Eats

NEW LEBANON, NY – It doesn’t have a tin roof, rusted or otherwise, but the The K Shack is a funky little shack that has been serving up shrimp tacos, pulled pork and other roadside fare for slightly more than six weeks, having opened on July 4. Owner Kelly Hagan …

COPAKE FALLS, NY – Because it was only built in 1857, the Taconic Wayside Inn can’t ever claim that “George Washington slept here,” but old pictures posted online by the Roeliff Jansen Historical Society reveal that New York Yankees’ slugger Babe Ruth once visited. Other old pictures show an establishment …

(Editor’s note: THIS EATERY HAS CLOSED) SHEFFIELD, MA – Its name comes from the nearby Bash Bish Falls. It has been open for nearly four years, but RIDE-CT & RIDE-NewEngland only heard about Bash Bish Brew & ‘Que recently when a friend discovered it, came away raving about its combo …

NEW PRESTON, CT – In a pub filled with artifacts, the shiny, red 1920 Indian Scout “motocycle” enclosed in glass behind the bar stands out. “Every part on it is original,” reports John Harris, owner  of the White Horse Country Pub & Restaurant, who obtained it out of a museum …

DERBY, CT – It’s a place that’s easy to drive by. That because House of Bones BBQ is located in an odd spot on busy Route 34, just east of Route 8.  Heading south, House of Bones BBQ comes quickly into view as you come around a corner. The problem …

BREWSTER, NY – It was shortly after stopping at Bob’s Diner here recently that I mentioned the visit to someone, who immediately responded, “That’s a greasy spoon.” Well, yes, and that’s what makes the eatery at 27 Main St. so neat. Opened in 1955 and footsteps from the train station, …

WILMINGTON, VT – It’s no exaggeration to say that Dot’s Restaurant is the diner too beloved to close. It could have easily stayed shuttered after Tropical Storm Irene came through in late August 2011 and caused the Deerfield River (which runs through downtown) to overflow. Dot’s sits above of the …

GAYLORDSVILLE, CT – There are always those places in your locale that you continually pass by and just never really notice – until a heavenly smell comes billowing your way and draws you in. Enter The Old Oak Tavern. Established in 2016, it’s located at the southern end of South …

PORTLAND, CT – If you ride by a place often enough, it’s only natural to get curious about it. Is it any good? Eggs Up Restaurant on Route 66 in Portland, CT (but nearer to Cobalt) was such a place until last weekend. Up until Sunday, the time to stop …

BRATTLEBORO, VT – It’s called Top of the Hill Grill, although it might better be called Side of the Hill Grill as the ground adjacent to its patio and beneath it expansive deck plummets to lush green lowland just north of where the West River joins the Connecticut River. The …

SOUTHBURY, CT – It’s unpretentious, casual and a Southbury institution. Denmo’s, the outdoor eatery at 340 Main Street South, will celebrate its 40th anniversary on July 1 having sold countless hot dogs and hamburgers since opening under the original name of Cedar Hollow Snack & Dairy. The name changed to Denmo’s …

HINSDALE, MA – Sometimes it takes just timing. On two occasions over two years, I’ve stopped with friends at Ozzie’s Steak & Eggs only to find it closed; not surprising given its uneven hours. The third time proved lucky, though, and it was worth the wait. Located in a three-story …

BANTAM, CT – Just as Christmas once produced visions of sugar plums, at least according to “A Visit from St. Nicholas,” the arrival of Cinco de Mayo every year generates a strong yearning for tequila and margaritas. Friends from my Arizona days routinely referred to the date as “Cinco de …

CHESHIRE, CT – Blackie’s Hot Dogs is a by-the-numbers business. Opened 90 years ago in 1928, the quirky family-owned eatery has a limited menu and loads of character. Its building is in the shape of a barbell with a counter in the middle and seating areas on either end.  Where …

NEWBURGH, NY – After a couple of hours of scanning vendor tables and eye-balling the displays at the heavily-attended winter swap meet Sunday at the Motorcyclepedia Museum, we were famished. But where to eat? Acting on a tip, three of us headed down nearer the Hudson River to Liberty Street where …