Sullivan County Hot Tip

We have driven past this BBQ truck for a year, and never stopped--I don't know why--because nobody had told us about it I guess. Well, we recently heard from several sources that Big Kev's BBQ was a place we should stop. Last weekend we went to a pig roast where Big Kev's BBQ catered it, and it was amazing, so we made an effort to stop there this weekend. We picked up some ribs, coleslaw, and chicken. It was insane. Let's just say that even if I don't really know my BBQ, my husband does, and he kept on saying it was up there on the best he had list. There's a reason you don't see any food shots here--we wolfed it down. We are now going to have this be our spot we stop on our way up (great lunch or dinner) and then to pick up for Sunday dinner on our way back to the city. Call ahead to see what he has, so you don't get disappointed if it's all sold out. (It's on 17B between Monticello and White Lake.)

Sullivan County Stop: Hennings Local

We have a new restaurant in upstate, which makes all of us weekenders very happy. Henning's Local is in Eldred, which is about 8 minutes from 17B, and about 10 minutes off of Highway 17. So if you are anywhere near 17 the Monticello Raceway exit, this is something good to know about. It's a restaurant opened by a couple who put a lot of love into their renovation, decor, and thoughtful menu. They list all of their food sources, and almost everything is local. We loved the Steak Diane and the Norwegian Trout. There was plenty for the kids, but I think one of their favorite things was the wishing well...and being able to walk around outside. The owner/chef is Norwegian, and has a lot of menu items that reflect that. The restaurant is at the Eldred Preserve, which is a trout farm, where people can go and fish, and keep the fish. You can also stay there, but as cute as the cabins are from the outside, I think they need a renovation.  Henning's Local also has nice hours--open til 10pm, even on Sunday night!

Waverly, NY: Outsider Art and a Trove of Arrowheads

If you're ever near the town of Waverly, NY, which is right off of Highway 17, you have to take 5 minutes to duck into this shop, the Broad Street Exchange, not to shop, but to check out the owner's amazing sculptures he does with found toys and jewelry.

Just down the street is a archaelogical center called Susquehanna River Archaelogical Center of Native Indian Studies, where you'll see a huge amount of arrowheads and finds, mostly curated from the local, amateur archaeologists' collections. This area contained a large community of native American Indians, and the amount of historical finds they are still turning up is astounding.

Livingston Manor Artisanal Farm Shop

At the tractor parade in Callicoon (Upstate NY) this Sunday, we tried some delicious homemade ice cream sold in front of the Callicoon Wine Merchant. The woman Amy who makes it told us to check out the Main Street Farm in Livingston Manor, a new shop that sells lots of local product, including hers. We did a drive-by on Sunday night, and were a little too late--but we can't wait to get there when it's open--it looks amazing! 

Tractor Parade

A couple of weeks back I wrote about the 126 year old Memorial Day Parade we have near us in Sullivan County, and tonight I'm hawking the Tractor Parade that happens this Sunday the 13th at noon. There's also a pancake breakfast before it (I think it goes from 8am-12pm) at the firehouse. No, I haven't become a real estate agent. It's just that some of you might have someone in your house that would like to see over 200 tractors, vintage and new, small and big. If you come, bring a hat and sunscreen--there isn't tons of shade on Main Street. You can pick up some snacks at the Callicoon Farmers Market which goes from 11am-2pm, or a sandwich at Landers (the gas station next to the market, and it has decent sandwiches), or a charcuterie plate at the Callicoon Wine Merchant, or something organic at Cafe Devine. Even the pizza place on Main Street is decent, and there's a good health food store called The Good Earth. I'm listing a number of places because who knows what will be crowded, and I know how when you're visiting a new place, it's hard to navigate what to get where.

Prettiest Farmstand in Sullivan County

We try to get up to our house in Sullivan County every weekend, and we're lucky enough to have some really great farmers markets up there, and a couple of farmstands, that make it so we don't have to bring up food from the city. Probably five years ago this was not the case--we would have had to bring up bread, cheese, wine, meats...now we have a two great local bakeries, Beach Lake Bread out of Pennsylvania, Flour Power Bakery out of Livingston Manor, NY. We have a great wine and cheese shop in Callicoon, run by a great guy named Robin, who moved up from the city with his wife and daughter a couple of years ago. There's the Catskill Harvest Market, in between Liberty and Youngsville, that has a great selection of everything you'd need to cook for a weekend, and then some (just bear in mind all their meats are frozen, so you can't show up on a Friday at 5pm and think you're buying burgers there to make that night). And the Pecks Market in Callicoon has excellent product (the one in Jeffersonville however does not), like naturally raised local chickens, local cheeses and milk from the local Tonjes Dairy and Calkins Creamery. As for farmers markets, there's one on Fridays from 3-6pm in Liberty, and one on Sunday in Callicoon from 11am-2pm. However, what if you don't get up there til late on Friday night? Well, there's Alice's River Brook Farm. It's open from 10am to 2pm every Saturday and Sunday, and two Fridays during the summer (the one before the 4th of July, and the one before Labor Day weekend). It's an organic farm, and she has probably the best produce I've seen since I've been to the precious San Francisco farmers market. It's just that good. She has things I've never even heard of--Vitamin Greens? She makes her own salad mix, that really feels like it was put together with love. I know that sounds corny, but it's true. Most salad mixes can taste too aggressive or grassy--hers is perfect. And the setting is too. She's got everything in a beautiful barn, which sits next to a stream, and a bridge, and on the other side are her gardens, her chickens, goats, sheep, ducks, and her new donkey Hannah. She also sells Beach Lake breads and pies, local cheeses, homemade quiches, and organic meats (frozen). It's a fun field trip for Clara, because she gets to run around with the animals while we shop.

Rentals Near NYC: Catskills Retreat

I had so many people comment on the rental house in the Hudson Valley that I mentioned about a month ago. I mean, at least five families I know are booking it. And they've all said the same thing--it's so daunting to find a rental--because there are so many hideous rentals out there on the rental sites. So I thought I'd try my hand at doing the work for you, at least for this week. 

Here is a cute house in the woods, near Woodstock. It seems well appointed, and it's 1500 square feet, with 2 bedroom--suitable for up to 5 people. It's $325 per weekend night, or $1625 for a week.

(photos from home owner's website)

Sullivan County: Nest Store

One of my favorite stores in New York just happens to be in Sullivan County, in the perfectly sleepy town of Narrowburg, which is right on the Delaware River. Nest is owned by Anna Bern, a former art director who used to work at W and Vogue, and now lives full-time in Sullivan County. Lucky for us! She provides us with a fun place to drop into when we've been housebound for too long. Her taste is impeccable--from her housewares and kids clothes, to the jewelry and leather goods she brings back from Brazil. Nothing feels out of place and too international for the small town shop though--she has just the right edit. And across the street, go to the lookout point, and point the telescope into the trees. You'll probably see an eagle or two.