Thought you might like a listing of some of our favorite places to grab grub around here on your way to the NKFF2009… just save room for delicious gourmet popcorn and food from Heaven.

Coming up Route 28 from NYC?
Stop at Bread Alone on route 28 just before the village of Boiceville. Great variety of delicious breads, croissants, pastries, pies, etc…

Margaretville area
Pakatakan Farmer’s Market (aka the Round Barn) – Route 30 about 4 miles north of Margaretville: all kinds of fresh fruits and veggies, the world’s best sweet sugary waffles with chocolate and whipped cream, live music, pastries, baked goods, local cheeses, meats, maple products, jams, honey, mustards, crafts, pottery, sandwiches, etc. Yeah. Closes at 2 p.m.!

Harry and the Hippie Chick – delicious sandwiches, coffees, salads, etc… with a New York/Puerto Rican flavor.

Fleischmanns – see previous posts on this blog about the great Mexican food options in Fleischmanns

Bovina

Thankfully, Heaven on Main Street is providing food for NKFF 2009, because otherwise, they’ll be closed for two weeks for renovation! But don’t fret, the adorable historical village of Bovina Center also has Russell’s – where Bea serves up delicious sandwiches, delectible cakes and brownies (which will also be at the fest), ice cream, and features boatloads of local goods such as beef, cheese, crafts, bike parts and supplies, etc. Don’t worry, they are the only two places in town to stop, so you can’t miss them!

Andes

The Andes Hotel is a great place to hang out – especially if it’s a sunny afternoon and you get a spot on the porch. It has a combination of delicious and medium/high priced gourmet brunches, lunches and dinners, as well as a great selection of beers and nice lower priced bar food menu that puts most bar menus to shame. Woody’s, (formerly Cassies) is quite a different experience, it’s more like your locals’ diner that features good old fashioned inexpensive all American breakfast and lunches. (Note, we haven’t checked out the Andel Inn yet… We got all excited when we heard it was going to be Indian food, and were still excited when we heard it was going to be sushi, and then a lot less when we heard it was going to be a steak house. But I see from their menu that they do have a couple Indian-style dishes!)

Delhi

The Crossroads Cafe is one of our regular pit stops for fresh and healthy lunches. The Quarter Moon Cafe also features excellent gourmet fare for a few pennies more – and right next door is a great place to buy some produce or local cheese and goods at Good Cheap Food (or Good Food as we like to call it) AND has a decent bar in the back (call to see if open first), SOL bar.

See you at NKFF 2009!

Poison Parsnip! (aka Wild Parsnip)

Poison Parsnip: not a pretty yellow flower!

If you are in Delaware County in July, you have seen poison parsnip. It is taking over this county. Right now it’s abundant in nearly all ditches, and fields, and it appears to be expanding its reach quickly. BEWARE this stuff, it causes a burning rash that is as bad as or worse than poison ivy – unless you happen to get in contact after dark and wash it off before sunrise – as it is UV activated. If you hike, mow, or enjoy outdoor activities BEWARE! At a party I met a guy whose arm was covered in gauze. He had been weed-wacking and got into a patch of this stuff and it really messed up his arm. Like this:

Poison Parsnip bites!

Please see the links below for more info:

https://www.nysdot.gov/dangerous-plants/wild-parsnip
http://dnr.wi.gov/invasives/fact/parsnip.htm
http://128.104.239.6/uw_weeds/extension/articles/wildparsnip.htm

Ok, ask most anyone in Delaware County where to find Indian food, and you’ll probably get a blank stare. Doesn’t exist. Used to exist in Pine Hill. No more. Woods Grocery in Delhi? Nope. The An-del Inn? It was rumored to be Indian food. Nope. Turns out, Fleischmanns hits the jackpot again. The Fleischmanns supermarket on Main street features Indian food items you can order one day and pick up the next (so plan ahead!).

Fleischmanns Supermarket AND Indian Food

Here’s a Fleischmanns Supermarket Menu (and order form) (PDF).

Fleischmanns Supermarket Indian Food Menu

Ok, it’s not quite like having a full on Indian restaurant, but… They also mix, crush and sell Indian spices, if you’d rather cook it up yourself at home. And if you want to get some goods such as pickles, chutneys, etc. you can put in an order through this place as well… Enjoy!

Ok, I have to admit I had driven by Fleischmanns many many times with curiosity, but never actually ventured off route 28 into this little village. Until I had a work study student from Fleischmanns (and from Mexico) tell me about the Mexican food available in Fleischmanns, and then I hightailed it there to check it out. It’s true. Fleischmanns has:

• a Mexican grocery store
• a Mexican restaurant
• a gas station/bus stop that moonlights as a Mexican grill

Who knew? Let’s look more in depth:

Get your Mexican groceries in Fleischmanns... (and tamales on the weekends!)

Mexican Grocery Store: Mi Lupita
This place has fresh tortillas, tomatillos, cheeses, chorizo, and many other items you’d expect to find in a Mexican grocery. But it also has homemade tamales for sale on the weekend. Delicious, and inexpensive! Flavors include cheese/jalapeno, chicken, pork, and molé, depending on the day. Enjoy!

Mexican Restaurant
Admittedly, I haven’t even set foot into the restaurant, because I’m normally in town at odd times when it might not be open. The other places fulfill my needs, but one day I’ll make it here, too…

Load up on Mexican beer, homemade mole, sopes, tamales, tortas, etc. on weekends

Gas Station
At the south/east end of town is a Sunoco? gas station that has a grill on the side. It features breakfast sandwiches and items as well as brunch – but that includes Mexican items like sopes, tortas, tamales, pozole, and a number of other delicious Mexican treats. Not only that, but they serve this all up for dinner – from 5 or so until late on the weekends. Just don’t go during the mid-day (2-5 I think) when the grill is shut down and most of the best stuff cannot be had… Also of note: this place has its own salsa verde and homemade molé as well as Oaxaca cheese and other items in the fridge – not to mention the perfect selection of hard to find in this area Mexican brews to wash it all down. Love this place. It is also the Trailways bus stop. Rock and roll.

In December 2008, NYC and NY State DEC decided to make it even easier to hike in watershed access land, much of which is all around the site of the New Kingston Film Festival. Previously, one had to sign up for a permit on their web site and possess the permit when on the these lands: 

Old permit sign

 Now, you can just wander onto the land permit-free. The new sign looks like this:

The New Deal: Open Access (Photo by: Dan Flanagan)

You’ll see these hiking areas all around the area of the New Kingston Film Festival, so come early and hike, or take a bike ride on the Catskill Scenic Trail, perhaps stay over night at one of the lovely area bed-and-breakfasts and take a hike the next day! Just be sure NOT to feed the geese and ducks moldy bread…