January 2, 2011

Chalet Suzanne Restaurant & Inn, Lake Wales, Florida

Today, we visited the historic Chalet Suzanne Restaurant & Inn in Lake Wales, Florida.

Cheese baron Charles Kraft, along with Carl and Bertha Hinshaw, originally envisioned the property as a magnificent residential resort appealing to those who loved golf and tennis.

However, when the Great Depression forced Kraft to withdraw from the project and Mr. Hinshaw passed away in 1931, Mrs. Hinshaw changed the direction of the project and Chalet Suzanne Restaurant & Inn was born.

The soups served in the restaurant are canned right onsite in Chalet Suzanne's own cannery which offers tours every weekend.


That's one big pot of soup!

The cans are fed down a conveyor belt into the machines which then fill and seal them.

After being sealed, the cans move to the pressure cooking area where they are heated to the correct temperature to kill all the germs and bacteria which may be present.

The cans are then boxed up and shipped out to their destinations.

Chalet Suzanne's Soups were chosen to be served on Apollo 15's flight to the moon...hence one of their flavors, Moon Soup.

The Inn features 26 guest rooms with beautiful courtyard settings.

Each room is appointed with a wide variety of antique furnishings.

Guests can enjoy the unique surroundings in or out of their rooms.

The Wedding Garden hosts many weddings and other events each year.

The Wedding Garden is also known as the Autograph Garden as thousands of visitors have personally autographed and inscribed tiles throughout.

Huge old trees are abundant around the property.

A view of another room showcases wicker furniture, a favorite of Marlon's mom.

Soon after opening, the Inn was discovered by Duncan Hines, who included it in a list he compiled of wonderful places to stay and dine in Florida.

Chalet Suzanne's Restaurant was named by Uncle Ben's Rice as one of the Top 10 Country Inns in the United States.

Entering the restaurant, visitors immediately see a vast collection of antique furnishings.

A fully stocked bar is available for those who wish to imbibe.

Each individual table is unique with different antique chairs, dishware and glassware.

Diners can enjoy beautiful views of Lake Suzanne from the large windows in the dining area.

For more pictures, click here .

To be continued...

No comments:

The Bodyguard at Theatre Winter Haven, Winter Haven, Florida

Tonight, we attended the next to final performance of The Bodyguard: The Musical at Theatre Winter Haven. The curtain call for the four main...