After a hot week in the city, nothing sounds better than getting out of town for a little nature. When Jenny Silverman, writer and omnivore, told me about a hike she took with her mom through the Hudson Valley I was intrigued. On special assignment to Savory Tidbits, Jenny will be presenting a series of Hikes with Bite to tempt you to get outside while the weather cooperates.
Hikes with Bite
By Jennifer Silverman
There’s a particular type of New Yorker who likes the outdoors, but not the “outdoorsy” things that go along with it – specifically, the food. Between cardboard-flavored power bars and the baffling gastronomical anomaly known as GORP, communing with nature can hardly seem worth it.
As an alternative, try the Savory Hike; an ambulatory adventure with only three requirements: 1.) the trail should go though some actual nature, but be accessible to public transportation, 2.) there’s no special gear necessary – you don’t need anything more technical than sneakers, and, most importantly, 3.) there’s easy access to some really great food.
So grab a bottle of water (and a granola bar if you must), but save room for lunch – it’s going to be tasty.
For my inaugural Savory Hike, I thought I’d try the Old Croton Aqueduct Trail. In 1842, New York City solved its water shortage problems by opening this aqueduct that moved water from upstate reservoirs into the city. No longer operational, the aqueduct has been reinvented as a flat, public hiking trail that weaves through the woods, parks and backyards of Westchester County – from Van Courtland Park to the Croton Reservoir.
I decided to walk an eight-mile stretch, from Yonkers to Irvington, and invited my mom, Marylin, along as rambling and culinary companion.
We took the 9:58 a.m. Metro North from Grand Central to Yonkers (arriving at 10:23), found the trailhead (a little tricky – probably the hardest part of the hike), and were on our way. In Yonkers, the trail is narrow and overgrown with a slightly spooky vibe, in a Wizard of Oz flying-monkey forest way, but there are benefits: we saw deer, bluebirds, cardinals (I think), the fabulously creepy ruins of the Aqueduct ventilation system (stone smokestack-looking things smack in the middle of the trail) and the decrepit Old Untermeyer Estate (it’s slightly hidden in the woods on your right with crumbing stone lions and horses standing guard). As we continued to head north, the trail got wider and better maintained (mirroring the income level of the surrounding communities), and after about four miles and three hours we found ourselves happy and hungry on Main Street in Hastings-on-Hudson, ready for some classic hiking dining – gourmet French food.
Buffet de la Gare gets a slightly bad rap for being “fancy,” and it is, in a certain way, an old-fashion French restaurant where jackets are requested and checks are hefty. But for lunch, when you stumble in wearing shorts and a t-shirt, the staff is nothing but welcoming and the prices completely manageable.
The building itself is a treat. Over one hundred years old, our waitress told us the space had only ever been used as a restaurant, and while the original wood is gorgeous, the real architectural delight is in the back dining room, which is lined from floor to ceiling in intricate floral tin panels. Add white tablecloths, lace curtains, a world of chintz, piped in Gallic music (like an awesome French version of “Que Sera Sera”) and local clientele (on the day we dined there was a high school French class in another dining room on a “cultural” class trip) and the whole place feels a little Mayberry meets Marseilles. But the food is anything but provincial.
Chef Luc Dimnet (formerly of Brasserie) and his wife Nicole took over Buffet de la Gare in 2006 and most reviews have mentioned the improvement of the already well-regarded restaurant.
Since my mom and I were faintly dehydrated from our walk, we started with a revitalizing half-bottle of Pouilly-Fuisse to accompany the ahi tuna tartare. Served with julienned cucumber and coriander, the dish was bright, simple and a deliciously refreshing burst of protein after our morning exertions. For main courses, we had salads; my mother went for one topped with roasted duck while I chose seared scallops. Both had a similar base (fresh mesclun, haricots verts, sherry vinaigrette), but the proteins elevated the simple foundation. Served with toasted hazelnuts and shaved apple, my mom’s duck was moist and flavorful, with a scrumptious crackle-y, salty skin. My scallops were perfectly seared and meaty and worked really well with the slightly sweet sherry dressing. To fortify ourselves for the rest of our hike, we shared a dessert of almond cake topped with rhubarb compote and yogurt that was absolutely fantastic. The tart rhubarb and sour thick yogurt was a perfect compliment to the light, sugary cake; it was a lovely end to a first-rate meal.
For those who prefer to pass out in a butter-infused coma after a good French meal (particularly if you ate the vol-au-vent, which we did not but is supposedly amazing), a three minute walk from Buffet de la Gare takes you to the Hastings-on-Hudson train station and back to New York City. We, however, continued on the trail about four miles more, through the towns of Dobbs Ferry and Ardsley-on-Hudson (both with Metro North stations), across the campus of Mercy College, past the octagonal delight of the Armour-Stiner home (an ornate eight-sided house that looks like it belongs on top a wedding cake) and finally into Irvington, where we stopped for some good coffee at the Rich Bean Bakery Café as we waited for the 5:16 p.m. train to take us back into the city.
Now, if you really want to have a full day, the truly gourmet-minded travelers should finish the hike right: walk the trail just two miles more into Tarrytown, go down to the Metro North station, grab a cab and take your weary bones to dinner at the incomparable Blue Hill at Stone Barns, about five minutes away. This requires both reservations and the forethought of stuffing a nice shirt or dress in your bag to change into before you walk in to the dining room. If that seems like too much planning, walk the trail in reverse – starting the hike in Tarrytown (wander around the old Lyndhurst estate and the Stone Barns farm to work up an appetite first) and eat at the casual outdoor Blue Hill Café before heading south to Hastings-on-Hudson or Yonkers.
For more information on the Old Croton Aqueduct Savory Hike:
Outside Magazine’s Urban Adventure: New York City by David Howard has very specific directions to the Yonkers trailhead and important markers on the trail.
A phone call to the Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct, 914-693-4117, should answer any questions as well. There’s also a map on their website that’s cute, although not so helpful. http://www.aqueduct.org/ (map)
A good article with trail highlights, http://www.intrepidtraveler.com/travels/croton.html
Buffet de la Gare
155 Southside Avenue
Hastings-on-Hudson
(914) 478-1671
Lunch served Thursday and Friday, so plan accordingly.
Dinner: Tuesday – Saturday
Review: The New York Times
Rich Bean Bakery Café:
45 Main Street
Irvington, NY 10533
(914) 591-7406
Blue Hill at Stone Barns
630 Bedford Rd.
Pocantico Hills, New York
Phone: 914-366-9600
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