When the dog days of summer became uncomfortable, not only for us but even for our dog, Farrah, we decided an escape to the cooler climate of the mountains was in order. Which mountains? We enjoy both the Adirondacks and the Catskills, but the proximity of the Catskills to our home in Dutchess County presented a greater lure. So, off we went to a quaint little B&B with a fireplace and private deck in Tannersville, New York.
We arrived at our destination during a torrential rain storm on Friday afternoon. It was a pleasure to turn on the gas fireplace and sip some of the wonderful wine we had brought along. In fact, the rain was so heavy that we decided to make do with the cheese, crackers and fruit stuffed into our backpack, versus venturing out in the deluge. Fortunately, we had chopped chicken and assorted treats for Farrah as well, so we were all reasonably content that evening.
The next morning we awoke starving and happy to see that our Bed and Breakfast accommodation provided not only a nice Continental breakfast, but a hot entree served in a little mini skillet. This particular morning, we were offered French Toast with assorted berries and whipped cream. During breakfast, we were able to go over a list of the Inn’s hiking trails in the nearby area. There were approximately six “easy”, six “moderate” and a dozen “difficult to very difficult” trails. While Farrah and my husband are both very energetic and adventurous, I prefer climbing hills versus mountains, so we selected one easy and scenic and one moderate trail.
We went back to our rustic little accommodation and filled our backpack with water, snacks and treats for Farrah. Then we decided to scope out the town to select a good restaurant for our dinner that evening. Unfortunately we could not find anything to our liking in the immediate area, but on the way to one of our trails, we came across our Goldilocks choice in the town of Windham. More about that later.
As it turned out, trail choices were limited due to the storm damage from the prior night. Some entrances were blocked off by road crews, while others had quite a few downed trees to climb over. However, we did see a lovely waterfall and a charming little covered bridge which made the day very enjoyable.
Now, back to the place we chose for our dinner. It was an Italian restaurant in the Windham area called Prominence. Happily, we arrived early and were able to secure a nice outdoor, dog-friendly table before the crowd arrived. The staff was beyond friendly. Our dog, Farrah, was treated to fresh water and lots of attention, while we were treated like honored guests, and no, I didn’t tell them that I would be blogging about them later. Our waiter, Garth, was amazingly accommodating and professional. In fact, I must say the entire restaurant was brilliantly managed. There was ample staff (how refreshing) and the timing of each course was very precise.
Our antipasto, breaded calamari, was done to perfection…nothing rubbery textured or overdone here. I had asked for the lobster tails that were listed on line, but not on that night’s menu. However they did offer a lobster tail in another dish and our server, Garth, said the Chef would be happy to prepare a couple of them for me. They turned out to be tender and perfectly done. My husband ordered his favorite Faroe Island Salmon and Farrah was happy to lie under the table and sample a little bit of everything. While we were waiting for the main course we were presented with wonderful Arancini (rice balls) stuffed with Mascarpone, and breaded zucchini, both “on the house.” It was a delightful meal with cheerful people and music wafting out to the terrace from the band inside. I definitely recommend Prominence the next time you are in the Catskills.
The rest of our evening was spent sipping Veuve Clicquot champagne on our private deck while watching the B&B staff light the outdoor fire pits and the guests gathering around them. The next morning it was time to leave, but not before we had our final outdoor breakfast, a spinach omelet with chives and a delectable croissant. It was a lovely getaway, but it was also nice to return to our lovely (and suddenly cooler) home. Happy trails to you!
