HudsonValleyGoodStuff

Fez Cafe: Yummy Moroccan and Mediterranean Cuisine in Saugerties!

Please note: 1/05/2012---Fez is only open for dinner. No lunch.

I had a delicious lunch at Fez Cafe, a restaurant that serves Moroccan and Mediterranean in Saugerties. I haven't found any other restaurants in the area that serve Moroccan food so I was very happy when they opened over a year ago. It has a cozy eclectic ambiance. There was a couple with two tween daughters were enjoying a lunch when I was there. A local couple sat at the table next to mine. The woman boasted that chef owner Neils Nelson really has a finesse with the way he prepares the food. I have to agree. It is definitely cooked with love! (My husband raves about the curry chicken salad at Fez Cafe). 

I started with the falafel fritter starter, which was very filling. The falafels were very crunchy and the tahini sauce was perfect. For my entree I had the signature Fez salad, with a lamb kebob. The over-sized salad had a little bit of everything, cured olives, goat cheese, stuffed grape leaves, artichoke hearts, homemade hummus, pita bread over greens. For dessert I had the cardamom creme brulee.

(Tip: If you go there mention the Hudson Valley Good Stuff ad on the blog and you can get a free cardamom creme brulee with your entree!)  

I'm very excited to have Fez Cafe as a sponsor for the blog because they really have good stuff! Fez Cafe serves brunch, lunch, and dinner. Credit cards are not accepted but there is an ATM across the street. They have daily specials as well as a wine list. See website for hours. Closed Tuesdays. Fez Cafe, 71 Partition Street, Saugerties, NY (845) 247-7198.

Celebrating Father's Day in the Hudson Valley: Where to take Dad

 Here are a few fun ideas if you are celebrating Father's Day in the Hudson Valley this weekend. 

Skytop Steakhouse & Brewing Company, 237 Forest Hill Drive, Kingston, NY (845) 340-4277 Brunch Buffet- I went here 3 years ago. They always have a great spread with smoked salmon and an omelet station. You can also order off the menu. It's always a good place for beer lovers!

Hickory BBQ Smokehouse--743 Route 28, Kingston, NY (845) 338-2424. If your Dad is more of BBQ ribs kind of guy, take him to Hickory BBQ. Everything is pretty damn good here, even the salads! http://www.hickoryrestaurant.com/index.html

Big Healthy Breakfast--Sweet Sue's Phoenicia, 49 Main Street, Phoenicia, NY (845) 688-7852--It's one of the best breakfast places around.  The only thing you will not like about this place is the line outside to get in on weekends! Over-sized organic pancakes are their specialty.  They have a zillion different pancakes. Try their pancake sundae!

Dad would also like other Restaurants that I Love that I've mentioned in the blog as well.

Starting at 11 am on Sunday, June 19th the Rhinebeck Farmers Market will be offering Dads free strawberry shortcake. Where will you go to celebrate Father's Day?

 

Sylvester & Co. General Store--Sag Harbor: Hot Cocoa Machine, fancy local candy & gifts!

 

 

Sylvester & Co. is a super chic contemporary general store I stumbled on when I was visiting Sag Harbor President's Day weekend.  It was a highlight of the weekend as a lot of my favorite haunts were closed for the season. Even the old reliable pizza place in Sag Harbor was closed, as was Bay Burger. A sign that reads "Dreamy Coffee" hangs right in front of the store.  The Golden Pear is right next door, and has the best coffee in the area (in my opinion) so they do have a bit of nerve calling their coffee Dreamy. Their coffee was good, but not as good as Golden Pear coffee. The hot cocoa was the best I've had in a long time though! Just look at the beautiful hot cocoa machine! To top it off, there is a glass jar full of marshmallows. The kids loved this! There is a sleek counter with bar stools so you can people watch as you sip your coffee or hot cocoa. 

Chocolate candy lovers will love the delicious selection of gourmet chocolates. They are almost too pretty to eat! I will definitely be coming back here for the hot cocoa and gourmet candies.  Take a look at the FunkyChunky pretzel chocolate chip creations.   I regret not buying a jar. 

According to Sylvester & Company's website, the store opened in 1989. Can't imagine it has taken me this long to find it. Maybe the hot cocoa machine is new?  Anybody know? For more info, visit the Sylvester & Co website.

The Last Bite High Falls: Granola bars, local jewelry & good chai!

I really enjoyed my chai at The Last Bite cafe in High Falls the other day. After a topsy turvy morning, I really needed an afternoon boost. The decor is kind of hippie zany chic. I should have tried the hippie granola bar, but I wasn't that hungry. There was a crockpot full of Indian dahl that looked good too. They also have very cool earrings for sale and whimsical Barak Obama t-shirts. I will definitely come back and try an organic sandwich or a drink from their juice bar once the snow melts. What is good to order there? The folks at Visit Vortex have a nice little article about the place. The Last Bite, 103 Main Street, High Falls, NY. (845)  687-7779.

Pete's Famous Restaurant: Fluffy pancakes and quick service--Rhinebeck, NY.

Pete's Famous Restaurant is a good reliable breakfast, brunch, and lunch place in Rhinebeck. It's a small diner style restaurant in the village, and it's usually very busy on weekends. The service is quick and friendly so you usually don't have to wait long for a table. The booths are perfect for families, and they give kids crayons too. I'd recommend this as a great spot to for a play-date breakfast. Pete's Famous Restaurant, 34 East Market Street, Rhinebeck, NY. (845) 876-7271

Panera Bread in Kingston: Coffee, Wi-Fi, and Weather-proof!

Everyone in the Hudson Valley is still talking about The Big North Easter storm ("February Fury" as the Weather Channel calls it). As I write this the lights are flickering a bit, and who knows if my computer will make it to the end of this post. Today started off with brief heavy snow shower around 9 AM, but then it soon turned into rain and slush. It was too wet to sleigh in, and I didn't want to drive on slushy roads. A girl from Willow told us that she got 2 feet of snow today. (That's only about 20 minutes from Woodstock, but has a higher elevation she said). By the time 4 o'clock rolled around the whole family was going stir crazy so we decided to go to Starbuck's Drive-In. To our shock, it was closed. A note on the door said "Closed due to inclement weather--don't blame us, blame the weatherman"--Barnes & Nobles was also closed. So, we decided to go to Panera Bread, a great lunch spot that has free Wi-Fi. Here is a website that lists Panera Bread's gluten-free menu items too.They were also planning on closing early. Panera Bread,1165 Ulster Avenue, Kingston, NY (845) 336-5371. 

Hudson Valley Holiday Family Fun: Woodstock Open House Tonight!

Even though the weather has been mild up here and there is no snow on the ground yet, tonight it will definitely feel like the Christmas season is here because it is Woodstock Open House night!  The tree is already up, and the stores will offer free goodies, such as cookies and hot cocoa. Just a few of the attractions: Frosty the Snowman, Mrs. Claus, Face painting, Artist reception by Jehudith Sobel, and Culinary Ice Sculptor John Kowalski will wow the crowd too!  It's a fun time to get into the holiday spirit and get your retail therapy in. These stores depend on the holiday season to stay alive!  Hope you enjoy it--it runs from 12 noon-9pm. There is a link to a flyer about the event at http:www.woodstockchamber.com.  Keep in mind that while the Open House starts at 12 noon, most of the kid stuff starts after 5pm. If you happen to miss out on the festivities tonight, you can check out Rhinebeck's Annual Sinterklass Celebration tomorrow from 10 am- 12 midnight. More info here:   I went to the one last year and it was a ton of fun. Horse carriage rides, hot cocoa, bake sales, story time inside the Beakman Arms, and a parade at 5pm.  Don't miss it! http://www.sinterklaasrhinebeck.com.  Merry Christmas!

Hudson Coffee Traders: Good Coffee & Wi-Fi in Kingston

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 I recently discovered a great place to have coffee and work on your laptop in Kingston's business district.  Hudson Coffee Traders is a cute coffee spot with comfy chairs and Wi-Fi. Coffee is also good. I had mini-lemon muffin, which was also pretty tasty. The service is very friendly, and it's right across from the court house--perfect for jurors!  I also noticed a new Indian restaurant near Wall Street, which I'd like to check out some day. Hudson Coffee Traders,  288 Wall Street, Kingston, NY  12401. (845) 338-1300. http://www.hudsoncoffeetraders.com/

Rainy Day Trip: Last Chance Restaurant--Tannersville, NY

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When the weather forecast in the Hudson Valley calls for 100 percent rain showers and I don't have any birthday parties or events to go to, I try to discover a new restaurant. Today we set out for a "drive-to-who-knows-where" around 12 noon. My husband remembered this diner in Hunter that we once went to during our courtship, but turns out his memory was a bit fuzzy. The diner was actually in Tannersville, which is a few miles from Hunter. When we got to the parking lot though I had a change of heart because I thought the Last Chance Restaurant in Tannersville had a bit more curb appeal than the greasy spoon diner.  I'm happy we made that U-turn!  The Last Chance restaurant is a very cozy and family friendly place. They also sell local cheeses, candies, maple goodies, and merchandise.  My husband was really hungry so had to ask the waitress his standard "What's the heartiest thing you got on the menu" question. She sold him on the chicken pot pie. As you can see from the photo it's huge! 

I was good and ordered the veggie cheese burger and donated the potato knish.  It was delicious!  They also have S'mores Dessert item for $13.99 that looked really interesting.   Maybe next time! I would suggest you avoid the candy selection up front until your kid finish their meals. If you want to spend an overnight in a quirky, but comfortable place then Villa Vossila is your best bet in Tannersville. I have to admit I haven't stayed there since the late 1990s so things might have changed, but when I stayed there the food was really good. The best part is hanging out in the jacuzzi watching the snow fall!  Here is the website in case you are curious, http://www.villavosilla.com. It's also within 5 minutes of skiing, snowboarding, and ice skating activities. There are a couple other cafe type places to eat in Tannersville, but it looked to me like Last Chance was going to really be our best chance at some fine dining! Tannersville is a cute sleepy town that really gets hopping once the snow comes!  For info on Last Chance Restaurant, visit http://www.lastchanceonline.com. Last Chance Restaurant, 602 Main Street, Tannersville, NY. 12485. (518) 589-6424.

Joshua's Cafe: Wi-Fi & Insane Hot Chocolate

Today was the perfect day to indulge in a power cup of hot cocoa, salted caramel hot cocoa with whipped cream in chocolate syrup to be exact at Joshua's Cafe. (The downstairs is a restaurant that serves mediterranean food, and the upstairs is a cafe).  The presentation was over the top, I'd say. It was very rich and kept me buzzed and satisfied for the rest of the afternoon while I covered the Woodstock Film Festival. I wish I could see all the films, but I don't have time. I did see Splinterheads today, which was an interesting film about carnival romance, Geo-Caching, and the trials of being a slacker. I will post photos of the film festival soon. http://www.joshuascafe.com. 51 Tinker Street, 845-679-5533.