Breakfast Lucien Maynard

Don't waste your money!

Travel/Cooking Hybrid Unsatisfying

Best Recipes from American Country Inns and Bed and Breakfasts
Kitty Maynard , and Lucian Maynard
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | U.S. Regional | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Bed & Breakfast | Food & Lodging | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Breakfast in Bed Cookbook: The Best B and B Recipes from Northern California to British Columbia

The American Country Inn and Bed & Breakfast Cookbook, Volume I: More than 1,700 crowd-pleasing recipes from 500 American Inns (American Country Inn & Bed & Breakfast Cookbook)

Breakfast in Bed California Cookbook: The Best B and B Recipes from California (Breakfast in Bed Cookbook)

Specialties of the House: A Country Inn and Bed & Breakfast Cookbook

Complete Idiot's Guide to Running a Bed and Breakfast

ASIN: 1401600980

Book Description

The best crowd-pleasing recipes from widely acclaimed country inns and bed & breakfasts in the United States are collected in this unique cookbook and travel guide. More than 340 inns and 1,500 recipes are collected here, some from the finest chefs in America, while others represent the best in mouth-watering homestyle cooking.

More than a cookbook, Best Recipes from American Country Inns and Bed & Breakfasts is organized alphabetically - state-by-state. It is a reliable guide to the inns themselves, including addresses, phone numbers, and a listing of activities available at each inn. There are two extensive indexes. One allows you to find the inns by city and state, and the other allows the reader to find any recipe or type of recipe quickly and easily.

Kitty and Lucian Maynard have written two similar books, The American Country Inn and Bed & Breakfast Cookbook, Vol. I and Vol. II. These have been selections of Book-of-the-Month Club, the Better Homes and Gardens Book Club, and Family Bookshelf. The first book was featured on the back of Just Right cereal boxes. Reviews rave about the excellent, tasty recipes:

"Everything we tried was terrific!" - Brunswick (Maine) Times Record
"Many of these dishes are unique creations of the inn chefs and are not to be found elsewhere." - The Midwest Book Review
"Chock full of mouthwatering recipes . . . a grand selection of entrees." - Levittown (Pennsylvania) Courier-Times

Customer Reviews:

Is Charles Holcomb actually Douglas Hensley (and Pattie Hensley's husband)?.......2006-01-07

A reviewer, "Charles Holcomb", has reviewed all the books written by Douglas Hensley and Pattie Hensley. He has also reviewed several competing books -- such as this one -- and used those reviews as an opportunity to mention the "superior quality" of the book written by Douglas Hensley or Pattie Hensley. The Hensley titles are as follows:

- "Lost Stories From Hell" by Douglas Hensley

- "Magic Voodoo Spells" by Douglas Hensley

- "Hell's Gate: Terror at Bobby Mackey's Music World" by Douglas Hensley

- "Automobile Sales Training and Tips From The Pros" by Douglas Hensley

- "Book of Dreams & Dream Interpretations" by Douglas Hensley

- "Bloody Bones" by Douglas Hensley

- "Grandma's Cook Book and Recipes" by Pattie Hensley

- "Grandma's Country Recipes" by Pattie Hensley

- "Copycat Restaurant and Bakery Recipes" by Pattie Hensley

My wife says rate this one a 3.......2006-01-01

My wife said to rate this one a 3 for her

Americas Best Bed & Breakfast Lucien Maynard.......2005-12-07

I had the extreme misfortune to purchase both of the Maynards Books. The recipes are riddled with errors from Page 1 recipe 1 - example first recipe on Page 1 - 1 plus 2 Tablespoons of WHAT.AS IT IS EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE TO RETURN BOOKS FROM SOUTH AFRICSA I AM DISGUSTED THAT PUBLISHERS AND AUTHORS ARE ALLOWED TO PUBLISH WITHOUT CHECKING THE CONTENTS OF THESE BOOKS.OUR EXCHANGE RATE IS PROHIBITIVE SO IS THE POSTAGE. BOTH OF THE BOOKS PURCHASED ARE A DISGRACE TO THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY. WE DO NOT ALWAYS HAVE THE TIME TO PERUSE QUICKLY AND I CAN IDENTIFY AT LEAST 7 ERROS FROM PAGES 1 - 40 ON ONE OF THE BOOKS ONLY.

Don't waste your money!.......2005-08-25

This book was a huge disappointment, and I returned my copy. As the recipes are divided by Inn, main dishes, side dishes, breakfasts, breads, desserts are totally mixed together. The print is small and pale. Worse, it does not include any comments to indicate that the recipes are tried-and-true, or what makes them special -- and they don't appear to have even been tested by the authors. There are a number of outstanding cookbooks featuring the best recipes from B&Bs, and the others are sorted by subject (so all cakes will be together, etc.), include the innkeepers' comments about why they're so special, were tested by the authors, and include the authors observations. Amazon carries most (if not all) of them. Don't waste your money on this garbage!

Travel/Cooking Hybrid Unsatisfying.......2004-04-16

I had several problems with this book. As a travel guide to inns and B&Bs across the country, it is well organized and informative. But as a book that purports to deliver the "best" in country inn cooking, it leaves a bit to be desired.

Instead of gathering recipes and actually publishing the best ones they found (which would have resulted in a richly varied selection of dishes of consistently good quality), the authors seem to have selected the inns first, then published a handful of each inn's best offerings. This results in a jumble of recipes that veer wildly from haute cuisine challenging to "open-a-can" basic, throwing together in a very unsatisfying manner recipes based mostly on convenience foods with recipes designed to creatively showcase fresh local ingredients. And since the book is organized by STATE, instead of by grouping the recipes together logically by type, if you want to see, for example, all of the redundant muffin recipes (LOTS of duplication here), you must look in the index in the back of the book and seek them out, state by state, one page at a time.

I also find the cover design of this book to be a tad misleading. While the gorgeously constructed dish that is pictured on the front cover may well be found somewhere in this book, it shares space with recipes that offer no more deliberation than "open a few cans, stir everything together, serve it in a casserole dish". If you are attracted to this volume because it appears to offer elegance and innovation as the cover is certainly attempting to suggest, you will be disappointed.

In summary, I didn't like this book because it is difficult to browse, offers recipes of inconsistent quality, and has a habit of mentioning ingredients and techniques that may be unfamiliar to many home cooks, without offering further explanation. In short, it is not a well-organized and informative cooking book.

HOWEVER, as a random collection of recipes, it might turn out to be just dandy. With a purported 1500 to choose from, each of us are bound to find a handful of treasures that are well-suited to the way we like to cook and eat, regardless of experience or skill level. Just be prepared to have to sieve through pages and pages of things you think are uninteresting before you can find those gems.

Average customer rating:
The Unofficial Guide to Bed & Breakfasts and Country Inns in New England
Lea Lane
Manufacturer: Frommer's
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Bed & Breakfast | Food & Lodging | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
Hotels & Inns | Food & Lodging | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books
New England | Northeast | Regions | United States | Travel | Subjects | Books
General | Travel | Subjects | Books
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Recommended Bed & Breakfasts New England, 4th (Recommended Bed & Breakfasts Series)

ASIN: 0764565028

Book Description

The Unofficial Guides are the "Consumer Reports" of travel guides, offering candid evaluations of their destinations' attractions, hotels, restaurants, shopping, nightlife, sports, and more, all rated and ranked by a team of unbiased inspectors so even the most compulsive planners can be sure they're spending their time and money wisely. Each guide addresses the needs of everyone from families to business travelers, with handy charts that demonstrate how each place stacks up against the competition. Plus, all the details are pulled out so they're extremely easy to scan.

The Unofficial Guide to Bed & Breakfasts in New England is a refreshingly candid new voice on the B&B scene. Unlike other guides that praise every inn as charming and cozy, the Unofficial Guides team of inspectors criss-cross the region and select the very best inns and B&Bs, offering truly comparative descriptions and rating each selection for value and quality of rooms. Includes a photo insert of our top-rated inns and lovely illustrations of 35 properties.

Five Reasons Why This Is the Best B&B Series You Can Buy: Complete Coverage:

Only the Unofficial Guides profile and evaluate 300 top inns and B&Bs in all price categories, from budget to deluxe, and include a directory of over 250 other great places to stay.
Critical Evaluations: Only the Unofficial Guides rank and rate each B&B (other B&B guides read like promotional brochures).
Personal Inspections: Each B&B is personally inspected by independent travel professionals (most other B&B guides are written by the innkeepers themselves).
Honest Selection Process: Each B&B has been chosen on its own merits; no fees are accepted (most other B&B guides charge innkeepers to be included).
Ideal for Families & Pet Lovers: Only the Unofficial Guides identify pet- and kid-friendly places, and recommend the best rooms.

Classic Japanese Inns and Country Getaways (Origami Classroom)

Average customer rating:

A wonderful resource--But consider these "caveats"
Inns are expensive but worth it!
Beautiful book
An interesting "guide" book.

Classic Japanese Inns and Country Getaways (Origami Classroom)
Margaret Price
Manufacturer: Kodansha International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 4770018738

Book Description

Since Oliver Statler's best-selling chronicle of the classic Japanese inn immortalized the "inn experience," seeking out a traditional resort has become one of the cherished goals of those visiting Japan. Like England's engaging B&Bs, the refined taverns of Japan constitute one of the world's
great traditions of inn-keeping. The tan tatami rooms, the soft light filtering through shoji screens, the epicurean banquets, the impeccable service-all of these are elements that make a visit to one of Japan's classic inns a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Yet, unbelievable as it may seem, until now there has never been a guide devoted to these world-class purveyors of Japanese hospitality. The reason is simple: to visit and appraise the best from among thousands of contenders would require endless research and a seemingly bottomless pocketbook. But
columnist, translator, and travel writer Margaret Price has managed to combine business with pleasure to bring us, after years of effort, the first such guidebook.

From the $1,000-a-night fantasy weekend retreats where visiting celebrities from Chaplin to Clapton have stayed, to the $40-a-night hidden gems run by a kimono-clad innkeeper, Ms. Price has culled the best from a vast field with a discerning eye. What each inn provides is atmosphere, exotic cuisine,
and tasteful decorations(tm) n other words, a special inn experience as enchanting and memorable as anything Japan has to offer.

Customer Reviews:

A wonderful resource--But consider these "caveats".......2006-03-03

Margaret Price has provided a marvelous resource for westerners who visit Japan and wish to experience the elegance and charm of Japanese inns. But please be aware of the complications that I will outline in this review.

In spite of the following cautions, I would enthusiastically encourage all western readers to prepare themselves well, and then venture into this wonderful, almost magical experience of staying in traditional Japanese inns. The rewards will live forever in your memories.

It is easy to underestimate the cultural divide between traditional Japanese culture and the experience of the vast majority of westerners who visit Japan. That can range from actual fish heads floating in the soup served for your breakfast--less likely now, since Japanese innkeepers have become more "sensitive" to westerners' tastes and distates--to the embarassment caused by getting soap into the soaking tub in a Japanese bath. Or failing to recognize the difference between those slippers used throughout most of the inn and the toilet slippers that are never worn anywhere else.

To be sure, Japanese innkeepers are far more aware and sensitive to these cross-cultural issues than are most of their western guests, but that doesn't always protect us from making fools of ourselves.

Price-- Although the inns appear pricey by western standards, they cannot be compared to a stay in any western hotel--not even to "all-inclusive" resorts. Nearly all Japanese inns include several traditional Japanese meals in their daily rate, and those are presented in the most elegant fashion imaginable--nearly always in the intimacy of your own private tatami-floored bedroom. The tastes and textures might be unfamiliar, but these meals are highly prized as gourmet offerings by the Japanese guests who make up 95% of their clientele.

Be aware that there is a great difference between the traditional Japanese inn--a "ryokan"--and a traditional Japanese guest house--a "minshuku." The minshuku are less expensive, less elegant and less "personal." No meals in your room--everyone usually shares meals family style in a common dining area. That said, minshuku can be a marvelous and less expensive way to enjoy traditional Japan.

Now to some specific features of "Classic Japanese Inns." Inside the front cover, there is a "quick reference" for "Inn Etiquette." This is a GREAT starting point for the first-timer. Not completely sufficient, but a great start.

Each inn is listed with its name and address printed in Japanese characters ("kanji"), as well as in our "Roman" ABC alphabet (known in Japan as "Romaji"). That Japanese text is an essential aid for taxi drivers, and even for guides at town tourist centers, who might never recognize the westerner's mispronunciation of the inn's name and its location.

The brief descriptions of the inns and their surroundings are very good. We were able to compare a few of them with inns that we had actually visited during our years in Japan.

Most of the inns listed have two or three "shared" baths. In this volume, I have not yet found any (other than the "family" baths---"kazoku-buro") that are intended for adult males and females to share. And, of coures, the family baths are meant for a particular family--not for simultaneous use by multiple families. But a significant number of VERY traditional small inns--especially those in the mountains and in small hot springs communities--have outdoor baths ("rotenburo") that adults of both genders share. Of course, this experience requires a sophistication many westerners cannot easily manage (their great loss). There is nothing like communing with nature in a rotenburo with fellow guests of both genders and all ages (from smooth-skinned infants to well-wrinkled grandparents).

A very important word about making reservations. Unless you have some significant ability in speaking Japanese, do NOT attempt to make your reservations by telephoning the inn. Pronunciation errors can be deadly. For that reason, the appendix entitled "Helpful Japanese Phrases" should NOT be used by the neophyte tourist. Although this reviewer made numerous room reservations by telephone--and very successfuly--while living in Japan, I would never attempt it again until I had regained some of the fluency that I had when we last left that wonderful nation.

So, how does one make reservations for traditional inns? There are many Japanese travel agencies that will assist. The Japanese National Tourist Organization (JNTO) or the Japan Travel Bureau are starting points. In addition, there are a number of Japanese Web sites that invite westerners to make reservations. Many of the traditional inns belong to ryokan associations that will facilitate reservations, either by telephone or online.

The bottom line is that Margaret Price's book is a great resource, but doesn't really educate you to the critical complexities of crossing the cultural barriers in Japan. Does that mean that you shouldn't try? Definitely NOT. Just realize that it will take more preparation (and courage) than this volume provides.

As far as we are concerned, we can't wait to return to Japan and use this excellent book.

Inns are expensive but worth it!.......2004-05-19

I recently splurged on staying at two of the Inns in this book and I was impressed by two things: 1. How accurately the author described the particular Inns and 2. How well the book prepared me for the overall experience.
One warning: all of the inns detailed in the book are expensive by US standards, (as it appears most traditional Inns are). Especially considering we found that it was possible to find tourist hotels for less than US$100 a night. We combined four inexpensive hotel nights in Kyoto with two nights of staying in the more expensive Inns. Because Inns include two generous meals it balenced out the $300 a night cost. Staying in the Inns made us feel we experienced the "real" Japan. It is the part of our trip we remember the most foundly.
Our Itinerary: We spent four nights at the Kyoto Miyako Westin Hotel, then took a 3 hour train trip to Gero Onsen to stay at Yunoshima-kan and then the next day went up to Takayama to stay one night at Nagase Inn, both are detailed in the book. Nagase now takes fax reservations in English and the tourist office at Gero Onsen (gero-spa@hida.co.jp) said they can help americans secure reservations at an Inn like Yunoshima-kan where they do not speak English.
I share this info because making reservations is the hardest part of planning a trip to a small traditional Inn. Once you get there it's worth it.

Beautiful book.......2000-12-11

This is a beautiful book to own if you like looking at pictures of traditional architecture and dreaming about nights in Japanese Inns. I've loaned it to a few friends and they all want to go to Japan now! I bought this book shortly before a trip to Japan and called a few of the listed places. None of the places had room on such short notice: none of them volunteered to speak English, either, so it might be an adventure if your Japanese isn't good.

An interesting "guide" book........2000-04-11

As one who visits Japan on a very strict budget, I found it enthralling to find out what it would be like to stay at some of these expensive inns. So much so, I have started saving just to experience one night of extravagance. Margaret Price describes beautifully the inns food,ambience and surrounding attractions as well as suggesting places to shop, things to buy and day itineraries. As well as this there are a small number of low cost ryokan recommended. There is a very useful glossary with handy phrases for bookings etc., as many of the places have no English. Language details are pointed out in the description. The maps are quite good considering the size of the area covered on the map

It is a pity that so many of the inns are well away from rail stations as for the casual traveller car transport is not a real option because of the language barrier with road signs. I think that better directions by bus from stations would improve the usefulness of the book.

Overall, an enjoyable read if you like to find out what it is like on the other side of the road. An interesting alternative to a normal guide book.

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