Bart's Place is a Stunning Palace!

Great things are happening in Philadelphia.  With approval waiting in the wings, The Provence Casino is coming to the City of Brotherly Love.  This beautiful 5 star property is going to reshape North Broad Street in a very good way. One can only imagine how many jobs are going to be created by this exciting project.

With a top flight team in place, the remarkable vision of Bart Blattstein is coming to fruition.

Mr. Blattstein is Philadelphia's Michael Bloomberg. He's socially responsible and definitely has the Midas touch. Not to mention that he selected a fantastic name for his new casino and hotel. We encourage everyone to root for Bart and encourage city officials to fast track this important project.  Philadelphia needs to attract more upscale visitors. Philadelphia needs Provence.

When it comes to sampling, change is your Guilty Ally.

Change is your friend in Guilty Town.  We constantly want to try new recipes, new restaurants, new products and new ideas.  The evaluation process never stops and we love that. From Going Green to decadent sauces, we have a lot to explore.

At the request of vendors around the globe, we are making plans to attend the Fancy Food Show in New York this summer. They all want to be a certified Guilty Pleasure. The prestige and increases sales are their top priority. The Blog requests are getting so time consuming, we will be scheduling extensive interviews for one or two days in July.

Once the press is satisfied, I can't wait to try Sweet Corn Ice Cream.  OMG!!!  Thankfully, Guilty is an excellent interview and an even better sampler.

Guilty's Sweet Sixteen

We're not here.  At least not mentally. We're on a beach somewhere in Roatan Honduras.  Our Villa is breathtaking and the Guilty Meter is off the charts.  Come join us on Guilty Island and daydream at lunch.

In honor of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, we are re-posting our sensational Sweet 16 of Villas that we created several years ago.  These exclusive properties have only gotten better.

Guilty searched long and hard to find just the perfect getaway. Finding Tropical bliss was a labor of love and a commitment to our never ending  high standards for the Guilty Pleasures Club.  Fortunately, there were numerous vacation options available with cool island breezes, tropical sunsets and family friendly summertime prices. From St. Croix to the Roatan Island in Honduras to Nicaragua and back again, we found a treasure chest of stunningly beautiful villas that met all of our lofty expectations.  It was an exhausting and successful journey in search of opulence, family adventure and fiscal sanity.


We put together a Sweet Sixteen a fun ranking of exclusive, opulent and eco-friendly Vacation Villas to share with our luxury-minded legions. However, just whittling the list of decadent vacation options down to only 16 finalists was quite challenging.  Let alone, choosing just one.  Of course, as always, Guilty and Thin Mint would not be denied.  Here are the 16 finalists for the first ever Luxury Villa Showdown.  Just like March Madness, our fiercely competitive tournament is destined to become an annual event with stunning upsets and big surprises.

http://www.vrbo.com/347898#photos Ranked # 1.  Incredible waterfront eco-property in Honduras. Passed on this property in 2009, but we're giving it serious consideration this summer.

http://www.vrbo.com/252475#photos  Bequia property ranked # 2.  Just an amazing home.  Airfare was a little high for a family vacation.  Did somebody say use points?  We will.  

http://www.vrbo.com/257646#photos

Ranked # 3. Jamaican 3.5 acre waterfront estate.  We stayed there in 2009.  There was lot's of  Guiltorious Glee in the outdoor shower. The Villa is next to the world famous Round Hill resort.    www.roundhill.com.  Their new infinity Pool at Round Hill was epic. We also loved the Afternoon Tea, but it's time to go someplace different.

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p296694#photos  Ranked # 4.  St. Martin villa on Dawn Beach.  An awesome property.  Love this house, but we have been to the island too many already.

http://www.vrbo.com/143126#photos  Very nice cliff side property in St. Croix.  Ranked # 5.

http://www.vrbo.com/175999#photos  Ranked
# 6  Incredible all-inclusive for 6 people in Nicaragua.  OMG 

http://www.vrbo.com/218687#photos  Ranked # 7.  A fantastic property on Grenada.

http://www.vrbo.com/219216#photos  Fabulous for the money in Nicaragua.  Ranked # 8. 

http://www.vrbo.com/216040#photos Ranked # 9.  A very nice Jamaican property with staff. 

http://www.vrbo.com/40246#photos  Great waterfront property in Antiqua.  Ranked # 10   

http://www.vrbo.com/233134#photos Wonderful oceanfront property in El Salvador.  Very tropical and inexpensive.  Ranked # 11, 

http://www.vrbo.com/52036#photos  Ranked # 12.  Great waterfront property in Negril . 

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p227082#photos  Bonaire property ranked # 13. On the beach in dive central

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p334879#photos  St. Thomas property on the cliffs above the water. ranked # 14. 

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p927563#photos  Ranked # 15 a St, Croix property.  Very nice. 

http://www.vrbo.com/271990#photos  A fantastic  treehouse in Nicaragua above the ocean.  Ranked # 16

The Country Cat is a Guilty classic

We saw the most amazing butchering skills and butcher block food last evening while watching Dinners, Drive-ins and Dives. Chef? Owner Adam Sappington of the Country Cat in Portland Oregon is a legend and his food looked Guiltorious.  Adam and his wife Jackie are definitely members of the Guilty Pleasures Club.

Their pork and fried chicken dishes are legendary. The Whole Hog platter is definitely a game changer. Talk about dedication and love, they cure their Hams for four months.  FOUR MONTHS!!!  Is that a pork lovers fantasy or what? We're planning another trip to the Rose City this summer and the Country Cat can expect multiple visits from Guilty, Thin Mint, Junior Mint and Guilty too. 

We can't wait to sample the Butcher Block portion of their impressive menu:

FROM THE BUTCHER'S BLOCK

Entrées

 

Molasses & Hickory Smoked  Duck Leg 
with Dried Cherry Braised Kale, Butternut Squash Puree, & Sherry 19

Two Pieces of Cast-Iron Skillet Fried Chicken 
with Mashed Potatoes & Gravy 15

Braised Lamb Shoulder
on a Stew of Tomatoes, Fennel & Roasted Garlic with Fried Butter Beans, & Gremolata  18

Red Wine Braised Beef 
with Butter-Braised Potatoes & Wild Mushroom Steak Sauce 19

The Country Cat's Whole Hog
with Brined & Grilled Loin, Roasted Belly & Braised Shoulder 23

Heritage Burger 
with Onion Rings 10
Add: American Cheese, “Judy” Spread,
or Blue Cheese 1.50; House Bacon 2

Sides

Bacon Braised Collard Greens 7

Mashed Potatoes with Sausage Gravy 7

Barbeque Baked Beans 7

Snowed in and working wonders

The entire Northeast is being whipped by a major winter storm.  When did we become Manitoba?  Worse than the blanket of icy snow, the frigid temperatures and killer winds are life threatening.  Businesses are closed and we are hunkered down for a long weekend.  Of course, I am well-prepared for a Guilty Pleasure or three.  

However, I am getting a little antsy from a business prospective.  It's just too much down time for me. The idleness of the holidays must end.  I want to get back to work. January is always an important month for business development and filling up our event calendar. Snow days do not help our regional economy. Yet somehow we are working wonders and meeting with six brides this weekend at the beautiful Lochwood Estate.

Lochwood is a new to market venue and prime wedding dates are starting to fill up. The estate is one of the former locations of American Bandstand.  This venue features a classically refurbished barn with a funky balcony and Hemingwayesque built-in bar.  With four rolling acres. Lochwood is the perfect location for a rustic Guilty Pleasures Wedding, Company Picnic or Family Reunion.  Breakout the smoker, share a micro brew and dance round the firepit.  Let's have some country fun.  Think outside the box.  There's a great Guilty time waiting for you in Skippack, PA.  Give us a call.  610-539-8330.

Provence is thrilled to be at Appleford

Provence Catering is now available to cater events at the Appleford Estate and we could not be happier. The gardens at the Villanova estate are second to none and the perfect setting for a beautiful wedding reception.

Give a call to learn more about Appleford Wedding specials.

We are back and more committed to enjoying Guilty Pleasures and Great Hospitality

So much has changed at Provence Catering since we last blogged. We have pushed the envelop and grown as a company. Our catering commissary, warehouse and Executive offices have expanded from 4,000 sq. feet to over 10,000 sq. feet. With our Wedding business growing every month, we have built two new Tasting Salons. Their grandeur and elegance have been very well-received. It's the perfect setting to sample our exceptional cuisine and plan your upcoming event.

Not all our exciting news is coming from within Pennsylvania. We have opened a beautiful office, Tasting Salon and English garden in downtown Princeton on Nassau St. The community has welcomed us with open arms and Princeton brides are really excited about Provence.

The Guilty Pleasures blog will now focus on exceptional food, great hospitality and personal Guilty Pleasures.