Cornerstone Bed and Breakfast: A home away from home…come as guests, leave as friends…
My first ever time in Philly was exciting and adventurous, yet, my stay at Cornerstone made me feel as if I had already made this city my home. A Bed and Breakfast created by a passionate pair…time to explore.
Nestled in a quiet, beautiful neighborhood about a ten minute drive from bustling center city is a gorgeous and traditional bed and breakfast called Cornerstone. It would take forever for me to really explain how absolutely wonderful my stay here was…There are so many words I would like to use to describe this spot, yet, I think I will begin with the phrase used by our hosts Eric and Jill…”Come as guests, leave as friends”.
Each year, Cornerstone also decorates during the holidays…we ventured to this bed and breakfast during spooky season, right in time for Halloween.
From the moment we arrived at Cornerstone, I felt more welcomed here than I had before at any point in my life…and with people I had only had a short phone call meeting with weeks before.
Our hosts greeted us with smiles, a notepad of spots in Philly to visit, and some baked treats. We were told about the history of the Bed and Breakfast and how they strived to make it feel like a hotel and a home.
THE HOUSE:
This spot has been around since 1870 and is filled with old photographs, paintings, and a wonderful vintage feel…
I added some of my favorite photos from the house above, although I think it’s impossible to catch a hold of this homes true feel unless you go yourself…This place is absolutely magnificently built and each room brings its own stories and feelings.
OUR ROOM: The University Suite
The University Suite at Cornerstone is a wonderful, apartment like suite with a living room, full bathroom, and bedroom. It has a lot of space and is perfect for small families, couples, or someone who would like a lot of space to work in! This room has many amenities such as a desk, TV, and fireplace to enjoy. Although Cornerstone has many fun rooms to choose from, I decided to stay in this one because I am one who likes to have a lot of space for working and living. I was also obsessed with the view of the city this room has to offer…
Not only was our Bed and Breakfast beautiful, but our hosts also cooked delicious meals each morning. We were given the traditional bed and breakfast feel when it came to eating options and were supplied each night with a small paper where we could check off drinks and sides we wanted with our meals. Each morning, we also were able to decide if we wanted to eat on the porch or inside our rooms for a breakfast in bed…
Breakfast Day 2
We woke up after a wonderful nights sleep to breakfast on the porch made by our host Eric who shops for each ingredient locally, picks additions from his garden, and makes sure each guest is satisfied every morning with a tasty breakfast.
Our first breakfast was truly a great taste of Philly’s traditional flavors. We were given Scrapple and Apples with Almond Butter Toast. I had never tried Scrapple before, but learned after a chat with Eric that it is a pork based dish. It had a smooth consistency and went perfectly with the caramelized apples that were added on top. This dish was served with a side of Over-easy egg, bacon, orange juice, and coffee with optional cream.
After eating this meal, I knew we were in for a week of new and exciting breakfasts daily. We woke up each morning ready to try what our hosts had cooked up for us.
Breakfast Day 3
On day three, we took the option to have breakfast in bed delivered to our door. This is wonderful on days where you want to be cozy and eat your first meal in the comfort of the hotel room. What an amazing idea especially when the mornings are sometimes cold…
On this day, our breakfast consisted of Local Buttermilk Pancakes wth Carmel Bananas and Walnuts…I absolutely loved these pancakes and they were perfect for enjoying in the cozy bed…
These pancakes where fluffy and the bananas were perfectly ripe as well. This dish was definitely one of my favorites from the week.
We also checked off two boxes for sides of a bagel+cream cheese and a small fruit bowl. Our dish was served with Coffee as well as Orange Juice.
Breakfast Day 4
On day four, our breakfast was a Basil, Tomato, and Smoked Mozzarella Benedict with a Merzbacher Philly Muffin. This meal was my favorite from the entire week!!
This meal was so tasty…the egg and hollandaise sauce were absolutely perfect. I personally enjoyed the side sausage very much as well. All of these tastes together created a wonderful breakfast medley…I really really want to go back and get 10 more of these to take back home on the plane with me…
On the side of this dish, we were given sweet cranberry juice and coffee with cream…
Breakfast Day 5
On day five it must’ve turned winter because I was freezing. However, I love the cold so this was amazing. We got to enjoy our morning breakfast with a side of rain and a icy breeze…you can’t get that in Cali…
On this day, we had a taste of Fall. Our host created Pumpkin Brioche Creme Brulee French Toast with a side of whipped cream and bacon…This pumpkin flavored dish was so tasty! I loved the way the french toast caramelized on the sides and added a sweet crunch to the toast. I am so glad we got a fall flavored dish the day before Halloween (everything came together with the halloween decor and spooky porch set up).
Not sure why I decided to get a side of boiled egg…but I did haha 🙂 he came in a cute holder and was sided with a mug of coffee as well.
My experience at Cornerstone Bed and Breakfast was nothing less than a fairy tale…This beautiful home was a wonderful place to stay and our hosts where some of the sweetest and most welcoming people I have ever come across. Jill and Eric truly made this place feel like a home…from telling us their story to cooking us breakfast each morning and explaining the heart behind each dish, I truly believe these two have created a wonderful environment that makes us guests feel like family. I admire the passion and energy that they have both put into this amazing home and hope to make my way back soon. A piece of my heart lies at Cornerstone 🙂
Until next time, Philly…
