Our most intimate moments reference a special place. Imagine one where history abounds and love and laughter echo through 200-year-old halls. A destination with rich décor and a backdrop of thought, care, and interest. The Inn at Mt. Ida offers special event spaces and an ideal setting and place to host the family for your annual holiday celebration, reunion or wedding day; one for babies and brides and that guys and girls weekend you have been talking about for years. Enjoy the Inn, accommodations and catering, and area features including the Patapsco River, State Park and Main Street in Old Ellicott City.
“I am excited for the opportunity to bring my baking and cooking skills together to celebrate our guests and their most precious moments together at the Inn at Mt. Ida,” says Co-owner, Chef and Boulanger, Nathan Sowers, when asked how he feels about offering in-house catering at the Inn.
“Our catering menu reflects the kind of classical dishes and baking sophistication along with the contemporary dishes we know will impress our guests and create the kind of attraction we see in celebrity kitchens and other, well-known local establishments and event spaces like ours in and around our communities.”
The love of cooking and baking started early for Chef Nathan. Whether he was at the dinner table with his food-inspired family in Chicago or watching greats like Jacques Pepin, Julia Child and Emeril Lagasse, from his Leesburg and Ellicott City homes, Nathan took every opportunity to expand on his knowledge and technique in the food industry.
Chef Nathan received his European, French and Regional cooking training under Chef Michel Terisiguel of long-standing, Tersiguel’s French Country Restaurant in Ellicott City.
He moved from cooking to Boulanger as a result of his training with well-known master-baker, Jeffrey Hamelman who lead baking education at King Arthur Flour in Norwich, Conneticut. Nathan’s skill was recognized locally by L’Academie de Cuisine culinary school in Gaithersburg, Maryland where he was invited as an Adjunct Professor to teach professional and non-professional students.
Nathan operated a successful private chef and catering company called Pressed for Thyme which served private dinner parties in the Greater Baltimore, Virginia, and Washington D.C. communities.
After being introduced to wood-fired cooking at King Arthur Flour, he purchased his own wood-fired oven and soon would have the first-of-its-kind, live-fire, and farm-to-table focused, mobile wood-fired oven pizza company in the Region.
A fleet of three mobile wood-fired ovens would follow as River House Pizza Co. continued to expanded and grow into cross-county farmer markets, multiple Maryland festivals, private catered events and weddings and into the Forest Green Shopping Center on Route 40 alongside National chain restaurants in Ellicott City.
In-house catering at the Inn at Mt. Ida will bring together Chef Nathan’s culinary cuisine and baking sophistication that is unique among establishments of its kind.
“Kimberly and Nathan were amazing to work with and can’t say enough good things about them or the house! The house is absolutely fabulous and elegant! We rented it for a sweet 16 birthday party and met with them several times beforehand to plan out the details and see the space. They were super helpful and very flexible, great communication. The party was an absolute success, and I would highly recommend this host and location for special events or even a weekend get away.”
Wendy - May 2023
“Finding Inn at Mt. Ida was a sheer blessing. I was looking for somewhere I could host about 25 women for my “Bring Pampers, Get Pampered” baby sprinkle. I also happened to have family coming in from out of town, so while I was looking for a venue, it also was great that it is an absolutely beautiful in. I can’t tell you the number of people that asked me how I found the venue.
“It is absolutely beautiful! we had a yoga session on the lawn, one room for the buffet, one room for our a bar, we ate in the dining area, and used the cute parlor upstairs for a masseuse. Not only is the location and venue absolutely beautiful, but Kimberly and her husband are great. They are so responsive and thought of EVERYTHING! There was a basket of toiletries in case you forgot some thing, they are fully stocked with quality dishes and kitchen, accessories, and we even had a bottle of champagne waiting for us on arrival . And they cater! I cannot tell you just how great the entire experience was!”
Edwina - April 2023
The Inn at Mt. Ida
3691 Sarah's Lane, Historic Ellicott City, MD 21043