Keep going, and watch for County Route 2 on your right, where a six-mile detour will bring you to the Country Inn of Krumville, with 500 kinds of bottled beer plus ten or 11 on tap, complementing a menu featuring local seasonal fare. Recent specials have included braised monkfish and grilled hanger steak with a mushroom demiglace. Credit cards are not accepted and reservations are recommended on weekends at this cozy and busy spot.
The Inn is at 1380 County Road 2 in Krumville and open Wednesday through Sunday, opening at 3 p.m. Sundays and 5 p.m. the other days. Call (845) 657-8956 or visit www.krumville.com.
Back to Route 209, keep going west and watch for a huge barn on your left. That’s the Pizza Barn, unusual for a pizza place in its commitment to using only all-natural ingredients. Inside, you’ll find a big airy space and inhale the heavenly aroma of the organic pizza sauce. Its thin crusts are made of 100 percent organically grown, stoneground hard red wheat and malted barley flour. Everything is prepared fresh every day, and there are no hormones, pesticides, bleach, bromate, nitrates, trans-fats, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, dyes or preservatives in anything. The motto is “Changing the way Americans eat pizza, one pizza at a time.”
Pizzas range from $11.75 to $18.75 and feed three people, except for the gluten-free crust version ($15), which feeds one. Available combos include the Loaded Potato, with Applegate bacon, organic onions and local all-natural cheddar cheese drizzled with ranch dressing, available Friday and Saturday only; and the Gorgonzola, which adds organic tomatoes, peppers, dried cranberries and sweetened nuts to the creamy cheese. There are also salads and a natural Boylan soda fountain ($2.25, includes refills). Winter hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., with the kitchen closing at 7:30 p.m. Every first Wednesday of the month is Kids’ Night, with pizza-making, face-painting and balloon animals. The Barn is located at 5125 Route 209 in Accord, (845) 626-2300 or https://thepizzabarn.webs.com.
The furthest out, but worth the trip, is Helena Specialty Pierogies in Kerhonkson, which is a place that has a Ukrainian history, with Ukrainian residents, a resort and a festival. The tiny shop with its big kitchen is across from Kelder’s Farm and its giant gnome, tucked away at the side of a small strip mall. Locating it reminded me of other semi-secret food finds, like the delectable smoked shad that I used to buy from a little garage in the back roads of Red Hook. Inside I found two very happy diners at its one table enjoying some sliced kielbasa and sautéed garlic-flavored pierogies.
Peeking out of a window was owner and pierogi-maker Anna Samko, who explained that many varieties of the delectable little pockets, like jalapeño, horseradish, beet, broccoli or blueberry, have to be special-ordered, as do uncooked pierogies; but otherwise you can get a few other varieties by the dozen, $6.25 to $7.50, to eat there or take home and reheat. She suggested sautéing them in butter or olive oil and topping with chopped scallions. I bought a dozen potato/cheddar and a dozen potato/onion, and cooked them later in a mix of half-butter and half-olive oil for half the guilt. For toppings I used sautéed sliced onions, some applesauce that I’d made from organic Pink Lady apples and some full-fat Ronnybrook Creamline yogurt, as well as the chopped scallions that Anna suggested. The pierogi dough was perfect, not too thick nor too light, and both fillings perfectly seasoned. With their crispy exteriors and smooth, savory insides, they were heaven on a plate.
Find Helena’s at 5754 Route 209 in Kerhonkson or (845) 626-2958. Hours are 12 noon to 5 p.m. Thursday through Monday.
Heading back east towards Kingston, you’ll drive through Stone Ridge, a chic village within the town of Marbletown. There you’ll find Jack & Luna’s Café, which we reported on recently here in Almanac Weekly. Custom cakes are a specialty, plus scones, muffins, pies and many other baked goods. A lunch menu offers panini, quiche, salads and soup, with everything made from scratch except for the Bread Alone breads. On- and off-site catering and live jazz events with dinner specials are among the special features of the Café.
Jack & Luna’s Café is open seven days from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with evening hours when there is live music. Find the Café at 3928 Main Street in Stone Ridge, (845) 687-9794, or at https://jackandlunas.com.
Finally, in the same burg, at the corner of Route 209 and Cottekill Road, you’ll find the half-century-old Davenport Farms farmstand. As of this writing it is closed for the winter, but I’ve heard that in addition to loads of its own seasonal produce and other gourmet goodies, it offers breakfasts, lunches and dinners to go. During peak season it opens from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 3411 Route 209 in Stone Ridge. Call (845) 687-0051 or see www.davenportfarms.com.
On those hurried or tired days when cooking a fresh meal from scratch isn’t appealing, there are many options for nourishing and delicious eating in the area. Just meander down Route 213 and 209 and see what you can find!
Read more about local cuisine and learn about new restaurants on Ulster Publishing’s dinehudsonvalley.com or hudsonvalleyalmanacweekly.com.
