The Inn on Charlotte (circa 1918) is celebrating The Art of Food: Wine and Chefs with a 2007 series of special culinary events. From February 1, 2007 – December 30, 2007 (Tuesday thru Thursday - excluding holidays), owner Lynne Fairfield invites her guests to unwind and savor St. Augustine, allowing she, along with culinary pro’s and students, to share a taste of *The Gilded Age of America’s Oldest City. Classes will be offered by special request throughout each week. (Excluding March – May 2007)

The culinary classics address America’s fascination with food, from chef demonstrations to hands-on classes. Fairfield, whospent 25 years in the hospitality industry, now brings St. Augustine a refined and enthusiastic epicurean style of innkeeping which pairs perfectly with her 8 room bed & breakfast inn.

Themed Getaways Packages include:

1. Marrying Food & Wine – 2 nights Tuesday-Thursday ($299/double occupancy) Includes ‘Introduction to Wine & Food’, presented daily at cocktail hour featuring seasonal favorite wines with selection of tapas hors d’oeuvres.

2. Everybody Loves to Eat! – 2 nights Tuesday-Thursday ($369/double occupancy) Includes private culinary instruction and ‘Introduction to Wine & Food’ presented daily at cocktail hour, featuring seasonal favorite wines with selection of tapas hors d’oeuvres.

“When I first walked into the Inn on Charlotte, it was like coming home. It evoked contentment and that’s what I love to share with my guests over wine and hors d’oeuvres. They enjoy slowing down to the rhythm of St. Augustine, from the clip-clop of the horses on Charlotte Street’s old brick pavement to listening to the early morning church bells chime their welcome” comments Fairfield.

With degrees in food management and horticulture, Fairfield enjoys designing breakfasts that combine a menu guests wouldn’t prepare for themselves at home. Her presentation includes herbs, edible flowers or seasonal colorful fruits; while style + nutrition sets her apart. Gingerbread Pancakes with Warm Fresh Apple Sauce or Orange Nutmeg French Toast tease the appetite; Southern Cheddar Pennies or warm-out-of-the-oven savory cookies with a glass of wine in the afternoon prepare guests for dining in one of St. Augustine’s restaurants, all within walking distance to Charlotte Street.

As a Master Gardener, the Inn is abundant with tropical foliage from plumbago, confederate jasmine, bamboo, alamanda, blue daze, ginger and roses to lots of seasonal florals. Whether sitting on the front veranda or the second-story private porch, guests are surrounded with the aroma and sight of Florida’s finest flora.

“It’s important that my guests relax when they visit. It’s delightful for me to be in the Inn and I personally love the intimacy of this happy city. When guests make a reservation, it’s usually a celebration of something special in their lives.”

When the Inn on Charlotte was built in 1914, shortly after St. Augustine’s ‘Gilded Age of Henry Flagler’, prosperous families in St.Augustine moved quickly to acquire tin-lined ‘ice boxes’ to store their newly prized commodity...ice. Ice blocks were delivered by horse-drawn wagons along brick-paved streets and Charlotte Street was the center of town. The Age of Technology saw the discovery of electricity which revolutionized food preparation, making cooking and kitchen chores less labor-intensive. Food presentation reached new heights with Flagler’s exquisite Ponce de Leon Hotel (1888): sterling silver, gold-plated serving dishes, crystal, exquisite porcelains and delicate linens all awaited his guests. The Opening Night Grand Dinner at the Ponce de Leon Hotel ended with a majestic Vanilla Soufflé!