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Contact The Blue Heron Inn
P.O. Box 588
10412 Main Street
Findley Lake, NY 14736
P: 716.769.7852
F: 716.769.7866

 

Your hospitality is second to none - and that is a tribute to the entire staff of the Blue Heron Inn!
-Marlene &  Roger

 

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Published Reviews

One-Tank Trip / Findley Lake, NY

DEC 14, 2008 -- We drove through Findley Lake on the day of its first November storm. On our way to Peek 'n Peak Resort & Spa the sprawling Tudor-style Inn came into view. We soon found out that Peek 'n Peak isn't just for skiing anymore.

Once you're in the area, make sure you spend some time kicking around the town of Findley Lake, a place that could have modeled for a Currier and Ives greeting card. One choice for a good meal is the Blue Heron, 10412 Main St. in Findley Lake. It's a big old grandma's house with a small bar and two separate dining rooms. Light floods in through the floor to ceiling windows, filtering through the lace curtains and mellowing the dark green walls to a relaxing hue. Try the Greek salad with chunks of chicken or order the pan-fried trout and you won't go home disappointed. The food is tasty here and the service excellent.

By Joan Barone McDonald  - Special to The Buffalo News


Findley Lake, New York: A Resort Destination for All Seasons


June 01, 2006  -A Small New York Resort Village Offering Boating, Fishing, Water Activities and Shopping
F
indley Lake, New York is a small picturesque village that sells itself as a resort destination for all seasons. The Findley Lake Area Chamber of Commerce sponsors a year-round calendar of events that begins in March with the annual Maple Syrup Festival. At Findley Lake during the summer, there is boating, fishing and water sport activities. Fishermen catch large mouth bass, northern pike, blue fill, crappies, perch, walleye, and catfish. The Findley Lake 4th of July boat parade features festivities and a spectacular fireworks display. The "Harvest Festival" and October's "Autumn at the Lake" hint the fall foliage season is around the corner, and in November, Findley Lake’s “Christmas through the Village" starts off the holiday shopping season.

Shopping at Findley Lake is a wonderful experience. It is easy to walk along Main Street and visit all the shops. There are over twenty shops which feature nature, country and Victorian gift items. There are antiques, furnishings, and hand crafted items for the home and garden. Some of the unique shops are the candle making factory, the year round Christmas shop, the Victorian shop and the peddler store. At the Findley Lake Trading Company you will find items featuring bears, moose, dog, and other items for a lodge. Wonderments features gifts and home decor as well as pampering bath products. At the center of Findley Lake is The Blue Heron Inn which is a delightful place to stay with antique lake front rooms. Breakfasts, lunches and dinners are open to the public and the chef’s prepared meals are delicious. The restaurant features ribs, steak and seafood. Dine outside on the porch overlooking the lake or inside the cozy dining rooms. Take time to shop at their store, Nostalgia, for unique items. As you stroll around town, you can see a working waterwheel. If you have an interest in history, stop and visit the WWII Museum as well. The village of Findley Lake offers something for everyone. It is a fantastic way to spend an afternoon. With year round shopping and delicious dining at the Blue Heron Inn while overlooking the beautiful view of the lake is sure to please the visitor to this charming village.
Nancy Schaaf  -  Freelance Writer - Associated Content


View, food tops at Blue Heron

 

FINDLEY LAKE, NY --Among life's pleasures, few can surpass an exquisitely prepared al fresco dinner on a warm summer evening. Adding to our delight was the glistening body of water in clear view. Such was the experience I enjoyed last weekend with my wife, Judy, and our dinner companions, Dawn and George Levin. Our 90 minutes on the 3-week-old deck at the Blue Heron Inn in Findley Lake ranks right up there with similar occasions in places like California, Quebec and Costa Rica.

The Inn proprietors are Bruce and Tobi Ahlquist, who for 14 years operated the Jefferson House bed and breakfast in Warren, Pa. In 1994, 2 years after purchasing a getaway cottage in Findley Lake, they noticed that the village was "undergoing a renaissance of sorts, with new shops opening up," said Bruce Ahlquist. That's when they decided to purchase the 1905 Victorian house at the northern end of the lake and transform it into a combination bed and breakfast with restaurant. Thanks to the efforts of Bruce Ahlquist and others, Findley Lake recently ended its "dry"days. The Inn received its liquor license only a month ago, so wine and cocktails are available, but not beer. The modest and varied wine list offers six by-the-glass selections. I ordered a glass of California Pepperwood pinot noir to go with the Whole Earth salad that Judy and I divided. It's accurately described in the menu as "a healthy mix of sunflower seeds, walnuts, raisins and mushrooms on a bed of fresh greens." We selected a tasty homemade cracked

               Side porch pub looks out out onto the lake              

peppercorn dressing. We shared with the Levins a delicious appetizer of three potato pancakes topped with applesauce. And I simply had to try the homemade New England clam chowder. The creamy broth had a perfect consistency, and I enjoyed every spoonful.

Judy nursed a glass of Dewars on the rocks through her dinner, bones -- of baby back ribs slathered in Bruce Ahlquist's homemade barbecue sauce s and chicken combo, and we both found the ribs to be mighty tasty. I learned later that Bruce parboils the ribs before grilling, which makes them quite tender. One companion's grilled salmon filet, topped with a light citrus sauce, more than satisfied her taste for seafood. Grilled with the skin on -- most likely to keep the filet from falling apart -- the fish separated easily from the skin and was quite tasty. Nicely seasoned coleslaw arrived with each entree�e, and three of us selected attractively done grilled potato quarters, while George Levin opted for a baked potato.

I was sorry to learn from our quite competent server, Erika Achenbach, that the Jewish apple cake wasn't available. The Ahlquists are open to requests and suggestions as they continue to develop the dinner menu, which doesn't yet appear on the Inn's informative Web site. Prospective visitors should also know that they can visit the Blue Heron at dinner time and still order more modest food from the menu of signature dishes and deli sandwiches. Items in this category include homemade quiche, beef burrito, Philly cheese steak and a Reuben sandwich. But I'm most intrigued by something called Meshugna --thinly-sliced corned beef, coleslaw and Russian dressing atop potato pancakes. It's safe to say I know what I'll be eating on my next weekend drive to Findley Lake. Sounds like it would go well with the incomparable lake view.

By Floyd Lawrence - Contributing writer to the Weekend section of the Erie Times-News


 

"At the Blue Heron Inn, seasoned innkeepers Bruce & Tobi Ahlquist get everything right. They even scatter issues of Wine Enthusiast & other niche magazines throughout their B&B. When you make your reservation ask for the Lake View room, which affords the best view of Findley Lake and a comfy queen-sized bed. Be sure to take a quick walk around the lake to allay any doubts that the world isn't a friendly place- everyone here offers a neighborly hello."
Long Weekends Magazine
Spring/Summer 2003


 

"The Blue Heron Inn is a two-year old eatery and bed and breakfast establishment that operates out of a charming old house that overlooks tranquil Findley Lake in New York's extreme southwest corner. An eclectic mix of music, which included Joni Mitchell and Simon & Garfunkle while we were there, perfectly complements the rustic landscape full of flowers and flowering shrubs that pay homage to the old heron weathervane atop the Blue Heron's Attic gable. The Blue Heron's menu runs a partial international gamut with selections such as burritos, Greek salads, Middle east plate, an antipasto, gyro and Hoisin Duck. We began with an appetizer of marinated artichoke hearts and half rack of baby back pork ribs. I couldn't pass up the opportunity to sample the Hoisin Duck which was crisp on the outside, moist and tender on the inside, accompanied by a sweet- tart Hoisin sauce on the side. My dinner mate ordered the grilled salmon. moist and meaty topped off with an herbed citrus sauce. If you're in the mood for a bit of exercise afterwards, you're allowed to peek in on the unoccupied guests rooms on the second floor. Walk through the lobby with its oriental carpet, flowers and plants in the homespun baskets and up the wooden staircase. With names like Rod and Creel, Lake View and Garden, you might suspect country furnishings tastefully done, which is precisely what you get."
Erie Times News
Summer-1999


"The picturesque lake and village of Findley Lake, NY has become a regional destination for visitors and vacationers alike. The anchor of this lake is the Blue Heron Inn. The view from almost any seat at the Inn's cafe' was in sight of the water and provided a panoramic view of dwellings clustered around the lake. The Inn" menu has a very wide array of selections to choose from; we found the range of menu selections to be gratifying and somewhat eclectic. A delightful combination to accommodate almost any tastes, we especially note the vegetarian selections. We began by ordering an appetizer of Humus with pita bread- crushed chick pea pate with flavorful spices served with warm pita bread. We enjoyed the Middle Eastern plate which had spiced ground lamb kebobs, a dollop of humus and a small Greek salad accompanied by grilled pita bread. Another choice we savored was the pan-fried trout- lightly breaded and seasoned with basil, dill & olive oil. Outstanding coffees and a sumptuous variety of delectable deserts abound."
Lake Erie Magazine
January 1998

 


       
Blue Heron Inn
Bruce and Tobi Zenker Ahlquist
Owners/Innkeepers

P.O. Box 588, 10412 Main St.,
Findley Lake, NY 14736
P: 716.769.7852
F: 716.769.7866
stay@theblueheroninn.com