MEET THE INNKEEPERS
 Mark Kulkowitz
Carroll Villa B&B and Mad Batter Restaurant, Cape May
A photo of Yankees Hall of Famer, Phil Rizutto, hangs in one corner of the Mad Batter Restaurant, reminding Mark Kulkowitz of one of his favorite memories from his 25 years as a B&B owner.
"Phil Rizutto used to come in and stay at the hotel with his wife," he recalls. "I was like a little kid waiting for him to come down to breakfast each morning."
One day he was actually able to sit with Rizutto and chat for half an hour in the hotel lobby. They were seated in front of a large mirror when another patron walked by and said, "You look like Phil Rizutto!" Rizutto turned to the mirror and said, "Holy cow, I do look like Phil Rizutto!" The guy came down later and saw him again and said, "You ARE Phil Rizutto!"
Rizutto would come back numerous times, often sitting in the hotel or restaurant "holding court" with baseball fans. "It was like a religious experience," says Kulkowitz, "with people coming up to him and telling him 'my grandmother loved you,' 'my father loved you'. I knew this famous appellate court judge in New Jersey who would drop everything and come see him."
For Kulkowitz, meeting people is the best part of the innkeeper experience. "Sitting down to one of the most delicious breakfasts in town and meeting people from all over the world...I like the fact that everybody has a story to tell."
Fun Fact: Kulkowitz met his wife, Pam Huber, at the B&B, which was previously owned by his father. "My father would hire her then fire her until he needed her again. Now I married her and he's stuck with her forever!"
 Nancy Fiske & Lamont Blowe
The Pillars at Plainfield, Plainfield
In the late 1800's wealthy Manhattanites yearning to escape the bad air and smells of the city started settling in Plainfield, building magnificent homes with striking architectural features. The Pillars at Plainfield is one of those homes.
"Although we're not the grandest house on the block, we do have some beautiful woodwork and a circular stair," says Lamont Blowe. "You can stand in the stairwell and look straight up at the stained glass skylight that was original to the 1870 house."
Nancy and Lamont have spent the last year and a half putting their own touches on The Pillars and getting to know their guests. "We had one couple who stayed a year ago January," recalls Nancy. "The husband was quite ill with cancer and they just wanted to get away. They had always been B&B lovers and had a great experience here. He passed away about a week later. For some reason that story has stayed with me. He spent his last week of life here at The Pillars."
Fun Fact: Lamont and Nancy moved in at night, tiptoeing in with couches, boxes and crates while the guests were sleeping. The guests literally went to bed with one owner and woke up with another. "The previous owners cooked breakfast the next morning, which was a godsend!" says Nancy.
EAT INN: Artfully inspired recipes
Enjoy the arts over wine and (spreadable) cheese: a Cheddar Raspberry Spread from Fairthorne Bed & Breakfast (Cape May).
Start off your day of antiquing and gallery-hopping with a hearty breakfast of Fruitful French Toast, a recipe from White Lilac Inn (Spring Lake).
NEW MEMBERS
Please welcome our new members!
The Raritan Inn at Middle Valley
526 County Road 513
Califon, NJ 07880
Karen Traugott-Moore, Innkeeper
Carroll Villa B&B Hotel
19 Jackson Street
Cape May, NJ 08204
Mark Kulkowitz and Pamela Huber, Innkeepers
The Bedford Inn
805 Stockton Avenue
Cape May, NJ 08204
Archie & Stephanie Kirk, Innkeepers |
