The Good Life

n an unusually chilly early April Saturday afternoonI arrived with my sister, Betty Ferree Powers, at theRiver Inn of Harbor Town in downtown Memphis.It was love at first sight!

The inn is located in the picturesque community of Harbor Town onthe banks of the Mississippi River, which this particular weekend wasswollen with rain water, causing hundreds of gawking drivers to cruise be-side the river to observe trees that typically are in Greenbelt Park but werenow eerily standing in swampy water.

Designed by the award-winning architecturalfirm of Looney Ricks Kiss, a firm known for “creat-ing and preserving that small-town feel,” the RiverInn is a 28-room boutique hotel that opened itslong-awaited doors on October 29. The $9 millionhotel is squeezed into 32,000 square feet of spacein two buildings at Harbor Town Square and Har-bor Town Circle.

The clientele consists of business travelers dur-ing the week and leisure travelers from the regionon the weekends. The inn has four local owners:Lewis Holland, Tom Scott, Joe Weller and HenryTurley, who traveled far and wide, sampling smallluxury hotels. They returned to Memphis, where they applied their new-found knowledge to create the best of the best small boutique hotel.

In the mind of Karl W. Friedrich, a native of Austria, who was chosen

to serve as general manager of the River Inn, “nothing like the River Innexists in Memphis nor in Tennessee. It brings back an historic kind of lux-ury although it is a new hotel with specialized individual service, and thedécor and architecture is a mixture of Europe and New Orleans.”

Friedrich brings to the inn more than 30 years of experience in theluxury hotel and resort industry, most recently as general manager ofLitchfield Plantation, a small luxury hotel at Pawley’s Island, South Car-olina. Prior to that, Friedrich managed four-and-five-star hotels in the

Caribbean.The hotel has a strong European influ-

ence, from the intimate libraries that greet visi-tors when they exit the elevator to go to theirrooms to the Port wine and chocolate trufflesserved at turn-down.

Let me set the stage for you. Picture asmall Provencal-style inn with window boxesbrimming with colorful flowers; Bevola, NewOrleans-style gas lanterns; and narrow streetsreminiscent of Paris.

A friendly valet parker greeted us beforewe entered the lobby, a world away from myhectic professional life that is filled with dead-

lines and demands. A smiling desk clerk immediately offered us a glass ofwine or champagne as we checked in for the weekend.

I stepped into the charming lobby furnished with antiques and Per-

O

River Innof Harbor Town

Story by Lyda Kay Ferree, The Southern Lifestyles LadyPhotography courtesy of the River Inn

“It brings back an historickind of luxury...and thedécor and architecture is amixture of Europe andNew Orleans.”

— Karl W. Friedrich,General Manager of the River Inn

sian rugs, collected by Mr. Holland, hearkening back to the days whencotton or “white gold” was King. A wood-burning fireplace with an an-tique (1800s) New Orleans mantel kept the chill at bay, and the cushysofa beckoned me to sit a spell, as we say in the South. A sparklingchandelier is suspended over hardwood floors that were reclaimed froma Virginia textile mill that was being razed. River-themed art collectedby Mr. Holland from various Memphis and Mississippi Delta artistsadorn the walls of the lobby.

Heart-of-pine floorboards in each elevator lobby were cut from1700s original-stand timber, once used as support beams in an old mill.

The elevator whisked me up to my “Natchez” penthouse suite,which overlooks the mighty Mississippi. (How appropriate for me, alover of that jewel of a town.) Mr. Friedrich had sent me a vase of freshflowers strategically placed on a small round table beside a plate offresh fruit, a perfect accompaniment to my vino.

Immediately I opened the casement windows to catch the riverbreeze. It wasn’t long before a long barge beckoned me back to the win-dow. After kicking off my shoes, I made a few phone calls as I wanted toshare the moment with friends.

The living room of my suite is decorated with attractive, comfort-

able furniture, elegant French paintings, and a fireplace. Beside a wetbar is a framed Natchez riverboat scene. In the bedroom tranquilityreigns. A four-poster bed, luxuriously draped with Frette linens, is thefocal point beside a walnut armoire, and the bathroom has a garden tuband a separate shower with Gilchrist and Soames bath amenities.

The suite has a 32” flat screen HDTV with DVD, high-speed wirelessinternet access and a CD/iPod dock/radio alarm clock, and a cornerdesk.

Outside my room, a cold wind snapped the colorful red table um-brellas on the rooftop terrace, which has a fine view of the signature“M” bridge and ‘Ol Man River. It is a perfect place to sip a cocktail orhost a private party.

Shortly before my 8:00 p.m. dinner in Currents restaurant, whichserves gourmet American/Continental cuisine, my sister and I spent afew moments in The Little Bar, a cozy nook adjacent to Currents. Signa-ture drinks in the bar include a Mud Island Iced Tea, a Currents Cosmo,and an Island Mojito, served with a variety of appetizers includingseared foi gras, duck confit, tuna tartar, and shrimp beignets.

We were seated in an alcove in the elegantly appointed Currentsrestaurant, which features rich red upholstered chairs, oil paintings of

The Good Life

the Mississippi River, white tablecloths, and lovely floral arrangements. Ibegan my multi-course dinner with a Cosmopolitan. Dinner was servedon bright red chargers with white plates. The servers, who wore blackpants with crisp white long-sleeved vests, were attentive with impeccabletiming.

For an appetizer I chose jumbo lump crab au gratin with just the rightamount of sherry, and my sister ordered escargots, which I sampled. Thencame a cleansing amuse bouche, a muscadine grape sorbet. My entrée wasa pan-seared halibut served with grilled asparagus and homemade breadsand rolls, some of the best I have sampled in any restaurant. I could notresist dessert—a chocolate and espresso flan with three sauces: Godivachocolate, brown butter caramel and vanilla bean crème anglaise. (A tast-ing menu is available for $68.)

The three-room restaurant is open daily for breakfast from 7 a.m. until10 a.m., and dinner service is from 5 p.m. until 11 p.m.

From its second-floor wine cellar, Currents offers an extensive wine list(1,100 bottles) by a professional sommelier.

The talented and friendly chef of both Currents and Tug’s, the inn’s ca-sual grill across the street, is David Schrier, who took time from his busykitchen to greet me and my sister. I was also impressed that the generalmanager left a Memphis Symphony performance to return to the hotel togreet guests in Currents that evening.

Returning to my room, I discovered lagniappe or “something extra” inthe form of Port wine in a decanter and chocolate truffles on my turned-down bed.

On Sunday morning I leisurely sipped good coffee with cream as Iread The Commercial Appeal. Then it was time for a tour of the propertythat included Tug’s, which appeared to be a popular eatery for hotel guestsand residents of the neighborhood. This restaurant offers comfort food, afully stocked bar, a food counter, and an attractive patio. The walls areadorned with Mississippi River memorabilia and pictures of boats. Hoursof operation: 11 a.m.-midnight Sunday through Thursday, 11 a.m.-1 a.m.on Friday and Saturday, and weekend breakfast from 7-11 a.m.

Returning to the hotel, I was served a delicious Sunday brunch menu:a Cajun Bloody Mary with a salmon plate with chopped eggs, capers, redonion, parsley and toast points; an entrée of saffron risotto with lobster,peas, lemon and piquillo peppers; an amuse bouche of wafer-thin pineap-ple carpaccio, honey yogurt and macerated raspberries; and a simple finaledessert of sorbet with a lemon cookie and café au lait.

The cute white cottage at the entrance to Island Drive is under renova-tion and will offer full spa service by the end of the year to hotel guestswho presently use Harbor Town Day Spa, located a mere six doors away. Asmall Fitness Center is located inside the hotel.

Proximity to downtown, the international airport and two major in-terstates make the River Inn a convention destination for executive retreatsand small business and professional seminars. The two buildings housethree meeting rooms, including the elegant Belle Memphis conferenceroom. Seating provides ample room for a dozen executives or seating for aprivate dinner party with up to fourteen guests. Nineteenth-century charmmeets twenty-first century computer technology in the board room with agas and wood fireplace and antique buffet, which complement the over-head PowerPoint projector, retractable screen and wireless internet service.

The inn offers two packages: a Gourmet Retreat Package and a Golf &Gourmet “Stay & Play” package.

According to Friedrich, the River Inn is “getting nice write-ups,” andmore and more people are finding out about the hotel. “Business isgood,” said Friedrich, who recently learned that his inn had been awardedFour Diamonds. They are working to become a member of the prestigiousRelaix et Chateau.

David Noonan, Front Desk Manager, offered exceptional service,which could only have been improved upon by offering me anotherovernight stay in this fine property.

GOLDEN VEGETABLE GAZPACHORecipe provided by David Schrier, Executive Chef,The River Inn

Notes from David Schrier: Typically, gazpacho soup requires little or no cooking of any ofthe ingredients. This variation, however, is slightly different because we will roast or char theoutside of these fresh summer vegetables to allow a slightly smoky flavor into the chilledsoup. One of my favorites at home is the “grilled and chillled” concept for sides like squash,tomatoes, zucchini, bell peppers and even mushrooms-basically anything that you mighthave just picked from your backyard garden that afternoon. This simple soup recipe followsalong those same lines as the “grilled and chilled” idea. Follow these easy steps to a wonder-ful and delicious spring or summer treat!

Serves: 4-6

Method:Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse bell peppers, squash and toma-toes and pat dry. Slice tomatoes into quarters and place on a baking plan. Trimboth ends from the squash and discard. Trim the outer flesh from the squash(just the yellow flesh), being careful not to cut into the core as we are not usingany seeds for this recipe, and place the yellow outside edges onto the samesheet pan as the tomatoes. Remove the skin from the onion, slice into quartersand place onto sheet pan also. Remove the stem and the seeds from the bellpeppers, place on the sheet sheet pan with the other vegetables. Drizzle witholive oil and 1 teaspoon of salt, and 1 teaspoon of cracked pepper.

Put the pan into the oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the peppers start tobrown slightly. Remove from the oven and chill at room temperature.

In six batches, puree the vegetables in the chicken stock until smooth eachtime. Squeeze the lemon into soup and chill overnight in a refrigerator. Toserve, ladle into chilled bowls and garnish with sour cream, fresh choppedchives and a little lump crabmeat.

For soup:2 yellow bell peppers1 yellow onion2 yellow tomatoes1 crookneck squash4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil2 bunches cilantro leaves2 quarts of vegetable or low sodiumchicken stock

Salt-to tasteFresh cracked black pepper-to tasteJuice from one lemon

For garnish:1 Tablespoon sour cream1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives1 ounce fresh lump crabmeat (pickedthrough for shells)

For more information or to make a reservation call877-222-1531 or 901-278-260-3333.Address: 50 Harbor Town Square/Memphis, TN 38103.Web site: www.RiverInnMemphis.comRates: range from $245 (standard room) to $595(Penthouse suite)

Memphis Convention & Visitors Bureau,Address: 47 Union Avenue Phone: 901-543-5300Web site: www.memphistravel.comVisitors Information Center: 901-543-5333

Memphis in May Festival,Phone: 901-525-4611 Web site: memphisinmay.org.