Castle Hill Inn
Newport, Rhode Island
Humble joys amid Gilded Age grandeur.
It was a stormy spring day when I made my way north from New York to visit Castle Hill Inn—at times the rain was so intense I couldn’t see through my windshield even with the wipers going at full speed. All that stress melted away, however, as soon as I got to my cottage room, mere feet from one of the most dramatic coastlines in the United States. Established in 1875, Castle Hill is a lovely base for exploring the beautiful and historically fascinating city of Newport. But my favorite part of staying at the inn was taking a cooking class (offered occasionally) with chef Lou Rossi. Raised in the area, Rossi honed his talents at New York’s Per Se before returning to his roots, Italian American cuisine, as executive chef at Castle Hill. I learned a lot from Rossi’s technique, his stories—and from the gracious meal the class enjoyed with him, accompanied by wines from Castle Hill’s excellent cellar, in a private room overlooking that inspiring coast.
Rates start at $355 a night, 401.849.3800, castlehillinn.com
