My cousin and I had such a great time at our first quicktrip to Northern Connecticut to view the fall foliage that we decided to take another short journey – this time to Hudson City New York.

Once again my detail oriented cousin created an outlined itinerary as well as background material – gotta love that OCD family trait. Here is the preliminary itinerary which due to weather and last-minute surprises was adjusted as you will see:

 

Since I had done the majority of driving through Conn. my cousin graciously offered to take the helm this time – so Miss Jill (his Garmin) did not have to compete with my Miss Honda GPS.  Thank you, Jill.

DAY ONE

A leisurely drive, and since we couldn’t check in until 3P we took a quick reconnoiter through the quaint town – it certainly is an advantage to visit a place off-season as Warren Street, seen below will be packed come Memorial Weekend:

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Better sights to come – first some lunch, at Cafe La Perche:

We had a bit of discussion on what the name means – after a some research we discovered that it is named after a town in the south of Normandy, France.

 

My dish was: “Pasta Au Quatre Fromage Gratinée” with added lobster.  Translation:  mac-n-cheese.  My cousin’s dish was equally delicious: Ham and Gruyère Omelet. A side note – all the meals we had included the most delicious breads – while my cuz and I usually do not partake – this trip proved the exception as they were too wonderful to pass up.   I did not take photos, unfortunately.

On to check-in at our Bed and Breakfast, located on a quiet lovely street just a few blocks from the center of town.

It gets even better:

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My cousin’s room was fittingly more masculine, with darker woods.  Each included an in-suite bath.  Our host and proprietor, Barry Butterfield couldn’t have been nicer or more accommodating – we often sat and chatted about life in general – I don’t usually promote places in my blog – but this one shouldn’t be missed if you want to ever stay in Hudson City: http://www.hudsoncitybnb.com.

After lunch we gently immersed ourselves in some sightseeing, walking along the Hudson River – it was our one beautiful warm sunny day and the views were spectacular:

 

Of course I couldn’t pass up any opportunities for some local birdwatching – Ginny if you read this I would love to know what this little yellow bird is.   There were many of his kind flitting about but I could only manage this one pic:

Crows were easier subjects:

 

A happy dog out on a walk with his “hoomans” also made a great shot:

Flowers were plentiful:

Being ever mindful of our sensitive skins under the hot sun, after a few hours we opted to head back to our bnb, shower and head out to dinner.  Upon arrival I was given this simple but lovely bouquet of locally grown lilacs:

Since the weather was so temperate we decided to eat in the outdoor gardeb section of Ca’ Mea (our house).   I have to say that the restaurants in general in Hudson City are outstanding.  The town is going through a gentrification of sorts as it becomes a more and more popular tourist destination, but the dining choices are not at all snooty – rather they are warm, intimate and well-appointed.  Here is Ca’ Mea:

Time for a proper cocktail, though it was hard to choose (and you can get a peak of the bread). I chose a Damson Storm:  Damson plum gin liquor with local ginger ale (more on this amazing local drink later) while my cousin had a glass of rose’:

Onto the feast – and it was wonderful.

Appetizers – a warm beet, onion, orange, goat cheese, chives, fennel pollen and lemon olive oil salad for me:

My cuz went to town on these juicy little clams:

Pan seared pistachio encrusted lamb loin served with goat cheese and arugula pesto:

Mixed veggies:

Sauteed shrimp, artichokes, cannellini beans, garlic white wine and a touch of special Ca’ Mea red sauce:

Strawberry and rhubarb tart – oh my:

And then a childhood favorite: Tartuffo:

Since I had been so effusive in my enjoyment of my cocktail that included “locally made” ginger ale that even had bits of giner floating in it,  the hostess gave me a bottle to take home with me.

However when we looked at the label we learned it was actually made and bottled in Red Hook Brooklyn.  No matter – it is still delish.

We needed a bit of a walk after, and roamed through the town, glancing at windows :

A perfect bouquet of flyswatters:

While it had been getting a bit cloudy, by the time we got back to the bnb the moon peaked through the clouds so of course I took some shots so I end this first day in Hudson City with this:

Next up:  A little farmin’ and a little paintin.’

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