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All in Food and Drink
Mansion and Reed, tucked below a beautiful guest house in a quiet Hudson Valley town, looks like a general store you'd find in a picture book.
Brooklyn's 61 Local opened a second location, Windham Local, near Windham Ski Mountain in the Catskills.
WARNING: The Coxsackie Farmers Market will ruin you for city greenmarkets forever.
The Yellow Deli in Oak Hill is the most unique cafe in the Catskills. The giant, dimly-lit, wood-paneled space, complete with an enormous avian mural and tinkling new age music, feels like a secret tree-house.
At 2 Twisted Ladies in Greenville, an overabundance of ice cream flavors and an avalanche of toppings bring the magic to their giant and joyful sundaes.
With a giant teepee for kids to play in, live music, picnic tables, a fire pit, a volleyball court, a giant sand box, and family-friendly food the Chicken Run is hosting the best backyard party in town.
On second Sundays this summer from noon to 2pm at Heather Ridge Farm, you'll find a circle of musicians playing gentle, lilting Irish reels between the lavender picnic tables -- and you may spot Chef Rob Handel popping out the kitchen window to join in with his tin flute.
At Hop Barn Brewing, Tom Vance is likely to strike up a conversation as you sip a beer in his tiny taproom, built off the side of his home. His daughter may pour your pint, you get introduced to his neighbor's cow, and there's a slim chance you could end up booking an aromatherapy massage with his wife, Irene, before the night is through.
Nachos, enchiladas, and some Guinness for dessert: We try the Mexican specialties served at this unassuming roadside diner in the heart of East Durham, the Emerald Isle of the Catskills.
East Durham Farms is one of the main reasons I started writing about the Catskills. Whether you're a local or a weekender, it's totally worth seeking out this little farm stand at 175 Brown Road in East Durham. In the past year, I've written about their glorious sun-sweetened peas, their kid-friendly farm animals, their impossibly delicious tomatoes, and their pumpkins and Thanksgiving turkeys. I love this place.
At IU Tripp in Oak Hill, antique shopping just got a little sweeter. The colorful shop now sells 10-cent classic candies, like Necco Wafers, Kits, B-B-Bats, and Squirrel Nut Zippers, plus hand-made barley sugar hard candy and spicy-sweet cinnamon cube pops.
Rosendale: An easy weekend trip, under 2 hours from NYC, promising coconut cake, magic potions, thrift shops, and more.
It's rich and sweet, aromatic and citrusy. It's a locally-made cold remedy. It turns a basic hot toddy into a steamy elixir. It's another reason to visit Heather Ridge Farm: Irish Style Lemon Honey.
Reed Street Bottle Shop in Coxsackie sells wine, spirits, and ciders—including some rare and hard-to-find bottles—but you don't have to be a connoisseur to fall in love with this place.
Upstate Stock is many things: a sun-drenched coffee-shop, an urban-rustic menswear purveyor, an importer of design-conscious products from the Catskills. If you're shopping for the man in your life who can build a campfire and also choose the perfect modern bungalow on Airbnb, look no further.
Though Rob Handel may not realize it, his cooking is the magnet that brings country folks and city folks together. His thoughtful and generous presence may be the glue.
Have your ordered your Thanksgiving turkey yet? If you're planning to be in the Northern Catskills the weekend before Thanksgiving, you can pick up a fresh turkey from one of our favorite farms and grab some late-season produce for a long-weekend culinary project. Alternatively, you can party with live turkeys and make vegan friends in Saugerties. Read on, friends:
