I had grand plans of returning from a recent photo workshop in Woodstock, NY with loads of glorious food adventures to share, but Hurricane Irene put a damper on that idea. In fact it’s been a long time since I’ve eaten as poorly as I did on this trip. It’s a shame too, considering all the quaint little restaurants and eating spots nestled in and around Woodstock which is located in the Hudson Valley at the foothills of the Catskills. Of course it’s not entirely Irene’s fault. With the business of photographing all day Friday in preparation for the workshop, a full day of class, more shooting and an evening lecture Saturday, it was difficult to plan for good eating even while knowing that a hurricane of historical proportions was about to hit that very night. By Sunday morning the power was out all over Woodstock. There were heavy downpours, high winds, trees and power lines down all over and flooding on the roads. The workshop was postponed until the following morning and finding (good) food near by was next to impossible.
Fortunately I did manage to enjoy a wonderfull cup of coffee at Oriole9 Cafe on Friday morning before going out to shoot all day and on Saturday morning right before the first day of the workshop. I look forward to eating and sipping at this cafe every time I visit the area. And this is not your average cup of coffee!
First of all, all of their coffee is organic, fair trade and rainforest alliance certified. And second, when you order a cup of coffee you will be pleasantly surprised to see that you’re not getting regular drip coffee. They bring out what must be an Americano which is prepared by adding hot water to espresso. Compared to other coffee brewing methods, espresso often has a thicker consistency, a higher concentration of suspended solids, and crema (foam). And if you don’t like it black, they’ll bring you a side of steamed milk.
But don’t just go for the coffee. They have a wonderful menu as well. I was delighted to learn that they are in their second year of partnering with the Woodstock Day School in planning, planting and operating a farm on school grounds, which provides a live lab for students and fresh, organic vegetables for their restaurant.
Definitely worth a visit if you’re ever in the area!
I’ll be posting more about this trip on my other blog, Tender Ardour by and by.