August 2011 - OutreachNC Magazine

40 OutreachNC • August 2011
Love keeps
harmony at
Knollwood House
Photos by Carrie Frye/OutreachNC
Proprietors Joe and Lyndee Radigan of Knollwood House Bed & Breakfast in Southern Pines call anyone who ever stays with them “family.”
Joe and Lyndee Radigan are
“The girls got a little tired of it,” Lyndee
in love. It’s a good thing, too, By Melanie Coughlin says of the couple’s daughters, Megan
Special to OutreachNC
since their retirement career as
and Kerry, “But I said I’ve got to make
proprietors of Knollwood House Bed and Breakfast has sure I have tried-and-true recipes.”
them spending lots of time together.
Now she has an impressive repertoire of breakfast
“Because he’s my best friend, working with him is dishes including Grand Marnier French Toast that was
just a fabulous experience,” says Lyndee, 60. “This is a featured on UNC-TV. She enjoys the challenge of
good business if you really and truly like your partner.” preparing three courses —fruit, entrée and sorbet— at
Joe, a retired health care executive who spent much each breakfast.
of his career traveling to Europe two to three weeks of “I feel like I’m having a tea party every day,” Lyndee
each month, is happy to have more time with his wife says with an ear-to-ear smile that shows her sincerity.
of 23 years.
She enjoys using different China patterns and linens
“We haven’t been able to spend that much time every day and is always on the hunt for new serving
together in a while,” Joe, 57, says. “Working with her pieces that will titivate the table. Her guests notice. One
has been a lot of fun. Plus we complement each other guest wrote on TripAdvisor that Lyndee’s breakfasts
very well.”
“not only taste wonderful, they are a work of art in
The couple has established a good division of appearance.”
responsibilities since taking ownership of the Southern “Breakfast is sort of a lost art,” Joe says with pride in
Pines property in 2007. Lyndee handles food and his wife. “Lyndee makes it really special.”
housekeeping, and Joe manages the marketing and Joe does his part to give the guests a memorable stay
concierge aspect of the business.
by catering to their needs. He stays on top of what is
Joe gets the day started at Knollwood House. After happening in the community and keeps in close contact
rising at 6 a.m., he walks to work, a mere 22 steps with area restaurants and golf resorts. He is also
down the back stairway, a fact he enjoys telling available to meet any impromptu requests.
people. Over the next hour and 15 minutes, he feeds “He is like Pavlov’s dog. He hears the (door) chime
the couples’ cats and dogs, walks the dogs, turns the and he jumps up and runs to the door to see what he
horses out to pasture, puts coffee out for guests and can do for them,” Lyndee says of Joe’s service. “Joe will
showers. Then he –and this is real love– takes coffee do anything for anyone at any time.”
up to his wife in bed.
Lyndee calls Joe’s desire to serve guests his greatest
Lyndee begins cooking breakfast at 7:30, having strength. And she has experience analyzing his
prepped all her ingredients the night before. Learning to strengths. She hired him more than two decades ago
cook breakfast was an adjustment for Lyndee.
when she was the human resources director at a health
“I never was a breakfast person. I cook really lovely care company in California. After he was hired, she
dinners from ‘Bon Appétit,’ but when we decided to do this, noticed from his resume that he was from Connecticut,
I realized I needed to learn to cook breakfast,” she says. where her parents lived. She mentioned it to him, and
To master her recipes, Lyndee served nothing but the two learned their parents lived only 20 minutes from
breakfast food to her family at dinner for an entire each other.
month.
continued page 41
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