Another Fork in the Road, Dutchess County
We used to take the Amtrak or drive to Poughkeepsie to take the Metro-North to visit NYC. In more recent times though, we've discovered the charm of driving. Insane Manhattan traffic you say? Take the BQE. Expensive parking you say? My mother-in-law spotted a place in Brooklyn that costs $7 a day. And there are benefits too - flexibility of timing, being able to buy stuff there and cart it back (no one wants to crush their pretty Paper Source loot or One Girl whoopie pies in a backpack), and in the case of my job being able to move artwork around. The Taconic State Parkway is also beautiful and incredibly civilized to drive on. You feel a bit like Don Draper dropping Sally off at boarding school. You can imagine all the old timey road trips taken on that very strip of asphalt. I drove down for work a little while ago, fought through traffic in the Bronx, got to a spot near Hudson on the Taconic and experienced the most beautiful view. It was all fresh air, arm-stretching space, and a real reminder of how happy I am to have left the city (5 years ago now!) and made upstate NY my home.
The Taconic is great. Another benefit is when you drive on the Thruway you feel like you just popped out of The Sopranos episode "Pine Barrens", or at least we do when we can't stop saying "Shoulda stopped at Roy Rogers". The Taconic turns out to have much better food options, and since there's no toll, there's no hassle in getting off and on.
We stopped in Dutchess county to look for a lunch place. We drove a very short distance down the road and stopped in at Another Fork in the Road. What a great find! It was completely adorable and decorated exactly the way I strive for in my own house: a bit of farm-yard chic mixed in with Etsy humor and retro charm.
The food was fabulous, and much better than anything you could reasonably expect stumbling along off the highway. Its a diner if one served locally sourced seasonal dishes in a new American style. Scott had the banh mi sandwich with watercress on it which boasted amazingly flavorful meat and a crusty on the outside, chewy on the inside roll. I had the smoked salmon club, which had some great thinly sliced cucumbers and radishes, really tasty local greens and crispy bacon. The portions were not huge either, which is a good thing for a traveler who wants to save room for their fancy NYC dinner reservations.
I can't wait to head back here next time I'm driving to the city (or if you were doing a Hudson Valley day and were head to the FDR Museum or something it'd be right on the way to that too). Its really great to have some good eating when you least expect it.
The Taconic is great. Another benefit is when you drive on the Thruway you feel like you just popped out of The Sopranos episode "Pine Barrens", or at least we do when we can't stop saying "Shoulda stopped at Roy Rogers". The Taconic turns out to have much better food options, and since there's no toll, there's no hassle in getting off and on.
We stopped in Dutchess county to look for a lunch place. We drove a very short distance down the road and stopped in at Another Fork in the Road. What a great find! It was completely adorable and decorated exactly the way I strive for in my own house: a bit of farm-yard chic mixed in with Etsy humor and retro charm.
The food was fabulous, and much better than anything you could reasonably expect stumbling along off the highway. Its a diner if one served locally sourced seasonal dishes in a new American style. Scott had the banh mi sandwich with watercress on it which boasted amazingly flavorful meat and a crusty on the outside, chewy on the inside roll. I had the smoked salmon club, which had some great thinly sliced cucumbers and radishes, really tasty local greens and crispy bacon. The portions were not huge either, which is a good thing for a traveler who wants to save room for their fancy NYC dinner reservations.
I can't wait to head back here next time I'm driving to the city (or if you were doing a Hudson Valley day and were head to the FDR Museum or something it'd be right on the way to that too). Its really great to have some good eating when you least expect it.
That sounds like a good place to eat. I love eating with a group of my friends. I'm always looking for a new place we can try.
ReplyDeleteBill | http://www.sabatinos.com/party/seatedandserved.asp