Saugerties

• The Dutch Ale House (After our long car trip, we stopped for a bite and local hard cider on tap at The Dutch, a recommendation from Amanda at the Villa (more on that below).  Try the Flat Grilled Chicken Sandwich with melted cheddar, sautéed onions, chipotle aioli, lettuce, tomato and a side of homemade hand cut crispy chips- Mr. Magpie and I both got it and agree its the best chicken sandwich we have ever had.  All hail spicy aioli!)
• Green (Before leaving the adorable town of Saugertis, we checked out this Mid-Century modern furniture and home furnishings store.)
• Inquiring Minds Bookstore + Cafe (For a pick me up, we stepped inside Inquiring Minds, which has a full menu of delicious coffee and tea drinks and is surrounded by aisles and aisles of books.  Brad and I took a minute to enjoy our drinks at the tables outside.)
• Villa at Saugertis (Mr. Magpie arranged for a night at the The Villa at Saugerties, a 4 bedroom bed and breakfast that just opened this year about 10 minutes from downtown Saugerties.  Hows this for a description? “The Villa resides on 3.6 acres that includes two streams, a lily pond, and grand willows. The romance lies in the sundrenched gardens with its wooded backdrop, local and seasonal dining indoors and out, private patios, forty foot swimming pool, and fireplaces in each guest room – a timeless, Mediterranean modern oasis in the Hudson Valley. Each intimate guest room is a getaway unto itself with king or queen beds dressed in luxurious linens, hand laid Moroccan tiled bathrooms with marble sinks, and deep soaking tubs or walk-in showers. Cable television, Apple tv, and complimentary wifi are among some of the additional amenities offered.”  After a minute on the property you fall in love with it- and thats before you even go inside.  I’m sure this won’t do their story an ounce of justice (because when they tell it it just feels magical!) but, after years in Manhattan, interior designer Amanda and previous Food Network employee Joe, visited a B+B in Spain for their honeymoon.  Their trip inspired them to follow suit and six years ago they bought this property to begin the process of opening their very own B+B.  After what sounded like some ups and downs, their property opened in January and from what we experienced it was worth the wait.  From Amanda’s style to Joe’s cooking no detail has been overlooked + on top of it they are fun to spend time with!  Before arriving, Amanda was kind to ask about my food allergies and shot us some area recommendations.  Upon arrival she toured us around the property and got us comfortable.  Brad and I enjoyed wine by the pool as Joe prepared tapas before dinner.  When we arrived back to the Villa after dinner, Joe and Amanda were so kind to put out gluten free brownies and chocolate chip cookies for a nightcap.  Joe served breakfast for us and another couple, which included simple eggs with pea shoots and tomatoes, avocado toast on gluten free bread, socca pancakes, Benton’s Bacon, corn, cava with pomegrante juice and coffee.  We will certainly be back soon.)

Kingston

• Stockade Tavern (About 15 minutes from the Villa is the historic town of Kingston, which was New York’s first capital dating back to 1777.  An old campaign hang out for Mr. Magpie, the Stockade Tavern features classic crafted cocktails in Kingston’s historic district.  The building is a Federal-style space and formerly the Singer sewing machine building. As an ode to its roots, all of the tables feature sewing machine bases.  How cool is that?)

Hyde Park

• Culinary Institute of America (About 30 minutes past Kingston, set in scenic Hyde Park, NY on the east bank of the Hudson River, is The Culinary Institute of America.  The other CIA is the premier culinary school in the country and boasts grads like Grant Achatz and Charlie Palmer.  Lucky for me the school offers four student-staffed on-campus restaurants and café—the American Bounty Restaurant, The Bocuse Restaurant, Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici, and Apple Pie Bakery Café.  We tried American Bounty.  Mr. Magpie and I shared a recommended bottle of Finger Lakes wine as well as the Local Heirloom Tomatoes with Sunchoke, Pickled Red Onion, and Spicy Serrano Chilies.  I enjoyed the Niman Ranch NY Strip with Creamed Spinach, Kennebec Potato, Asparagus, Black Garlic Jus while Mr. Magpie ordered the Highland Farms Lamb Loin with English Pea Purée, Couscous, Morels, Carrot-Cumin Salad, Tamarind Sauce.  For dessert they served chocolates garnished with caramel and crushed pretzels.)

Hudson

After our delicious breakfast at the Villa on Saturday morning, we drove 30 minutes to Hudson.  Mr. Magpie thought this would be my favorite spot- and he was right.  This charming town is a small city with hipster flare and stores selling resale and new crafted furniture, vintage clothes, and delicious food.

• Hudson Farmers Market (We roamed the beautiful Hudson Farmers Market where the stuff is as local as it gets!)
• Neven+Neven Moderne (This was my favorite of the tons of resale furniture stores in Hudson- for its mid century look.)
• Cascade (While we put our names in at Grazin Diner (Mr. Magpie’s favorite- a Local, Sustainable, Grass-Fed & Finished, Organic/Biodynamic, Animal Welfare Approved… wait for it… BURGER JOINT! I decided I wasn’t up for burgers after the big breakfast we had. Sorry, Mr. Magpie).  We checked out another local favorite Cascade where they made interesting sandwiches and salads.)
• Greenwich Letter Press (Hudson has a branch of the NYC based Greenwich Letter Press featuring funky letterpress cards and quirky gifts.  Worth a stop!)
• Old Hudson (After our afternoon of shopping we grabbed alomond milk lattes at Old Hudson, a specialty food and provisions store with a cute cafe attached.)

Tivoli

About 10 minutes from Hudson is the quaint but oh so small town of Tivoli.  It has some college charm given its 2 miles from Bard College and a couple of very cute places to eat!

• Hotel Tivoli + The Corner Restaurant (This modern boutique hotel in a historic building with bright, art-filled rooms & a farm-to-table eatery known as The Corner.)
• Murray’s Tivoli (Sooo this is the coolest place in the world!  Restauranteurs took a vacant 19th century church and turned it into a restaurant.  The owners clearly worked hard to preserve and showcase the original architecture including stained glass windows, church pews and exposed brick. The menu is packed with gluten free options, coffee drinks, and beer and wine.  Mr. Magpie and I enjoyed some beverages on their great outdoor patio before heading to the wedding at the Kaatsbaan Inn.)
• Tivoli Bakery (Mr. Magpie enjoyed a scone here on our way out of town on Sunday morning and raved about it.)
• Tivoli General Store (We stocked up on waters and other provisions for after the wedding at this general store and sandwich shop.  Lots of local packaged foods available!)

several photos of the villa borrowed from trip advisor website