In each of these towns, restaurants, cafes, and craft spirits establishments are popping up, taking advantage of their neighboring farmers and effortlessly dishing out delicious, fresh, farm-to-table meals. And though the restaurants and towns are spread out, roadside farmstands and farmers markets can be found all over the place. Escape Brooklyn recently teamed up with Visit Catskills to explore this culinary destination: its landscapes, farmers, markets, rooms, and restaurants. Read on for all the makings of a drool-worthy weekend.
Eat Here: the Best Restaurants, Farmers’ Markets, and Farm Stands in Delaware County, NY
It may be hard to believe, but some of the areas in the Western Catskills are actually seeing an uptick in the number of farms. Though it’s historically been a farming area for centuries, in recent years, it’s attracted a new generation of farmers—many of them city expats—seeking lifestyle change. And thanks to a higher-than-ever demand in organic and sustainable farming, there’s room for everyone.
Travelers to Delaware County should definitely stock up on local food, and what better way to kill a summer morning, or autumn afternoon, than driving its backroads in search of its farm stands? (Finding them is half the fun; they’re often located at the end of a twisty dirt road.) Some Escape Brooklyn favorites are Byebrook Farms in Bloomville, with dairy products and baked goods by The Farmers Wife; Bovina Valley Farm in Bovina with cheese, syrup, and premium meat; and Burnett Farms in Bovina with organic produce. Of course, farm stands are everywhere, and if you should find yourself anywhere in the region, Visit Catskills, Pure Catskills, and Farming Bovina are amazing resources for finding local products and farms.
Visitors with less time to spare hunting for farm stands might opt for a farmers’ market. On Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., the Pakatakan Farmers’ Market in Roxbury is the best and largest market in the region, which is set afoot a massive round barn. The market features tons of locally grown goods including produce, pasture-raised meats, trout, cheeses, and breads. Other markets of note are in Delhi on Wednesday, Hobart on Friday, and Sunday in Franklin. More info about those markets here.
The towns of Andes, Bovina, Bloomville, and Delhi have been put on the map thanks to several new culinary hotspots, all of which are making use of their neighboring farms. Visually, on a map, the four towns form a cross—with north/east/south/west points—and they’re all within 15 miles of each other. The southern point would be Andes, where small-batch craft cidery Wayside Cider serves up delicious dry ciders complimented by a great menu for snacking, which includes flatbreads, salads; plus plates to share like smoked trout, cheese and vegetables boards. Twenty minutes up the road, Brushland Eating House feeds hungry patrons in the one-restaurant town of Bovina. Its menu includes unpretentious comfort food like one-flip burgers, tender pork schnitzel, and brown-butter blondies. Just over the mountain to its north lies Bloomville, where cafe Table on Ten is always bustling at a literal fork in a country road. On Friday night, the towns population literally doubles as visitors and locals fill the 1860s Italianate farmhouse for its now-famous pizza night; grab an outside seat in the garden if you can! Last, and newest to the food scene in Delaware County is Goldenrod in Delhi, where owner Carver Ferrel sources the main component of each dish exclusively in Delaware County. The drink offerings include cocktails built around wild and foraged ingredients, plus local beer, cider, and wine.
Stay Here: Above a Farm-to-Table Restaurant
In the sleepy town of Bloomville, Table on Ten the perfect home base for exploring the region. Its three airy rooms above the restaurant echo the laid-back vibe of the restaurant, filled with antiques, local products, and comfortable linens. The attic suite claims the entire fourth floor, with a king-size bed, tons of space (and sunlight), a work area, record player, records, private bathroom, and a claw foot tub that is window-facing, inhabiting the middle of the room. Downstairs, two additional rooms are equally comfortable, and share a bathroom. The best part, however, is getting first dibs on brunch, which is served from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on weekends; dinner is served 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.
