New eateries serving fresh doughnuts, Vietnamese banh mi, baklava and cheesy grits have all opened in the mountains this past year or so. From the 2015 Catskills Food Guide, here are some of our favorites.
The doughnuts at Twin Peaks Coffee & Donuts (5950 Main St., Tannersville, 518-589-6262), which opened in late 2013, are made to order by the Doughnut Robot, a countertop machine that deploys circles of batter into bubbling hot oil while you wait. After frying, they’re dipped in flavored glazes like Key lime, pumpkin, apple cider, and caramel and sea salt. For a quarter, you can add a bacon glaze. For $4.50, you can add eggs, cheese and meat to make a true caloric heavyweight: a doughnut-based breakfast sandwich “slider.”
Above: Doughnut sliders at Twin Peaks Coffee & Doughnuts. Photo by Julia Reischel.
Tara and Nathan Jamieson, the owners of Feather & Stone (38 West St., Walton, 607-510-4027, featherandstonerestaurant.com), which opened in September 2014, express their love of travel in their menu. One week, they’re celebrating the Midwest with fried cheese curds, and the next it’s the American southwest with Texas smoked brisket. They have a special affection for New York state dishes — the Rochester Garbage Plate is a mix of meats, chili, fries and salad — and the humble burger, seven versions of which appear on the menu.
Brushland Eating House (1927 County Road 6, Bovina Center, 607-832-4861, brushlandeatinghouse.com) debuted in a high-ceilinged Bovina storefront in May 2014. Owner Sohail Zandi and Chef Jordan Terry turn out dishes like “cut of beef,” which varies nightly; a country ham plate featuring homemade cornbread and maple butter; baguette toasts with seasonal toppings such as anchovies and radishes with ramp butter; and housemade ricotta pasta.
Above: Chef Jordan Terry at Brushland Eating House. Photo courtesy of Brushland Eating House.
Michael and Amelia Hegeman opened Zephyr (302 Main St., Pine Hill, 845-254- 8024, zephyr-restaurant.com) in August 2014 to craft from-scratch dishes made with local ingredients. For breakfast, try the Carrot (Pan)Cake stack. Dinner runs the gamut from bar food like Lumbered Mountain Man Nachos to haute cuisine such as the cedar-planked, honey-roasted organic Scottish salmon.
At Goods Luncheonette (4125 Route 28, Boiceville, 845-594-8579), which opened in May 2014, everything on the small menu costs less than $10 and can be prepared in less than 10 minutes. there’s a locally made all-beef hot dog, european-style hand-cut fries with rosemary and garlic, Japanese-style boneless fried chicken marinated in soy sauce and ginger, and a slow-smoked pulled pork.
The Phoenician (Route 28 and Route 214, Phoenicia, 845-688-9800, thephoeniciansteakhouse.com) serves live lobsters, grassfed steaks and raw oysters trucked up from New York City three times a week. A full bar features 14 craft beers. The restaurant opened in November 2014 in a building that housed the previous occupant, Al’s seafood restaurant, for more than 70 years.
The tavern at the Arnold House (839 Shandelee Road, Livingston Manor, 845-439-5070, thearnoldhouse.com) is a reincarnation of the Lazy Beagle, a beloved Livingston Manor restaurant that burned down in 2012. Kirsten and Sims Foster re-created the Beagle’s homey pub ambience when they opened their restaurant and hotel in May 2014, with a menu featuring local trout from the world-famous Beaverkill.
Above: Cedar-planked, honey-roasted organic Scottish salmon at Zephyr. Photo by Julia Reischel.
Veal chops, balsamic chicken and fresh seafood are featured at Ciao Bella Restaurant (46 Forestburgh Road, Monticello, 845-796-4110), which opened in early 2014 to serve cuisine from Northern Italy in Monticello.
Cheesy grits, fried chicken and polka dots galore give the Kitchenette (1219 Route 213, High Falls, 845-687-7464, kitchenetterestaurant.com/high-falls) a homey ‘50s vibe. The servers wear kerchiefs and the eggs are cage free.
Smoothies and juices made by Douglas and Donald Appel (yes, that’s their real last name) are the core offerings at the Krispy Apple (247 Rock Hill Drive, Rock Hill, 845-707-4322). The brothers press fresh wheatgrass shots and sell local produce, artisanal food products, local dairy and vegan and gluten-free foods.
The Tulip and the Rose Café (435 Main St., Franklin, 607-353-5280), a new restaurant founded by a local Sufi Muslim community, serves an eclectic mix of turkish specialties and American diner classics. “We carry croissants, donuts and baklava,” said manager Erdem Kahyaoglu. “It’s an everything, one-stop kind of place.”
This article originally appeared in the print version of the 2015 Catskills Food Guide, our annual publication covering food and farms in the Catskills. The Catskills Food Guide is distributed across the Catskills region and at select locations in the NYC metropolitan area. Find a copy near you here
