It seems I’ve made it through my quarter life crisis with my head still screwed on straight! There were some rough patches, but I think age 25 was one of my best years yet. B and I moved in together to an apartment we love, I started graduate school and embarked on a new career, we’ve traveled… yep, it was a mighty fine year. (And, speaking of birthdays… as of August, I’ve been writing this blog for five years!)
Last Thursday, the actual day of my birth, I wrote a paper and went to class for four hours. But after I left school, I was rewarded with a delicious dinner with family at East 12th Osteria. You may not think an Italian restaurant would have much in the way of gluten-free items, but I feasted on cod, risotto, seafood stew… and was even gifted a triple chocolate dessert from the chef.
On Friday after work, B picked me up and we drove upstate for our annual trip to Woodstock. I’ve been going there every year around this time since I was a baby; while my mom was in labor, our friend Stewart, who owns the house we stay in, was stuck up there in a snowstorm! It only really starts to feel like Fall once we go up there and see the leaves start to change.
On the way up, we stopped for dinner in New Paltz at Rock & Rye Tavern. The restaurant is located in what looks like an old inn, with lots of creaky old rooms and fireplaces. In other words: it’s very cozy! They have a great beer and wine list- I had a perfect red blend- and the menu focuses on local, seasonal produce. Our favorite items were the below arugula salad with grilled figs (!), husk cherries, blue cheese + beet vinaigrette; and acorn squash soup with goat cheese and toasted pumpkin seeds. For an entrée we shared a lemon caper sea bass that was good, but left me craving the seitan piccatta at Blossom!
For dessert, I ordered something that was so “not me,” but just goes to show that I should get out of my comfort zone more often! The sweet potato crème brûlée with homemade marshmallow and sweet potato chip was so interesting and unexpected, and a nice twist on an old standby.
After a leisurely dinner- service was good, but the restaurant was busy- we got to the house late and slept in the next morning. When we woke up, we hightailed it to Oriole 9, a great little brunch spot we stumbled on last year. In addition to French press coffee, B and I shared two dishes: forest mushroom skillet with eggs and pecornio, and (a daily special) poached artichoke stuffed with truffled scrambled eggs. B said their bread was delicious- served with homemade jam!- but they were nice enough to swap in an extra bowl of salad for one of our orders.
We scrounged for lunch, then had dinner at Joshua’s. We’d planned to eat at the Bear Cafe, but we happened to be in town during the Woodstock Film Festival and weren’t able to get a table. This ended up being quite fortuitous for us; we enjoyed a more intimate dinner (the Bear is quite loud) and tried out a place I’ve been curious about for years! (Funny story: when I was 8, my parents and I were in Woodstock and I happened to find $80 on the sidewalk outside Joshua’s. We left the money with the manager but no one came to claim it, so I got to take it home! Big bucks for a little kid… which you better believe my parents made me put in the bank
We shared a prix fixe (which was plenty of food) and loved our swordfish with mushrooms and risotto. I never would have thought to try the three things together, but it was fabulous!
On our last morning in town, B and I drove 20 minutes away to Phoenicia for breakfast at the Phoenicia Diner.
On the surface, the restaurant looks just like an old diner, filled with greasy food and mediocre coffee (and you know I love diner food, so I’m not hating!). And in a lot of ways, that’s what it is: it’s unpretentious, and draws all kinds of people.
But the food… oh, man. The coffee, too, was perfect! It’s from a local roaster.
B and I split two things: the silver dollar buckwheat pancakes with fruit and maple syrup (and 100% gluten free), and the Arnold Bennet Skillet with smoked trout, parmesan cheese, crème fraiche and scrambled egg. Both items were delicious and the perfect full breakfast! We will definitely be returning here next year.
We spent the rest of the day doing the best darn thing you can do in a cozy house with no cell service: read! We picked up a couple new books at The Golden Notebook, too.
On our way out of town, we picked up two more Woodstock staples: a perfectly round pumpkin, and a cup of hot apple cider.
See ya next year, Woodstock!
