“The camp at Sprout Creek Farm is a leveler. Everyone gets dirty, and no one has an advantage. Kids cry when it’s time to go home, but they keep coming back and eventually become counselors. They call Sprout Creek home,” said Margo Morris, Director of Strategy Development at Sprout Creek Farm. Sprout Creek Farm encompasses 200 acres in Duchess County and is three different entities, distinct yet dynamically intertwined. It is a working farm, raising free-range cows, sheep,

What is it about a field of sunflowers that makes people happy? We got to experience some of that joy and learn about making sunflower oil on a (literal) field trip with Hudson Valley Cold Pressed Oils. It was a beautiful sunny day when we met at what was supposed to be a secret location, but as you can imagine, it’s hard to hide a field full of sunflowers. Hudson Valley Cold Pressed Oils is a family affair based in Pleasant Valley. Jeff, whose brother Kevin started the busin

Have you ever heard about someone or something and thought, hmm, sounds interesting? And never followed up. They say things happen for a reason. Kismet. Which is how, on a rare sunny day, we ended up in Beacon. Ostensibly to try out a new burger joint – Meyer’s Olde Dutch – and also to check out Barb’s Butchery shop. As it turns out, my partner in HudsonValleyEATS.com sold Barb the building where the store is now. Barb transformed the space from a run down deli to a friendly

The Amsterdam, in Rhinebeck has had a lot of press. What did we think of it?

For those not familiar, a falafel is a Middle Eastern favorite generally made from mashed chickpeas, spices such as cumin, coriander and fresh herbs. It’s formed into balls or fritters, deep-fried and eaten with or in pita bread. What use to be thought of a niche food eaten only by vegetarians, the falafel has become increasingly more mainstream as people look for fast food options that are fresh and healthy. The fact that the falafel provides a healthier alternative on the

What are you doing this weekend? Well, fuggedaboutit! Change of plans. A fire last week on Wappinger’s Falls Main Street, has brought together a group of local business owners putting on a variety of benefits for those displaced by the fire. First up, a breakfast Saturday morning from 9-12 hosted by West Main Kitchen & Bar at the fire station across the street from the restaurant (5 School Street). All proceeds from the breakfast will be donated. Sunday morning, line up to g

A great deal of Main Street in Poughkeepsie is easily overlooked, especially the area I think of as being downtown. It’s probably because, unlike a lot of Main Streets, it's not a walking/strolling area. You need a purpose, a destination, and Rabbit & Turtle wants to be that destination. The name Rabbit & Turtle is a play on Aesop’s Fable, “The Tortoise and the Hare”–the famous story that involves a rabbit who challenges a slow-moving tortoise to a race. Rabbit & Turtle offer

The Red Hook Golf Course is looking for someone to run the restaurant at the club for the next two years. Apply by May 15th.

Have you been looking for an unpretentious place with really good food and good people? Then you need to head over to County Fare in Wappingers Falls. --a gastropub with a bar and grill feel and a menu focused on great ingredients with options for all. It’s been almost a year now since, owners Adam Lauricella, his wife Keely and Branden McAlpine opened up County Fare in the space previously occupied by the Quiet Man Pub. The menu has plenty to choose from including their cust

Why choose between sweet or spicy when you can enjoy the best of both worlds? One of 2017’s biggest food trends is marrying the two flavors, sweet and spicy, and so it’s perfect that two local Hudson Valley artisan companies are getting together to bring this tasty trend to your summer barbecue. As Crown Maple, a leading organic, artisan-quality, pure maple syrup brand, continues to expand on its ever-growing line of maple-inspired food and beverage offerings, jumping on this

You would have to be living under a rock for the last 10 years if you have not heard of the farm-to-table movement, but John Lekic, owner of Le Express Bistro & Bar, is taking this concept to a whole new level. Lekic’s menu at Le Express has always been centered around a vast majority of the ingredients being sourced from local farms and food producers, but Lekic is looking at the bigger picture and he is on a mission to help put the Hudson Valley on the map for food, wine a

I talk to many chefs who say they were born to be in the kitchen, but Jamal Kamal is the first chef who I have ever spoken to who was actually born in a kitchen. Yes that is right, Kamal, was born at home in his family’s kitchen and that may be the reason he can’t get enough of the restaurant business. Over the last nine years Kamal has opened a total of four restaurants in the Cold Spring/Beacon area, Angelina’s, Beacon Bread Company, Tito Santana’s and his latest, Ziatün. K

Support the Craft If you google “craft beverage” you will get a list of websites focused on the craft beer trend, but the truth is, craft beverages encompass spirits, wine and ciders too. Throughout the Hudson Valley, the industry of craft beverages is taking off and growing exponentially. New York State is home to an increasing amount of craft beverage producers, with the Hudson Valley owning claim to 38 breweries, 18 cideries, 22 distilleries and 35 wineries. The buy-local

When Beacon Pantry first opened in Beacon two years ago, it occupied a small space on Main Street. Its popularity quickly caught on, so nine short months later, owner Stacey Penlon moved the business to a bigger space down the street where she could fully realize her dream and give the Beacon food scene something unique, something they didn’t already have. And that, she has done. What is Beacon Pantry? Beacon Pantry is a place where you can not only enjoy a delicious bite to