Upstate New York in the fall is a splendid thing.
When you really start down winding roads between small communities, there are apple orchards and farmstands galore— which usually bear handmade signs that are ridiculously charming.
The produce and goodies inside (yes, of course I bought an entire apple pie for myself) are also just ex excellent quality, of course.
I spent time in a few close-by hamlets this fall, all in Western New York: Chester, Washingtonville, and Newburgh, and each of them were quaint and lovely to spend a few days in.
Living out in the Western United States, there’s just not the same amount of historical architecture– the same charm– as these hamlets hold. These downtowns were full of local businesses and a few chains (lookin’ at you, Dunkin’)– and the shops were clearly family-owned.
For instance, this pizza place in Washingtonville– F&J Pizza, was likely just named after the initials of the founders. The curt greeting I received when walking in was ever-so-New-York (City): “Whaddaya want?!” — the gruff guy behind the counter was always busy, always a little brusque, but also attentive and made sure each guest got what they needed (even if he neglected to smile most of the time).
Perhaps the most impressive meal of my visit to upstate was one I had at Blooming Hill Farm, a farmstead and eatery in Monroe, NY (another hamlet!). The property was so lush, with flowers in-bloom even in late fall– and there was a small fire pit out front to brace against the fall chill in the air.
The restaurant inside the wooden shed-like building was wood-paneled and so cozy, and the soft bustle of the waitstaff and chatter of other diners felt warm and convivial. From what I saw, you absolutely need a reservation to have a meal here– it was just bananas busy on a blue-sky, fall weekend day. The friends I was with had (luckily) made one, and we were seated at a table underneath lush green plants.
I have to say, the food was just fabulous– I got the shakshuka, and it was served with grilled bread that I used to sop up the poached egg, which I split open over the whole of the skillet. The flavors were so varied and fresh– it was easy to tell they sourced most of their ingredients from their own and surrounding farms. Heavy on herbs, this wasn’t a traditional shakshuka, but was fresh on the palate. Which reminds me, they also had a farm stand on-site…
The farm sold gorgeous herbs, flowers, bread baked onsite, and even housemade marinara sauce and jars of marinated peppers and tomatoes. The breadth of items was pretty wide, given the operation did not look massive. It was clear they utilized every foot of space they had, in both greenhouses and the ground– speaking of ground, dirt was still clinging to the root veggies and the potatoes for-sale.
I was THRILLED to see Concord grapes grown by the farm– I absolutely adore these tart little grapes, and they are rarely found in the West. Eating a New York State-grown Concord Grape is not unlike sucking on a Sour Patch Kid– the tartness makes your lips pull back into a pucker. These were delicious, but I’ll remind you that Concord Grapes DO have seeds. Just keep that in-mind.
I wasn’t in upstate New York for too long, I was mostly there to see friends who had very busy lives, and graciously hosted me between family obligations and travel. But I was very glad I made it out there and got to spend a couple days in each of the little hamlets.
I did have to re-route my van around low concrete arched bridges SEVERAL times, though– in historic places in the USA (I’ve also seen this in Alabama and Louisiana), bridges don’t always have the 10-feet of clearance I need to pass under them. I nearly took the top off my van a few times, and was thankfully able to use Google Maps to get around each obstacle without incident. (WHEW).
The historic homes running along the sides of the road were too numerous to count– this one was clearly being modernized, with new window stickers visible from the road. It struck me that this house below had a long way to go to be livable, but had already seen so much over the decades.
One thing I love about the East is the care people give to older homes. If “the bones are good,” people will spend a pretty penny to ensure these beautiful structures live on, and host subsequent generations of families and friends.
The charm of a village in New York might rival that of the New England hamlet– or even exceed it. While there’s plenty of places in New York State with bigger names, it’s worth taking some country roads and seeing what hamlets you end up in.
Posted by Sun
