Mohonk and the Big Cheese: My Delicious Day Off

Good food is meant to be savored. Unfortunately, I don’t have the opportunity to savor meals in my everyday life as much as I would like. Yesterday, I had two memorable meals: one was memorable by virtue of the setting and the service, the other purely because of the flavors themselves. 

The first meal was Andy’s idea: why not revisit Mohonk Mountain House so we could see what it’s like in the winter? We decided to treat ourselves to breakfast at the beloved, historic hotel and get some gorgeous snowy shots of the House and lake afterward.

The main dining room at Mohonk is old and charming and magical and breathtaking all at once. I love the attention to detail, the servers’ smiles, the views of the Catskills on one side and the Shawangunks out the other. It really is like stepping into another world when we eat there.

And since I like then-and-now photos so much, here are Andy and I on our first Mohonk visit, in 2008:

And our overnight visit in 2012:

It almost feels like a sin to eat fruit out of season, but the blackberries and raspberries were so fantastic. I need more berries in my life!

The waffles were another favorite: Belgian-style makes all the difference! We own a waffle-maker, but it’s not the deep kind like these are. I love that crisp as you bite into them and the chewiness underneath.

Oh! And let me tell you about those sausages! There was as sign on the buffet line over the pork sausage that said Vegetarian Options available, so I asked our server about it and she asked me how many servings I wanted, and this is what she delivered to the table ten minutes later!

We also ate made-to-order omelets (spinach, bell pepper and feta cheese for me) and fried potatoes, which don’t look that appetizing but I was pleasantly surprised by the flavor and crispiness when I bit into them.

We tried to stretch out our breakfast as long as possible. I ate slowly and kept glancing out the window as the overcast sky turned brighter and brighter. I looked around contentedly, observing our fellow diners (and I admit, critiquing their attire. Who wears workout clothes to breakfast in a resort?!). When we weren’t feeling quite so full, we headed over to the pastry table.

The verdict: I was a bit disappointed with the pastries. They certainly weren’t bad, but I was disappointed that they weren’t fantastic. I work in a bakery that makes huge, delectable, buttery croissants, pain au chocolat, and kouign ammann, so admittedly it’s hard to impress me when it comes to pastries. Nonetheless, we finished the last crumbs on our plates and headed out of the dining room to continue our day soaking up Mohonk. (to be continued in a later post!)

Several hours later, we stopped in the Big Cheese, a cheese shop/deli/secondhand store in Rosendale on our way home. Their made-to-order lunches specialize in Mediterranean-inspired salads, sandwiches and platters, and I’ve missed them since we moved away from Ulster County. It’s always hard to make a decision here because everything is so satisfying, but finally I settled on this (sorry for the blur, I had Pre-Lunch Shaky Hand Syndrome):

A goat cheese and avjar spread panini! Avjar is a wonderful blend of roasted red peppers, smoky eggplant, vinegar, and spices that I am now eager to try making at home. Goat cheese, greens, avjar, and grilled eggplant, plus those huge olives: I was in gastronomic heaven. My only complaint was that it could have been bigger!

For dinner last night, Andy cooked me some quinoa, black beans, and sprouts, but it was quite late and I was quite tired and so, no photos.

Have you had any memorable meals lately? What’s your favorite kind of sandwich?