TheMountains_Spring_2025

{ THE PLAYERS: ACTORS + ATHLETES AMONG US }

THE FOOD iSSUE

WHAT’S ON THE MENU

TOP CHEFS REAL TALK A MOST DELICIOUS CULINARY CRAWL THE CURRENT STATE OF OUR RESTAURANTS BY HAL RUBENSTEIN

WINE’S GREAT UNCOUPLING

Rethink pairings—please! BY ANTHONY GIGLIO

DANA COWIN PROGRESSIVE HEDONIST

BECKY KEMPTER MEET KLOCKE’S RED-HOT STAR

JORDAN SCHOR RAVENOUS AT WINDHAM +

LIBERTY FARMS’ NEW TRADITIONS HOT COFFEE COOL PLACES WHY BANQUE IS THE BUZZIEST SPOT & HEALING HUDSON Columbia Memorial 2.0 BY DAN KODAY

JUST IN CASE So, is your go-bag ready? BY MARTHA FRANKEL

FROM BIG TO THE BERKSHIRES WHEN A MOVIE STAR COMES HOME BY RICHARD PÉREZ-FERIA

Sunday, June 1

3:00PM 96th Season Opening Benefit Concert Featuring Benjamin Hochman, Piano & Friends from the Met Opera Orchestra

Free Reception with the Artists Tickets $40-85, free under 19

Order by Phone (860) 824-7126 or at musicmountain.org

Doesn’t spring always feel just a li le bit late to the party and it always seems to leave the scene before we barely had a chance to say ‘Hello?’ Let’s fully embrace that most elusive of seasons wholeheartedly and really take in your favorite magazine, The Mountains, as it explores all that’s delicious and irresistible about our special corner of the planet. The key? Always stay a tiny bit hungry.

You are here. We are, too.

index | our towns

Accord ............................................................22, 23

Adams..................................................................56

Amenia .................................................................75

Beacon.........................................60, 62, 79, 89, 94

Catskill ....................................................73, 89, 90

Chatham............................................39, 52, 56, 57

Clinton.................................................................44

Clinton Corners .................................................50

Cold Spring .........................................................44

Copake .................................................................72

East Greenbush..................................................56

Egremont ................................................39, 53, 56

Elizaville ...............................................................73

Ellenville..............................................................23

Fishkill ............................................................47, 95

Garrison ..............................................................90

Ghent ..................................................................68

Great Barrington....................16, 17, 21, 36, 39, 52, ..........................................54, 56, 57, 72, 89, 94, 95

Hawthorne..........................................................95

High Falls.............................................................23

Highland ...............................................................61

Hillsdale .........................................................19, 39

Hopkinton ...........................................................95

Housatonic..........................................................36

Hudson ...........15, 17, 21, 40, 42, 47, 49, 50, 52, 53, ............54, 56, 57, 58, 60, 71, 75, 76, 80, 90, 94, 95

Hurley..................................................................94

Hyde Park .........................................18, 42, 44, 95

Kent .....................................................................30

Kinderhook.............................................42, 52, 53

Kingston ...16, 44, 56, 61, 62, 72, 75, 89, 93, 94, 95

Latham ...........................................................57, 95

Leeds.............................................................40, 47

Lenox.......................................19, 21, 54, 57, 75, 90

Lenox Dale..........................................................94

Livingston ...........................................................50

Marlboro .......................................................62, 89

Middletown.........................................................44

Monroe................................................................95

Monticello.....................................................94, 95

Napanoch............................................................79

New Lebanon................................................53, 86

New Milford........................................................95

New Paltz ......................................................44, 47

North Adams ................................................89, 90

Olivebridge.........................................................88

Pawling ................................................................95

Peekskill ..............................................................42

Pine Plains ..............................................42, 53, 89

Pi sfield............................................57, 90, 94, 95

Poughkeepsie ......................13, 30, 36, 42, 44, 53, .................................................61, 62, 75, 93, 94, 95

Poughquag ..........................................................44

Red Hook ............................................................93

Rhinebeck .............................42, 44, 56, 57, 90, 93

Ridgefield............................................................95

Salisbury...............................................................57

Saugerties.....................................................94, 95

Sheffield..............................................................56

South Egremont.....................................52, 53, 57

Spencertown ......................................................39

Stockbridge ..................................................54, 90

Stockport ............................................................80

Stone Ridge ........................................................47

Stuyvesant ..........................................................40

Tannersville..........................................................75

Thomaston..........................................................95

Torrington ......................................................79, 95

Valatie..................................................................39

Wallkill .................................................................94

West Park............................................................44

West Stockbridge.........................................36, 57

Williamstown ......................................................90

Woodstock...................................57, 75, 89, 92, 95

Art by Jan Kallwejt exclusively for The Mountains

Boston

Albany

New York City

27 makers THE FOOD iSSUE

Mitch

Elizabeth Perkins photographed by Mike Ruiz exclusively for

hair: Carolyn Cina | make-up: Alex Gilleo | on-set coordinator: Isabel Hochman giant bagel: The Great Barrington Bagel Company & Deli, Great Barrington, MA location: Love Studios NYC

Alan Katz FOUNDER | CEO

Richard Pérez-Feria EDITOR IN CHIEF

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kathleen Gates

MANAGING EDITOR James Long

PHOTOGRAPHY DIRECTOR Erika Phenner

SENIOR EDITOR | RESEARCH DIRECTOR Sarah Carpenter-Peck

DESIGN EDITORS Eduardo Rodríguez, Herman Vega

DIGITAL MANAGER Isabella Joslin

SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER James Cave

DESIGNER Linda Gates

EDITORS AT LARGE Martha Frankel, Jane Larkworthy, Marco Medrano Hal Rubenstein, Kevin Sessums, Tara Solomon

EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Toni Gerunda

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Greg Calejo, Kate Doyle Hooper, Anthony Giglio

Rebecca Hardiman, Bill Henning, Isabel Hochman Sean McAlindin, Simon Murray, Todd Plummer Mitch Rustad, Jordan Schor

WRITERS Abbe Aronson, Jonah Bayliss, Bill Cary Renee Jermaine, Dan Koday, Sandy MacDonald Mira Peck, Robyn Perry Coe, Terry Rosen

PHOTOGRAPHERS | ARTISTS Quentin Bacon, Fahnon Bennett, Natalie Chitwood David Cowles, Bryan Derballa, Dori Fitzpatrick

Douglas Friedman, Jan Kallwejt, Daniella Murray

Robert Risko, Mike Ruiz, Beth Schneck

Amy Smith

EXECUTIVE SALES DIRECTOR

ACCOUNT DIRECTORS Libby Hall Abeel, George Thomas Wilson Rebecca Van Eyck

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editorial submissions: editorial@themountainsmedia.com follow us on social media: @themountainsmedia The Mountains

the s u mmit Food

like so many of you I’m sure, I have a somewhat complicated relationship with food, though I mostly refer to it as an evolving friendship instead. Since I was a little kid, food never mattered that much to me, until it did; that is, if I was eating to essentially stay upright, then I’d inhale just about anything someone put in front of me. But—and this is the fun part—if food was the centerpiece of an “event” I was attending (dinner date, weekend brunch, backyard cookout), then, yes, I became as fastidious about food as any Manhattan dining critic worth reading. So what’s my current relationship status with food? Predictably…“it’s complicated.”

Having Cuban-born parents and grandparents meant that my earliest memories of food in my childhood home revolved around the alluring aromas involving garlic, onions and lime juice or what we call mojo The moment Cubans’ version of the holy trinity hit a scalding hot frying pan, the deliciousness wafted over everything in its path making it damn near impossible to resist. After the savory fiesta in your mouth was over, dessert followed starring, of all exotic fruits, guava. Yes, my grandmother would serve us guava shells paired with a slab of cream cheese and a drizzle of honey. I warn you: Do not criticize this diabetic concoction until you’ve tried it. My mouth is watering even as I write this.

Which brings me to another point: How amazing is it that the mere mention of a long-ago food memory evokes such palpable feelings? I went to college in New Orleans, a city that introduced me to the most delicious foods I have ever had. Anyone who has spent any time in the Crescent City can surely still remember the taste the insanely flavorful gumbo/étouffée/jambalaya/po-boy/beignet meals as if it were yesterday. Those talented Cajuns ain’t messin’ around. I even miss the midnight group treks to Popeye’s on Carrollton Avenue near my campus dorm— can fried chicken taste any better?

From New Orleans I made a beeline straight to Manhattan and was gloriously assaulted by three unmistakable NYC cuisines at once: Ray’s pizza, Russ & Daughters’ everything bagels with lox, onions and scallion cream cheese and,

another simple question “I like going to Heirloom Lodge, between Great Barrington and West Stockbridge,” cover star Elizabeth Perkins says. “They have this very talented executive chef, Matt Straus, who came from San Francisco. I really love it there.”

maybe best of all, Chinese takeout. I mean, what says you’re a real New Yorker more than a bagel in the morning, a slice on the run at lunch and cold sesame noodles and shrimp egg foo young late night at home? #IYKYK

After several cross-country moves necessitated by exciting career opportunities, I discovered that San Francisco’s bread is just ridic next-level while the Vietnamese cuisine at The Slanted Door was worth a plane trip back; Los Angeles’ food trucks were incomparable—Korean kimchi, yum!; Las Vegas’ elevated fare even at their sports bars were the opposite of a joke, I happily returned to Gotham prepared to try my hand at legit fine dining: enter Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The world-famous executive chef has had a number of excellent restaurants in Manhattan and I’ve happily been loyal to a lot of them starting with his OG, JoJo, before moving on to Vong, Perry St, ABC Kitchen, Nougatine, ABC Cocina, Four Twenty Five, Tin Building and even his decidedly underappreciated haute Chinese fusion spot (which I absolutely loved)

66, before embracing the elegant mothership, the legendary chef’s three-Michelin-starred masterpiece, the eponymously named JeanGeorges featured not only the cooking master’s most delicate, out of this world, inventive savory dishes, but he boasted the planet’s very best couture dessert creator, the impossibly irreverent Johnny Iuzzini. Talk about fine dining. An evening at Jean-Georges, just steps off the striking Columbus Circle, was a celebration, even at 9:15 on any given Tuesday.

Of course, I also frequented other chefs’ establishments, most notably Food Network superstar Bobby Flay’s twin offerings: Mesa Grill, near my home on lower Fifth Avenue, and Bar Americain, around the corner from my office at the Time-Life Building in midtown. Soho House New York, Café Luxembourg, Omar’s La Ranita, The Odeon, Indochine, lure fish bar, Michael’s (best media power lunch spot) and many others rounded out my insatiable Big Apple appetite. Then, Poughkeepsie.

As my decades-long dear friend and true restaurant aficionado Hal Rubenstein so eloquently chronicles for The Mountains in every issue, dining out north of the city is something of a task best tackled with proper planning and long-held reservations. My reliably perfect go-to spot is End Cut, the Aspen-skilodge-meets-intimate-steakhouse in West Park, NY, some 15 minutes from my front door. End Cut Executive Chef/Owner Jordan Schor is everywhere in this issue as well, as a participant in Rubenstein’s top chefs’ roundtable as well as a decidedly qualified writer discovering the culinary offerings at the chic—and a little mysterious—Windham Mountain Club.

The arrival of Klocke Estate in Hudson into the fine dining scene has unquestionably changed the scene for locals missing access to more James Beard-worthy options. And by all accounts, we’re just getting started down this great food trajectory. And of course mom-andpop diners, crazy-good farmstands and highend specialty food shops will always abound everywhere you look, but fine dining wasn’t really a given in these parts until recently. Now, finally, it genuinely seems that we could really be culinary contenders after all. It’ll just depend on how hungry all of us really are. ¡Buen provecho!

—Richard Pérez-Feria EDITOR IN CHIEF

Saturday

moments

DAWN Up with the dogs at first light and out for a walk on the grounds of Olana

7:30 a.m. COFFEE

Yummy caffeine at Hudson Roastery and try the egg sandwich, too. It’s like eating a grilled cheese with egg that’s so delicious you’ll eat it in 30 delirious seconds. If you happen to be closer to the train station, stop at Kitty’s Market Cafe for their egg, cheese and sauerkraut sandwich. Perfection.

9 a.m. MARKET

Off to the farmers market to buy flowers from Marilyn of Cedar Farm and don’t pass up the homemade cookies from Trixie’s Oven

Heavenly Hudson

Big city tastes paired with small-town comforts: How lucky are we? |

By Andrew Arrick

11 a.m. CHOCOLATE

The Quiet Botanist is a must. Pick up a couple of bars of her botanical inspired dark chocolate covered in organic dried wildflowers—an impossibly addictive snack.

1 p.m. LUNCH

Lunch at TheMaker is like stepping into a Parisian café and hotel. Try the house smoked carrot sandwich or smoked salmon toast with a Maker Spritz.

If you’re looking for something that’s more on-the-go, duck into Little Rico, Olde Hudson or Talbott & Arding. There’s certainly no shortage of delicious options here.

2:15 p.m. SHOPPING

Well, you can’t go wrong perusing the dozens of amazing retailers on Warren Street, including mine and Michael Hofemann’s expertly curated home goods emporium, FINCH Hudson We’ll be waiting for you with smiles on our faces.

4 p.m. GROCERIES

MX Morningstar Farm is on the way home. Off to pick up

good egg Hudson Roastery has great coffee and the tastiest egg sandwich sure to be devoured in less than 30 delirious seconds.

fresh eggs, locally baked bread and ogle the amazing display of organic produce and area sourced meats.

6 p.m. HAPPY HOUR

Head to Klocke Estate, a brandy distillery on the outskirts of town, for a cocktail at their stunning Ken Fulk-designed bar. Try an Appletini made with their own apple brandy and enjoy the sunset and breathtaking view. Or TheHereafter is a great in-town option for beautifully crafted cocktails with some of the best under-the-radar food in town.

7:30 p.m. DINNER

So many great options to choose from. The restaurant at Klocke, the tavern at Rivertown Lodge, Feast & Floret—you can’t go wrong at any of these and more. Just come to Hudson hungry.

Kitchen

Not-So-Confidential

Make the kitchen the hottest room in the house with these cool tools. | By

Mitch Rustad

Millenari Olive Wood Mortar & Pestle

Your imagination is your only limit with this gorgeous pestle, whether you’re crushing fresh herbs and spices, mashing salsas and pestos or making homemade spreads. Features a removable olive wood mortar, matching pestle and concrete base, this sleek pestle makes a truly lovely addition to any kitchen.

$102 at bloomingdales.com

KHEM Simple Reversible Cutting Board

Handmade in the Hudson Valley, this stunning cherry board’s wood is locally sourced and kiln dried. The design is made with both maximum surface and utility in mind, and the groove and spout make it easy to effortlessly pour juices off the board.

$92 at One Mercantile 276 Main Street Great Barrington, MA sett.onemercantile.com

Emile Henry Tagine

While the tagine may be best known for creating savory, ethnic slow-cooked dishes and stews, it’s also incredibly versatile; use it for rice, beans, roasts, breads and more. This handsome Emile Henry Tagine, which can be used directly on the heat or in an oven, is a must for any kitchen.

$220 at bluecashew

Kitchen Homestead

37b North Front Street Kingston, NY bluecashewkitchen.com

Luvhaus Citreum Pitcher

Serve your favorite wine, mixed drink or other preferred beverage in high style in this sleek pitcher, which features a nod to classical Greek Oenochoe. All Luvhaus brand ceramics are made of high-fire stoneware and are thus incredibly durable for use in any modern kitchen.

$200 at Shattery House 608 Warren Street Hudson, NY shatteryhouse.com

Handcrafted Pebbled-Glass Decanter

When it comes down to wine lore, decanting isn’t just for your favorite reds—whites and rosés can also benefit from being decanted. It allows your beverage of choice to breathe, enhancing the flavor and aroma. This gorgeously handcrafted, food safe Pebbled Glass Decanter with hammered aluminum stoppers in an antiqued brass finish is perfection.

$68 at One Mercantile

276 Main Street

Great Barrington, MA sett.onemercantile.com

Hollywood Hills Meets Hudson Valley Crib

Ledgerock, the modern architectural masterpiece on the river in Dutchess, has seriously slashed its price. Is it a bargain? | By Bill

perched dramatically on a jagged rock ledge over the Hudson River in Hyde Park, a stunning architectural showpiece known as Ledgerock that resembles more Hollywood Hills architecture than the Hudson Valley’s has come back on the market for $11.25 million, quite the drop from its original eyepopping price of $45 million in 2021.

The sprawling 14,800-square-foot fossilized French limestone and glass compound stands on more than ten very private acres. It offers a main house with five bedrooms and eight bathrooms plus a matching 2,500-square-foot guesthouse with three bedrooms and two baths.

The long list of amenities includes indoor and outdoor pools, a theater room, a spa, a gym, enough garage space for a car collector, exotic wood and stone finishes, multiple fireplaces, a glass-walled great room, a corner primary suite that floats above the river, a dumbwaiter from the main kitchen

Cary

location, location, location Because of conservation easements, Ledgerock has forever views on the Hudson River.

down to the pool area and a 5,000-squarefoot travertine deck with an outdoor kitchen, fire pit and elevated hot tub.

One of the many cool things about this one-of-a-kind estate is that it could never be built again because current set-back laws prohibit building right at water’s edge. Further, because of conservation easements, it has forever open views across the river.

Its current price is a bargain, said listing agent Jason Karadus, broker and owner of Corcoran Country Living, which has six offices in the Hudson Valley. “It’s every bit of a $15 million to $20 million property.”

Designed by acclaimed architect Lee Ledbetter, the mansion was envisioned to feel as though you’re floating on the river. Original owners Jacob and Monica Frydman worked closely with Ledbetter on the design and multi-year buildout, which was completed in 2009.

Karadus had the original listing back in 2021, disagreeing with the owners’ decision to list it at $45 million. “I wanted to price it at $25-$28 million, but he said, ‘I spent more than $25 million to build it,’” Karadus says.

After many rounds of price cuts, the Frydmans sold it last September to Manhattan-based Curiam Capital, a private investment and litigation firm for $11,148,750. Since then, Curiam has invested nearly $300,000 in infrastructure improvements, including a new roof, a repaired geothermal system and an updated security system.

“They’re already in the red,” Karadus said. “They basically put it up for what they paid.”

All of the furniture has been removed, and I think it looks better without the furniture it had. For a 14,000-squarefoot-plus main house, it doesn’t feel overly grand, and it’s obviously a great entertaining house. What it needs is just some love and an aesthetic facelift.”

How can $11 million feel like a bargain? But it does.

And…

• The median sale price of a home in Dutchess County was $445,000 in January, up 5.8 percent since last year, according to Redfin. The median sale price per square foot in the county is $251, up 12.8 percent over last year

• In Berkshire County, the 2024 real estate sales pace increased slightly from last year, up one percent in the number of sales and three percent in the dollar volume, according to the county’s realty group. After the peak of pandemic buying in 2020-21, sales in 2022 and 2023 retracted to pre-pandemic levels, but 2024 shows a slight rebound

• In January, the median listing home price in Columbia County was $625,000, up five percent year-over-year, according to realtor. com. The median listing home price per square foot was $303

escro w

curb appeal Fancy Digs

Million-dollar + babies.

Octagonal Contemporary | $1,990,000

401 Collins Street, Stop 11 Hillsdale, NY

2BR | 2BA | 1,700 SF | 4.13 Acres

“This one-of-a-kind contemporary barn home— designed by Angela Patterson—blends modern innovation with rustic charm.”

DEWAYNE A POWELL

REAL ESTATE SALESPERSON LICENSED IN NY, MA & CT

WILLIAM PITT SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

Majestic Landscape Views | $2,495,000

292 White Hill Lane Hillsdale, NY

2BR | 3BA | 2,755 SF | 21.5 Acres

“Where east and west meet at the highest point in Hillsdale, NY. Enjoy this modern home and separate guest cottage hilltop.”

JEN HARVEY

BROKER / TEAM LEADER  BERKSHIRE PROPERTY AGENTS TEAM AT COMPASS

Canyon Ranch Penthouse | $4,300,000

165 Kemble Street #18

Lenox, MA

3BR | 3.5BA | 3,348 SF

“Experience the pinnacle of wellness living in this exquisite Canyon Ranch penthouse. Crafted with meticulous attention to detail by William Caligari, this 3,300+ sanctuary is a testament to high-end design and serene living.”

LESLIE GLENN CHESLOFF

LICENSED REAL ESTATE ADVISOR  MA, NY & CT

WILLIAM PITT SOTHEBY’S INTERNATIONAL REALTY

Create Where You Belong

spotlight

Banque Roll

Meet the Hudson culinary scene’s latest muse, Arden Fuchs. By James

Set in a beautifully restored historic bank in the stylish heart of Hudson, NY, Banque is more than just a place to eat—it’s where creativity meets comfort, and every taste a return to the moments that defined your love for food. The visionary behind it all is Arden Fuchs, a rising star in the culinary world who’s quickly making waves with her fresh take on café and restaurant culture.

“My hope for Banque is that we continue to evolve in our current offering as a restaurant and expand beyond our Hudson flagship to offer our chocolate products nationally

Long

food banque The beautiful space and delicious food make Banque money.

this autumn,” Fuchs says. “We’re still learning about our guests and vice versa so right now the work is staying true to our identity but also adapting based on client feedback.”

In a town known for its creative spark, Banque has quickly become one of the brightest lights on the ever-evolving food scene north of New York City. Keep your eye on Arden Fuchs—and make sure to stop by for a taste of what’s next.

—JAMES LONG

One Woman Show

A former Great Barrington apothecary turns pot into a fullcircle moment. | By Dan Koday

in the 1880s, a Great Barrington, MA, apothecary sold cannabisbased medicines. Today, the same storefront is home to Calyx Dispensary, offering cannabis flower, edibles, tinctures and more. Named after the female part of the cannabis plant, Calyx is owned by Donna Norman, who, after struggling to discuss menopauserelated cannabis use in a malerun shop, saw the need for more women in the industry. Leaving her corporate career, she says she overcame regulatory and COVIDrelated hurdles to open Calyx in 2020, making it the only 100 percent women-owned dispensary in Berkshire County, she says.

action!

big event

Hollywood East

Berkshire International Film Festival honors Succession’s Brian Cox. The 2025 Berkshire International Film Festival (BIFF), lighting up Great Barrington and Lenox from May 29 to June 1, promises another deeply impressive celebration of Hollywood’s boldest players, including this year’s BIFF Honoree Emmy Award-winning actor, Brian Cox (Succession).

As always, BIFF is sure to deliver buzzy movies, a hint of Berkshires glam and the heart of independent film on display. Fin.

—RICHARD PÉREZ-FERIA

happy hour

New Neverstill Wines Signals Summer

Neverstill Wines, led by an all-woman team, released its 2024 Rosé and Pét-Nat—light, bright and lower-alcohol wines—perfect for summer. Visit the new Hudson, NY, tasting room on Warren Street featuring local art, charcuterie and cozy indoor-outdoor spaces.

—JAMES LONG

let’s brunch

Shalom, Baladi

Israeli brunch spot in Lenox works hard to please. | By

Isabel Hochman

Located in Apple Tree Inn in Lenox, MA, Baladi strives to be the brunch spot. Israeli couple Chef Hagai Avrahami and Adi Talby have created an inviting vibe, open from 9am-2pm. Adi, front-of-the-house, tells us the Baladi breakfast is the must-try. “It’s a very loved breakfast across Israel.” The breakfast comes with frena, a soft and fluffy Moroccan flatbread. Hungry yet?

elberg’s

Spielberg’s Latest UFO Sighting in the Catskills

Steven is his new UFO movie—starring O’Connor and Blunt—in the to a call from Grant Inc., which local actors to hotel guests, diner patrons and drivers with cars earlier this to 2026 to try and spot your in

Steven Spielberg is shooting his new UFO movie—starring Josh O’Connor and Emily Blunt—in the Catskills, according to a casting call from Grant Wilfley Casting Inc., which sought local background actors to play hotel guests, diner patrons and drivers with cars earlier this spring. You’ll have to wait until its scheduled release in July 2026 to try and spot your neighbors the highly anticipated film.

—SARAH CARPENTER-PECK

Parking Space Owners Arthur Andersen and Heidi Bryson transformed a once-forgotten trailer park into a creative retreat, Art Park, where luxe design meets hospitality. The gorgeousness can be found in Chatham, NY.

read this

Mole People

Habaneros On The Hudson is Accord duo’s fresh take on Mexican cooking. | By

James Long

when longtime magazine art director and designer Gigi Fava found herself at a career crossroads, she turned to one of her greatest passions, Mexican cuisine. “I had spent years traveling to México, learning traditional cooking from a Zapotec in Oaxaca and, later, in New York City, from the preeminent Mexican cookbook author, Diana Kennedy,” she says.

With her husband, visualization artist and photographer Michael Kane, the Accord, NY-based duo embarked on a new project: Habaneros On The Hudson, a

cookbook celebrating México’s rich culinary heritage, vibrant traditions and bold flavors. More than just a collection of recipes, Habaneros “uses a simpler approach, a shorthand devised for today’s more hectic lifestyles,” Fava writes in the book’s introduction, adding that her recipes are “easily adapted to incorporate local ingredients.”

Together with Kane’s vivid—and delicious—photographs, Habaneros On The Hudson has found a warm reception in the Hudson Valley and surrounding regions, where food lovers embrace global fare. “We’ve had incredible support from the local community,” Fava says. “Now, as we prepare to settle into a new home, we hope Habaneros inspires home cooks to explore the cultural and culinary fusion of

México in their own kitchens.” Look for the cookbook at Blue Heron Books (High Falls), The Common Good (Ellenville) and The Accord Market (Accord) as the creative duo prepare for wider distribution soon.

LIBERTY FARMS

fast food Habaneros On The Hudson “uses a shorthand approach devised for today’s more hectic lifestyles,” Co-author Gigi Fava says.

AL FRESCO COOKING

For summer chefs, and year-round grillers, the finest from Traeger, Weber, Kamado Joe, and Blackstone, as well as pizza ovens from Gozney and Ooni, will provide tasty meals all year long.

The Clean Style of Spring

Find your backyard oasis that brings it all together—food, fun, family, relaxation and style. Williams Lumber & Home Centers is your partner in turning your home into your outdoor haven.

LAWN & GARDEN

Keep your backyard healthy and growing with grass seed, fertilizers, soils, peat and mulch from Scotts, Miracle-Gro and Ortho Top power equipment brands like Husqvarna, Stihl, EGO and DeWalt, quality tools from Fiskar and seeds from Botanical Interests will keep your backyard thriving.

Whether you are working with a professional or are a DIY enthusiast, you’ll find Williams Lumber & Home Centers stores and associates give everyone the personal attention they deserve. Visit us in Rhinebeck, Hudson, Hopewell Junction, Tannersville, Red Hook, Pleasant Valley or High Falls and see for yourself. Or on the web at williamslumber.com.

DECKS & PAVERS

Transform your ordinary outdoor space into a sanctuary. Trex or Culpeper decks combined with Cambridge with ArmorTec® pavers and natural Delgado Stone products are safe and beautiful foundations for your patio and pool.

OUTDOOR LIVING

Complete your backyard environment with beautiful firepits and water features from Cambridge with ArmorTec® and outdoor furniture.

POOLS & SPAS

Make the most of your summer fun with pool and spa supplies from HTH Your water features will stay clean and sparkling all summer long.

YOUR HABITAT OF HAPPINESS

After a long cold winter, spring brings a welcome opportunity to get outside and prep your home and property for outdoor fun. Update your home with a deck, a pool or a culinary center and you will convert your everyday backyard into a center of solace, a focus of family fun or your very own spot to entertain friends and family. It will transform your home into your habitat of happiness.

PAINT THAT LOVES THE SPRING

Painting outdoors with Benjamin Moore paint and stain in the spring is ideal due to the mild temperatures and lower humidity, which help ensure a smooth, even finish. Spring weather allows the paint to dry at the right rate, preventing issues like brush marks, cracking, and peeling. Williams, a trusted Benjamin Moore dealer, has experts at all seven locations ready to assist with selecting the right paint and products for any project, whether big or small. Their knowledgeable team helps ensure every project is a success.

QUALITY YOU CAN SEE AND SEE THROUGH

Marvin Windows blends exceptional quality and style, transforming both the interior and exterior of your home. Crafted from premium materials like Ultrex fiberglass, Marvin’s windows are low maintenance and energy efficient. With a focus on quality craftsmanship and timeless design, their windows and doors are perfect for enhancing historic, classic, or modern homes. To experience Marvin’s elegance firsthand, visit the Williams Showrooms in Rhinebeck and Pleasant Valley.

A PARTNER IN YOUR PROJECT

Williams is your project partner—with personalized advice around colors, products and project planning. Williams’ sample testing helps you make the right color choice before committing your time and money. And with seven locations Williams’ trusted support is just around the corner. For almost 80 years, Williams has been “the name you know and the name you trust” so visit one of our locations and NAIL IT RIGHT THE FIRST TIME

Elizabeth PErkins thE MoviE star aMong us

The acclaimed actor and concerned American triumphantly comes back to the Berkshires. From Big with Tom Hanks to Another Simple Favor with Blake Lively, this funny, passionate, talented woman’s cinematic life reads better than any script Hollywood could muster. Action!

BY RICHARD PÉREZ-FERIA

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MIKE RUIZ exclusively for The Mountains

here are many moments amid deep, thoughtful, genuinely substantive discourse with one Elizabeth Perkins—almost always about the perilous state of our nation—in which I’m fully aware that I’m speaking with the very same movie star from Big or Avalon or, better yet, The Flintstones What tips me off may be something as simple as a flicker of her expressive eyes or the sly smile that escapes her lips when she’s being deliciously mischievous in telling a tale or how she mercifully laughs hard and often at so many of my jokes and observations. Here’s the thing: When Elizabeth Perkins and I talk, we talk It’s a full-contact sport for us. Like football or brunch in TriBeCa. We’re serious. We’re silly. We’re each other’s kind of people. And just like that, a friendship was born.

say goodbye to hollywood “Thankfully, I don’t get that famous person treatment at all in the Berkshires,” Perkins says of her once and current home. The award-winning star recently left Los Angeles after nearly four decades.

“I don’t recognize my country right now,” Perkins tells me with sotto voce urgency. “I think what’s happening in these first few months of the administration has been an absolute shock. I feel very overwhelmed. I feel a deep sense of grief. As a mother to three stepsons and my daughter, Hannah, I’m very afraid for them, not just of the financial and societal crisis that we find ourselves in, but what their future is going to look like. Like you said to me earlier, Richard, about the lack of guarantees that we’ll continue to have clean water, clean air, airplanes that don’t fall from the sky, out-of-control pandemics, national parks that aren’t full of litter, children with measles everywhere. It’s not only the fact that they have these incompetent people in charge of every department, but also the real sense that cruelty is the point. As a deeply emotional actress, person, woman and human being, I can’t help but feel a deep, deep sense of grief which began the minute Roe v. Wade was overturned. The minute it became clear that all of my LGBTQIA+ sisters’ and brothers’ lives were at stake, it hit me hard. Oh, not to mention how we’re now going to invade countries that border us, we’re going to steal land in the Middle East and we’re going to alienate ourselves from our allies in Europe. It’s too much to absorb at once.”

This is the first ten minutes of our eventful afternoon.

Perkins and I are in a semi-private booth in the lobby of The Wick, Hudson’s cool, on-trend hotel, less than 24 hours after Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the Ukrainian president and outright war hero, was publicly berated in the Oval Office, causing outrage from the civilized world appalled at what occurred at the White House. Deciding to split the distance from my Poughkeepsie location and Perkins’ new Berkshires home (much more on that in a moment), The Wick’s inherent fabulousness works in our favor, as we’re largely unbothered for what will become the better part of five hours of conversation as I attempt to capture not only her undeniably substantial acting career, but most importantly, reveal the essence of this deeply consequential person sitting next to me. Needless to say, the time goes by in a flash.

TThe preternaturally youthful Perkins was born in Queens, NY, some six-and-a-half decades ago and was raised in Colrain, MA. She was formerly married to actor Terry Kinney in the 1980s (“Terry’s an amazing actor and an amazing director—a true artist,” she says. “It just comes with all the pitfalls that implies I’m still very good friends with him.”) She married Julio Macat, an Argentineanborn cinematographer in 2000 (“We’ve known each other for three decades and I’ve worked with him five times,” Perkins says. “We were shooting Miracle On 34th Street filming the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade scene and Julio had five cameras going at once. I was just watching him shoot this thing and I was like, ‘Who is this person?’

I tend to fall in love with people’s talent.”) She says her return to Massachusetts, specifically to the Berkshires, after nearly four decades in Los Angeles (Hancock Park, Sherman Oaks) was a necessary leap she made for her soul.

“I was raised in Massachusetts and it became my home after my parents’ divorce,” she says, smiling. “My mom moved up to my grandfather’s farm in a little town called Shelburne Falls. My father lived in Kent, CT, and was a New Yorker for years, and so I’d drive right through the Berkshires on my way from Shelburne Falls to Kent. This is a return home for sure. And for my career, my new home made more sense because it’s relatively easy to get from the Berkshires to New York City.”

But it isn’t every day we see celebrity LA lifers pack everything up and head to our mountains, though it’s becoming less unheard of as The White Lotus’ breakout actor Walton Goggins, last issue’s cover star, can also attest. These mountains are alive

here are two things I’ve always believed about Perkins on screen: She’s not scared of any role, large or small; and there isn’t a moment of disingenuousness in any of her performances. The truth is Perkins’ film and television credits are so numerous, so varied, that when read as a list, it’s hard to fathom one actor playing so many wildly different roles. Was that really Perkins as a young Jewish mom in 1940s Baltimore (Avalon)? Or in bed with a fully nude man as the owner of a Playgirl-like magazine (Minx)? Or as a spot-on Wilma Flintstone opposite John Goodman’s Fred (The Flintstones)? Unreal. And like so few of her peers, for the vast majority of her roles, Perkins makes it look, not easy exactly, but effortless We never see the wheels turning when she’s on screen as we do in so many of our favorite oft-acclaimed thespians. But just because it looks effortless, doesn’t make it so.

“You know, the house I ended up buying is part of a little community, and I have neighbors, which I absolutely love,” Perkins says. “There are a lot of women in my neighborhood and that makes me feel so good. The first day I went down there, there was a blue heron, and I took that as a good sign. But I think the hard part about the move is change. You know, I’m going to be 65 this year and change at this age is really difficult. [Laughs] The other hard part about living in Los Angeles for me was access to the arts, which is very, very limiting When I was in LA, I found myself not going to plays, not going to concerts and not even going to museums as much. In the Berkshires, we have MASS MoCA; we have the Clark Art Institute; we have so many opportunities for people to see live performances at Jacob’s Pillow and Tanglewood and the Berkshire Theater Festival, Williamstown Theatre Festival—I mean, it’s just nuts how many options there are here and there are festivals all the time. It’s just easy to get that kind of stimulation close to my new home, and the minute I moved in, I also started taking art classes. I’m a collage artist and I just had my first real show. It’s my side gig, me as a legit mixed media collage artist.” [Laughs]

Wait—a collage artist?

“I started taking classes at the Berkshire Art Center and met some really great people through that,” she tells me shyly. “And my teacher

said, ‘Hey, do you want to be part of the show?’ And I hung three pieces. I’ve never been so petrified in my entire life. I mean, I was on Broadway for a year-and-a-half when I was in my 20s, and I was never as afraid as I was when that collage show opened because me that’s being so much more vulnerable; I’m not playing a character. But every time I’ve been on stage, I have absolutely no stage fright whatsoever. But for some reason, when people walked in and were standing there looking at my art, I was like, ‘Oh God,’ and I really thought I was going to go out in the alley and throw up. I just couldn’t handle it. When you’re an actor and you’re on stage, you have this little shield around you because the person you’re portraying isn’t really you. It’s a creation, a character. And my art is all me. Scary.”

court (clockwise, from top left) Perkins with Allison Janney in Another Simple Favor; with John Goodman and Elizabeth Taylor in The Flintstones; with Mary-Louise Parker in Weeds; with Demi Moore in About Last Night; with Tom Hanks in Big; with William Hurt in The Doctor; with Aidan Quinn in Avalon; (opposite) at Perkins’ family farm in Colrain, MA with her stepbrother Mark. “Every summer, Mark and I used to sell zucchini my mother grew by the side of the road for a nickel,” Perkins says.

Also scary must have been her LADA (latent autoimmune diabetes in adults), a form of type 1 diabetes (T1D), diagnosis two was almost in a coma while I was first season of Weeds,” she says. “It shock that I was getting routine my OBGYN, and they came back and ‘We’re sending you in an ambulance to hospital because your blood sugar is so low.’ have an app on my phone I use every insulin dependent and have been 21 years. I’m also petrified for my community in terms of insulin because I saw President Biden did to cap the cost so

elizabeth’s

“Blake Lively was one of the nicest people I’ve ever been around. The truth is, I adore Blake and really loved working with her.”

dramatically, and now to have that reversed is unconscionable. For anybody whose life depends on a medication where you’re paying $1,200 a month, it’s beyond alarming—it’s criminal and it’s heartless.”

Her Greek family name of Pisperikos was anglicized to Perkins when her paternal grandparents emigrated to the US. Perkins seemed predestined for acting glory first by attending the reputable Northfield Mount Hermon School, then later at The Theatre School at DePaul University where she received a Certificate Of Acting. A few years later, Perkins made her Broadway debut in Neil Simon’s iconic Brighton Beach Memoirs, before moving on to the New York Shakespeare Festival and the Steppenwolf Theatre in Chicago. But everything changed quickly in the best possible way when Perkins was cast in her first film, About Last Night, directed by Edward Zwick and co-starring Rob Lowe, Demi Moore and Jim Belushi. “I had a really good time making that movie,” Perkins says wistfully. “I still love everyone associated with it. I have nothing but great memories from that experience.”

But when it comes to Elizabeth Perkins, the career conversation must unquestionably begin with Big, inarguably the most consequential movie in her acting trajectory thus far. When I bring it up, she’s ready for me.

“It’s kind of a funny story about why I was cast in Big,” she says. “I had been up for the movie Broadcast News I had already been workshopped in that movie with Bill [William] Hurt and Albert Brooks and I thought I was doing that movie for sure. Then I got a call from my agent saying, ‘Holly Hunter walked in, and it was, Boom!’ And it’s so funny because I can’t watch that movie now without thinking, ‘Holly Hunter is so perfect in that role.’ I think that all the time. So, James Brooks, who was the director of Broadcast News and the producer of Big, turned to me after Debra Winger dropped out and said to the casting folks, ‘Please see Elizabeth.’ So because of James Brooks and [director] Penny Marshall, I was cast opposite Robert De Niro(!) in Big. And so I started workshopping Big with him. That was intense, let me tell you. I don’t think—until Tom Hanks came on board—that Penny realized how important the aspect of the character of Josh’s inherent childlike demeanor was the only way this movie was ever going to work. So when Tom came on board, it was ‘Oh, OK, now we all know what this movie is about,’ because Tom just got it right away. DeNiro would have played it so differently. The thing is I read with so many actors up for the role. I was cast well before they landed on Tom and thank goodness they found him.”

Perkins currently stars as Blake Lively’s mother, Margaret McLinden, in Paul Feig’s latest film, Another Simple Favor, which is streaming on Amazon Prime. And as you may have heard, Lively has been making a few headlines of her own.

“I actually adore Paul Feig,” Perkins says beaming. “I don’t think I could love him more. I was with him filming for a month-and-ahalf. I was with Blake Lively, who plays my daughter in the film, and I thought she was one of the nicest people I’ve ever been around. Blake would walk over to me on set with a cup of tea and say, ‘So, tell me, where are you from? Where were you born?’ You know, she engaged with me, all the while she’s got four kids in her trailer. I was impressed. The truth is, I adore Blake and I loved working with her. The thing is in Another Simple Favor I’m actually replacing the great Jean Smart in this role. It was so funny because some interviewer

asked me the other day, ‘Why couldn’t Jean Smart do the movie?’ And I’m like, ‘Are you not watching Hacks? She’s the queen of the universe—you know that, right?’ So funny.” [Laughs]

Another seminal film in her run of good luck is her turn in Academy Award-winning director Barry Levinson’s Avalon, his deeply personal opus about growing up in the late 1940s and early 1950s Baltimore. Perkins doesn’t mince words here.

“The truth is, I can’t get enough of that movie,” she says. “It’s my mom in that movie. It was such an honor when Barry Levinson asked me to play his mom. And it was right after he had done Rain Man which had grossed billions, and Barry was way up here, and he wanted to make Avalon, and the studio said do whatever you want. And he got whatever he wanted. We worked ten hours a day, we had costumes, he had a budget. I mean, there’s a shot in that movie where they’re just going through the market and the area and the people that lasts for three-and-a-half minutes or something. It was such an honor to work with him on a movie that was so deeply personal. It was unbelievable. I mean, we’re talking Kevin Pollak, Eve Gordon, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Joan Plowright. I adore Barry and I loved working with Aidan Quinn, whom I’d known from Chicago. We’d all be just sitting around the table, and most of it was improvised. I mean, Barry would write stuff, but he knew better than to give these actors detailed scripts—he’d rather we just go for it. There was a scene with me and Aidan where I’m mad about the parents that are always there and we’re sitting in bed and I’m putting on cuticle cream and it was just supposed to be a scene with me sort of sitting there and Barry was telling me to go for it, and we just started doing the scene. And so imagine you were sitting around a table with 12 of these great actors and everybody’s just riffing, and these guys knew what they were doing, and it was just such an honor to be a part of that. God, how I loved that experience.”

Perkins leans in even more as she recounts these fascinating Hollywood tales, and all my slightly superficial self really wants to ask her about is her experience on The Flintstones Not only is that my favorite childhood cartoon (the instant camera—genius!), but she was on-set with Elizabeth Taylor. I mean, c’mon.

“Oh, yeah, that’s another interesting story about how I got that job, too,” Perkins tells me, smiling at the memory. “The Flintstones was the biggest cattle call in the universe of actresses who all wanted to play Wilma and Betty. John Goodman had already been cast, which was a no-brainer, of course. But I remember putting my hair up in a Pebbles kind of thing. And later when I was cast, the director told me ‘You were the only person who came in to read who did the Wilma voice.’ And he said the same thing to Rosie O’Donnell, who was cast as Betty. It didn’t occur to me to not do the voice. Cut to a few months later, there we all are barefoot in a rock quarry and, oh, by the way, Elizabeth Taylor was right there with us.”

Again I posit my theory that the universal critical acclaim and the inevitable awards that should’ve followed didn’t flock to Perkins at the commencement of her acting journey because of her evident comfortability in her characters’ skin making it seem that Perkins wasn’t acting at all, itself a deft skill not at all common in Hollywood or in life (curiously Tom Hanks, her Big co-star, received an Oscar nomination for his performance, as did

Holly Hunter who replaced Perkins in Broadcast News). But the tide seemed to shift a bit with her portrayal of a cancer patient in the searing William Hurt vehicle, The Doctor, as Perkins received the best reviews of her career to that point and earned a nomination for Best Supporting Actress from the Chicago Film Critics Association.

“The Doctor was another very important film in my life—very important,” Perkins says, speaking a little faster now. “You know, Richard, I had a tough experience with Bill [William] Hurt on Broadcast News. And then, later, when I did The Doctor with him, he came up to me and brought up Broadcast News and said, ‘You know I’m not drinking.’ And I said, ‘Thank you for that.’ You know what? Bill Hurt was a good guy. He was a good guy to me. And it was an interesting job for me because they had asked me to shave my head, and I was already five months pregnant when I shot that movie. They knew I was pregnant and then they took this long hiatus for Christmas, and then I wasn’t going to work again until February, so I said, ‘Guys, I cannot be pregnant with a bald head. I’m sorry.’ Normally I’d be like, ‘Sure, I’ll just shave my head.’ But being bald and super pregnant was just too much for me to handle, so we used a very good wig cap instead. Oh, and I also wore a lot of scarves on my head. I must say it was interesting to be pregnant playing a dying person. But that movie had a memorable scene… dancing in the desert—such a beautiful moment.”

bad weed “I read the pilot for Weeds, and I thought, ‘Oh, I have to be in this show! I’m like, OK, I get it—my character is evil incarnate,’” Perkins says, here in a stunning image taken by photographer Aaron Rapoport.

found out that we both felt that way about each other and it was if you’re going to throw a ball, you’re trusting that she’s just going to catch it. It was one of my greatest experiences in Hollywood and after all these nominations for Golden Globes and Emmys, I was suddenly fired.”

Fired?! I distinctly remember reading back in the day how Perkins had unexpectedly quit the show.

If her experience in The Doctor woke up the critics to recognize Perkins’ obvious talent, her portrayal of Celia Hodes in the surprise Showtime hit Weeds took Perkins—and co-stars Mary-Louise Parker and Justin Kirk—to unexpected critical and commercial heights. For her unforgettable work on the show, Perkins broke out with a couple of Emmys, Golden Globes and Screen Actor Guild (SAG) nominations each, but after 63 episodes, it was reported that Perkins quit the show for mysterious reasons even as her character’s trajectory was left decidedly unresolved.

“Well, Weeds was weird because at that time premium cable networks weren’t doing half-hour shows, and Showtime was one of the first networks to commit to doing a half-hour comedy,” Perkins says. “I think we were maybe the third show after Californication on the air. I found out Weeds was to be shot at the old Ren-Mar Studios in Hancock Park and then I read the pilot, and I thought, ‘Oh, I have to be in this show!’ The pilot episode closed with me looking at my daughter saying I should have had an abortion. I’m like, ‘OK, I get it—my character is evil incarnate.’ And this is exactly what I want to do. My goodness, she was completely out of her mind—it was so much fun to play. It was also such a joy to work with Mary-Louise Parker because she’s so talented that sometimes we’d be doing scenes with each other, and she’d do something where it would take me out of my thoughts as she’d make such an interesting acting choice. And then I

“Yeah, I was fired,” Perkins says, looking directly at me. “This is the first time I have ever said this publicly, but, yes, I was fired. We were three weeks away from shooting season six of Weeds and I had already had the conversation of what my character’s arc was going to be, I already had costume fittings and then I received a phone call from my agent who told me, ‘I think they’re going to fire you from the show.’ Jen [Weeds’ creator, showrunner and executive producer Jenji Kohan] and two of the writers called me and said, ‘We’ve decided that you’re not going to be on the show anymore.’ I said, ‘OK, may I ask why?’ And she said, ‘We just don’t know how to write you anymore. We don’t know where this character could possibly go based on where we’re seeing the show go.’ Well, the next call I got was from Mary-Louise, who was just gobsmacked and apoplectic. On the show, they didn’t explain my character not being there. They just didn’t. They just stopped talking about my character. This did put a wrench in my relationship with Jenji for some time. And I remember her saying something specifically to me on that call… ‘Well, I know how hard this is going to be for you because I know how much love you have for the character and all you’ve brought to the character and how much you’re going to miss the character’ and I was just becoming increasingly angrier and angrier as she spoke. I told her that I thought she didn’t give a fuck about my character and ‘I have four children. I’m a working actor, and you just took away my kids’ school.’ And that kind of stopped her in her tracks. Happily, Jenji and I have mended this. I went on to be on her next hit show, Glow, and I have a lot of respect for her as a writer. But, no, I certainly didn’t see that coming. At all.”

Another impossibly difficult time in Perkins’ trek as a very successful working actor in Hollywood was a set of experiences with the endless supply of powerful, lecherous men in the world’s entertainment capital.

“I’ve had three very specific, terrible experiences along those lines, and I don’t think I’m alone,” Perkins tells me quietly. “Even now, Richard, they’re hard to think about. They’re bad ones; really bad experiences. I’m not going to talk about specific people, but this still exists—the threat still exists even now, the shut-your-mouth-or-else still very much exists. Remember, you’re not just taking on a person, you’re taking on a massive systemic cultural problem. And because it’s still transpiring, you just tend to stay out of it. Look, I think any

BE PART OF SOMETHING GREATER

art attack

“I’ve never been so petrified in my entire life,” Perkins says of her collage art in her first official art show. (from top) Opiate Of The Masses; Paskeo.

Real Housewives Of New York City standout, Dorinda Medley, not only our mutual dear friend (and former cover story in this magazine), but a born-andbred Berkshires expert who has helped Perkins navigate her new surroundings.

“Elizabeth, I want to know, after the incredibly diverse career you’ve had and continue to have, what, in fact, is your ‘white whale,’ your dream role and ideal co-star?” “Who’s Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?” she says, almost before I even finish the question. “My co-star could be Denis Leary; I think he’d be really good in that. Well, I’m also a Daniel DayLewis fan for 30 years. There’s also Ewan McGregor and I also like Russell Crowe.”

“How about Ed Harris?” I offer. “Oh my God, yes!” she shouts, half laughing. “Ed Harris! That’s who it is. He’d definitely be my number one!” [Laughs]

As we leave the hotel and begin our short walk back to the Norman Rockwell-like Hudson Train Station just in time to make my 6pm Amtrak back to Poughkeepsie, the sun is setting fast, and the temperature has dropped precipitously into the “Whoa! It’s cold!” category. I once again ask Perkins about her new life, her new home, her new experiences.

time someone feels unsafe, that’s their reality. That’s the point, right? You can’t tell someone how to feel. But it also goes back to our times. I’m sure Bette Davis would have said something to me about what her work environment was like. And I think Gloria Swanson would have said something to Bette Davis about her work environment. My hope is that we get to a point where no one has to speak to another generation about their work environment, but given the current administration in The White House, I feel like we’re taking massive steps backwards in regard to women in the workplace.”

We near the end of what has become one of the most interesting Sunday afternoons I’ve spent in a long time. I look around The Wick’s now bustling lobby before glancing over to the whip smart artist sitting to my immediate right who clearly wants to change the subject. So I acquiesce. I ask Perkins something I’ve been curious about since meeting her at Blue Stone Manor, the Berkshires home of former

“You know, I like going to Heirloom Lodge, a newer spot in Housatonic, MA on Route 41 between Great Barrington and West Stockbridge,” she says. “They have this great executive chef, Matt Straus, who came from San Francisco and took over the old Williamsville Inn and turned it into a world-class restaurant with fresh breads and an incredible wine list. Matt Straus is really a very, very talented chef.”

As we enter the train depot, I ask the award-winning actor if people she encounters in the Berkshires see her as “Elizabeth Perkins” or is she just “Elizabeth” to her new neighbors.

“Well, that’s funny because my family calls me Betsy!” Perkins says, with a Cheshire cat smile. “Thankfully, I don’t get that famous person treatment at all in the Berkshires. As a matter of fact, I was in Great Barrington at Guido’s a few days ago and the woman at the checkout told me, ‘You know who that is?’ referring to the man directly in front of me who had just paid for something. I tell her, ‘No, who is he?’ She says, ‘He’s on Star Trek. He comes in all the time.’

As she’s telling me this, she clearly has no idea who I am and it’s so perfect. She then tells me, ‘You know, we have a lot of actors around here.’ And I said, ‘I’ve heard. It’s exciting.’”

Exciting. That’s the word I’ve been looking for. Elizabeth Perkins is exciting in every way a person can be. And it’s indeed exciting—and fortuitous—to have this most excellent human in our midst. Again.

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THE FOOD iSSUE

NOW WE’RE COOKiN’

THE SIX CULINARY MASTERS WHO’VE MADE THIS REGION AT LAST THE GARDEN OF EATING THESE ARE THE CHEFS TO KNOW BY

HAL RUBENSTEiN

When we first moved into the home we’d built in Spencertown 16 years ago, we certainly weren’t coming up here for the food. Having reviewed restaurants in New York City for nearly three decades, I was undeniably and unrepentantly spoiled. I mean, The Martindale Diner was fine for a burger but, except for the occasional visit to the warm and welcoming Old Mill in Egremont, I wasn’t finding a lot of eateries worth swooning over. It was puzzling. But having just designed and

installed a dream kitchen in the new house, this former caterer was happy to shlep down to Guido’s in Great Barrington, swing by Random Harvest Market in Hillsdale, head up to Golden Harvest Farms in Valatie and head back to the Berry Farm in Chatham, fill my SUV with their superb produce and head home to cook and bake myself into a delirious frenzy—all the while wondering why eateries Upstate weren’t taking advantage of the available bounty of superior meats and produce. ➳

Executive Chef Mark Margiotta

I still love to cook, but these days I’m happy to pass by my cold ovens, grab my coat and head out to explore and indulge in the rapidly growing roster of consistently satisfying, often surprising, more than occasionally thrilling and sometimes obsession-inducing restaurants that can now be found all over the Hudson Valley.

Writing about these diners, cafés, bakeries, brasseries, inns, bars, wineries, lounges, food trucks, roadside stands, restaurants and alfresco spaces for The Mountains has become a deliciously distracting privilege. But equally gratifying and energizing is meeting and speaking with (and being educated by) the talented, inventive, inspired and inspiring chefs and restaurateurs who’ve created such an enviable and praiseworthy dining landscape that I return to Manhattan a lot less willing to wait so long that I have to shave again just to score a postage stamp table at a no-reservations hot-spot-for-themoment shoe-horned in a back alley right off Avenue D.

The passionate intelligence driving the six chefs you’re about to read about registers as radiant. Their mutual camaraderie and respect for their colleagues is heartwarming. And best of all, their sincere desire to nourish their customers and embrace their community is likely to make you stop reading repeatedly to make reservations. Speaking with this sextet of culinary artists is the best time I’ve ever had working at this magazine. You’re about to understand why, and if being the beneficiary of their charm and smarts gets you kind of jealous, I guess I should apologize. No way. Why not do yourself a great favor. Meet them in person. You now know where to find them. So, go out to eat.

Jason Denton

Feast & Floret

13 South 3rd Street, Hudson, NY

When did you head to Hudson?

I left New York in 2018, after working at such popular places as Ino, Lupa, Corsino and the Enoteca chain. But my last job was managing OTG at Newark Airport and while it was a great learning experience, it was burnout hard More than 40,000 people a day pass through the terminal. Some travelers grab a sandwich. Some forked over $150 to eat a tomahawk steak in 40 minutes. After that, I took a year off to figure out what I wanted to do. We came up to Hudson to stay a few weeks and we didn’t leave. We fell in love with the place.

How did you wind up at Feast & Floret?

I loved the space when Zak Pelaccio opened it as Fish & Game. He deserved winning a James Beard Award. But the room was dark and very serious. When I took it over, I wanted to make it more user-friendly, softer, more comfortable, with lighter fare. When I met with Zak’s former partners, Patrick and Lavinia Milling-Smith, they suggested creating a flower shop from their garden. This was so much more in my wheelhouse. However, when we opened post-COVID, I would start and end the day in a hazmat suit, disinfecting the place every morning and night. I had a nurse in weekly, testing the staff. That helped gain the trust of the community, and once we got their confidence, we discovered we could do almost anything.

What kind of food became your focus?

I don’t consider myself a true chef but I’ve been cooking for 27 years. I like to cook what I like to eat. Meatballs. Dry rub ribs. Chicken Milanese. Anything cooked on an

open fire. Russell [Zintel], our pasta guy, is fantastic. April [Cox] is a great gluten-free baker. Our menu is versatile, inventive but not overthought, so you come in by yourself on a Monday, bring in a client for lunch on Wednesday, bring a date on Friday and the family for brunch on Sunday.

Who do you use for sourcing?

We first had to convince some purveyors that we could sell 30 steaks or stacks of ribs a week. Now we get Beef from Pat Le Freida. Ribs from Heritage. But the advantage of being up here is you can get specific produce from individual sources. We get our puntarella from Blue Star Farms in Stuyvesant and their weird chicory that looks alien but is uniquely delicious. We love MX Morningstar Farm nearby and Kinderhook Farm for specific cuts of pork and lamb. But I also love to forage and that’s easy in this area.

What are the challenges running a restaurant in this region?

Consistency. Being able to source locally in volume. There’s always an issue with staffing. During our first years we managed with 12 to 15 people. Now we employ about 40. You have to pay people more Upstate because the pool is so much smaller than being in Manhattan and training new people can be a nightmare. Our dishwashers are paid better than some line cooks in Manhattan. I’m proud to have at least two dozen people who not only have been here more than two-and-a-half years but are great ambassadors for what we do. We’re one of the few places in the area open seven days a week. And some nights can be quiet. However, it’s important to honor your hours. It really bothers me when a restaurant claims to be open from 5 to 10pm, but if it’s a quiet night they close the doors at 9:30 or 9:45. No! You honor those chosen hours. If you walk in here at 9:59 and ask for a tasting menu, you’ll get it. Last time I was in New York we went to Pastis; a big restaurant. It was late, and the weather was crappy, so the place wasn’t crowded. But we were seated and treated like VIPs. It had such a positive lasting effect. That’s how you do it right.

Where

do go out to eat?

I enjoy The Tavern at Rivertown Lodge up the street. Efrén’s has such an inventive and surprising lean menu. And his Casa Susanna

in Leeds, is equally, maybe even more, exciting. I often go for good salad at Via Cassia across the street. Stissing House is far from here (Pine Plains), but Clare de Boer is such an outstanding chef, it’s worth the trek.

Do restaurants in the Hudson Valley get the credit they deserve?

When I first came up, friends and colleagues asked, “Where the hell are you going?” But they notice There too

Robert howay

Aviary

4 Hudson Street, Kinderhook, NY

You’ve had quite the journey prior to landing in Kinderhook haven’t you?

Right! I was born in California but grew up in a military family, so we moved a lot: Hawaii for a few years, Japan for a similar period. Plus, my mom was born in Guam, so that cemented my passion for Asian cooking. But when we moved back to the mainland at 15, I started cooking in Memphis, then attending the CIA [Culinary Institute Of America] while taking advantage of a fellowship at Apple Pie Bakery Café in Hyde Park, NY. After graduation, I headed to New York City, made pastries for Daniel Boulud, worked at Eleven Madison Park and Maison Kayser bakery, then landed at Yakitori Torishin in Hell’s Kitchen where I was able to return to my

passion for Asian food. When it closed sadly during the pandemic, I cooked for hospital workers and the National Guard. In 2021, I moved back Upstate and was hired at Kitty’s across from the Hudson Amtrak station and suddenly everything changed for me, because of the influx of people who had moved Upstate who now wanted inventive cooking in a laid-back atmosphere. They wanted New York City’s diversity without its frantic pace. And I realized I could be at home here.

I’m exhausted just following that. But how did the Aviary satisfy that desire? Being at the Aviary spoke to me because they had an established focus on Asian cuisine. The original chef, Hannah Wong, is so talented, she had already built a strong, satisfied clientele. It afforded me the perfect platform to adapt my childhood favorites with an even deeper dive thanks to the availability of the area’s superior produce.

What were the challenges taking over the kitchen?

Hudson is technically landlocked, so we sourced our great shrimp and seafood from Browne’s, trading out of Maine (they also do retail) and Go Fish Co. in North Bergen, NJ. But for so much we also rely on locals, such as Farmstead Hudson Valley and Blue Star Farm.

Was it difficult winning over regulars?

No, they’ve been great. Patrons up here are surprisingly open and adventurous. In fact, initially I got so inspired, I was changing the menu as often as possible, especially adapting to whatever was available that day. But they quickly established favorites that they wanted to see again, which was also a good thing because my enthusiasm was burning out the kitchen staff and I didn’t want to lose them.

What’s the best part about the Aviary?

I love the entire Knitting Mill space. It’s brought life to Kinderhook. The clientele is so enthusiastic and open, and the staff is smart and supportive; they give me the freedom to indulge in my heritage. And the uniqueness of the space makes the Aviary a great escape.

Are there specific places you shop at?

The Asian Supermarket and Kim’s Asian

Market which are both on Central Avenue in Albany. I also go down to H Mart in Brooklyn’s Industry City.

When not in the restaurant, where do you go out to eat?

I have to be honest: My world is so small. I almost never get out of the Knitting Mill compound. It’s become a reflection point for me. I tend to stay close at Broad Street Bagel Company or Saisonnier, when I’m craving grilled cheese. On the rare times I venture out, I’ll go to Casa Susanna, The Tavern at Rivertown Lodge, Café Mutton in Hudson or pizza at Hudson & Packard in Poughkeepsie.

Tell me about your dream restaurant. I’d love to open either a breakfast place like the Midnight Diner that’s on the Upper East Side or open a small Izakaya restaurant which is like a Japanese version of a latenight Irish pub.

Mark Margiotta

{pretty to think so}

6417 Montgomery St, Rhinebeck, NY

When did food first become a passion?

I always knew I wanted to cook. My grandparents had a family restaurant in Peekskill, NY, called Paradise. I washed dishes, did prep and made pizza dough when I was 13. Both my parents worked, so my sister and I made dinner. When my sister got tired of my hamburgers and hot dogs,

I took out cookbooks from the library to learn how to make something else.

But you’re not simply self-taught. I learned by school and on-the-job experience. The Culinary Institute in Hyde Park gave me a good foundation, especially in French cuisine. But soon as I turned 16 and got wheels, I worked at three places: a café in Cold Spring, NY, which had a bakery, the Millbrook Carriage House and Brasserie 292 in Poughkeepsie.

After graduation, my first kitchen was the Millhouse Inn. Then I worked at the Michelin starred Eleven Madison Park in the city for two years before coming back Upstate to become a partner in The Dutchess in Clinton, NY, and in five years, acquired a legendary reputation.

What’s the difference between Eleven Madison Park and The Dutchess?

Not that much. In fact, our Dutchess menu was influenced by Eleven Madison Park, because both boast clean cooking that’s gluten free and dairy free, perfect for a wellness retreat. Our advantage at Dutchess was having a farm on the property and easy access to local organic farmers.

What was the spark to create {pretty to think so}?

Initially, we were just going to do a bar serving small bites but when we removed that limitation, we focused our attention to produce from both local farmers and growing as much of our food as possible. However, it’s an injustice to call what I have a farm. I call it a “medium-husky garden,” but in less than an acre, we grow enough berries, herbs, salad greens, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, Bok choy, kale, collard greens, squash and cucumbers, to cover about 40 percent of the produce we use.

Have diners’ habits changed since you’ve been in this region?

People are more conscious of what they’re eating and I think our passion has played into that. We don’t overlook gluten or celiac intolerance. The hunger for gluten-free bread is huge.

What’s special about the Hudson Valley? We’re blessed to live in an area with

amazing produce and livestock and fisheries. And people in the Hudson Valley are more educated about food thanks to the positive influence from the city’s abundance of cuisines and some of the best restaurants in the world. Also, the increased competition Upstate is not a negative—it’s a real impetus to create a very good restaurant.

What’s good about being a chef?

The instant satisfaction. Even as a kid, I’d wake up real early, make eclairs and cream puffs and then go “Oh, my God. This is so good!” I always found it rewarding. Turns out I’m not alone. There’s a sincere appreciation for preparing something that elevates a customer’s nutrition, fuel and spirits.

What local places do you work with?

We work with Maple View Farm in Poughquag; Hemlock Hill Farm in Cortland, where we get our ducks; 1841 farm in Rhinebeck; Adams Fairacre Farms in Middletown; Gadaletto’s in New Paltz for fish and farmers markets everywhere.

How hard is it to be successful north of the city?

We know prices are higher than we expected. Customers sometimes suffer sticker shock. But it’s hard to hear assumptions that we’re leaving the restaurants rolling in dough. Restaurants have low profit margins. Maybe ten percent. There’s only so much I can do when I put a chicken on the menu that’s responsibly raised, humanely killed. A month ago, eggs were $55 for 15 dozen. Two weeks ago, they were $150. So much for making an inexpensive omelet.

What do you eat at home?

Mostly what my girlfriend wants, which is rice and eggs. My favorite meal is roast chicken with some vegetables and then turn the leftovers into soup. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. I prefer savory desserts. Maybe cookies.

Where do you go out to eat?

La Cabañita for Mexican in Poughkeepsie; SushiMakio in Kingston; Bia, the Irish bistro in Rhinebeck—the cocktails are amazing.

Any dream restaurant in the future? Perhaps when we’ve grown as much as we

can here, I’d love a small restaurant on a farm where everything you’re about to eat has been raised and grown outside your window.

Do restaurants in the Hudson Valley get the credit they deserve?

I don’t want to say no, but I wince when people compliment us by saying we’re “really good, for Upstate New York.” I realize it’s an obvious comparison, but it rings a tinny little bell. Happily, it’s happening less and less. Our customers are very happy and so are we.

Jordan Schor

End Cut

1746 Route 9W, West Park, NY

When were you first exposed to actual good food?

I was raised in the hospitality business. My dad ran the Homowack Lodge in the Catskills. And cooking happened organically because we always had huge dinners at home—feasts. Atypically, my parents only shopped for what we were eating that day. Fresh fish from Night Swim in Kingston; fresh vegetables from a local greengrocer; and meat from a kosher butcher.

When did you start cooking?

At seven, I was peeling potatoes and breading chicken. I had my own snack shop at the local country club at 14. Hamburgers and hot dogs for those members taking aquarobics. My first kitchen was at a Holiday Inn in 2000. I opened my first store when I was 28,

a former greasy spoon with 18 seats. I thought I knew everything. I was going to take the world by storm. Except you can’t make money with 18 seats, $4 egg sandwiches, no marketing and a bad exhaust system. I learned so much from my mistakes.

When did your fortunes change?

Jordan’s Bistro was a late-night pizzeria in New Paltz, NY, open from 10pm-5am. The rent was high but so was the volume. Then I moved across the street in 2015 and opened my first End Cut. It became my test kitchen. I baked my own bread, made cheese, rolled my own raviolis, made the ice creams. It worked, but I realized you need to own the building, have two bathrooms and parking. We opened here in 2019, and it’s been gratifying ever since.

What was the impetus behind End Cut?

I didn’t mean to build it around beef. The menu was French-Italian fusion with chicken, fish and pasta, but when you offer great steaks, people expect creamed spinach, steak fries, baked clams, crab cake. You can’t fight the formula. Last Valentine’s Day, 140 customers ordered 110 steaks. It’s the ultimate comfort food.

What are you most proud of?

People in New York are used to overpaying for steak, but it’s not the cost that drives me crazy. It’s the bad or entitled management, no cursory waiters. Not only can I offer a 45-day-aged, grass-fed New York strip for $52, I offer great hospitality: excellent service, a romantic pianist, nuts before the meal, an intermezzo between courses, hand towels, granola when you leave that’s so good the chef of Eleven Madison Park raved about it. I take notes on my customers. I know their names, their birthdays, I know who drinks Guinness dark. A seemingly minor gesture can make a lasting impression. People appreciate being acknowledged.

Have dining habits changed post-COVID?

We get a good cross section of customers. Generationally, people eat differently. Younger diners don’t order bottles of wine. I’m hard pressed to get them to order more than a cocktail. They eat and get out quick. Older guests stay longer. I trust word of mouth, but I have to admit, I recently hired someone to

do social media, and whenever she posts, the phone rings like crazy. I finally embraced it because business is starting to explode.

Where do you go out to eat?

Il Figlio Enoteca in Fishkill, NY, heavenly pasta in an old Walgreens. Asia in Stone Ridge, a fusion sushi restaurant run by sisters from Malaysia. The Klocke Estate in Hudson—the owners have created a place that’s next level.

What’s next?

I have a million ideas. We’re opening the back yard, with fire pits and maybe a food truck. I’d also love to create a space that feels like my home, where people would sit by the fire, never wanting to leave. The great chef Thomas Keller (Per Se, The French Laundry) says chefs cook because they live to nurture. When people come to End Cut, I want them to have a great time and feel it’s the best part of their day.

Efrén HErnándEz

The Tavern at Rivertown Lodge 731 Warren Street, Hudson, NY Casa Susanna 800 County Rd 23B, Leeds, NY

How did you come to Rivertown?

I had run two restaurants in Manhattan in the Village—MIMI on Sullivan Street, and then BABS, which was going really well until we got slammed by COVID. So, my wife and I headed Upstate for safety. Rivertown had an existing restaurant before I got there. The menu was farm-to-table, as representative of the Hudson Valley as you can get. But I like to make things that are surprising, food you can’t make at home. I have to admit, it reads weird on paper. But maybe because we opened during the waning months of COVID,

with seating safely outside in the parking lot, and people were so excited to have somewhere to go, we were busy right away.

Did you have a period of adjustment?

The toughest difference was getting used to the delivery schedule. In New York City, you can get everything every day. Upstate, there were things such as fish that could only be delivered once a week. So, I had to vacuum pack and flash freeze. But that’s improved over time.

But the difference that’s a real positive is because you’re servicing a lot more locals, you get to know them personally. In the city, your clientele is mainly anonymous. You don’t know them. But up here you develop relationships, find out what folks like or want. elationships, out what folks like or want. Please don’t get rid of this pasta dish, or can you change the way this fish is prepared. Your store becomes more user-friendly.

Rivertown’s food is quirky. Casa Susanna has a radically different menu. The plan was always to open a second place, but Casa didn’t start out as a Mexican

restaurant. During my career, I’ve been cooking mainly French, Italian or New American, so I picked up skills in all those techniques. But when my partners asked me, if it was up to me what would I do, I’d been so far away from home and family in Jalisco, México, for so long, that I needed something to feel connected. I wanted to make the food that I grew up with. So, we went with that concept.

But your menu’s different than familiar Mexican fare, which is Tex-Mex. You’re not pushing chimichangas, burritos and guacamole. Were you worried your choices would be too out there? Nope. I guess it was so naturally satisfying to me. I never doubted it would work. I love this food so much, it just made sense.

Are the dishes exactly the way they’re made at home?

Pretty much but with some adjustment. It’s authentic Mexican cuisine with a lens on the Hudson Valley. For example, we don’t use avocado because they’re tropical and

don’t grow in New York. We do import corn, though, because we don’t use pre-made masa since it’s so much more flavorful made fresh. We do a pretty good job of blending ancient and modern techniques.

Was your menu immediately accepted? Almost. Actually, the only obstacle was that I originally wrote the menu mainly in Spanish to be authentic, but the dishes were so unfamiliar to customers, the waiters wound up stuck at tables explaining almost every dish, so I translated just enough into English to free them up.

You have items I’ve rarely encountered anywhere else. I’m no fan of sweetbreads but wrapped in your tacos they’re irresistible. And I will twist arms if I must to get guests to order your goat—because it’s sensational. Spaniards brought goats to Jalisco. We call the stew Birria, an intense form of braising, and it’s very common at home because people believe it’s a surefire hangover cure. I’m delighted our customers no longer think

the food is strange and embrace it as a kind of home cooking. People mistakenly think of Mexican food as cheap and fast so I’m proud that we’ve excited their tasted buds and won their respect.

When you aren’t cooking at home, where do you like to eat?

I like to go to Feast & Floret on daddydaughter dates. Café Mutton in Hudson with my wife. Mel the Bakery on Warren Street for lunch. Nora [Allen] is amazing, and her partner makes those incredible sandwiches. My daughter can eat a whole baguette.

Do restaurants in our area get the spotlight they deserve?

There aren’t any Michelin stars here yet, but there are numerous places including Feast, Mutton and Lil’ Deb’s Oasis that are getting recognition from James Beard. But honestly, what’s more important is that our clientele consider our places welcome destinations. Awards are great, but happy customers are what keeps you in business. Right now, that’s all the recognition I need.

Nora AlleN

Mel the Bakery

324 Warren Street, Hudson, NY

When did you fall in love with baking?

I’m such a cliché. I’ve been baking since I was eight years old. I’d sell my cakes and pies when I was in school to raise money for causes, got my first job as an assistant pastry chef at 14. When I attended Bates College in Maine, I worked at a farm kitchen. When I

graduated, I moved to Nashville and made pastries for a small butcher shop, of all things. In fact, that’s where I met the guys from The Meat Hook, with whom I now share the space on Warren Street.

What’s at the heart of your passion for baking?

Believe it or not, it’s flour. It’s funny. We make a big deal about how chickens and beef are raised, how vegetables are grown. You should start asking where your flour comes from. It makes an enormous difference. I know it was a catalyst for the instant success we experienced when we first opened Mel’s in Chinatown.

What’s so different about your flour? I travel to mills the way art lovers go to galleries. From the first mills I visited in North Carolina, I was blown away by the difference in texture and flavor of stone ground or Nurtrimilled flour. Even a decent flour in the supermarket like King Arthur is put through what’s called a roller mill. It’s like a woodchipper for wheat. What comes

out is powder, with most of the nutritional value sifted out. But the flours from farms including Wild Hive in Clinton Corners, NY, or Sparrowbush in Livingston, NY, offer an incredible variety of grains, and you witness the enzyme action from the yeast and bacteria. It’s a living version of flour in action. I even mill some of my own because the increase in flavor is palpable. Look for them in local farmers markets. I’ll stop because I can go on about this for hours.

But you’re selling a lot more than bread.

That’s a result of various baking experiences in San Francisco, Colorado and Washington, DC, where I’m from. I also worked for two years at Roberta’s in Brooklyn, which started the current pizza revolution, began a bread program at The Standard hotel in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District, reaching out to local mills to develop my recipes.

I’ve always sought out places that shared my principle of wanting to have fun while making extraordinary food.

Then in 2020 after sourcing grain farms for six months, we opened the first Mel’s. I can’t say I was stunned, because I had such faith

in what we were doing, and we had wildly enthusiastic fans from the moment we opened. Maybe it was the seduction of smelling just-baked goods on site, but we never stopped for two-and-a-half years.

Why did you close it down?

My partner wanted to move Upstate. Plus, we’d outgrown the space. It was one-tenth the size of what we have now; could hardly find anywhere to cool a muffin. I needed to have a commissary. So, we closed in December 2023 and five months later signed a lease and opened on Warren Street [Hudson] in three weeks.

That sounds stressful. Honestly, a lot of things in my life became so much easier. More space. Easier distribution. Try getting 1800 pounds of flour delivered in Chinatown. Hudson Valley farmers are a dream. And once again, our clients showed up right away.

Your smoked salmon focaccia is epic. Right up there with the pastrami tower at Katz’s Delicatessen in the Lower East Side. When you’re home what do you eat?

I’m such a boring eater; whatever stock that was no longer fresh enough to sell, vegetables and rice. My partner Ashley, however, does make a sensational meatloaf. I told you I was boring.

Quick success is always gratifying. But it’s more than that. I feel so lucky to bake for the people in this region. Though we immediately loved living up here, I didn’t expect to make friends, to find a community, to be part of a committed neighborhood that wants to eat and live well.

Is that so different than your New York City regulars?

I’m so impressed with Hudson Valley customers. Once we earned their trust and they realized we were sourcing everything locally, they became adventurous and connected. In New York, everyone’s in a rush.

Here, it’s more about people stopping by. I’m so happy to watch people sit outside, sharing and savoring a sandwich or pastry. It just inspires me to make more delicious products.

Do you go out to eat?

When I first moved here, I’d hang out at Wunderbar Bistro up Warren Street because they’re so friendly. I love Efrén’s food, funky taverns such as Jackson’s Old Chatham House. and Lil’ Deb’s Oasis is so unique. It’s like they caught lightning in a bottle.

What’s next?

We’ve acquired a beer and wine license and will soon open on Tuesday nights for special light dinners—small bites or pizza, grilled cheese, gourmet hot dogs or ceviches, maybe use it as a pop-up for visiting chefs who want to collaborate with us.

A little birdie chef named Efrén [Hernández] recently told me about something else exciting…

I love my partner dearly—Ashley Bernan is both an amazing person and an amazing

chef. She’s always wanted to run a diner and has looked longingly at Grazin’ Diner up the street since we moved here. Well, the stars aligned because Grazin’ recently closed and the owners wanted to sell. We’ve known the Meat Hook guys for 12 years. In fact, we persuaded them to move up here to the space next to ours. Now, she and Brent [Young] are going to take over the diner. I’m not involved. It’s their independent project, but I’m so excited to see what they’re going to do.

Whether you’re connected or not, the good will you’ve built with Mel the Bakery will certainly give them amazing momentum.

I know, but I’m content to be a spectator. The only thing I might help with is hiring staff, because the type of person you hire is so essential to success. We all agree you look for people who strike the balance between investment in the work and making people know you’re glad they showed up. You can usually teach someone to cook, but you can’t teach them to be kind.

THE FOOD iSSUE

EAT ON DOWN THE ROAD

The ultimate (expert) restaurant foodie crawl made just for you.

BY HAL RUBENSTEiN

FRIED CHICKEN

Hy’s Fried

This is what finger lickin’ good really tastes like. And the eight pieces in the bucket are cheaper than one breast at Manor Rock. Go figure. 264 Hillsdale Road Route 23, South Egremont, MA

FARM STAND

The Chatham Berry Farm

Their herbs and greens are superb. Meats are from Kinderhook Farms. 2309 NY Route 203, Chatham, NY

BAGELS

Broad Street Bagel Co.

The everything bagels are everything. 1 Broad Street, Kinderhook, NY

BREAKFAST

Dan’s Diner

“The Mountain” is Bunyanesque in size—you’ll hate yourself for scarfing it all down. Wash it down with Dan’s fine strawberry lemonade. 1005 NY Route 203, Chatham, NY

NACHOS

Governor’s Tavern

I hate nachos. But these are wonton nachos. With Kinderhook Farm beef. Still completely gross—and completely devourable. 14 South 7th Street, Hudson, NY

DUMPLINGS

Bimi’s Canteen & Bar

Lemon & thyme drop pillows in a chicken broth that’ll send your spoon into overdrive. 19 Main Street, Chatham, NY

ROADSIDE FOOD STAND

The Bistro Box

Sadly seasonal. But it’s the milkshakes that are one of the best things about summer. Burgers are pre y good, too. 937 South Main Street, Great Barrington, MA

CROISSANT

Mel the Bakery

Is there any baked good Mel doesn’t excel at? But try not to eat the entire croissant before you finish paying for it. I dare you. Be er buy two. You’ll finish that one before you get into your car. 324 Warren Street, Hudson, NY

TASTING MENU

Stissing House

The tasting room is intimate, the selection smartly balanced, the portions almost too generous, but it makes sense since you can hardly stop eating every course.

7801 South Main Street, Pine Plains, NY

ICE CREAM STAND

Samasco ’s Garden Market

Some flavors are overloaded (though kids love ’em) but their strawberry puts HaagenDazs to shame and their vanilla reminds you why it’s still America’s favorite.

65 Chatham Street, Kinderhook, NY

COCKTAIL TIE

Blue Denim (The Herea er)

Ever daydream about owning an enchanting neighborhood bar? This is exactly what it would look like Even Macbeth’s devilish trio of crones would be drop-jawed at the complex potions concocted here. But one sip of the mezcal-based Blue Denim or a sniff of the whiskey and pine infused Trail Blazer and you will be bewitched by The Herea er.

721 Columbia Street, Hudson, NY

Frozen Negroni

(The Tavern at Rivertown Lodge)

One’s so wicked, you’ll want another. Not without a designated driver.

731 Warren Street, Hudson, NY

PIZZA

Hilltown Hot Pies

They ain’t fast. But they are exceptional. Now, if they can just get the former John Andrews space open already, at least by summer.

224 Hillsdale Road, South Egremont, MA

DESIGN & VISTA

Klocke Estate

Designer Ken’s Fulk’s interior is simply stunning. So is the Klocke’s mountaintop view of the Catskills at sunset.

2554 County Route 27, Hudson, NY

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE

Blueberry Hill Market Café

If you can’t find something good to eat here, you must live on mung beans and green tea. 515 US-20, New Lebanon, NY

SEAFOOD APPETIZER Shadows On The Hudson

The brimming clam pot is perfumed by chardonnay and garlic and served with mashed potatoes. Actually, in no way is this an appetizer. 176 Rinaldi Boulevard, Poughkeepsie, NY

SEAFOOD ENTRÉE

Ki y’s

Sautéed skate in brown bu er is as hard to find (even in NYC) as an 18-wheeler on the Taconic. Not only is it rare, it is rhapsodically good. 60 South Front Street Hudson, NY

FAVORITE COMEBACK

The Mill (formerly The Old Mill)

It was the first restaurant I fell in love with when we came Upstate, so I went into mourning when it shu ered this fall a er 47 years. But hooray! Owner Terry Moore wasn’t meant to be a retiree. So, he redesigned his home away into a room you’d love to live in. As of this writing, he’s only open during the week. But The Old Mill is back. And his customers are giddy with joy. 53 Main Street, Egremont, NY

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THE FOOD iSSUE

GLOBAL MARKETS

At these local specialty food shops, every shelf is top shelf.

BY ISABEL HOCHMAN

Our region is of course widely known for its farm-to-table local eats, but if you’re wondering where to find Sicilian olive oil, British tea or the best Mediterranean picnic items, these are our gotos for quality specialty markets.

RUBINER’S CHEESEMONGERS

Rubiner’s, established in 2004, is the spot for your cheese and charcuterie needs. With fresh breads, meats, butters, a curated selection of cheeses and many other specialty goods Matthew Rubiner has endorsed. Great Barrington, MA • rubiners.com

BIZALION’S FINE FOOD

Known for its sandwiches, wines, local meats, cheeses and olive oils, Bizalion’s Fine Food in Great Barrington has all of your French needs covered. Helen and Jean-François Bizalion established the café in 2003, celebrating their Irish and French roots with local products. Come for the French salt, jams, pickles or Irish butter and leave with at least one or two of their olive oils sourced from Italy, France, Portugal, Greece and Spain. Great Barrington, MA • bizalions.com

ONE

IN

A BiZALiON

The secret behind Great Barrington’s notso-secret foodie spot.

Just in time for spring, Bizalion’s is buzzing as they prepare to receive their fresh shipment of oils personally sourced by owner Jean-François Bizalion. With a plentiful harvest and great relationships with the producers, Bizalion can tell you the story behind each oil. Take the Portuguese olive oil, for one:

european union At Bizalion in Great Barrington, come for the French salt or Irish butter and leave with olive oils.

TALBOTT & ARDING

This Hudson market is known for its freshly made focaccia, fried chicken, artichoke frittata, wide array of prepared meals, cheeses and other specialty items. The brainchild of Kate Arding and Mona Talbott, the 2014 establishment gives customers the space to grab a quick bite or coffee and source goods for their next dinner party with tinned fish, teas, candies and preserves. Hudson, NY • talbottandarding.com

NEJAIME’S WINE CELLARS

Run by Joe Nejaime, this trusted Stockbridge establishment has been helping customers source international wines, beers and spirits for more than half a century. But don’t sleep on their Mediterranean prepared foods. The musttry selection is their picnic for two, which comes with aged Vermont cheddar cheese, Greek olives, vegetable paté, homemade spanakopita, stuffed grape leaves, Lebanese tabouli, homemade baklava, baguette and spring water. Stockbridge, MA (second location: Lenox, MA) • nejaimeswine.com

“It’s a three-generation family from Switzerland. They moved to Portugal in the 1970s. They bought pre y arid land that resembled a desert, but they

planted this fabulous orchard that looks like waves,” he says.

The farm uses natural fertilizers including manure, never uses pesticides, boasts bees pollinating and sheep grazing on the hillsides. “It’s just absolutely idyllic,” says Bizalion.

Bizalion reveals he sells all his olive oils on eBay, Etsy and Shopify, and this year he’s particularly excited about the Sicilian olive oil. “It’s really fat, which I like. If you can put it on rice, you can put it on lentils. It works very nicely for those kinds of dishes,” he says.

—ISABEL HOCHMAN

Jean-François Bizalion

editors’ picks

FOOD, GLORiOUS FOOD (CHOiCES)

FTHE FOOD iSSUE

A sunrise-to-starlight itinerary of must-visit local food spots.

rom morning bagels and coffee to delis and midday pizza to a chic dinner, our curated list guides you through a perfect food-lover’s day. Explore top markets and farm stores, butchers, wine shops, relaxing cafés and the culinary artistry at hot spot restaurants—a mix of cuisines chosen for quality and character. Whether for a grocery run, a snack or a feast, there’s a stop for every craving—and even the opportunity to retire to plush, peaceful lodgings. —JAMES LONG

BAGELS

Fantzye Bagels

392 Hasbrouck Avenue Kingston, NY 12401 fantzye.com

The Great Barrington Bagel Company & Deli

777 Main Street Great Barrington, MA 01230 gbbagel.com

COFFEE

Fuel Bistro Iconic coffee shop now also doing Italian dinners on weekends. 293 Main Street Great Barrington, MA 01230 fuelgreatbarrington.com

Hudson Roastery 4 Park Place Hudson, New York 12534 hudsonroastery.com

PIZZA Lola

243 Fair Street Kingston, NY 12401 lola.pizza

Nic’s Tra oria

1 Springhurst Drive East Greenbush, NY 12061 nicstra oria.com

Pizzeria Posto 43 East Market Street Rhinebeck, NY 12572 postopizzeria.com

Roberto’s Pizza & The Pub

The Pub is a very cool bar/ restaurant next to its sister restaurant Roberto’s Pizza. 123 Main Street Sheffield, MA 01257 robertospizza413.com

Hilltown Hot Pies 224 Hillsdale Road Egremont, MA 01258 hilltownhotpies.com

BUTCHER MEAT

Primal Butcher & Delicatessen

Stuyvesant Plaza 1475 Western Avenue Albany, NY 12203 primalyourlocalbutcher.com

The Meat Hook

322 Warren Street Hudson, NY 12534 themeathook.com

FARM STORE

MX Morningstar Farm 5956 NY-9H

Hudson, NY 12534 mxmorningstarfarm.com

CHEESE

Bimi's Cheese Shop 21 Main Street Chatham, NY 12037 bimischeese.com

SUPERMARKETS

Adams Hometown Market

1 Myrtle Street Adams, MA 01220 adamshometownmarkets.com

Guido’s

1020 South Street

Pittsfield, MA 01201

—and—

760 South Main Street

Great Barrington, MA 01230 guidosfreshmarketplace.com

Price Chopper, Market 32 and Market Bistro

Several locations across NY, CT and MA. pricechopper.com

Sunflower Market

75 Mill Hill Road

Woodstock, NY 12498

—and—

24 Garden Street Rhinebeck, NY 12572 sunflowernatural.com

WINE & LIQUOR

Chatham Wine & Liquor

53 Main Street Chatham, NY chathamwineandliquor.com

Neverstill Wines

739 Warren Street Hudson, NY 12534 neverstillwines.com

HOME GOODS & TABLETOP

One Mercantile + Sett

276 Main Street Great Barrington, MA 01230 sett.onemercantile.com

RESTAURANTS / AMERICAN No Comply Foods

Fabulous, creative food from acclaimed Executive Chef Stephen Browning.

258 Stockbridge Road Great Barrington, MA 01230 nocomplyfoods.com

The Mill

Formerly The Old Mill: new name, new energy.

53 Main Street, Route 23 South Egremont, MA 01258 oldmillberkshires.com

Wunderbar Bistro

744 Warren Street Hudson, NY 12534 wunderbarbistro.com

The Well Restaurant + Bar

Fabulous pub. Best wings. 312 Main Street Great Barrington, MA 01230 wellgb.com

CHINESE

Ala Shanghai

468 Troy Schenectady Latham, NY 12110 alashanghai.net

FRIED CHICKEN

Hy’s Fried

264 Hillsdale Road, Route 23 South Egremont, MA 01258 hysfried.com

juju’s

Elevated fast food. Best soft serve ice cream in the county. The Triplex Cinema 70 Railroad Street Great Barrington, MA 01230 keepitjujus.com

ITALIAN

Acqua al 2

New Italian restaurant hailing from Florence in the former Rouge space.

3-5 Center Street West Stockbridge, MA 01266 acquaal2berkshires.com

Feast & Floret

13 South Third Street Hudson, NY 12534 feastandfloret.com

Via Cassia

214 Warren Street Hudson, NY 12534 viacassiahudson.com

FARM-TO-TABLE

Bimi’s Canteen & Bar

19 Main Street Chatham, NY 12037 bimiscanteen.com

Panacea

6 Autumn Lane Amenia, NY 12501 panaceany.com

INN, DINE & LOUNGE

Doctor Sax House

35 Walker Street Lenox, MA 01240 doctorsaxhouse.com

The White Hart

15 Under Mountain Road Salisbury, CT 06068 whitehartinn.com

Wm. Farmer and Sons

20 South Front Street Hudson, NY 12534 wmfarmerandsons.com

iron chef “Our most important hiring rule: ‘no jerks,’” says Becky Kempter, Klocke Estate’s acclaimed executive chef.

INVEST

Marissa Kirchner LPL Financial Advisor (413) 749-8001

Allendale Shopping Center 5 Cheshire Road, Ste. 26 • Pittsfield, MA 01201

Brian P. Astorino, CRPC® Vice President

LPL Financial Advisor (413) 236-4837

Allendale Shopping Center

5 Cheshire Road, Ste. 26 • Pittsfield, MA 01201 CRPC conferred by College for Financial Planning

checking in

BECKY WiTH THE GOOD FOOD

Klocke Estate’s Executive Chef Becky Kempter slays the game. BY

REBECCA D’AMBROSiO

Klocke Estate is quite the hot destination. Set over 160 acres, this “soil-to-glass” distillery in Hudson, NY, has become nothing less than a must-visit.

Eat atop the estate’s hill while gazing out at views of the Catskills while you try some of the freshest and, it must be said, most delicious food you’ll find anywhere.

We asked Executive Chef Becky Kempter what makes Klocke Estate such a remarkable standout. She had answers.

Are you looking to create a lasting legacy for yourself and your family? Interested in pursuing a comfortable retirement for the future?

Look no further than Greylock Investment Group. Our team is dedicated to helping you address your financial goals by crafting a customized investment plan tailored to your specific needs, aspirations, and level of investment expertise.

Michael B. DuPont

LPL Financial Advisor (413) 236-4130 150 West Street • Pittsfield, MA 01201

MA 01201

What’s the single-most innovative item on your menu?

First and foremost, we’re a brandy distillery, so our menu has been conceived to pair well with not only wine but also brandy and vermouth. We also cook with that brandy and vermouth quite a bit, in both savory and sweet applications, which is one of the things that makes our food so unique.

What dishes are repeat favorites among guests from across the region?

Klocke Estate was conceived with the idea of distilling spirits that marry the local terroir with old-world methods of Cognac and Calvados. We approach our food in the same way, which may be why the dishes that lean more traditionally French and pair well with wine and brandy have been popular. People love the roasted duck with our red vermouth. The most popular dessert pairing right now is our local apple tart with aged Calvados.

How would you characterize the typical Klocke guest?

The team that created Klocke Estate are

curious, adventure-seeking and lovers of great food, spirits and nature. It’s no surprise, then, that the people who visit us share those same qualities and enjoy having a beautiful meal, touring the distillery and tasting our brandies and vermouths, and taking in a sunset over the Catskill mountains on our patio with a cocktail.

What have you learned recently that has inspired or challenged you?

I’ve learned just how important a team is. The job market right now is very challenging, but we really took our time and created a team that truly believes in our Klocke ethos of quality in all aspects of the Estate. Our most important hiring rule: “no jerks.”

What’s the best thing about your job?

I’m grateful to be operating in community seasonality alongside agriculture distillery exciting

Beyond the expected use of New York’s produce (apples), is there anything that’s distinctly New York that you use in your cooking that we’d be actually surprised by?

Probably not so surprising, but definitely distinctly New York: the location for Klocke Estate was chosen because of the unique terroir of the Hudson Valley, which is one of the things that makes our brandy and vermouth so special. That same terroir informs all of food: work with

HOT COFFEE, COOL PLACES

BY SARAH CARPENTER

DTHE FOOD iSSUE

iscerning coffee drinkers will spill the hot tea that there are red flags that’ll tell them when the coffee’s going to suck. Like a 16oz cappuccino. Or a huge menu of overly sweet beverages. Even a portafilter resting somewhere other than its home. The thing is, bad coffee often costs almost as much as the good stuff, and we must find ways to make sure we’re not duped. A whole different problem: sometimes the good stuff is somewhere you’d least expect it.

MOTO COFFEE

Hudson, NY

The ground floor of this Warren Street building was supposed to be Antony Katz’

graphic design studio after his 2004 move to Hudson, in search of something in the country that was a little more city-like. But Katz, an avid motorcycle rider who’d stopped riding after the birth of his oldest son, couldn’t get the idea out of his head that this spot would make a great motorcycle shop.

Attempting to scratch that itch, Katz put a broken 1972 Moto Guzzi Eldorado in the window. Then he started feeling guilty having an un-rideable bike around. The time he spent fixing the bike up on his breaks brought motorcycle enthusiasts in, wanting to chat, and frequently led to trips up the road for coffee.

It became his favorite part of the day and in 2015, he went full throttle and opened

MOTO Coffee Machine, eventually dropping his graphic design business altogether. “I spent ten years with this fantasy,” Katz says. “I then realized, I’m either going to continue dreaming about this or I’m going to do it.”

Another decade later, MOTO Coffee is now planning a repair shop expansion, and Katz, whose Italian mother fed him coffee as early as he can remember (much milkier in childhood than he takes it now) is proud of the coffee they serve, using beans from a rotation of roasters (currently: Onyx, Brandywine and Elixr). “I learned how complicated it is to actually make a good cup of coffee, even with a fancy coffee machine that costs twice as much as my car,” Katz says. “I hired experts to teach me, and I still don’t make coffee for the customers because I have much better people who do that.”

HÅKAN CHOCOLATIER

Beacon, NY

Would you have looked for the best espresso in Beacon at a chocolate shop? Håkan Chocolatier features an espresso menu made with beans from Brooklyn roastery

AUGUST

Devoción Coffee, plus chocolates and baked items made on-site by Swedish chocolatier Håkan Mårtensson at his Main Street “chocolate speakeasy.”

MONKEY JOE ROASTING COMPANY

Kingston, NY

If you thought places with “java” or “joe” in the name weren’t to be taken seriously, think again. This independently owned coffee roaster and espresso bar has a cozy atmosphere and community feel—and a damn fine cup of coffee. They roast and sell small-batch, specialty, single-origin coffee beans.

UNDERGROUND COFFEE & ALES

Highland, NY

How do you trust a place loved for its beer and food to have time to focus on coffee? Open your heart and love again, because Underground manages to do it all. This triple-threat epicurean establishment’s perfectly simple coffee menu offers green flag after green flag.

halfway there

HONOR CLASS

The Salt Line Hudson Valley, located steps from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, has changed the culinary rules: advanced placement foodies welcome. |

BY ISABEL HOCHMAN

You probably already know Vassar College for its destination museum, the Frances Lehman Loeb Art Center, and its acclaimed theater scene with the Powerhouse Theater, but if you don’t know it for its must-try culinary slice of the Hudson Valley’s locally sourced food scene, it’s time to change that right now.

Run by Culinary Institute Of Americatrained Executive Chef Zachary Lovenguth, The Salt Line Hudson Valley, located within the Heartwood at Vassar Hotel in

Poughkeepsie, is a 57-seat restaurant named for the northern salt line of the Hudson River. This spot hopes to create a shared dining experience catering to the college campus, visitors and the wider Hudson Valley area.

Open for breakfast, dinner and bar service, The Salt Line features farm-to-table appetizers such as a warm Brussels sprout salad with sweet potato, butternut squash, CNC nuts, pickled cranberry, goat cheese, cranberry glaze and a mushroom pie with cashews, rosemary and roasted garlic velouté. The freshly made focaccia is a must-get and the entrées include a steak frites made with Veritas Farm panseared 16oz boneless strip steak, chimichurri, crispy french fries and truffle ranch.

The Night Owls, the bar within The Salt Line, named for Vassar’s famed a cappella vocal group, focuses on local beers, cocktails, wines and snacks. The bar menu features a seasonal Big Salad with roasted beets, frisée, arugula, Cambozola cheese, chervil, CNC spiced nuts, pears, gorgonzola pear vinaigrette; and the Northwind burger, an 8oz grass-fed patty with bourbon charred onion aioli, house-made fried onion rings, smoked chili cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickles served on a housemade English muffin.

If this is a course on how to eat like a true Hudson Valley foodie, consider us enrolled. Class is in session.

see salt The impressive Salt Line Hudson Valley near Vassar College.

SOCiAL FOODiES

Go ahead and follow these local Instagram accounts that make every day delicious.

BY ISABELLA JOSLiN

@hudson_valley_eats

THE FOOD iSSUE

A trusted guide to Hudson Valley dining, exploring restaurants across Orange, Dutchess and other counties. They provide curated food itineraries and highlight the region’s best culinary experiences for their more than 11,000 followers.

@thebeacondaily

A family-owned restaurant in Beacon, NY, known for high-quality sandwiches, cra beer and coffee. With more than 10,000 followers, it’s a must-visit local favorite.

@this_is_the_hudson_valley

Showcasing top food and drink spots in the Hudson Valley, Tara Latorre highlights hidden gems and wellknown favorites across the region for her more than 17,000 followers.

@adamsfairacrefarms

A premier Hudson Valley supermarket with locations including Poughkeepsie and Kingston. Think Whole Foods, but more mountains somehow. They’re widely known for top quality fresh produce, specialty foods and boast a loyal community of more than 33,000 followers.

@halfsiescookieco

A Marlboro, NY-based cookie brand with more than 72,000 followers. Known for its gourmet cookies, baked fresh and shipped nationwide, the delectable brand has become a go-to for indulgent treats.

the expert DANA COWiN, WE HAVE QUESTiONS

The celebrated former Food & Wine editor has ‘Progressive Hedonism’ on her mind. Um, what?

BY ABBE ARONSON

The former editor in chief at Food & Wine for more than two decades, podcast host and selfadmitted food-obsessed tastemaker has added “advocate for nature” to her résumé. Skipping ahead to the punchline, lest you think it’s all stern finger-wagging from Cowin to “do this, do that” when it comes to responsible cuisine; in fact, it’s all about joy. The joy of cooking? Has a nice ring to it.

Tell us more behind the journey to Progressive Hedonist.

About a year-and-a-half ago, I couldn’t figure out what to do next to impact climate change with an eye on positivity for the future. There were so many challenges around water and farming and everything seemed too big or small, you know, the

this that and the other “It’s important to educate people on ‘other’ food they can try,” Cowin says.

classic “Goldilocks” dilemma. With food/ agriculture industries accounting for 30 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, the need to reduce waste and plastics, to support local farming—where to begin? And then I realized that people would in fact pay attention if they reframed their thinking on this to see that joy is the root (and the route) to change. People will never be inspired by shaming them for what they buy, where they shop, how they eat—but they will be inspired by learning how to bring more joy into their lives.

On your website, you have a fun “Progressive Hedonist Quiz.” Explain. It’s a way for us to help people put some real thought into how they eat out and cook at home, how they shop and how they like to receive information on healthiest practices for the planet. Some people have never thought about things like “When you have food in your fridge that’s about to go bad, what do you typically do?” which is a question on the quiz. If we can mentor and guide people who are open to learning

more, we become a more fully integrated community of people with the same goals.

Let’s talk about the obligatory “farmto-table” concept: Overused? It’s kind of comical, isn’t it? I mean, if you’re eating it, it most likely came from a farm. My friend Dan Barber (Blue Hill At Stone Barns) often talks about the challenges around this and I like this example of why the concept is flawed: When you shop at a farmers market—and most of us love to shop at farmers markets because it’s so lovely to browse and see the purveyors and try new things—in the end, we’re really only interacting with about 25 percent of the crops grown that keep farms going. Which is why it’s important to educate people on “other” food they can try, such as buckwheat, rotation crops including clover and alfalfa, things that put nutrients back in the soil. And that’s a goal of Progressive Hedonist. I want to show people that what’s nutritious and good for the planet is actually also extraordinarily delicious. “Deliciousness” is key to motivating people to do almost anything around food.

IS A SHOWSTOPPER

Windham Mountain Club’s elevated restaurant wows our expert chef. Let’s eat.

BY JORDAN SCHOR

During my more than three decades in the restaurant industry in the Hudson Valley, I rarely have time to go skiing. My sport of choice is enjoying the bounty this region has to offer at many of its great restaurants. On a recent Sunday afternoon, I had the privilege of dining at all the food establishments at the Windham Mountain Club resorts. Every dish I ordered was nothing short of spectacular—a truly unforgettable experience.

My girlfriend Helen Sanfilippo and I started our afternoon delight at the first of two private restaurants: The Grill. We started our meal with chilled ahi tuna tacos: bluefin tartar, togarashi, sriracha aioli, sesame seeds and corn tortillas. These flavors blended well together, nested perfectly within a crisp taco shell. Next was the oxtail chili: a fresh twist on familiar fare. This chili was full of rich, deep flavors. The oxtail was tender and infused with an expert blend of spices that offered warmth and depth. With just the right balance of heat and savory richness, it was a comforting yet elevated take on a classic.

Each bite felt like a cozy hug on a cold day, and I couldn’t get enough of it.

Our next delight was one of my favorites—chicken pot pie. The flaky puff pastry on this nostalgic dish was light yet substantial and the creamy filling was a perfect blend of tender chicken, vegetables and just the right amount of seasoning. It felt like a true indulgence with the rich, comforting flavors transcending far beyond ordinary. Our final dish at The Grill was the star of the meal, a bonafide classic and my all-time favorite: beef bourguignon. In my extensive culinary experience, this was in the top five best beef bourguignon I’ve ever had. The beef was incredibly tender, having been braised to perfection, soaking up the robust flavors of the red wine sauce. Each bite was an explosion of richness, with mushrooms, squash and asparagus. This dish felt complete and refined, showcasing the kitchen’s mastery in balancing flavors.

We made our way to the fast casual dining end of the resort. We dined at Seasons, a Mediterranean style restaurant and then the food hall. From the first to the last bite,

The

the dishes presented were packed with fresh ingredients, bold flavors and bite-back personality. The chicken shawarma, falafel, babaganoush, hummus—even the tabouli— all hit the spot. Each of the fast casual dishes was satisfying, fresh and flavorful, proving that sometimes the simplest meals are plenty rewarding. Whether you’re grabbing a quick bite or sitting down to a casual meal, these spots offer a vibrant experience.

I’ve spent my 30-year career as a chef and owner striving for perfection. As we know, perfection doesn’t exist, but sometimes we

come close. The iconic chef of The French Laundry fame Thomas Keller says cooks cook to nurture. Words I’ve built my career on.

After taking a most exciting chairlift ride to Cin Cin!, Windham Mountain Club’s flagship restaurant, my anticipation was as high as the chair lift. We were greeted by Francesco Gallo, the restaurant’s general manager and sommelier, a classically trained chef from Bologna, Italy, along with the restaurant’s assistant general manager, Sam Calkins. After being seated at a booth with heavenly views, we met Executive Chef Goron Ristic, from Croatia. Many people call themselves chefs these days. This man is the textbook definition of a chef. I was inspired and enamored by his humility. I’d say he’s the best chef within 100 miles of any Michelin Star restaurant. This was, undoubtedly, the best meal I’ve had in at least two years. The carefully crafted menu—each dish with its own distinct flavor and texture—made for a truly memorable meal. Here’s a breakdown of what we indulged in.

Beet and burrata salad. This dish was visually stunning and beautifully balanced.

Order online at tacosdiablo.com

The earthly sweetness of the roasted beets paired expertly with the creamy, velvety burrata. The clementine segments added a burst of citrus and freshness, while the pine nuts provided a delightful crunch. The pomegranate seeds offered a pop of color and a touch of tartness, making each bite a harmonious blend of flavors. Our next dish, a classic for me, was meatballs with ricotta and tomato sauce. The meatballs, tender and juicy, arrived nestled in ricotta cheese and tomato sauce. The creamy ricotta added a luscious richness to the dish, and the tomato sauce was full of depth. It was a comforting yet refined take on a classic dish. Though this next dish is on many menus, Chef Goron’s Cacio e Pepe is the most traditional and the very best I’ve ever had anywhere. Period. It’s a delightful representation of simplicity done right. The bigoli pasta was perfectly al dente, and the creamy, sharp pecorino cheese coated each strand just enough, with black pepper that celebrated the beauty of minimalism, letting each ingredient shine in its own right.

Up next: ricotta gnocchi with gorgonzola, sage and walnuts. This dish hit all the right notes. Soft, pillowy and melt-in-your-mouth tender, the gnocchi was bathed in a rich gorgonzola sauce which brought a bold creaminess to the dish. The sage added an herby depth, while the walnuts introduced a crunch and warmth to the overall profile. It was a seductive medley of comfort and sophistication. The branzino was a standout as well, featuring filets cooked to sublime perfection. The combination of flavors created a bright Mediterranean-inspired sauce that paired wonderfully with the light flaky fish. The parsley added a refreshing herbaceous note that rounded out the dish.

My mother’s signature dish, veal osso buco, as prepared by Chef Goron, left me with a tear in my eye, as I felt like my mother had prepared this for me. And it was a showstopper. The veal was incredibly tender, falling apart effortlessly after being braised in red wine and mirepoix. The sauce was rich and flavorful, with layers of complexity that made every bite a memory of my childhood. The creamy mashed potatoes were the ideal accompaniment, absorbing the sauce and adding a smooth, buttery contrast to the savory richness of the osso buco.

In tandem with the brilliant food menu, the wine list was a genuine reflection of the restaurant’s commitment to excellence. It’s clear the wine program here offers a carefully considered complement to an already exceptional meal, featuring a diverse range of wines from many international vineyards. Whether you’re a fan of bold reds, crisp whites or sparkling, rest assured there are exquisite options here.

Overall, this fine dining experience was nothing short of magnificent. The dishes were beautifully presented, with bold flavors that demonstrated true culinary expertise. From the lightness of the fish to the richness of the veal, every dish felt thoughtfully crafted and expertly executed. Bravo to Chef Goron and his team.

One can definitely argue that Windham Mountain Club is a foodie’s dream destination with a side of world-class skiing. This is an elevated experience you won’t soon forget.

sparkling wine It’s clear that Windham Mountain Club’s wine program offers a carefully considered complement to an already exceptional meal.

Make Your Move

BOA

innovation LiBERTY FARMS, A POST-MODERN EXPERiENCE

BY RiCHARD PÉREZ-FERiA

Co-owners Bev and Mark Cheffo take the traditional concepts of what a farm can be and elevate them in Ghent.

our two kids were small. Indeed, it started with a backyard garden, grew to a few acre paddock where I grew thousands of pumpkins and started in earnest when we bought 200 acres a few miles away in what was Liberty Stud Farm.

The current iteration of the farm employs 20 people full time and we split our time between Brooklyn and the farm as I continue my full-time day job as a partner in a law firm. Buying a gentleman’s farm in the country as a vanity or hobby might be the cliché but LF is an actual working organic regenerative farm that seeks to provide superior products and experiences while improving the farmland, giving back to community and being a stop on ecotourism offerings of the Hudson Valley.

In three hours: What’s my itinerary?

Three hours will fly by. We’d start at The Stay at Liberty Farms, our glamping venue. We’d have a drink on the deck overlooking the Catskill mountains. There are ten private safari-type tents at the Stay, each with rain showers, flush toilets and a king size bed.

Tucked into the rolling hills of Ghent, NY, Liberty Farms is a vibrant, multifaceted property that defies the traditional definition of what most people consider a “farm” to be. Coowned by Mark and Bev Cheffo, Liberty Farms blends certified organic agriculture with eco-tourism, equestrian life and event hosting—all on land painstakingly restored over the past decade. What began as a modest weekend escape for the married couple has grown into a “working regenerative farm,” employing full-time staff and drawing visitors from across the region. We tracked Mark down to explore how Liberty Farms came to be—and what makes it unlike anything else in our sphere.

At its core and roots, Liberty Farms is a certified organic farm, raising beef, chicken, lamb and pork and growing a bevy of vegetables and mushrooms. Liberty Farms has also separate but fully integrated operations including an equestrian center, premium glamp site, acclaimed wedding and event venue and a soon-to-open restaurant featuring LF and other local producers. All of the land that makes up LF is certified organic, most of it brought back to life and vibrancy before being acquired over the last decade.

From there we’d head across the road to the vegetable and flower farm to explore what was in season and taste some veggies right out of the fields We’d see how our Lion’s Mane and other mushrooms are carefully grown and harvested. We have a wide array of vegetables to support our CSAs, markets and restaurant.

Just a short stroll from there, we’d explore the equestrian center where we’d mount horses and have a state-of-the-art indoor arena. The horses belong to our boarders who range from lifetime equestrians to folks who became riders in their adult years.

THE FOOD iSSUE

For the interested but uninitiated, describe Liberty Farms. In other words, what’s your elevator pitch?

In which way do you think your and Bev’s journey is the most straightforward cliché that stipulates after a successful few decades in NYC, one moves to Upstate New York and buys a farm? We did not expect to own a farm; nor did I expect to become a farmer when we bought our weekend house “in the country” when

Before we left the main farm, we’d stop by the honor farm store where we could grab a drink and plan our dinner from the meat, vegetables and other products in the store.

From there we’d head down bucolic Ostrander Road to peek in at the Barn at Liberty Farms, our event space. We’d pass sheep and our guard donkey, Frankie, along the way. The event space, which has been reimagined from its origin as the stud barn, retains an authentic barn vibe with all of the appreciated comforts and design features. We only host one event per weekend and many guests choose to also reserve the glamp site for their guests.

animal farm “Liberty Farms is different because it offers a wide range of experiences,” co-owner

Once we leave the main farm, we’d travel around a mile up the road on Route 66 to our new farmland where we raise the beef, chicken, lamb and pork. We’d tour each of the areas and explain the operations. We might see new piglets, a nursing calf or collect some eggs during our tour.

Finally, we’d drive about a half-mile back up the road to our new restaurant, the Tavern at Liberty Farm (opening June 2025) where we’d enjoy a great dinner sourced substantially from LF and local farms.

Finish this sentence: Liberty Farms is different than anything you’ve ever experienced because… Liberty Farms is different because it offers a wide range of experiences, is certified organic, only raises grass-fed beef and lamb and employs a team of exceptional people who are all on the farm because they want to be and not because they have to be.

What does success look like for you and Bev personally and for Liberty Farms?

In five years, will there be more Liberty Farms or is one just right?

Success can be fluid, but for us success means a mature, smooth, functioning farming and events operation where the name LF is synonymous with quality and integrity. Success also means teaching new farmers, continuing to preserve and improve farmland and providing our customers with excellent yet accessible products. Success will mean having more time to ensure the little things on the farm that bring happiness. Success will be sharing our successes and failures with the next generation of farmers who’ll hopefully view us as an example of what responsible local organic agriculture can yield.

SALT + SEA

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Cheffo says.

LET THE HEALiNG BEGiN

As healthcare access expands in the Hudson Valley, Catskills and Berkshires, Columbia Memorial Health is leading the charge. | BY

DAN KODAY

For decades, residents of Columbia, Greene and surrounding counties have faced a frustrating reality when it comes to healthcare. Options were limited, wait times were long and many found themselves heading to Albany or even New York City just to get the care they needed. But that’s changing—and fast. The post-pandemic migration that reshaped our towns also brought new businesses, new investments and, most importantly, new energy into local healthcare. Columbia County, home to one of the oldest populations per capita in the Empire State, needs expanded care for aging residents. At the same time, an influx of young families and weekenders putting down permanent roots has pushed demand higher than ever.

Enter Columbia Memorial Health (CMH). Caring for patients in and around Hudson, NY, since the late 1800s, it recently became part of Albany Med Health System following a recent merger. Today, CMH is ushering in a new era of care, complete with expanded services, cutting-edge technology and a renewed focus on keeping patients local.

“We’ve always been committed to improving access to primary care because we serve a rural community,” says Dorothy M. Urschel, DNP, President and CEO of CMH. “Now, we’re making it easier for patients to get timely appointments—not just with primary care doctors, but also with specialists and sub-specialists.”

One of the biggest game-changers? The rollout of the Epic electronic medical record system. While it might sound like a behind-the-scenes upgrade, the impact is huge. Now, patient records are instantly accessible across CMH, Albany Medical Center and healthcare partners such as Saratoga Glens Falls Hospital. “If you come into CMH’s ER but your doctor is in Albany, we can pull up your records instantly—saving time and improving care,” Urschel explains.

calendar girl “We’re making it easier for patients to get timely appointments,” says Columbia Memorial Health’s Urschel.

Beyond digitization, CMH is making big moves where it matters most. New Centers of Excellence have launched in gastroenterology and endoscopy, orthopedics, women’s health and primary care. The newly opened Women’s Health Center is a prime example of this transformation. “Women no longer have to leave the community for top-tier gynecological care,” Urschel says. “We’ve modernized equipment, expanded services and created a space where women feel comfortable and cared for.”

And there’s more on the way. CMH is developing an ambulatory surgical center in Greene County, making outpatient procedures more convenient. An expansion of cardiology services will allow patients with chest pain to get immediate evaluations close to home by well-trained cardiologists. And with a $5 million award from New York State to enhance psychiatric care, CMH will nearly double its inpatient psychiatric beds—addressing a long-standing need in the region.

What was once a hassle—driving hours for a specialist, waiting months for an appointment—is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. CMH is at the forefront, but neighboring networks including Berkshire Health Systems and NuVance Health are also stepping up and making investments, transforming healthcare access across the region. In fact, Berkshire Medical Center was recently named a Best Hospital for Maternity Care by U.S. News & World Report for 2025, and NuVance’s New Milford Hospital received initial accreditation in family medicine residency.

All of this means that residents no longer have to choose between convenience and quality. The care they need is right here, in the mountains they call home.

As Urschel puts it, “Without us, this would be a healthcare desert. We’re committed to keeping care local, accessible and patient-centered. And we’re just getting started.”

MARY STUART MASTERSON

She’s not just a local; actor Mary Stuart Masterson is a local who cares about bringing women, minorities and veterans into the film industry and breaking barriers as she did portraying Idgie in Fried Green Tomatoes—and for this writer, her portrayal of drummer Watts in Some Kind Of Wonderful really butters my popcorn. She pays it forward as the founder of Stockade Works, a Hudson Valley-based local crew training and mentorship program and Upriver Studios, a woman-led sustainable production facility in the Hudson Valley, which opened in 2020.

When asked what people get wrong about her, the star of Chances Are as well as Benny And Joon answers succinctly: “They think that I’m super organized and buttoned up,” Masterson says. “The truth is, on most days, I’m living my life like a finger painting.”

Oh, also when she had to pose for a glamorama photo at an event in Kingston, NY, Masterson spit out her chewing gum in my hand. Baller! —ABBE ARONSON

ERIC WILLIAMS

A former standout NBA player—most notably his many years as a member of the storied Boston Celtics—Eric Williams brings his wealth of knowledge in health and nutrition to both Copake, NY-based Empire Farm and FarmOn! Foundation which he co-owns with his wife, Tessa E. Williams. Williams often invites his NBA pals to participate in some of the foundation’s many activities on the bucolic farm. “We try to do creative, engaging and fun things, because having fun is important too,” Williams says.

—RICHARD PÉREZ-FERIA

KAREN ALLEN

The legendary star of stage and screen, Karen Allen is also a local cornerstone at the Berkshire Film Festival, Berkshire Theater Festival and Bard College at Simon’s Rock. Two decades ago, she opened

play ers

The h 2025

Who are the actors and athletes living in our midsts? here are this year’s reveals.

Karen Allen Fiber Arts, where she sells her own knitwear line, in Great Barrington, MA. An FIT graduate long before Allen became an actor, she changed her tune when she saw Jerzy Grotowski’s Laboratory Theater perform, and she knew then whatever she had just seen, she wanted to be a part of it. “What I love about the Berkshires is that it’s encouraging and supportive of people who are creative and trying to make something happen,” Allen says. “And I hope it stays that way.”

—SARAH CARPENTER-PECK

JAMES SCHAMUS

Acclaimed film producer, screenwriter—and Crandell Theatre board member— James Schamus is known for his collaborations with director Ang Lee on films Brokeback Mountain and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. A key figure in independent cinema, he continues to shape the industry while maintaining deep ties to Upstate New York and the Hudson Valley.

“Looking back over decades of work with filmmakers around the world, I’ve come to realize how much of its meaning for me comes from sharing it at Chatham’s Crandell Theatre,” Schamus says. “Cinema may be a global business, but it’s the way our local community gathers and grows around the images we make that stays

with me as time goes by. And not even as time goes by. Just recently, I was thrilled to share a sneak preview of the latest film I co-wrote and produced, Andrew Ahn’s The Wedding Banquet, at PS21, the Crandell’s off-site screening partner during the ongoing renovation. It’s a reimagining of a movie I helped Ang Lee make three decades ago.”

—JAMES LONG

MELISSA GILBERT & TIMOTHY BUSFIELD

“We love our neighbors, and I’m much happier here than I ever was in Hollywood,” says Highland Lake, NY, resident and actor Melissa Gilbert, whose breakout role as Laura on the legendary television show, Little House On The Prairie, propelled her into a lifelong acting career.

“I love the clean air of the Hudson Valley, the smell of the lakes, the colors of the trees, the beautiful change of seasons,” says Gilbert, who now shares a rustic cottage on 14 acres with husband, fellow actor, writer and director, Timothy Busfield, whose own career soared with his Emmy-award winning turn on the era-defining TV show, thirtysomething

“The woods and wildlife are constantly trying to take back our property,” Gilbert says. “That’s what nature does. We watch and care for the animals, the deer, the bears. We respect them. We genuinely love where we live.”

—MITCH RUSTAD

VERA FARMIGA

The Academy Award and Emmy nominee and ferociously whirling dervish of an artist who lights up the screen lends her passion and voice to protesting the war in Ukraine (her ancestral homeland) and fronts her hotter-than-hot metal band, The Yagas, with an album forthcoming this year. Lesser known? Vera Farmiga’s killer green thumb and her family’s enormous garden, where she grows a bounty of fruits and vegetables; if you’re lucky like me, you might be a recipient of her signature hot sauce.

“The Hudson Valley is where my soul takes off its steel-toed boots and sighs big-ass relief,” Farmiga says. “Living here influences my everything—equal parts muse and mischief. This place gives me permission to be my weird and sentimental self, it’s wildly

inspiring. The stars feel closer somehow here, and that magic seeps into everything I do; so much so, my life feels like a folktale.”

—ABBE ARONSON

TYLER LYDON

Former NBA forward Tyler Lydon grew up in Elizaville, NY, before reaching the 2016 Final Four with legendary college basketball coach Jim Boeheim at Syracuse University. The six-foot, ten-inch sharpshooter, who played two seasons with the Denver Nuggets, now runs Tyler Lydon Basketball Training, which offers private and public sessions and camps throughout Hudson Valley.

“That was my childhood dream,” Lydon says of playing in the NBA. “Now, I want to give back to the community and place that helped me so much.”

—SEAN McALINDIN

MICKEY BRANTLEY

Former major league baseball outfielder and batting coach

Mickey Brantley knows a thing or two about America’s pastime. He grew up in Catskill, NY, the 6th of 11 children.

Brantley says he learned the game at Catskill Little League and Columbia-Greene Community College before playing at the highest level for the Seattle Mariners from 1986-89. His son, Michael Brantley, played for the World Series champion Houston Astros in 2022.

“It was a dream come true,” Brantley says of playing in the major leagues. “Looking back on my incredible memories, there’s still no place like home.”

—SEAN McALINDIN

HELENA CHRISTENSEN

The famed supermodel Helena Christensen has built a multifaceted career in fashion, modeling, photography and design while maintaining a deep connection to nature.

Splitting time between an apartment in Manhattan’s West Village and a home in her beloved Catskills, Christensen says she embraces sustainability, creativity and environmental advocacy.

“I always choose from my heart and belly, whatever feels right is the path I definitely go towards,” Christensen says.

—ISABELLA JOSLIN

activate, with style the nine

1 Marist College in Poughkeepsie, NY officially becomes Marist University.

2

Doctor Sax House is a fab boutique hotel in Lenox, MA. Rooms, chic. Bar, groovy. Serves breakfast, brunch and dinner seven days and nights a week—and it’s open late!

3

Condé Nast Traveler names Litchfield County, CT one of the best places to visit in the US in 2025.

4

Michelin-starred ChefJosé Ramírez Ruiz opens Isabela restaurant in Amenia, NY.

5

Hudson Home owners Richard Bodin and Greg Feller are celebrating its 20th anniversary on Hudson’s Warren Street.

6

Kingston Social boasts not only incredible coffee and pastries in Kingston, NY, it’s also the perfect mercantile with vintage and new goods and even has rotating art shows.

7

Eng’s, the beloved Kingston-based Chinese restaurant, has reopened after half-a-decade.

8

Lucky Catskills in Tannersville, NY has pretty remarkable and formidable dumplings, baked and steamed sweet and savory buns and other delights.

9

Upstate Bowls—at Sunflower Natural Market in Woodstock, NY—serves up customizable, nutritious meals to grab and go.

house call Doctor Sax House in Lenox, MA is a chic and visual treat.

Photo by TRICIA McCORMACK/ DOCTOR SAX HOUSE

OI often get hired to consult on menus for weddings (because everything must be perfect!). Here’s the truth: Pairing is as subjective as your palate. If you like your steak well-done and favor tannic Cabernets from Napa Valley, and I like my steak to quiver and prefer the acidity in French Northern Rhône reds, how can we agree on what’s ‘perfect?’ We can’t and we shouldn’t. But that’s never enough for those who are wine insecure. So, here’s what to do: Ask an expert at the wine shop or at the restaurant—that’s what they’re there for.

To set the stage, I spotted two dishes that, for me at least, could be troublesome for wine pairing: An appetizer of crispy Brussels sprouts and kale, followed by a main course of halibut with saffron-fennel broth, fregola, n’duja sausage.

Red Or White? That Isn’t The Question

Food + Wine = Success. Yep, the equation is literally that simple. |

By Anthony Giglio

ver my three-decade career in wine, I’ve hosted thousands of tastings, tours and dinners. Literally. One story I love to recount in front of an audience is an email I received many years ago from a distressed woman (via an “Ask the Sommelier” link in a now-defunct Food & Wine newsletter) who wrote: “Anthony, oh my gosh! I just put two steaks on the grill and realize I only have Chardonnay in the fridge! Now what?” Even though I technically had 72 hours to reply, I was at my computer when she sent it and immediately wrote, “Hi—I see a clear path to a great dinner, but, given the urgency, you’ll have to decide between two scenarios immediately: Steak with Chardonnay. Or steak with water. I think you know the correct answer.” She

got my meaning immediately and sent me a thank you the next day. The question for you reading this is: Do you get my meaning? My logic is simple. She only had Chardonnay, but because so many of us are misled by the old adage, “white wine with fish, red wine with meat,” she assumed the white wine would ruin her red meat (or vice versa). If you only have one wine in the house and dinner’s ready, that’s what you’re drinking tonight and, IMHO, it’s gonna be better than water.

This is an evergreen conversation I’ve been having with wine drinkers for as long as I can remember. So many people think there are “perfect pairings,” but I like to think that there are only good ideas. Put another way, how will you know if you don’t try? And yet, here we are. I still get emails asking for pairing recommendations, and

That’s what I did—and I did it for you!— when I took a look at the menu at the stunning Klocke Estate in Claverack, just five miles outside of Hudson on a 160-acre estate, replete with 60 acres of vineyards and apple orchards grown for one purpose: to make exquisite brandy. But they also have a seriously impressive wine list, too, written by their very passionate beverage manager, Brian Crocco. To set the stage, I spotted two dishes that, for me at least, could be troublesome for wine pairing: An appetizer of crispy Brussels sprouts and kale—cruciferous vegetables can make wine taste metallic—with apple, maple, miso and sunflower seeds, followed by a main course of halibut with saffron-fennel broth, fregola, n’duja sausage—which could be spicy, as in hot, and hot spice can render most wines flat—rouille and grilled baguette.

I asked Crocco to talk me through some pairing ideas, and after assuring me that he hadn’t invented this philosophy, he shared the “parallel or perpendicular” pairing strategy that professionals often use. “For parallel, we want to mimic the flavors on the plate in the glass, for example, Muscadet and oysters; the wine’s minerality from limestone soils is great with shellfish,” he explained. “Perpendicular, then, is needing the sum to be greater than the two parts. A bright and incisive wine that might

good question It’s really the oldest question in the wine industry: red with meat and white with fish? The answer, according to the eperts, is yes, no and sometimes.

cut through the richness of a dish, for example.”

Are you following? There’s a lot of room for experimentation here.

With the Brussels sprouts, Crocco said, “We have an absolutely lovely Grüner Veltliner, FX Pichler’s Ried Loibenberg Smaragd 2022 from the Wachau in Austria ($166), which pairs well with veggies.” It’s true. Though not very well known, Grüners are the unicorn whites that stand up well to those cruciferous veggies.

“This Pichler has just the right body, Anjou pear fruitiness and brassica have a little bit of bitterness, so we’re looking for something round, fleshy, orchard fruit and also a really terrific green vegetable savoriness to it,” he explained, adding, “This particular Grüner would be dynamite pairing with the Brussels.”

As for the halibut, we’re looking at a white fish, but, Crocco warned me, “We need to talk about sauces and spices and preparation.” This is why it’s always a bad idea to generalize about pairing because “fish,” for example, can be one of a dozen species, and spiced, sauced and cooked in innumerable ways. “This could be paired with a white or red, depending on the table’s preferences. Given that there’s a roux on the plate, give me a rosé please,” like a Château Pibarnon Rosé ‘Nuances’ 2022 from Bandol, France for $120. “But let’s have some fun talking white or red first. For this particular dish, there’s nduja incorporated in the sauce, so you have warmth and richness, and given that halibut is meaty already, how about an assertive cru Beaujolais such as Pierre Marie Chermette Moulin-a-Vent ‘Les Trois Roches’ 2022 from France ($80)?” he asked, referring to a super light, chillable, gulpable red made with the Gamay grape. For fun, I’d add to the list of possibilities a spicy (not sweet) Riesling on Crocco’s list from Alsace, such as Albert Mann’s ‘Cuvée Albert’ 2022 ($90).

So, which one would you choose? As long as the answer isn’t water, you’ve got a great pairing.

This exhibition is organized by the New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, Connecticut in partnership with the artist, Walter Wick. I Spy! Walter Wick’s Hidden Wonders is made possible by The Saunders Foundation and the Cheryl Chase and Stuart Bear Family Foundation.

Walter Wick, Clouds! from I SPY Fantasy, 2021. Pigmented inkjet photograph: 30 x 50 in. New Britain Museum of American Art. ©2021 Walter Wick

Hello, Kitty

It’s reigning cats and kittens at Beans Cat Café in Beacon.

By Sarah Carpenter-Peck

Iwas lucky enough to live in Oakland, CA, when the very first cat café in the US opened there in 2014. Yes, I went there a lot Thankfully, the concept—originating in Taiwan and big in Japan—is spreading. So what’s a cat café, exactly? It’s a place to get coffee and and hang out with adoptable shelter cats. Hello Kitty, indeed.

The cats you’ll hang with at the perfectly named Beans Cat Café are adoptable through their partners, Hudson Valley Animal Rescue & Sanctuary. Owned operated by Jessica and Justin Strika, Beans has adopted out than 700 cats in less than five business in Beacon. Profiles

meet at the café can be found on the Beans Cat Café website (go ahead and make a reservation while you’re there).

Even if you’re not looking to adopt, this has got to be the best way to dose up on feline friendship—and your presence can help to socialize the cats so someone with a kitty-shaped space in their family can take them home one day very soon. Now, cat lovers beware: You’re not allowed to pick the cats up. This isn’t how I typically wish to operate with cats, but I, of course, respect the rules of engagement. Remember these are shelter pets and this is their home. For now, anyway.

Also check out: Perks And Paws Cat Café in Torrington, CT, with adoptable rescue cats from their partners Love For Meow, Inc.

Get active with your fur baby for a cause at the 10th Annual 5K Run & Walk With The Dogs on May 18 at Memorial Park in Beacon, NY, with 100 percent of proceeds supporting the Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF). Dogs may also compete in the Most Original and Most Hilarious dog costume contest. Send us pics if you win! all reptile lovers! If you missed the Mid-Hudson Reptile Expo in March, you could still catch the Capital District Reptile Expo on May 18, if you don’t mind the drive up to the Albany Capital Center.

you’ve not yet had the pleasure spending quality time with goats, check out Hugs And With Rescued Goats at the Rescue and Sanctuary in Thursdays-Sundays at 2pm.

beacon of hope Beans Cat Café has adopted out more than 700 cats in less than five years of being in business in Beacon.

Twinning In Stockport

There’s something about this region of ours that draws people in—its rolling landscapes, rich history and an undeniable sense of place. For California transplants David and Alix Becker, it was more than just a destination; it was a calling. The creative couple saw in Stockport, NY, not just a home, but a canvas, discovering quiet reminders of a bygone era—Columbia County’s oldest surviving residential structure, built in 1654, and two aging barns—set on a 40acre property with extended views of the Hudson River.

David, a painter, and Alix, founder of Farmstead Hudson Valley, saw potential in these weathered structures, envisioning the two barns as places where art and connection could thrive. Together with the expertise of Hudson-based architecture and interior design studio BarlisWedlick and landscape architect Margie Ruddick, they transformed these two historic sheds once used for housing livestock into Twin Barns—a harmonious blend of preservation, sustainability and community engagement.

Hudson-based architectural firm BarlisWedlick brings new life to historic barns. |

By James Long

Columbia County’s landscape tells a deep-rooted story and the Becker’s property is no exception. In taking on the challenge to reimagine the barns as spaces for gathering, creativity and celebration, BarlisWedlick breathed new life into the structures while preserving their rustic character. “From the first time we saw the twin barns sitting picturesquely in the fields above the road just as the Hudson River came into view, we knew we could make a difference and respect the character of this special place,” says BarlisWedlick associate and architect Andrew Lefkowitz. “We’ve been working in the Hudson Valley for three decades to creatively bring beautiful, existing and forgotten structures and landscapes into meaningful use for the next generations.”

BarlisWedlick’s Twin Barns metamorphosis now sees the lower barn serving as a warm, inviting space for family gatherings, hosting weddings or perhaps charity fundraisers, complete with a kitchen, dining area and tent lofts for overnight stays with seamless indoor and outdoor transitions designed to highlight the surrounding natural beauty.

The upper barn, in contrast, has been tailored for larger assemblies. A stage stands ready for performances while an optional loft expansion provides additional space for guests. This summer, David and two other artists will present an exhibition within one of the barns, turning the space into a dynamic cultural destination. Lefkowitz corroborates: “The Beckers wanted us to create multi-use interior and exterior spaces to allow for a range of anticipated uses such as quiet moments for the two of them, family gatherings and overnight guests as well as a range of to-be-explored future uses.”

Beyond their aesthetic transformation, the Twin Barns project embodies a larger

twin peaks Owners David and Alix Becker—along with BarlisWedlick and Margie Ruddick—transformed these two historic sheds once used for housing livestock into Twin Barns, a harmonious blend of preservation, sustainability and community engagement.

vision—one that seamlessly integrates historic preservation with environmental responsibility. Indeed, a driving force behind BarlisWedlick’s restoration was sustainability. Given the property’s conservation easement with the Columbia Land Conservancy, maintaining the land’s scenic beauty and ecological integrity was paramount.

“Architecturally, we stabilized and reinforced the barns in place by strategically inserting a new structural frame within their existing shells,” says Lefkowitz. In this way, no new structures were introduced that would disrupt the landscape, and the barns themselves were revitalized to minimize the environmental impact associated with producing new materials. The carefully preserved timber frames and other reclaimed materials not only retain the barns’ original charm but also contribute to a lower carbon footprint. “The interior spaces were then transformed from agricultural storage into inviting and functional living spaces allowing the imagination to run wild with possibilities,” Lefkowitz says.

The Twin Barns project stands as both a tribute to the past and a model for sustainable design in the future. The result is a space that feels at once timeless and contemporary. With sweeping views of the Catskill Mountains beyond the Hudson River Valley, Twin Barns offers the Beckers and the surrounding community a rare opportunity to engage with the land in a meaningful way and where rustic charm is honored in every thoughtful detail. For those desiring to step inside, it offers a glimpse into a landscape where history and innovation exist in perfect harmony.

columbiachamber-ny.com (518) 828-4417 reservations on Resy or 518. 938.1415

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mode| drive

Driving Home

When the world shut down due to pandemic, Americans hit the road. Domestic outdoor travel, with its abundance of fresh air and built-in social distancing, became the de facto form of entertainment for a cooped-up nation. As a result, RV sales soared to record highs in 2021, surpassing the previous peak in 2017 by nearly 100,000 units. Though RV adoption has since dipped, America’s renewed love affair with homegrown attractions has proven to have staying power. That includes yours truly. I consider myself a well-traveled gent, but four years ago, I had never set foot in a national park. So, trading cabin fever for the inimitable highs of the open road, I set off from the Hudson Valley to experience the aweinspiring grandeur of Yellowstone by RV.

I arrived in Bozeman, MT, at the tail end of September; a time when crowds thin and roadways clear in the park. (Although 2021 set a record for highest visitation numbers, there was still plenty of traffic.) Of all the memories— from seeing the chromatic brilliance of Grand Prismatic Spring up close to watching herds of bison thunder across the plains—the one that lingers most is coming face to face with a bull elk in the dead of night at a campground near Mammoth. That’s the kind of experience you can only have when traveling by RV.

No matter if you’re cruising down the Taconic or navigating Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park, an RV decked out with bikes and gear is always going to scream adventure. So whether you’re planning local weekend getaways or an epic cross-country journey to all

Three RVs that redefine life on the open road with comfort, style and, yes, performance. | By

Simon Murray

63 national parks, these three RVs can help get you there in style—because when the open road calls, the right ride makes all the difference.

Tiffin Zephyr 45

MSRP: $962,000

For the ultimate in “Who bothers with gas prices?” extravagance, look no further than the newest Zephyr from Tiffin Motorhomes. A marvel of craftsmanship and engineering, it delivers the comfort of a high-end apartment while cruising down the highway. Semicustomizable with two spacious layouts— including options for one-and-a-half baths— the Zephyr ensures you and your family can travel in style without compromising a single iota of comfort. Depending on the configuration, it sleeps three to five people, making it perfect for small families or those who like to entertain like a rockstar on tour. Inside, luxury abounds: quartz countertops, large panoramic windows, upscale stainlesssteel appliances. With 237 cubic feet of exterior storage—roughly the volume of a minivan— the Zephyr has ample room to accommodate all your gear. Its advanced technology package provides seamless control over climate, lighting and media, ensuring a smooth travel experience for everyone on board. But fair warning: you may need a seasoned road warrior to handle this behemoth.

Winnebago Revel

MSRP: $254,000

For those who live for off-road escapades, the Winnebago Revel is a rugged yet functional camper van designed to conquer the vast

vip rvs (opposite) the luxe interior of Tiffin Zephyr 45; (above) the off-road capable Winnebago Revel; (below) the fantasy RV known as eleMMent Palazzo Superior that’ll set you back up to $5 million.

wilderness. Built on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis, it’s equipped with a turbo-diesel engine and automatic overdrive transmission, delivering 211 horsepower and more than 330lb-ft of torque. With its 4x4 capability, the Revel is ready to tackle everything from rocky backroads to muddy trails. Inside, a power lift bed for two retracts to reveal ample storage space, making room for outdoor gear like bikes, kayaks or hiking equipment.

While all RVs offer some escape from civilization, the Revel takes that ethos to another level. Solar panels, lithium-ion batteries and an advanced power management system let you power appliances, charge gadgets and even run the air conditioner—all without plugging into traditional hookups. (Its all-new water tank also holds an impressive 35 gallons of water.) With this self-sufficient setup, you can stay off-grid for up to seven days. Burning Man, anyone?

eleMMent Palazzo Superior

MSRP: $3 million

And if the Zephyr isn’t luxe enough, there’s always the eleMMent Palazzo Superior from Marchi Mobile—or the absolute pinnacle of luxury RV-ing. Powered by a Volvo six-cylinder inline engine delivering up to 600 horsepower, this rolling palace is built for both power and prestige. A master suite with a king-size bed, a spa-like rain shower and a retractable rooftop lounge bring five-star amenities to the open road. With its yacht-inspired interior featuring marble floors and leather upholstery, the Palazzo Superior isn’t just an RV—it’s a statement. And with only eight ever built, each customized exactly to its owner’s vision (and costing up to $5 million), it’s as rare as it is extravagant.

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THE REGION’S LARGEST SELECTION

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What’s The (Herb) Tea?

Three sure-fire secrets to a successful herb garden.

Pictures + Words by Mira Peck

Every spring I head to my favorite nursery for a small but mighty haul of fresh herb plants. I love perusing the tables for new and old varieties, pinching and rubbing leaves to connect with their texture, releasing sweet and savory aromas. You may not have the space (or time) to grow that abundant veggie garden of your dreams, but growing fresh herbs can satisfy any budding green thumb and make a huge impact on your culinary life.

The first secret to success with choosing and growing herbs is simple: Grow what you like. Grow what your family already loves to eat and add in a few experiments to stretch

your palate. My mainstays include Italian large leaf basil for pizza, pastas and pesto (you know the drill); mint for teas (and mojitos); rosemary and thyme for meat dishes and roasted vegetables; lemon verbena for an elevated fruit salad and also parsley (both curled and flat leaf) for basically everything.

For some unconventional ideas I use nasturtium leaves to create a zesty pesto, lemon balm to flavor ice cold drinks—and don’t forget about edible flowers to garnish your meal as if it’s worthy of a Michelin star or two. My favorite party trick is to make ice cubes which include blue borage flowers in the center. So simple and so exquisite in the glass.

The second secret to success: make it easy on yourself. You can grow herbs in a small plot or in containers—the closer to the kitchen the better. Add an organic granular fertilizer at planting time and have a water source nearby to get through hot weather.

Do fertilize with an organic liquid fertilizer every few weeks and don’t blast them with heavy synthetic fertilizers. Yes, fertilizers high in nitrogen make your herbs leafy and luscious, but this also makes them delectable to insects and weakens the flavors. In fact,

my secret garden The first secret to success with choosing and growing herbs is quite simple: Grow what you actually like, says our gardening expert.

many of the Mediterranean herbs such as rosemary, thyme and oregano like a lean soil, with lower nutrients. To ensure best flavors, harvest herbs before they “bolt” (go to seed). Which brings me to the third secret to success: Make sure you use them. Have fun planning a menu around a specific herb or make it up as you go. Fresh herbs are the key to enlivening any dish or drink and your minimal efforts will be rewarded with rich colors and inspiring flavors. And very impressed friends.

Humming And Hawing

A most welcome homecoming for the buzziest of birds. When you start seeing hummingbirds in your backyard, it’s like Christmas for us gardeners. These birds love tubular shaped flowers and red flowers. Here are some plants we recommend planting to attract our favorite feathered friends: Salvia coccinea, native honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens) and cardinal flowers (Lobelia cardinalis). That’s the buzz we hear anyway.

—MIRA PECK

WOODFIRED PIZZA HOMEMADE PASTA

LUNCH SEATING Fri & Sat 11:30–2:30

DINNER SEATING Tue—Sat 5:00–8:30

LOCATED IN PINECREST PLAZA 1 SPRINGHURST DRIVE EAST GREENBUSH (518) 432-1104

NICSTRATTORIA.COM

Visit our shop at themountainsmedia. myshopify.com to find The Mountains official gear.

DAYDREAMING

mode| stage

Rahill, Rock Star

Have you met New Lebanon’s resident musical prodigy?

By Sean McAlindin

Music is music. If it moves you, it moves you. If it doesn’t, then it doesn’t,” says Rahill. So simple, yet so profound— which makes a lot of sense coming from a bass player. One of the coolest things about our area is that within this rolling sea of small cities and serene farmland, we live among the stars. Rock stars: They’re everywhere.

New Lebanon artist, musician and DJ Rahill Jamalifard was born in Lansing, MI, the daughter of Iranian immigrants active in their community and faith. At home, she listened to traditional music and oldies radio. “It’s kind of a forgotten city,” she says of her hometown. “It’s a diverse place and very active.”

As she grew up, Rahill discovered—like most Americans—the indescribable splendor of pop music. After high school, she was drawn to the DIY punk world of Detroit, where she made art and organized shows. In 2011, Rahill says she moved to Brooklyn where she and Lenny Lynch founded psych-surf group Habibi with local women who came up in the New York City rock scene. Within a couple years, their spontaneous blend of hooky Motown harmonies and dreamy Persian melodies seemed to be everywhere.

She then says she began booking shows around the country, including a memorable appearance at SXSW in 2014. “It was fun to experiment with a new facet of creativity,” she says. “I’m committed to this lifestyle.”

Rahill left Chinatown for rural New Lebanon in 2020. Her first friend there, Steve the local postman, affectionately called her ‘245’—after her post office box number—until he really got to know her. Now, Rahill says he just calls her ‘Rock Star.’

In 2023, Rahill released her solo debut, Flowers At Your Feet, a charmingly moody romp through her beautifully complex and unbelievably singable world. Oh—and Beck sings backup on a song called “Fables.”

Her favorite pastime these days? Driving. Rahill says she spends hours riding around the places where Hudson Valley and the Berkshires meet while listening to demos for her next record. “Where we live is incredibly special,” she says. “I feel like it has this spiritual pull on people. Everyone always ends up coming back.”

Spring Awakens

By Sean McAlindin

Ah...springtime. The window to the world opens again. And what better way to celebrate the sun’s return than enjoying music in the fresh mountain air? Be it indoors or out, colorful concerts are popping up like eager daffodils at a venue near you. So kick your seasonal affective disorder into the grass and get out there soon!

Bethel Woods jumpstarts the concert season with perennial jammers Dave Matthews Band on May 24, bonafide country star Luke Bryan on May 29, jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis on June 22, Canadian pop princess Avril Lavigne on June 27 and “Weird Al” Yankovic on July 13.

Saratoga Performing Arts Center hosts Jason Aldean on May 25, Vampire Weekend on June 4, Thomas Rhett on

June 12, The Lumineers on July 3, New York City Ballet from July 9 to 12, Rod Stewart and Cheap Trick on July 15 and Shania Twain on July 20.

Summer festival season is soon up and running as Mountain Jam makes a triumphant return to Highmount in the Catskills from June 20 to 22 with Khruangbin, Joe Russo’sAlmost Dead, Mt. Joy, Trampled by Turtles, Moe., Goose and many more.

Grey Fox Bluegrass Festival comes back to Oak Hill from July 16 to 20 starring Sam Bush Band, Sierra Hull, Lindsay Lou, Steep Canyon Rangers, AJ Lee & Blue Summit and too many artists to name.

The Ashokan Center in Olivebridge offers a variety of traditional music gatherings including Scottish String Fling from May 2 to 4, Old Time Rollick from May 16 to 18, Western & Swing Week June 22 to 28, Ariles Son Jarocho Camp from July 3 to 6 featuring the music of Veracruz México and Northern Week celebrating the traditional music and dance of New England, Québec, England, Sweden and France from July 13 to 19.

coed boarding and day school for grades 9-12 & PG. Advanced Math/Science Research, Advanced Humanities Research, Pro Vita Winter Session, a range of arts offerings, and championship athletics on a stunning 400-acre campus in the Berkshires.

In Woodstock, Levon Helm Studios welcomes alt-rock breakout of the year MJ Lenderman & The Wind on May 2 and 3, Hurray for the Riff Raff on June 22 and Rickie Lee Jones on June 23 and 24.

Bearsville Theater wakes up for Lucius on May 23, Houndmouth on June 10, Jorma Kaukonen on June 13 and 14 and Murder By Death with Laura Jane Grace on June 23.

The Falcon in Marlboro swoops in with 20-piece NYC Ska Orchestra on May 16, salsa dance night with Cuboricua on June 4 and Molly Miller Trio on June 22.

As always, Daryl’s House has an absolutely stacked lineup punctuated by The Dandy Warhols on May 10, Donna the Buffalo on May 29, Martin Sexton on June 5, Low Cut Connie on June 15 and The Cash Box Kings on July 9.

Assembly in Kingston presents Fantastic Cat on May 8, John Moreland with Ramsey Thornton on May 10 and Hudson Valley Burlesque Bash on May 17.

Tubby’s in Kingston gets in the act

on May 20, Frank Hurricane on May 22, Blank Hellscape on May 28, Cornelia Murr on June 6, Chronophage on June 7 and Boston avantgarde rockers

Karate on June 11.

Avalon Lounge in Catskill brings experimental jazz-metal group Titan to Tachyons with prog-thrashers Microwaves on May 23 and electric guitar pioneer Fred Frith on May 28.

Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington showcases bluegrass father figure Del McCoury on May 10 and legendary jazz chanteuses Madeleine Peyroux and Bettye LaVette on May 16.

Tony Trishka and Michael J. Miles present “Pete Seeger: Songs & Stories” at Towne Crier Café in Beacon on May 15.

Stissing Center in Pine Plains has a diverse schedule of cultural performers highlighted by Caro Pierotto and Farofa’s “Brazil Beyond Samba” on May 17, Nova Scotian sisters Cassie and Maggie June 19 and

James Taylor returns to Tanglewood July 3 and 4. Barenaked Ladies waltz in closely behind on July 8 amid an exciting, evocative forest of classical concerts all spring and summer long.

Further north, MASS MoCA in North Adams hosts a superlative cast of artists, speakers and musicians including Saul Williams May 24, Martha Redbone

Calendar

may

24 Sculpture At The Mount

The Mount, Lenox, MA

What would Edith say? Wharton’s painstakingly designed gardens harbor artwork “that speaks to personal transformation, cultural shifts, natural evolution and more” through October 19. edithwharton.org

30 The Happiness Experience

Hudson Hall

Opera House, Hudson, NY

Camphill Hudson Players, an allabilities arts group, premieres a film capturing its 2023 production with an all-ages screening plus dance party (Bollywood!). hudsonhall.org

mAy 30 – June 1 Magical Freedom Weekend With Elizabeth Gilbert

Omega Institute

Rhinebeck, NY

Do you sometimes yearn to

hot ticket

Gold Mine

comedic star Judy Gold

Wows Bedford Playhouse. By

Sandy MacDonald

Alot of us are spluttering right now. You can count on comedian Judy Gold, as she found the words when she recently appeared at the Bedford Playhouse, a 1947 theatre turned cinemathequecum-community arts center.

follow your bliss à la the author of Eat, Pray, Love? She’ll tell you how it’s done. eomega.org

june 3-8

Eisenhower: This Piece Of Ground

Boyd-Quinson Stage Pittsfield, MA

Having retired to his Gettysburg Farm, the war-hero president— portrayed by John Rubinstein— reflects on his career. barringtonstageco.org

June 6 – August 3

The Matchmaker + The Comedy Of Errors

Hudson Valley Shakespeare Garrison, NY

What could be pleasanter than savoring Shakespeare at his most playful—except maybe returning to catch the Thornton Wilder comedy that gave rise to Hello, Dolly. hvshakespeare.org

An outspoken advocate for LBGTQIA+ rights since she first ventured onto the comedy circuit as a college student in the mid-1980s, Gold has served as something of a lodestar. Not only does she promote others’ work on her podcast, It’s Judy’s Show (500 episodes and counting), she’s a focal figure in two recent documentaries, Netflix’s Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution, covering a halfcentury of bold LGBTQ practitioners; and the

June 7 – October 26 I Spy! Walter Wick’s Hidden Wonders

Norman Rockwell Museum Stockbridge, MA

The ingenious photo collagist’s hunt-the-object books and games have delighted families for three decades. On opening day (kids under 10 admitted free), enjoy a locally sourced picnic then poke about the grounds to see what you can find. nrm.org

14

Concert In The Catskills

Historic Catskill Point Catskill, NY

Any country fans up in the Catskills? Plenty—and they’ll be funneling riverside to catch the Rodney Atkins and singer/ songwriter Kylie Morgan. concertinthecatskills.com

June 14 – september 14

A Room Of Her Own: Women ArtistActivists In Britain, 1875-1945

The Clark Art Institute Williamstown, MA

Virginia Woolf and her brainy circle never get old. In this

SWSX hit Hysterical (Hulu), in which she emerges as something of a den mother for young women hoping to make it in a field long dominated by men.

“If a woman is angry,” Gold observes in the latter film, “she’s mentally ill.” Sharp, incisive and uninhibited, Gold is anything but. Grab this rare opportunity to observe a superstar

judy, judy, judy

The iconic comedian is worth her weight in gold.

Reported by Sandy MacDonald

assemblage of artworks and artifacts, the rebels take on the ever-timely topics of feminism, pacifism and artistic ambition. clarkart.edu

June 19 – July 20

The Victim Shakespeare & Company Lenox, MA

This world-premiere by Lawrence Goodman intertwines the accounts of three women affected by racerelated trauma. shakespeare.org

21

Martha Redbone

MASS MoCA North Adams, MA

The Native American/ African-American singer/ songwriter calls upon her eclectic mélange of influences for a celebration that invites—and inspires—listeners to dance along. massmoca.org

of impassioned commentary up close. And take along any questioning teens: They need all the support they can muster right now, as they see avatars like Gold reduced to nonentities with a stroke of the presidential pen. Gold remains undeterred. As she told NBC on the release of Outstanding, she sees comedy as “an art form that can literally change the world.” Why don’t you change yours and catch Judy Gold in person whenever she makes her frequent appearances north of the city

Where Music is The Destination

bethelwoodscenter.org/camping

By Abbe Aronson

Am I A Gourmet Chef?

Taste this pesto. I made it like they do at Bar Pitti. You know, pignolis and walnuts,” I said to my wonderful ex-husband, offering him a spoon of bright green goodness as he stared at me in silence, his face frozen in wonder.

“Who are you?” he managed to whisper.

This was 2005 and we were standing in the house that we formerly owned together, now my home following our split and my move out of New York City. We were friendly enough that he sometimes spent weekends in the house, visiting our son and as such, he saw first-hand what was happening to his ex-wife. I had become a cook. And not just a cook. A good—dare I say—even great cook.

You need to remember, even though the food scene in the Catskills has taken a delicious uptick the last few decades, back when I sold my loft in the city and headed to my mountainside home to lay down new roots, there were limited options when it came to dining and take-out food—delivery options were slender to non-existent. I was accustomed to being a Manhattanite who could pick up a phone and dial-in a request for nearly anything my heart (and palate) desired, but once I became a Woodstocker (as I liked to say), I quickly realized that if you want Burmese food at 2am, you need to make Burmese food. Another reason for my ex-husband’s stunned expression? In our more than a decade-and-ahalf relationship, I had probably cooked for him fewer than five times, a fact he rarely minded as

he loved to cook and I enjoyed not just setting a table or putting out a bar, but cleaning up after a shindig. So if he made a mess in the kitchen, I was there to make it pretty again. Then here we were, living separate lives but joined by our love for our child, and I was chasing him around the room with a spoonful of pesto.

He tried the pesto. “That’s delicious,” he said, adding, “And this is just surreal.”

It all started with a simple question that I asked myself after unpacking the moving boxes and overdosing on local pizza: What could be hard about learning to cook? I ordered up the first three books in the Ina Garten Barefoot Contessa series and hauled out of the drawers the pots and pans that my ex-husband had painstakingly selected for this, our country home. Meals including chicken satay with peanut sauce, scampi in roasted garlic oil, Asian-spiced marinated flank steak, banana bread and more came together with ease. Inspired, I started clipping recipes with a vengeance from food magazines, as well as browsing around in the early days of online searches for other dishes to tickle the collective fancy of my partner, our kids and our friends. I was actually good at this—and why not? I was a pro at eating out; could discern cumin from sumac; knew how to pair cocktails and wine with cuisine. Was I turning into a cook—wait, even a sophisticated amateur chef?

Thanks to frequent trips to the city, stops at emporiums such as global spice and specialty store Kalustyan’s to purchase harder-to-find ingredients, as well dipping in and out of

cook off Overnight, I had into that smartypants who restaurant, ‘This is good, but better at home,’ the author

Asian and Latin markets in Poughkeepsie Kingston, I found myself honing game with ease and soon I was creating my own recipes based I was gleaning. If the recipe called in a sauce, why not yogurt and work, crème fraiche would probably more decadent, right? Roasted cooked on a sheet pan with just pepper might get zhooshed chili oil or some pitted black salt for that umami bomb or augment David Chang’s (of asparagus with miso butter egg by charring a little bit of Serrano ham to grate on top for an international twist.

Soon my bookshelves were groaning with cookbooks and my pantry was bursting with new additions. Overnight, I had seemingly turned into that smartypants who said at every restaurant, “This is good, but I can make it better at home.” But you know what? I was correct. “Dinner at Abbe’s” has, over the years, become a hot ticket and I’m only too happy to oblige. Food is love. Pull up a chair, friend.

• New to the kitchen? I like the Barefoot Contessa books, yes, but other easy and delicious options include any of Deb Perelman’s Smitten Kitchen volumes, or the tomes from Hudson Valley local Julia Turshen

• Want to outfit your kitchen with panache?

Bluecashew Kitchen Homestead in Kingston is one of my favorite shops for cookware, tabletop and more—and if you wanna get granular, Warren Cutlery in Rhinebeck has an incredible assortment—it’s where I take my knives for sharpening

• In season, there is nothing like a farm stand to inspire you to get out the pots and pans.

Montgomery Place Orchards in Red Hook is like a “Yes, please” museum for the five senses and I dare you to not leave with a variety of mushrooms or tomatoes or berries that’ll make you a believer

Self-Storage facilities

Sharpe Self Storage

560 Joslen Boulevard Hudson, NY 12534

518.828.7675 sharpeselfstorage.org

Hudson Corner Self Storage 12 County Route 31 Hudson, NY 12534

518.828.2257 hudsoncorner.com

French’s Self Storage

227 Stockbridge Road Suite 2 Great Barrington, MA 01230 413.528.2086 frenchselfstorage.com

Extra Space Storage

2820 NY-32 Saugerties, NY 12477 And other locations

845.246.1442 extraspace.com

Prime Storage

629 NY-52 Beacon, NY 12508 And other locations

845.506.8070 primestorage.com

CubeSmart Self Storage

212 Van Wagner Road Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 And other locations 845.204.3225 cubesmart.com

Security Self Storage Inc 105 Hawthorne Avenue Pittsfield, MA 01201 413.445.5181 ssspsf.com

Owned and operated by the Nash family, Security Self Storage has been offering convenient shortand long-term storage space for people, businesses and institutions since 1980.

Space Station Self Storage 146 NY-28 Kingston, NY 12401

845.338.5799 spacestationstoragekingston.com

your spring survival guide 2025

Deck & Patio Cleaning

Pro House & Deck Wash

502 Glasco Turnpike Saugerties, NY 12477

845.545.6569

Bright Solutions ProWash Serving Beacon and surrounding areas

845.214.4669 brightprowash.com

Six Star Power Washing 8 Brett Place Poughkeepsie, NY 12603

845.742.4197 sixstarpowerwashing.com

Collegiate Power Washing

5 Crystal Street Lenox Dale, MA 01242

413.329.0573 emmittshove.wixsite.com/ collegiate-power-was

Master Clean Enterprise, LLC

Serving Litchfield County

860.354.1091 mastercleanenterprise.com

Established in 1994, Master Clean provides general power washing services for residential and commercial clients, serving Litchfield County and surrounding areas.

Hudson Valley House Wash

99 Eagles Nest Road Hurley, NY 12443

845.481.0104 hvhousewash.com

Hudson Valley Power Washing Serving Mid and Lower Hudson Valley 845.413.9248 hudsonvalleypowerwashing.com

WashGeniePro

57 Cimarron Road Suite 2 Monticello, NY 12701

845.796.4663 washgeniepro.com

washing

Upstate Cleaning Solutions

Serving Sullivan County 845.665.5045 upstatecleaningsolutions.com

CVG Window Cleaning

Serving Litchfield and Surrounding areas

203.675.3459 ctwindowcleaning.com

Hudson Valley Cleaning Systems

Serving Orange, Ulster and Dutchess Counties 442 Strawridge Road Wallkill, NY 12589 845.551.7051

Supersonic Cleaning Services, Inc. 15 Seaman Road Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 845.380.2609 supersonicclean.com

Konzen Co Inc 52 Kent Street Beacon, NY 12508 845.831.7325 sites.google.com/view/konzenco/ home

GM All Brite Window Cleaning 45 Lamb Avenue Saugerties, NY 12477 845.594.2370 gmallbritewindowcleaning.com

Meyers Window Cleaning

Serving Berkshire County and nearby areas 413.884.4743 meyerswindowcleaning.com

Critics Choice Window Cleaning

Serving the Hudson Valley and Tri-State Area 845.494.9498 criticschoicewc.com Using old-school techniques along with the latest technology, Critics Choice will do whatever it takes to make your windows their brightest and will treat your home like their own.

Junk Pros NY Junk Removal & Dumpster Rental

Serving Lower- and Mid-Hudson Valley 845.891.5865 junkprosny.com

Hudson Valley Hauling & Junk Removal

73 Webb Road Hudson, NY 12534 518.567.5642

Hoff Junk Removal 89 Brush Hill Road Great Barrington, MA 01230 413.429.1839

Hudson Valley Mobile Dumpster Rentals & Junk Removal

613 Abeel Street Kingston, NY 12401 845.489.8694 hvmobiledumpsters.com

Bad Boy Dumpsters

Serving Greene, Columbia, Ulster Counties 518.347.7000 badboydumpsters.com

Berkshire Removal

Serving Berkshire County 413.264.9229 berkshireremoval.com

Integrity, speed and responsiveness are the hallmarks of Berkshire Removal, a veteran-owned company providing residential and commercial site clean-up, property clearing and junk removal services.

Advanced Roll-Off

182 Pickett District Road

New Milford, CT 06776

860.350.9400 advancedroll-off.com

Hudson Valley Cleanouts & Junk Removal

520 Blooming Grove Turnpike

New Windsor, NY 12553 845.901.0380

Junk Haulers

Gutter & Roof Cleaning

Top Notch Seamless Gutters

Serving the Hudson Valley 845.241.8850 topnotchseamlessgutters.com

The Brothers that just do Gutters

55 Page Park Drive Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 845.223.6111 hudson-valley.brothersgutters.com

GutterTech

Baxtertown Road Fishkill, NY 12524 845.463.2578 www.guttertechseamlessgutters.com

Okun Services

Serving Great Barrington, MA, and surrounding areas 413.854.4939 okunservices.com

With more than 1,200 satisfied customers, Okun Services is a Great Barrington-based gutter and window cleaning business founded by Ted Okun, with a focus on excellence, communication and customer service.

Blue Mountain Roof Cleaning

Serving Saugerties, NY, and surrounding areas 845.749.9253 roofcleaningbmrc.com

EPB Roofing & Remodeling

29 Albrecht Road Torrington, CT 06790 860.482.5218 epbroof.com

Xterior Solutions

190 Cardinal Road Hyde Park, NY 12538 845.232.6518 goxterior.com

RepairsPro LLC

11 Manor Lane Saugerties, NY 12477 518.821.7128 repairsprony.com

Custom Closet solutions

Catskill Custom Closets

68 Saint John Street Monticello, NY 12701 845.794.6688 catskillcustomclosets.com

Create A Space - Custom Closets

139 Seven Springs Road Monroe, NY 10950 845.232.0607 createaspace.xyz

Connecticut Closets and Garages, LLC 1349 Waterbury Road Thomaston, CT 06787 860.846.5661 ctclosetsandgarages.com

California Closets

Locations in Latham, NY Hawthorne, NY and Hopkinton, MA californiaclosets.com

Jeff Brown Custom Cabinets

926 South Main Street Great Barrington, MA 01230 860.800.5650 jbccabs.com

Pawling Closet Company

3144 State Route 55 Pawling, NY 12564 914.736.1058 wdesigneclosets.com

Providing fine cabinetry and custom millwork solutions since 1985, Pawling can elevate your home, storage area or closet space with their expert craftsmanship and personalized design.

Hudson Valley Cabinet & Woodworking Inc

73 US-9 Suite 7 Fishkill, NY 12524 845.265.7984 hudsonvalleycabinet.com

E. Caligari & Son

75 Main Street Great Barrington, MA 01230 413.528.0030 ecaligari.com/closets

Majestic Pools & Spas

5 Apple Meadow Road Hudson, NY 12534

518.822.1082 majesticpoolsandspas.com

Happy Penguin Pool Care Serves Dutchess County and nearby areas 845.219.9515

Bushey’s Pool City 20 Keeler Street Pittsfield, MA 01201 413.442.8734 busheyspoolcity.com

Litchfield County Pools

116 Housatonic Avenue

New Milford, CT 06776

860.355.8547 lcpools.com

For more than three decades, Litchfield County Pools has been designing and constructing custom gunite swimming pools and spas with a commitment to unparalleled customer service.

Holland’s Pools & Spas

46 Noxon Road Poughkeepsie, NY 12603

845.485.3434 hollandpools.net

Mountain Pools

257 Tinker Street Woodstock, NY 12498

845.679.7213 mountainpools.com

The Pool Chemist

Serving Ulster County and surrounding areas 845.334.1332 thepoolchemist.com

SwimKing Pools & Spas

805 East Chester Street Kingston, NY 12401

845.336.7946 swimkingpools.com

Home & Garage Decluttering

Tidy Corners

Serving the Hudson Valley instagram.com/hellotidycorners/ tidycorners.me

Tidy Corners is a woman-owned & operated home organizing business, whose goal is to help you and your space not just survive— but thrive. Book a free consultation via their website.

Clarity Through Organization, LLC

Serving the Hudson Valley 914.489.2073

claritythroughorganization.com

Berkshire Organizing

106 Cottage Street

Great Barrington, MA 01230 413.274.2247 berkshireorganizing.com

Leanna Pegorari Organizing

324 East New Lenox Road Pittsfield, MA 01201 leannapegorariorganizing.com

Home Joy LLC

216.278.8406

homejoyllc.com

Founder and lead advisor Chris Beers is a Master consultant in KonMari®—the preeminent home organizing process made famous by the Netflix Series, “Tidying Up With Marie Kondo”—and serves clients in-person in the Lower Hudson Valley.

POSH Organizing, LLC

Serving Litchfield, CT, and surrounding areas

860.830.3478 poshorganizing.com

Space Rescuer LLC

Kingston, NY 12401

845.768.9063 spacerescuerllc.com

House to Home Organizing

619 Danbury Road Ridgefield, CT 06877

203.571.9412 h2horganizing.com

pool cleaning pros

Just in Case

It pays to be a human worst-case-scenario handbook.

By Martha Frankel

Whenever I walk into a public space, I start figuring how to get out of it. Just in case there’s a fire. Just in case there’s a shooting. Just. In. Case.

One Christmas Steve and I were invited to an acquaintance’s home. There were nibbles and drinks and a tree with live candles. Live candles. “A German tradition,” they told me with smiles. I started pacing. “Is there a back door?” I asked. When they told me “no,” my heart started pounding. I grabbed my ear and screamed. “I have an earache.” And I ran out. Literally.

When they were little, my niece and nephew in California used to call me “Just In Case,” because as soon as we’d arrive for our annual winter trip, I’d start in. “Just in case there’s an earthquake in the middle of the night, leave shoes by the door because there’ll be broken glass outside.”

“Just in case we’re separated, where will we meet?”

“Just in case we have to grab the dogs and leave, let’s make sure there’s food for them in the car.”

“Just in case we have to drive into the desert to escape, let’s put two gallons of water per person in the trunk.”

Just in case. Just in case. Just. In. Case. I’ve lived through a fire. I’ve lived through a flood. So none of this seems extreme to me. My mentor in the fire department, the late-great John Bachor, told me, “You’ll do much better in a panic if you’ve practiced when you’re calm.”

And practice I do.

Before winter sets in, I make sure there are 15 gallons of potable water in the basement because not being able to flush sits high on my list of nightmares. Whenever there’s a storm coming, I do these things: I fill my car with gas. I fill all the drinking bottles in the house. I do all the dishes and clean the kitchen. I learned this the hard way, when I woke up to 12 inches of snow, a huge limb in the driveway and no electricity. A lamb stew that we had eaten the night before clung to every pot and dish and stayed that way for six days. Nightmare. I soak a bag of Rancho Gordo beans and chop some herbs. I change the sheets. I take the dogs for a long walk. I slow my breathing and I remember just in case. Just in case. Just. In. Case.

On January 8, with fires raging all around Los Angeles, I got this text from my nephew, now 23. “I feel like you’ve been preparing me for this my entire life.” I don’t think I’ve ever been more proud. Are you ready, you know, just in case?

road runner “I’ve lived through a fire and I’ve lived through a flood. My mentor in the fire department told me, “You’ll do much better in a panic if you’ve practiced when you’re calm.”

eat your heart out

We’re firing up the barbie and springing to life in the Sullivan Catskills. Our chefs are cooking up sumptuous meals fresh from the farms. The farmers are out in the springtime air sharing their bounties in the open-air markets. The beverage makers and mixologists always have a new spin on ales, IPAs, distilled spirits, cider, and cocktails. Savor our flavor all season long.

PLAN AHEAD

Catskills Barbeque: June 7

Grahamsville Fairgrounds

Ciderfest: May 10

Seminary Hill

Enjoy Executive Chef Eric Levspring’s Stream Progression dining at The DeBruce, an award-winning restaurant with menus curated to explore each season.

Indulge in Black Walnut’s inviting dining room and open kitchen, where Executive Chef and Co-owner Camille Rodriguez crafts enticing seasonal Mediterranean dishes.

The Homestead Restaurant + Lounge is a modern steakhouse offering a true farm-to-table experience at the Eldred Preserve.