People want to “eat less and eat better” states the proud owner of Hudson Valley Sausage Company. For 61 years, Mark Elia has lived in Highland, New York, and for more than 44 of those years he has catered to the Hudson Valley meat lovers. Learning full animal butchery in his late teens to save money for his small food business, he quickly became skillful at his trade. As Elia’s life progressed, he advanced his meat career into much more than just butchery; he built his own U

If you grew up in the Hudson Valley, like I did, there is a good chance that you dined at Ship Lantern Inn at least once, and most likely it was for a special occasion. It’s that type of place—the place you go when you want to treat yourself or take someone out for a top-notch dining experience and it has been that way for almost a century. “We’re in our fifth generation of some families celebrating at the restaurant. I love hearing the stories about a grandpa or great-gran

Once upon a time in the faraway land of Milton, there lived a wonderful family who began an animal rescue sanctuary. One day a big, bad storm hit a nearby land and two Miniature Donkeys named Bonnie and Clyde were stranded on a small spit of land that was surrounded by water. The donkeys were saved by a good Samaritan, but he could not keep them for long. When the wonderful family in Milton heard about the two donkeys, they told the good Samaritan the donkeys could live a

If you are looking for a great breakfast or lunch that is truly farm to table, Cafe Mio is the place. Most visits I am sharing the dining room with the local farmers who supply them with their ingredients. The restaurant is not big, only about 15 tables or so and the “bar” where you are practically sitting in the kitchen, is my favorite place to sit. From my bar stool I have a great view of the big baskets of local produce which not only look pretty but taste amazing too.

New Paltz offers a wide array of culinary fare for visitors, locals, and of course, college students, too. It only takes one quick peruse of Main Street to get a sense of what the town’s hottest spots are. But it is when you turn off Main Street you’ll find one of the best places in town, Mexican Kitchen. Small and tucked away, down North Front Street, Mexican Kitchen is a modest little Mexican restaurant off the beaten path. The exterior may not be eye-catching, but the rest

Although I could spend a lot of time (and text) explaining why it took so long to get to the Dutch Ale House in Saugerties, I’d rather tell you about the great food and wonderful atmosphere we found when we finally made it there. Dallas and Ted Gilpin, who had made it a regular Friday night stop on their way up from the city, bought the Dutch Ale House earlier this year. First up, a renovation to make it more inviting than its previous look—a bad school cafeteria with holes i

About 20 years ago my father, a world traveler, wine enthusiast, and avid bike rider decided to combine his three passions and bike the wine country of France. He still talks about how he would ride up to a winery in the countryside, knock on the door, be greeted by the owners, usually a husband and wife who invited him in for a tasting and would sell him a bottle or two which he would put them in his backpack and go on his way. I feel like I had that same type of experience

My perfect summer day includes being near the water, having great views, exploring funky shops and eating yummy food served al fresco. The Rondout area of Kingston has all of this and more. Rondout (pronounced "ron doubt"), is situated on the Hudson River, at the mouth of Rondout Creek. Originally a maritime village serving the nearby city of Kingston, New York, Rondout merged with Kingston in 1872, and it now includes the West Strand Historic District. We recently met our

It’s midnight. You want a steak. A good steak. Everything is closed. There’s nothing in the fridge. So you settle for some stale chips? Go to bed hungry? Not anymore. Hop in the car and head out towards route 209 in Stone Ridge and you’ll find Applestone Meat Co, 24/7 Butcher, “The Butcher That Never Sleeps.” You’ll find that steak and lots of other great meats waiting for you at their vending machine. Yes, a vending machine. Joshua and Jessica Applestone first opened Apple

Sometimes to find a story you don’t have to go any further than your own backyard. Recently while enjoying a beer at one of my favorite local breweries, I noticed a display of Karl Family Farms Beef Jerky. Jerky and beer is always a winning combination, but you may not think it to be the healthiest of snacks and in many cases you would be right. That’s what makes Karl Family Farm jerky different. Karl Family Farms jerky is made from 100 % Hudson Valley grown, humanely raise

If you’re sticking to fish for Lent, a steady diet of Hookline Fish Co.’s succulent hot-smoked salmon would make that easy to do. The shop o

My husband and I found Arrowood Farms shortly after they opened to the public in the summer of 2016. We are bike riders and typically plan the start and finish of our bike rides in a location we can reward ourselves for our sweat and hard work afterwards. This is how we first found Arrowood Farms in Accord and now that it is winter and bike riding is not happening we were happy to find out that they had opened a tasting room in New Paltz, a few short minutes from our house.

Savona’s Trattoria has been a fixture on the Kingston waterfront for over 10 years. Recently they decided to hop to the other side of the river and bring their Italian cuisine to the former Max’s BBQ space in Red Hook. At Savonna's you will find classic Italian dishes, based on family recipes, alongside of dishes that offer a more contemporary, modern take on Italian cooking. Owner, Stephen Savona and his family have been serving the Hudson Valley for over 30 years and they g

Want to get a jump on your holiday shopping, have fun, hear some music, support local artisans and grab some goodies to eat? Then hop over to the Hudson Valley Hullabaloo in Kingston this weekend. In its 5th year, the Hullabaloo is a carefully curated event, featuring hand-crafted products from 75 local small businesses—craftspeople, makers, designers and other local artisans. Here you’ll be able to find unique gifts with a story to tell, for everyone on your list. No need fo

BEING GRATEFUL...A THANKSGIVING FEAST FOR ALL Last Thanksgiving your turkey was a little dry, no one ate your string bean casserole, and your designated clean-up crew fell asleep in front of the football game. Maybe it’s time to shake it up this year. The Family of Woodstock is inviting the public to their 42nd annual THANKSGIVING FEAST at the Woodstock Community Center, 56 Rock City Road, from 1 pm to 4 pm on Thanksgiving Day, November 23rd. There is no charge to attend and

Does this sound familiar? On a Friday night, after a week of work, you just want to go to a place where you can hang, relax, enjoy a nice cocktail or a cold beer and of course, get something good eat. That is just the type of place the Hoot Owl is. Owners , Arif Khan and Sabeen Hasan, opened the Hoot Owl in May with the sole intention of making a place where guests could find really good food and really good people. When I’ve been there, that is exactly what I found (and the

If you are only to have one pierogie in your life, it needs to be from Helena’s Specialty Foods. My first experience with Helena’s was several years back when my husband and I found this Kerhonkson treasure as we dropped off a rental van next door. I saw a small sign pointing around the building that simply said “Pierogies”. Hmm? Who wouldn’t be curious? I found Anna, one of the owners, in a large kitchen making hand-made pierogies. I started asking her questions and she

While it’s not quite Paris, sitting at the counter of the recently opened Lola’s Café in New Paltz overlooking Main Street, will give you a perfect people watching perch. New Paltz has a combination of college students, locals and tourist so you never know who or what you are going to see coming down the street. The outside patio has tables and counter style seating where you are practically sitting on the sidewalk. It is a fun place to be. Add to that an interesting menu of

If you think a shrub is that bush in front of your house, you’re missing out on some great drinking opportunities! Come and find out all about shrubs and bitters on September 2nd from 3-5 PM. Slow Food Hudson Valley is partnering with Seed Song Farm in Kingston and will be offering tastings of handcrafted shrubs and bitters along with some local cheese, charcuterie and bread. Both shrubs and bitters date back hundreds of years and both have been making a comeback lately as a

One of the things that has never appealed to me about services like Blue Apron (which I admit to never trying) is the thing that must make them appealing to others—the shopping. I love exploring markets and shops wherever I am and, especially, shops with a distinct point of view. When I first went into Cheese Louise, I wasn’t expecting to find great cheeses in what I thought was in the middle of nowhere. Wrong on all counts. The middle of nowhere turns out to be Route 28 whic