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Woodstock, New York

Romance in the Catskills

Norman
2004-08-11 15:03:29

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pool and whirlpool.

Dean Gitter and Emily Fisher, the Emerson's owners, also own Catskill Corners, located across the street from the inn, containing the world's largest kaleidoscope - the Kaatskill Kaleidoscope (according to the Guinness Book of Records), as well as The Amazing Dondoakahedron. For shopping, Catskill Corners is likewise the site of a marketplace offering an indoor main street of unique specialty shops that combine pleasure with fun and adventure.

Of course there is also the mystique of the village of Woodstock that has been a magnet for over a hundred years, dating back to Ralph Whitman, who had purchased 1,500 acres of farmland above the village, that eventually led to the first utopian art colony, Byrdcliffe.

There are no shortages of year round activities in Woodstock. Be sure to attend one of the concerts offered by the oldest continuous summer concert series in the United States, the Maverick Concerts. If you are interested in theatre, check out the Bird-in-a-Cliffe Theatre. The Woodstock Film Festival is something you certainly shouldn't miss.

If you are into physical activities, ample opportunities abound, such as hiking, horseback riding, skiing, jogging, fishing, and even experiencing the thrill of riding the rapids of Esopus Creek, a nearby town in Tinker, in an inner tube.

Dining
Another major draw of the inn is its formal dining facilities that were chosen for the "Best Award of Excellence," after it had received the Wine Spectator's basic award of Excellence for the past two years. Noteworthy is that it is the only dining facility in the Hudson Valley Catskills to have received this accolade. The inn boasts a wine collection featuring more than 700 labels from 13 countries comprising some 5,200 bottles.

Focusing on "nouvelle cuisine," and European service, artistically created dishes are presented on Wedgewood, Limoges chinaware and Waterford crystal. Diners feast on some of the most imaginative and original dishes - roasted loin of lamb with a parsnip puree, port glazed white asparagus, pomme galette, chanterelles, black trumpet mushrooms, dried figs and a truffle jus, or the grilled Hudson valley duck breast served with toasted coconut and almond pilau, sautéed bok choy and a soy-ginger sauce.

My wife and I had a chuckle, when we noticed that the inn's cuisine also included purée fava beans. As my wife was born in Egypt, she often makes this delightful dish for me, pointing out that it is the national meal in Egypt and generally served with pita bread.

The Egyptians call this "foule madammas." I guess you never know when some staple food becomes a delicacy in another country!

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