chooz2cruz

We met a couple on a cruise last year and hit it off. They are now coming to Connecticut to visit us in July. We have never hosted a couple, never mind a European couple, in our home. Looking for suggestions as to what to provide, what type of welcoming gift, and what types of foods are frowned upon by Europeans? I love to cook and plan to cook in a lot, mostly gourmet, but would also like to make things that would be "american fare" that they might not get at home. Any suggestions or comments? Especially if you are from Connecticut.............what place to take them to, besides NYC. We are in Fairfield County Thanks

Cranachin

Here are some New England Food suggestions:

New England boiled dinner
Steamers (steamed whole clams)
Clam chowder
Lobster bake or clam bake
Indian pudding
Yankee pot roast

You could do a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, dressing/stuffing, sweet potatoes, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, pecan pie, etc.

For that matter, when I lived in Europe years ago most of the people there had never had an American-style pie of any kind. I don't know if that has changed.

How about a real American cookout, with hamburgers and ribs grilled outside, fresh-squeezed lemonade, and such?

There are all kinds of regional American cuisines that they are unlikely to get back home (Deep South/soul food, BBQ, Cajun/Creole, Tex-Mex, to name a few). Are you from or have you lived in any other regions of the USA? If so, feature dishes from those places at least once.

And don't do everything gourmet - let them have an idea of "typical" American fare (unless gourmet is typical for you!).

Not sure what you mean by "what to provide", but why not provide what you would for any houseguest? That would be part of the whole "visiting in an American home" experience. Of course, you will want to ask them ahead of time about food allergies and dietary restrictions.

HappyTrvlr

When we lived in Fairfield County we used to take visitors to the LI Sound waterfront and beaches for a drive..Westport, S. Norwalk, etc..also, Southport is beautiful, a drive through there after driving along the Westport waterfront would be nice. Lunch at Inn at Longshore..
Westport Playhouse..if there is a show during thier stay..
I also don't understand the "provide" part..Fresh flowers in their room?

tchoiniere

Agree with doing a cookout. Even invite other friends for them to mingle. Could do this with the lobster / clam bake as well.

Agree with HappyTrvlr's recommendation about the waterfront and beaches. Also, would suggest a trip to the Mystic Aquarium, depending on the time of drive from there ( I live north of Hartford so I have an easier drive)

LoveItaly

Hello chooz, if there is place in the guest bedroom to display them a bouquet of flowers is always a lovely way to add a special "welcome" to houseguest.

As far as food if you bake you might want to prepare some chocolate chip cookies and also peanut butter cookies for your houseguest. All European house guest I have entertained have always loved both. I am not sure about the Dutch but Italians are not really into eating the typical American breakfast but instead just prefer some rolls or something along that line. They have always loved having our orange juice however but again not sure about the Dutch.

It sounds like you will be wonderful hosts and in that you all made such a good connection while on your cruise I am sure your houseguest will be happy and content. You can ask them, and that would be a good idea, about any dietery restrictions and/or allergies as Cranachian suggested.

Enjoy your special time with your houseguest!

Cranachin

Depending on where in the Netherlands they are from, the countryside might be pretty flat. You might want to take them to scenic sections of the Litchfield Hills or even the Berkshires in Massachusetts.

A visit to a "stereotypical" New England town with the white church on the green might be nice as well.

Ackislander

The Dutch do seem to eat larger breakfasts rather than the continental breakfasts of Italy and Spain: eggs (often hard boiled), ham, sausages, cheeses, and smoked or pickled fish join breads and rolls. At least in hotels. When I am in Italy, I try to find hotels that cater to international businesspeople because I am on a low carb diet for health reasons and do not eat bread or pastries, no, not even croissants.


But maybe they don't eat like that at home. My Scottish relations breakfast on cornflakes rather than the cooked breakfast beloved by travelers (me included), so maybe the Dutch do likewise.

LindainOhio

Our friends have family that come every year from the Netherlands. Believe it or not, they always want to shop--particularly at outlet malls. They have purchased additional suitcases to take their purchases home.

chooz2cruz

Thank you everyone. Alot of good suggestions. Yes, we know that they like to shop, since everything in Europe is so expensive. We do generally eat/cook gourmet at home, but we will probably do a BBQ for them. I have never done a "bake" how and what does that consist of? The T-day dinner is a great suggestion, too. I know that on the cruise they really enjoyed gourmet menu items, i.e. escargot. I will do those, because of inside story. Won't get into that.

I have read that some Europeans find corn on the cob not human food. They think it is only for cattle, etc. Does anyone know about that?

As far as "what to provide", I have never had houseguests, so I am not sure what types of things to provide. i.e. bathrobes, selection of shampoos, lotions, toothbrushes, etc. I will get a nice vase of flowers. Are there any other niceties that I could provide?

Again, Thank you all for the great suggestions, keep them coming.

Ackislander

We have houseguests atleast a dozen times a year, adding up to many more people if you count couples.

I am going to give you a long list of stuff, but don't stress out over it. We stay with other people a lot, and these are things that are nice but not necessary to make a visit special.

The first rule is to sleep in the bed where they will sleep so you will know whether or not it is comfortable. Ditto using their bathing facilities.

Can you read in bed or do you need more lamps/brighter bulbs?

Can you see a clock in the middle of the night?

I always worry that someone will fall down our stairs going to the toilet in the middle of the night, so we have a fairly bright night light in the bathroom.

Do the curtains/blinds keep out (or admit) the morning sun?

A selection of pillows is very nice; some like big ones, some like little ones, some swear by foam, others can't abide anything except feathers or down.

How is the room temperature controlled? Is there AC? Fans? Heat for cool weather? Europeans often find our houses too warm in the winter and too cold in the summer.

Is there enough room in a closet and chest of drawers for them to unpack?

A carafe of water and glasses in the room is a touch that most people appreciate, and people often like to look at local magazines (isn't there one for Greenwich and Fairfield County?) or picture books of local sites of interest.

A small package of crackers or cookies would be nice for someone whose body might be on a different time zone. Show them where to make coffee or tea or get a glass of milk if they just can't sleep.

Let them know when breakfast is and what you can do. If you don't want to do a cooked breakfast, be aware that some people need protein in the morning and may be ill pastry or cereal or waffles. Cold ham, cheese, and the like are fine. We often have coffee and a snack, then go out for a big breakfast at a local cafe or diner. This is a treat because it is different from home, and the visitors get to eat things like blueberry pancakes.

Here in Nantucket, I usually take people sightseeing in the morning and leave them to find their own amusement in the afternoon. Some will nap, most will go downtown to shop or look at historic buildings, some will read all afternoon, others will borrow a bike. If they come for the weekend, I usually take them to one end of the island on Saturday and to the other end on Sunday after I go to church.

If people have had a big breakfast, many will be happy with a hearty snacks along with drinks around 5. But I always put out greens and tomatoes breads and sliced meat and so forth for sandwiches. Some will go out themselves when in town. If we go to the beach, we will stop on the way and get takeout sandwiches, but I don't like to go to the beach in the middle of the day.

Dinner doesn't have to be elaborate or "gourmet", but it is nice if it can have a local or family specialty as its center, whether it is your grandmother's spaghetti or striped bass fresh from the Atlantic. I cook the main course, and my wife always makes a fabulous dessert. She also keeps people out of the kitchen. We do not have an open kitchen, and I don't want anyone in there while I am cooking.

People often want to help pay for groceries if they go to the store with us. My rule is if we eat it at home, I pay. If we go out, you can pay. If we don't go out, they are welcome to buy wine for dinner, though I would rather drive them to a reasonably priced wine store rather than have them gasp at one of the downtown stores. Similarly, guests pay their own admissions unless they have been invited especially for an event like a concert. We have a lot of museum memberships, so we can usually take people in for free.

We do not allow smoking in the house, and we do not allow people to bring pets. We have places to hang wet towels and palces to find beach towels.

Relax and enjoy your acquaintances, and maybe they will become good friends. It happens.

Ozarksbill

What an interesting list from Ackislander! Things I might not have even considered to make anyone comfortable...not just from a different country. Come to think of it even kinfolk might appreciate those hospitality touches.

Surely you can treat your guests to American style backyard BBQs and other "exotic" treats. I think I'd ask them about what they do or don't like to eat, however. Sometimes you might guess wrong otherwise. Good idea, taking them with you to the grocery store.

Yes, Holland being so flat driving into scenic woodsy mountains like Berkshires or even just to Danbury or over to the Hudson River Valley could be a treat. How about the town of New Paltz with its touch of Dutch history? Would you go into the City for some touristy sightseeing...perhaps a show or museum? I would guess foreign visitors might consider that a treat, just because NYC is so famous.

Bill in Boston

Cranachin

As far as toiletries, I would think most people would bring everything except soap (at least that is what I usually do when I am a houseguest). But it is nice to have things like shampoo, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc., on hand in case they forgot to pack something.

nytraveler

I never heard of having a gift for guests - they're supposed to give you one.

Besides NYC how about visiting Mystic or Newport - the latter esp is nothing like Europe.

chooz2cruz

ackislander, thank you so much for the wonderful info. I love the help. We, too, are not carb eaters, but know that most people expect it. I will be using most of your suggestions. Thanks again

chooz2cruz

Ozarksbill, yes, I know they will want to go to NYC, and have asked them if there are any shows that they want to see. Did not know about the dutch influence in New Paltz, great idea. I will be sending them a list of different foods that they will or will not eat, along with day trip ideas, including Philly, Boston, and such. Thanks again for all the help.

330east

Head north to Bridgewater, New Milford (white steeples that have been suggested), head up Rte. 202 out of New Milford and eat at Clamp's Hamburger Stand (been thre since 1938, so it must be good), keep heading north to New Preston, drive around Lake Waramaug, go over the hill to Kent CT then down Rte 7 to New Milford,. Danbury and home to Fairfield. Beautiful Litchfield Hills.

tarquin

If you want to make them feel at home, have chocolate sprinkles available for breakfast. They seem ubiquitous in Holland, in our hotels anyway!

HappyTrvlr

There is Dutch influence from NYC up the Hudson Ricer Valley to Albany. Many place names are Dutch.
"The Island at the Center of the World" by Russell Shorto and Beverly Swerlongs "City of Dreams"
will give you some background on the Dutch history in this area. one Dutch word that survives is cookie!
I have Dutch ancestry, very common in this region.
We have house guests constantly and always have the guest bath stocked with shampoo, conditioner, toothpaste and hairdryer. I always offer them the use of my washer and dryer too.
We have been given regional cookbooks when visiting friends in other areas but I never give guests a gift.

Ozarksbill

Yes, the Hudson River Valley did indeed have early Dutch exploration. Of course we know that New Amsterdam was acquired by the English and renamed New York. In New Paltz you will find stone houses from the earlier days, actually dating back 1678 to Walloon settlements...i.e. Huguenots from what is now Belgium fleeing persecution.

Poughkeepsie where our son formerly taught at Vassar College...is this a Dutch name?

See www.huguenotstreet.org

ustwo

We have had guests from the Netherlands stay with us several times. Agree with Tarquin -have chocolate sprinkles. Our guests that had children especially used a lot of sprinkles. Also any other form of chocolate. Our guests have always enjoyed eating whatever I was serving and were not afraid to comment on liking it or not!

When we have visited the Netherlands, our hotels have served cereal, eggs, toast, fruit etc., more like what you would find in the States. However, when we stayed in homes there, the breakfasts were always bread, cold meat (lunch meat), cheese, juice/coffee. I would think the suggestion of Thanksgiving Dinner would be great. I have done Turkey, it has gone over well, make sure it is moist. Our visitors seem to like rich desserts.

We host visitors a couple times a year. As suggested, provide comfortable bed, reading light, extra pillows (soft/firm/etc/) extra blanket. I place small decorative basket on dresser with small shampoo, conditioners, lotion,etc. We always have a selection of magazines, books we have purchased on our travels, childrens books, in our hallway for them to select from. A chair in bedroom is always nice. We always place fresh flowers in their room. Flowers are big in the Netherlands. Have extra toothpaste/brushes/tylenol/baby aspirns available. I place towels in decorative shapes, or fold with satin ribbon ties on the bed. We also leave the hall light on.

Most of all, enjoy your visitors.