I don’t know that much about Kingston 🚂
But I like the sound it makes when it starts pouring rain.*
Hello and welcome back to Five Things I Ate! This week, we Attempt to Leave the City. Check out past posts here, and please follow my Instagram @fivethingsiate. *Also that’s a song lyric, I’m not trying to write poetry here.
Yogurt parfait at Hutton Brickyards
200 North St, Kingston, NY 12401
I may come off as a normal mortal human of good fortune but I am in fact under the spell of several curses (which of course mortal humans may befell), including one I’ve struggled with all my life: Whenever I am feeling particularly lonely, the witch in my brain whispers to me that the solution is total and utter isolation. In the woods, perhaps? She hisses to me, tempting me with visions of forest bathing. That is how I ended up convincing myself to drop way too much money on a night in a “luxury cabin” in the dead of late Winter. I’m going to spare you the hotel review – but let’s just say that I’ve never experienced something that was so built for influencing, yet so impractical for actual living (a cabin with un-openable windows and un-adjustable blinds on all four sides makes for great lighting, but a terrible getaway). After a rather claustrophobic night sleeping in a sealed wooden box that was about the same size as the concrete box I’d escaped from, I woke up to beautifully Instagrammable sunshine, a huge thermos of fresh coffee, fresh fruit, a pastry and a yogurt parfait delivered to my door, and some, if not all, was forgiven. A yogurt parfait can range from absolute trash to sublime, depending entirely on the granola layer. If it’s mostly sugary oats, the parfait is garbage; if it’s a proper granola, with a nice hint of salt and composed mostly of nuts rather than grains, as this one was, it’s nice enough to prevent me from writing a snarky online review.
Rucola E Prosciutto Crudo Pizza at Savona’s Trattoria
11 Broadway, Kingston, NY 12401
We are definitely in the City anymore, as evidenced by the fact that a $17 pizza, which I was expecting to be personal sized, is in fact enough for a family of four. (Or at least, it’s eight solid slices.) I love it when they put a little arugula on pizza, but I was totally not expecting a whole damn salad, with lots of flakes of Parmesan cheese (which I mostly picked off), and you know what? This is maybe not the most authentic or best pizza of all time, but I liked it. I think arugula is good on or in things, even though I find it too peppery by itself. It helps that there are lots of prosciutto slices, too, and, crucially, not too much melted mozzarella. Also I was really hungry because I didn’t realize there was no place to get dinner on the hotel grounds.
Pear and almond financier at Rough Draft Bar & Books (via Kingston Bread + Bar)
82 John St, Kingston, NY 12401
I can’t remember the last time I was physically in a bookstore, even though I’m always reading at least one book at any given time. There is something about living in the most romanticized city in the world, that has no shortage of bookstores both big and small, all of them full of character and history, that made me stop going to them. I’m coming up on my eight-year anniversary in New York this year, and also my 30th birthday, and that’s something I’ve been pondering a lot, how everything has sort of lost its shine. (Or maybe it’s just my depression speaking.) But since I was on vacation, and there’s only a handful of things to do in town, I ended up spending a really pleasant afternoon at Rough Draft. There’s pretty much everything you could need in this bookstore: Sofas if you’re feeling cozy, bar stools if not, plus beer, tea, coffee, pastries and snacks. I had a lovely pear and almond financier and a hot mug of tea; the pastries are from Kingston Bread + Bar (see below) and superb. When I picked up the financier I wasn’t expecting much; it’s sort of visually underwhelming, a thin flat brick. But it turned out to have a lovely crispy exterior and moist interior, and best of all, it was Not Too Sweet.
Sweet chimi guy sandwich at Kingston Bread + Bar
43 N Front St, Kingston, NY 12401
Since Kingston Bread + Bar is known for its homemade bread, I had to go to the source and try a sandwich next. I was in an adventurous mood so I went for a strange option: A sweet potato sandwich. I could see this sandwich being a total hit or a total miss depending on which side of the bed you woke up on today. Thick, unpeeled slices of cold roasted sweet potato contrast with creamy labneh (which I mistook for a blue cheese cream, it tastes very savory), sprouts and chimichurri. The whole concoction ends up being kind of spicier than you expect, but also creamy and sweet. I’m normally a huge hater of the carb on carb combo (no I do not like burritos), but this was a good one after a long few hours of travel. That being said, I’m not sure I’d reach for it on any old day.
Bialetti Moka Pot at Kingston Consignments and Antiques
66 N Front St, Kingston, NY 12401
I found a lovely, if slightly rusty, Bialetti moka pot buried among the treasures in a consignment shop – and I want to master the art of the at-home latte. Are you the owner of a moka pot? Do you know how to make the best coffee using this little stovetop espresso pot? Reply to this email with your favorite tips and tricks.
Soph
P.S. Next week I’ll be sharing the recipe (and my review) of the matcha TEAramisu I made! It’ll be for paid subscribers only so sign up for that hot fresh content next week.