"The fire-light shedding over all
The splendor of its ruddy glow,
Filled the whole parlour large and low;
It gleamed on wainscot and on wall . . . "
So wrote Henry Wadsworth Longfellow in Tales of a Wayside Inn, published in 1863. More than a century later, the Sudbury, Massachusetts, landmark-known in Longfellow's time as Howe's Tavern-inspired a New Brunswick couple to follow its example.
Klaus and Petra Sudbrack, originally from Germany, spent years travelling to Greece, England, the Sudan, Tanzania and other corners of the world before finding their utopia on New Brunswick's Tantramar Marshes. There, near Port Elgin, they bought a farm, made friends and settled in with their two daughters, Antonia and Sonia.
Then, in 1990, they found the Wayside Inn. "We could do this," they thought as they enjoyed the warm hospitality of the inn that had long since been renamed after Longfellow's famous poem.
Once home, the Sudbracks began looking for a house to convert into a country inn. They found it just two miles away, on top of a barren hill. Built in 1859 by John Simpson, one of the first settlers in the area and a Justice of the Peace, the house had to be relocated to a five-acre property the couple owned.
It took a week to get the cumbersome load down the hill, onto a highway and over a bridge that had only a hand's breadth of space to spare. Then the real work started. Wainscoting and all original woodwork had to be stripped; 25 doors sanded and refinished.
Antique beds, tables, chairs (some brought from Germany), also needed refurbishing, and workers were hired to "remove the brush but leave the trees."
A year later, while still under renovation, the Little Shemogue Country Inn hosted its first event: a reception designed to thank the people of the community who had so generously opened their hearts to the family, supporting their efforts. "It was like a church supper, with all the women pitching in to help," says Petra.
Just a couple of weeks later, Friedbert Lang, chef and owner of a two-Michelin-star restaurant in Lindau, Germany, came for a visit. On tasting Petra's Cream of Shrimp Soup, he congratulated her for using one of his famous recipes.
"No, it is mine," she said.
Lang was so impressed with her culinary talent that he wanted to work with her; the next five years, Petra went to Germany for two weeks of training each year under the famous chef, who has since retired.
Now, 15 years later, with an annex providing additional accommodation, the inn is well established and widely known, especially in Europe. The guest book reveals comments from Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Poland, England and other countries, including the United States and Canada.
Petra, who has always had a penchant for food preparation, does all the cooking, changing the set menu every day. It's a recipe to win over any diner; even those who dislike seafood might change their minds when she prepares fresh lobster from the nearby wharf.
With fresh oysters readily available, Petra loves to prepare Oysters Rockefeller, a favourite with guests. Her secret? She doesn't dress them up. "I never add cheese; it overpowers the taste of the oyster," she says. "Just bacon, spinach and a drop of Tabasco sauce."
Another popular appetizer is smoked Atlantic salmon, which Klaus prepares himself in the little smokehouse on the property. Served with aioli sauce, it's so tempting you wish you could buy a year's supply.
With a seating capacity of 25, the old wooden tables (for two, four or more) are set up in three dining rooms, meticulously adorned with gold chargers, white china, silver cutlery, crisp napery, fresh flowers and lit candles.
Petra graciously shared with us the six-course menu-along with four recipes-she'll serve for this year's Christmas dinner, when the Little Shemogue Country Inn, in all its festive finery, continues to bring joy to the world.
Recipes featured in this article: