Where I live in Astoria is a great "springboard" for road-trips upstate, because you're near the bridge that skirts above Manhattan, so you reach Westchester County within an hour.
I mapped our jaunt along historic/scenic Route 9: no trucks, no tolls, lots of curves, and views of the river. Just north of Manhattan Island, Route 9 took us through an area in The Bronx named Kingsbridge. Pinpointed on the map below, it is a nice part of that county (a borough of NYC).
It is named for the King's Bridge, which was built in 1693 and dedicated to the King of England: Williams III (who was Dutch).
The whole area is full of heritage. Zooming ahead, our trio was eager to explore the valley and its harvest-season bounty.
Our first stop was for morning coffee at Coffee Labs Roasters in the historic Village of Tarrytown. Its first inhabitants were from a tribe of Weckquaesgeek tribe of Native Americans. Tarrytown was settled by the Dutch in 1645, who coexisted with Quakers from England. After America became its own country, it expelled the Native Americans. It's tragic that Americans couldn't coexist with them. Akin to the Nazis, the federal government sanctioned a genocide against them until the 1860s. In 1953, a congressional Termination Policy dissolved 100 remaining tribes and confiscated their lands. Currently, tribes like the Navaho are considered "Nations within America", yet their sovereignty is suppressed by federal bureaucracy and everlasting discrimination. The Treaty of 1868 was supposed to finalize the sovereignty of Navaho Tribes, but they still fare worse than American territories like Puerto Rico. Consider that, as you drive across the Great Expanse of America. Never forget your past, and use it to improve your future.
*To see our visit to his home in London, please click this link:
That is where the Loyal American Regiment (pro-British colonists who were loyalists to The Crown) defended New York from George Washington's revolutionaries. Many of the troops were farmers from Westchester and Duchess counties.
The whole area is full of heritage. Zooming ahead, our trio was eager to explore the valley and its harvest-season bounty.
The smell of coffee pleasantly permeated the street. Having their own equipment, they their beans on site, in full view of customers who want to watch.
... and purvey heirloom varietals of coffee from small-batch plantations whom they have a face-to-face relationship with. The cozy shop is wildly popular, recently reviewed in the New York Times.
Upon our arrival, a line of chatty customers already existed, but thankfully the team moved it along briskly.
In some ways, it was delightfully similar to my local coffeeshop, Madame Sou Sou. See my blog post about them:
This place ALSO sells pastry from NYC's Balthazar Bakery! Despite the delivery cost from Balthazar, Madame Sou Sou still charges less than Balthazar. You'd think that this place--being so far from the NYC--would charge more (due to shipping)... yet they ungreedily charge the same as my local place (less than Balthazar itself).
Their hard-earned success hasn't deterred their small-town ambiance: "honor code" free library,
humorous display of utensils,
menu-knowledgable baristas,
and pet-friendly milieu. They can make your coffee via standard-drip, pour-over, siphon, cold-brew, or even the Japanese Kyoto drip method! I admire the making of Kyoto cold brew, and Lewis and I loved the city when we visited it.
We tried their single-origin espresso and their pour-over coffee. I sipped El Salvador Santa Rosa (honey process). Superb! Below are coffee descriptions; the prices are not per cup but per bag of beans.
Soaking in sunshine, we explored the village's genteel streets, with tree-lined rows of Victorian houses--all in well-painted upkeep. Hanging baskets of flowers adorned every streetlamp. They even sponsor the pagan tradition of blessing animals. (Just north is the infamous Sleepy Hollow)
Then, we drove slightly south to have brunch in the Village of Dobbs Ferry.
In preparation of our trip, I researched online for eateries, and we voted on Cedar Street Grill. Their farm-to-table ingredients and delicious looking/sounding menu won us over. True to form, as we parked across the street, we saw the kitchen team carrying fresh veggies and produce from a pick-up truck through the front door of the restaurant. Fresh from that day!
It was 2o-minutes until opening time, so we strolled along and peeked into shop windows. Less fancy than historic Irvington to the north (which was established in 1867), Dobbs Ferry was a stale community. When the village's schools became "union-free" and joined the International Baccalaureate Organization (from Geneva), home-buyers took notice! With students getting a 2-year pre-university course of study, new residential construction/purchases surged upward. New arrivals from Kings County (a.k.a. Brooklyn) also appreciate the area's diversity: 73% White, 11% Hispanic, 9% Asian, 7% African American. (Kings County was named for England's King Charles II).
Local sustainability is big. They take advantage of the revitalized Hudson River Valley wineries, honey producers, dairies, creameries, cheese makers, organic farms, and livestock.
That being said, we were delighted to stumble upon Campbell Meats Butcher.
All the employees were rather young, which signifies a sturdy apprenticeship program and a desire for the skill.
Everything is done in front of the customer. The selection looked amazing! Lewis selected a slice of homemade paté, and an $18 jar of foie gras.
Yvonne bought all of their hamburger patties. If Lewis and I didn't already have dinner plans, I would've bought their skirt steak!
However, we discovered that they (smartly) sell their sausages and bacon to Cedar Street Grill... our next stop.
The brothers who own Cedar Street Grill grew up there; they were varsity football players.
Yvonne used her girlish wiles to coerce them to let us in early.
A friendly bearded waiter--who looked like a Brooklynite hipster--took our drink order and served Bloody Marys (with plenty of pepper and horseradish). We breakfasted on skillets of steamy goodness.
Above: freshly-foraged mushroom toast (with 6-minute egg), truffled mac'n cheese, and spicy charred cauliflower.
Below: a bowl of fried chicken & waffles, cheesy risotto with Campbell Meat's sausages, and a veggie omelette with farm-fresh potatoes.
Next, we drove off to the local Farmers Green Market (a branch of "Down to Earth Markets"), so that Yvonne could buy a bottle of fig liqueur called Mahia. It's the only place in America that sells that Lebanese delicacy! Extremely strong, it's best served in small quantities.
Unfortunately, many of the vendors (listed on the website) were absent that day.
Thus, we allowed more time to enjoy the countryside. As luck would have it, a spontaneous detour along a winding road led us to a secluded public hiking path along a pristine lake. Half of the path floated on the water, in the form of a bridge! So cool! We saw a pair of swans, dragonflies hovering over lilly-pads, and squirrels chasing each other among the hemlock trees.
Arriving at Thompson's Cider Mill, we encountered the most aromatic breezes from their on-site orchard.
The proprietors charge the SAME PRICE for ALL their apples. It doesn't matter which varieties you get. Their cider was pricey at $8.00 a half gallon, and their delightfully-heavy apple crumb pie cost $20.00... more than the uptick prices of vendors selling in NYC's Union Square Greenmarket. But it was well worth it! Pure goodness in every sip and forkful.
Nearby is a purely organic 16-acre farm called Fable: Farm to Table. It is just off the curvy/scenic Taconic State Parkway. (We prefer driving on parkways to avoid trucks; commercial vehicles cannot use them).
Run by a locally-born fellow named Tom Deacon, the farm sells freshly-laid eggs and seasonal vegetables from their pesticide-free fields and hydroponic greenhouse. We fed the chickens, and Lewis admired the plumage of the rooster.
Yvonne bought a dozen eggs (not yet refrigerated--so they'd "keep" during the car-ride home). The farmer even dusted off some dirt and feathers from the eggs--all different sizes and beautiful colors. (That's because--unlike store-bought eggs of factory-produced size--farm eggs are different sizes due to different size hens. That's Nature's way).
Yvonne also snapped up some eggplant and summer squash.
Yvonne yearned for ice cream, and her iPhone's Siri located an establishment that was perfect with the day's theme of pure goodness! The Blue Pig is a "neighborhood place" selling handmade, small-batch, unique flavors.
From there, we drove smoothly back to Astoria, zipping across the bridge and depositing Lewis and I on my doorstep with amazing memories and the freshest of goodies!
*[Click this link to read about our amazing trip to Kyoto, Japan:
Local sustainability is big. They take advantage of the revitalized Hudson River Valley wineries, honey producers, dairies, creameries, cheese makers, organic farms, and livestock.
That being said, we were delighted to stumble upon Campbell Meats Butcher.
Above: freshly-foraged mushroom toast (with 6-minute egg), truffled mac'n cheese, and spicy charred cauliflower.
Below: a bowl of fried chicken & waffles, cheesy risotto with Campbell Meat's sausages, and a veggie omelette with farm-fresh potatoes.
I was more interested in the "1857 Vodka" from Barber's Farm Distillery. I was certainly NOT opposed to some mild flirtation with its creator!
Since 1857, six generations of Barbers farmed dairy/greens in the Schonharie Valley (the breadbasket of the Revolutionary War). One of the few American distilleries that grows its own potatoes, they also only use spring water in their handcrafted spirits! Looking at young Mr. Barber, there's definitely something GOOD in that water!
They make fresh-pressed cider each week, and the machines and label-makers are right there to admire.
They partner with a local beekeeper to help the orchard propagate, each year. Across the road from Teatown Lake Nature Preserve, that land has held an apple orchard since the 1870s!
The mill is located in the Village of Croton-on-Hudson, which was settled by Netherlandish colonists in 1645 (who mixed with the Kitchawanc tribe of the Wappinger Confederacy). The Mayor of New York City, Stephanus van Cortland, acquired the land in 1677 to create a manor, and he was granted a royal patent from the British Crown to do so.
The estate and its tenants were disbanded after the American Revolution. The village was created in 1898.
In true "small town" fashion, hand-painted signs advise on how to be honest with your bushels.
Even the girl at the counter was honest as she bashfully said, "Sorry, I can't pour you a sample of our Hard Cider or Apple Wine because I'm underage." And she went outside to fetch a legal-age girl to help. So proper. :-)
Just because they're old-fashioned doesn't mean that they're out-dated. They cultivate apple and pear varietals--some from the 1700s (which were uh-mazing),
... and others are newly spliced together by botanists. They have apples that are rare in New England but are hugely popular in Japan and the United Kingdom.
We chose a peck (smaller than a bushel) of Cortland apples, which are sweeter than Macintosh. Apple growers in New York State created them in 1898 and named them after Cortland County, which was named after Pierre Van Cortlandt. Born in 1721, he ratified America's Declaration of Independence, served as a general with George Washington, wrote the state constitution in 1777, was its first Lieutenant Governor, and ratified the Constitution of the United States! His family had Dutch origins. His father, Stephanus, was the first native-born mayor of New York City, and he served two terms: 1677 and 1686. His maternal grandfather was also a NYC mayor, as was his uncle and great-uncle. His father was also the patroon of Van Cortlandt Manor, who saw England confiscate New Amsterdam and rename it as New York, in 1665. Supposedly, his mother spread the notion of Sinterklaas (who morphed into Santa Claus) from the Netherlands to America.
Those apples, above, were SOOOO sweetly juicy!
*To see our visit to Van Cortlandt Manor, please click this link:
The proprietors charge the SAME PRICE for ALL their apples. It doesn't matter which varieties you get. Their cider was pricey at $8.00 a half gallon, and their delightfully-heavy apple crumb pie cost $20.00... more than the uptick prices of vendors selling in NYC's Union Square Greenmarket. But it was well worth it! Pure goodness in every sip and forkful.
Nearby is a purely organic 16-acre farm called Fable: Farm to Table. It is just off the curvy/scenic Taconic State Parkway. (We prefer driving on parkways to avoid trucks; commercial vehicles cannot use them).
They make their own salted caramel, toast their own coconuts, buy locally-made maple syrup, and they juice & zest all their own lemons!
I tasted the "Maple/Walnut", but agreed to share a pint of "Sweet Corn" with Lewis. :-)
We sat outside on a shaded patio, next to a group of canoe-toting lesbians and a pair of young parents who let their daughter drip chocolate all over her gingham dress.
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