Cooking and Eating on Vacation in Upstate NY

Turning thirty, dinner at my favorite restaurant, and my packing list for cooking on vacation.

Thank you for your patience in my return to writing. The past few months were challenging, but I was met with the feeling of re-emergence right before my 30th birthday a few weeks ago. To celebrate, I rented a house upstate for three nights with a few close friends. We cooked, ate, bathed, and celebrated.

Cooking on Vacation

On our drive up, I had planned to stop at Blooming Hill Farm, but thunderstorms delayed our departure and they were closed by the time we would have arrived. Instead, we stopped at Golden Hour Grocery in Kingston. They had a great produce selection and I picked up one of every herb they had for salsa verde, as well as a loaf of sourdough, heirloom tomatoes, and several variety of stone fruit (nectaplums, pluots).

Afterwards, we stopped at Brunette for a glass of wine before heading to Adams Fairacre for the rest of our provisions. Adams Fairacre is how I remember grocery stores growing up. No frills — but the produce, meat, and cheese are actually local. I wish grocery stores like this existed everywhere.

We particularly enjoyed their cheese selection, including many different individually packed cut squares of cheese from $1 - $5. We grabbed $3 worth of my favorite garlic cheddar and $2 worth of gruyere. A friend lovingly surprised me by using it to assemble a fruit and cheese plate with a candle at midnight on my birthday in lieu of cake.

After settling in, we started on dinner. I had hoped to use the grill, but the rain had other plans. Luckily, before leaving Manhattan I had assembled a bag of vacation cooking essentials. For me, this includes:

• Large Cast Iron Skillet

• Chef’s Knife

• Stainless Steel Tongs

• Microplane

• Suribachi + Surikogi

• Maldon Salt

• Kitchen Towels (new addition to the list after our Airbnb did not provide)

While not long in length, this list is my non-negotiable items that ensure I don’t end up disappointed. There is nothing worse than a dull knife or bad meal on vacation. Depending on the location and level of uncertainty in provisions, I might also include a rimmed baking sheet, pairing knife, and a small cutting board.

Having the cast iron, we were able to easily pivot and cook the steak on the stovetop, then top it with salsa verde as planned. Salsa verde is my favorite trick to making any protein feel considered. Served with steak, chicken, fish, or even mushrooms, it is the perfect summer dish (or year round for that matter).

Alongside the steak, I cut up peaches and heirloom tomatoes, topping them with burrata and torn basil. While choosing peaches at Adams, we were struck by the extreme amount of fuzz. A fellow shopper remarked that this particularly fuzzy variety was local to the area and incredibly sweet — she was right. I found curry powder at the rental and combined with olive oil to create a drizzle on top with some warmth of flavor.

We bought corn to grill, but instead had to simply break it in half and boil it. I took a half cob, cut off the kernels, and sprinkled them on top of the tomato peach salad.

Finally, we made baby potatoes. Boiled first, I then topped with lemon juice, salt, and pepper before broiling. I finished the potatoes with plenty of dill and another drizzle of lemon juice. A perfect vacation dinner.

The potatoes transitioned well into breakfast the following two mornings, served alongside eggs, arugula salad, sourdough, the cheese bits, and stone fruit.

Eating on Vacation

For birthday dinner, I booked us a reservation at my favorite restaurant in New York, Stissing House. Originally an inn and tavern, it was build in 1782. It’s now owned and operated by Clare DeBoer of King (the site of last year’s birthday lunch).

What I love about Stissing House is its cozy, candlelit interiors paired with simple yet sensational food. It is all at once casual and formal. And as good in the winter next to the warm fire as it is on a long summer evening.

We ate through much of the menu: from the bread, butter, cups of broth, and homemade salt + vinegar chips upon arrival; scallops with green garlic butter, heirloom + sungold tomato salad, and artichoke mayonnaise to start; to a big salad, two chickens, lamb, vegetables, and fish pie.

While the Snowdance chicken was the highlight for me in past visits, this time their new fish pie stole the show. Steelhead, halibut, and scallops (perhaps even more fish?) in a creamy sauce and topped with piped mashed potatoes.

The unexpected highlight of the meal was dessert. The coconut cake and rye brownie sundae were outstanding, but both were outshined by the dessert we did not order and they kindly included: tart cherry and fig ice cream with pralines. The tartness of cherries, richness of fig, and creaminess of ice cream alongside the simultaneously salty and sweet praline crunch was delicious. Praline is a food I always forget how much I love — biting in feels like a rediscovery every time. As a marzipan, amaretto, and all-around almond lover, it should come as no surprise.

I could not ask for a more perfect way to welcome the next decade. Here is to my thirties, including big plans I have for Dinnertime in the coming months. Thank you for being here.

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Other favorites upstate include:

• Lunch at Cafe Mutton

• Cocktails at The Maker

• Sauna at Piaule

• Pasta at feast & floret

• Baths at Pocketbook

• Breakfast at Gracie’s Lunchonette

• Eagerly awaiting Hamlet’s opening

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