Welcome to our list of favorite dining destinations in New York's Hudson Valley and Adirondack regions. We visit restaurants, wineries, barbecues, and a smattering of off the beaten path culinary destinations like maple sugar shacks and fromageries. My friends and I have been dining out together weekly for over twenty years. The locations we write about are our favorite destinations. We are not claiming they are the best, just our favorites. The posts are not "reviews" in the classic sense. - we offer only our picks, not pans. We will leave the criticism to others. We are a happy blog. We much prefer a good bistro to "haute cuisine", especially if they also have a nice bar. We prefer a crock of cassoulet and a bottle of Beaujolais to just about anything else. If you enjoy simple home style rustic cooking with a decent (but not too expensive) bottle of wine, then pull up a chair and join us.



This Month's "Well Said!"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

Ferran Andria

Friday, September 14, 2012

The Cheese Plate, New Paltz, NY

The Cheese Plate
Water Street Market
10 Main Street, New Paltz, NY 12561
Phone ~ 845.255.2444
www.cheeseplatenewpaltz.com

 How exactly does someone decide to go into the retail cheese business? I want to open a store, and I think I'll sell.... mmmm... cheese. I wouldn't think there would be a lot money in cheese mongering, unless you are in a large metropolitan area.  Maybe they just really, really, like cheese. Luckily for us, Jeff and Theresa Logan took the plunge, and we have a very nice cheese store right here in New Paltz. Better yet, it is the Water Street Market, which is well worth the trip, even if you are not in the market for cheese.


The shop offers a good selection of artisanal cheeses, from both local and old world producers.  We stopped in yesterday looking for some Spanish cheeses to serve with a planned paella party this weekend. We expected to find some Monchego (we did) but I was also hoping to find Petit Basque, a wonderful sheep's milk cheese from the Pyrenees, with a uniquely nutty flavor. Sometimes called P'tit Basque, this is one of my favorite cheeses to serve with a crisp white Albarino before dinner, or after a meal with cherries or quince. We did indeed find some in the shop's well stocked display case.  We also purchased a wedge of Hudson Red, a brine washed cow's milk cheese from Twin Maples Farm over in Ghent.

 In addition to a very nice selection of hard to find cheeses, the shop offers chocolates, charcuterie, and some really unique cheese boards.  We bought a serving board with a glass bell dome ($56) from JK Adams in Vermont, but some of the best looking (and very reasonably priced) boards were from a local woodworker in Gardiner.  Some were beautifully finished with rustic style "live" (natural) edges and others were more traditionally shaped from oak or bamboo. We mentally checked off quite a few holiday gifts while we were looking around. We will definitely be back soon.


If you do stop in please let our other readers know about your visit in the comments section.

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Ideas? Recommendations? Email me at NorthCountryJoe@gmail.com


 
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