White Rose Bed & Breakfast, Carthage

To start with the easiest of the two, we haven't found anything that we dislike. We have stayed at The White Rose B&B four times now and fall in love with it more and more each time. Jim and Jan have become part of our family now and go out of their way to make their guests feel welcome. My husband and I are both Irish and the whole theme fits with us.If you like exceptional food and very warm and friendly hospitality, then do yourself a favor and visit The White Rose B&B. You will make a return trip; I assure you!

The White Rose Bed & Breakfast epitomizes the essence of hospitality in America. From the lovely furnishings, each with a heritage of their own, to the delicious wines, White Rose sets the standard for B&Bs. We spent the night in a clean, warm, and spacious room that was anything but standard. We chose to have dinner on the property and had a meal worthy of a five star restaurant rating, plus there was no price tag on the conversation amongst the group of us diners. Our stay there was one that we want to repeat.

In a quiet setting back from the road and surrounded by vineyards, the house is made from the same marble limestone the Carthage courthouse is made from. The interior is mostly Victorian, but Jan & Jim O'Haro have their own individual styles. Jan took a lot of time to tell us the history and origin of much of the furniture and showed us each room. Jan's original seascape paintings decorate many of the walls. While she was showing us around, we could small something heavenly cooking, which turned out to be a pork roast with lots of garlic, and Jim was cooking it. Right then we made the decision to have dinner there! Ours was the largest of the guest rooms. The accommodations included a fireplace and bookshelves full of books, and a Jacuzzi tub, which wasn't quite big enough for two people. Jim is very proud of his winemaking and offered us a wine-tasting session before dinner, which included a bit of wine-tasting education. One of my favorites was 2004 St. Vincent Red. Dinner was superb; Jim's pork roast was served with a thin plum sauce and garlic potatoes. Breakfast was a formal occasion, served by both Jan and Jim at the large dining table. They ate breakfast with us, which I really enjoyed, rather than having them serve us and stand by or hover over us. The food was incredible: fresh Irish soda bread and cranberry scones, with butters and jams; fruit soup made with blueberries, apples, peaches, pineapple; Irish sausage, potatoes with tomatoes & bacon, and herbed scrambled eggs. All served on lovely china with silver serving and warming dishes. The B&B itself was wonderful, but the memories will stay especially vivid because of Jan and Jim and their warm hospitality and uncommonly entertaining conversational talents!