“Wherever you are in the world, you are at home when tea is served.”
Earlene Grey
According to the The UK Tea & Infusions Association 84% of the UK population drinks tea every day. Tea is my favourite drink as well. These pictures were taken in London at I believe at the outdoor seating of an Arab restaurant.
I love how they repurposed these old teapots into flower vases. It combines the British love of tea with their love of flowers.
What do you think, are these teapots your cup of tea?
I do not make restaurant posts too often. I love off the beaten path or hole in the wall places as I usually find the tastiest food there. The place I stopped at last weekend is off the beaten track and has great food. I think Pop- Eez Smoke deserves a shout out.
My GPS took me on a different route from New Paltz to another destination than it has before. When I passed the signs for BBQ and brunch on a farm, I knew I had to turn back and see what it was about. Pop-Eez is located on 2098 Bruynswick Road in Wallkill, NY. Pop- Eez is open weekends 10-3 from May- November. They also do catering for events.
Their kitchen and walk up ordering window is in the red building, while the indoor seating is in the green building. The offer outdoor seating at picnic tables behind the green building.
As the first signs show, Pop-Eez is on the grounds of the Patchwork Quilt Farm and Inn at the Ridge Bed and Breakfast. The inn was built in 1796 and is furnished with pieces acquired from that time period and shortly thereafter.
I was told no seed oils or processed sugar are used when they cook. They use local maple syrup or honey. They use apple wood to smoke the meats. In addition many of the vegetables they get from the farm or source locally in season.
They advertise as Texas style smoked BBQ. I lived in Texas a few years and found when I returned I had difficulty locating restaurants that offered food authentic to what I tasted in Texas. Pop-Eez’s smoked chicken sandwich tasted authentic, which is a rare find in New York. It is on a farm, and as their sign says organically grown. The chef, Sal, I was told was in the first graduating class of the CIA, the Culinary Institute of America. Sal and Bev run the inn. Sal’s son, Justin, runs the farm and restaurant.
I ordered the smoked chicken sliders, which came with slaw and they threw in zucchini. I also ordered the vegetable dumpling that comes with scallions and mustard. All were divine. I appreciate restaurants that include good quality vegetables with the meal. As you can see I decided to eat at one of the outdoor picnic tables which come with umbrellas.
Other offerings on their menu include: smoked brisket sandwich, smoked brisket tacos, or shiitake tacos. They also have meals that include cornbread which include smoked brisket and smoked pork ribs, or meals with smoked sausage or hot dogs with brisket. Desserts include pie, pastries, and cornbread with berries.
On another trip I ordered the cornbread with berries for dessert. They use hand whipped cream made on the premises for this dessert.
The chef makes and sells his own hot sauce, which is on the lower end of spicy hot. The house sauce, I’m told, is what started it all. It is cayenne based, fermented hot sauce. No cooking is involved in making it and there are no additives. As you can see in the picture of the bottle, the seeds and skins of the pepper are in the bottle.
The grounds behind the restaurant are lovely with views of ponds and the Shawangunk Mountains. The Adirondack chairs shown above are on a pond with lotus flowers currently in bloom.
This is a resident rooster, Champion, who wanders the grounds. He is harmless and even posed for some pictures. They have more chickens penned up near the inn.
This is Chuck, the resident pit master, greeter, Maître d’, and crumber. This dog is very friendly, greeted me at my car, sat next to me while I ate (most likely on crumb duty) and posed for pictures. No worries, he is very well behaved.
This restaurant, farm, and inn support Heroic Food, an organization that helps veterans by training them in agricultural trades and farming in preparation for jobs in the food sector. The farm has employed people in this program.
If you are into Texas style smoked BBQ, want some farm fresh food included in your meal, a meal overseen by a CIA trained chef, or want to support a business that helps veterans stop by Pop-Eez BBQ. The views from the property are the added bonus.
For more information click on the link below to see Pop-Eez on Facebook.
The Horse & Guardsman, which opened in November of 2021, is a pub worth visiting, not just because of its location, but its decor and food. The pub honours the King’s Horse Guard who are stationed nearby.
This pub had a lineup waiting to get in. Because they had a full house, I did not take pictures inside of the decor or architecture. Unless there are not many people, I do not attempt inside pictures. The pub has lovely decor in honour of its namesake the Horse Guardsmen. There are paintings , photos, and other artifacts related to the King’s Horse Guards.
I like the way they displayed the flag. Most pubs have the flag in some form outside or inside. It is also on the pub sign below.
Some pubs may be more modern in terms of food choices, but many like this pub also will have some of the traditional British foods. This pub has some interesting savoury pies on the menu and also has gluten free items to choose from. They do roasts on Sunday. In my opinion their variety of menu choices should have almost everyone covered.
The Horse and Guardsman pub is on Whitehall. South of the pub on the same street is the Royal Horse Guards and the Household Calvary Museum. Going north from the pub is Trafalgar Square. Across the street and not far is the street Great Scotland Yard, named for the police service.
If you are visiting Trafalgar Square, the Royal Horse Guards, or the Household Calvary Museum it is worth stopping at the pub for a bite to eat and to see the decor. This pub highlights one of the iconic things about England, the Horse Guards.
Coffee is a popular morning drink in many places throughout the world. Where did it originate? Who discovered it? There may be different stories about the origin, but this is one I found. Some people I know at work who are from Yemen say this is the story they know.
Some say the first coffee was brewed in Yemen. There is a story of a Yemeni man traveling in Ethiopia who discovered coffee. The story says he came across some birds eating a plant. The birds were energetic. He decided to try the beans from the plant himself as he was exhausted from traveling. He discovered the beans gave him energy as well. The coffee beans were taken from Ethiopia to Yemen and later Yemeni traders brought the coffee plants to Yemen to grow them there.
Coffee became very popular in Yemen where people drank it in qubveh khaneh or coffee houses. Coffee houses were place where people listened to music and played board games like chess. When coffee drinking spread to other Arabic countries people would discuss political ideas and news at coffee houses.
Originally coffee was called qahwar in Arabic, which means wine of the beans, Yemenis introduced coffee to other Arabic or Middle Eastern countries. When coffee made its way to Turkey it was called kahve in Turkish and later it was called koffie in Dutch when it was introduced in Europe.
In the top picture is an Arabic coffee set. I learned from co-workers how to make it the traditional way: cooking it in a pot over a burner while stirring it. The coffee seems to be ground finer than other coffees, but I am not a coffee drinker.
People still drink it today for the same reasons the first person saw value in the plant: it gives you energy. This no doubt is from the caffeine. Coffee seems to be important the world over as a morning drink. What’s your favourite kind or way of making it?
I like the smell of coffee, but I don’t like the taste of it. I guess that makes me odd. I am a tea drinker.
French Coffee or Cafe
In honour of the Olympics in Paris commencing in one month on July 26, enjoy some coffee (or cafe) or tea and a croissant. Bon Appetit!
Always take the scenic route, you never know what adventures you will find.
Unknown
Deciding to travel on some more rural roads on a trip I came across a cool little farm stand in a trailer. I decided to stop and check it out.
Hardeman Orchards is located west of the Village of Red Hook in New York on Route 199.
They had different varieties of apples for sale including my favourite: JonaMac. JonaMac is a cross between a Jonathan and a Macintosh. They also had pumpkins, other vegetables, apple cider and donuts.
This was the highlight of my stop. I believe the farm stand worker said it was apple cider mixed with vanilla ice cream. It was surprisingly light for a milkshake. It did not taste very sweet either, which is a plus in my book.
If you are in the Red Hook area check out the Hardeman Farm Stand on Route 199. Eat the donuts, get a milkshake or buy some fresh picked apples. The village also has some quaint little shops and restaurants that are worth checking out.
What do you do after clamming on the bay at Assateague Island? Cook them!
There is a whole process of soaking them in water and changing it out mixing between salt water and fresh water. This process takes a while. We did not eat the clams the day we caught them, but the next day. I would say read up on any directions on-line on how to prepare clams.
The process of cooking them that they followed involved boiling them until the shells open. They were planning on cooking them in sauce after they remove them.
Then they transferred them to another container to have their shuckers remove the clams from the shells.
Below is what they look like after boiling them.
Use a knife or a clamming knife to remove the clam from the shell.
Responsible kids can take part in this.
If you are putting it into pasta, you may want to cut the clam into smaller pieces.
Next they cooked the white sauce then spread it over pasta.
The result was well liked. The location was the Assateague State Park Campground. This is another activity kids can be involved in.
The best places to go are on the bay side of the island and some areas along the mainland side of the bay. Some areas near beaches or access points near the bay may be picked over by others before you. If you can go by kayak, canoe, or paddle board, it may be better to put in on the mainland side of the Verrazano Bridge. You can see the boat launch on the upper middle section of this map.
There are good places to launch on the National Park land. Follow the signs after you cross the bridge and travel on Bayberry Road. There are a couple of places with obvious areas with a lot of extra stone on the shoulder roadside to park and launch before you get to the park tollbooth. These are free spots on the right. I recommend also launching from Old Ferry Landing Road launch. This is after the tollbooth, so you need to pay. There are paved parking spots at the launch and one restroom. If you are a veteran you may be eligible for a free lifetime National Park Pass. I believe there is also a pass for seniors. Otherwise, it is over $20 to enter the park for day use. I believe this covers multiple days though.
To make it easier, there are certain tools you can bring to clam. Some people bring a rake to scrap or dig up the clam. Many times just by rubbing your foot along the bottom while standing you can feel where they are. The rake can be used to loosen them. Others use a rake with a basket where they can scoop up the clam. Kids however seem to enjoy swimming down to grab them. Bring buckets to hold them clams in with water as well.
Notice in all the above shots clams were not found in shallow water. Sometimes you can find them there but also look in deeper water sometimes as well.
Everyone seemed to enjoy the experience. We all returned after about an hour and a half out on the water on our kayaks and paddle boards. Sometimes finding your own food is an adventure.
(Maps are free and from websites online: https://www.assateagueisland.com/campingmap_statepark.htm. https://npmaps.com/wp-content/uploads/assateague-island-inset-map.jpg)
It is not everyday that you get to witness an artist painting a mural. This week I was able to catch one after work. His name is Gabriel Castillo.
He made this mural for a business in Yonkers, N.Y.
Yonkers borders the Bronx on the north side next to the Hudson River. Yonkers is a city that has been friendly to muralists. They have some murals on building walls near the main Yonkers Train Station.
Gabriel Castillo, besides being a muralist, is a comic book artist. I caught him on the tail end of working on his mural, and felt lucky to witness his work.
Gabriel is here proudly showing off his work. If you like this, check out his work on Instagram at:
https://www.instagram.com/gabrieljehu/
He works for LiteVisual. They make Spanish language comic books. You can check them out at the link below:
https://www.instagram.com/litevisual/
Keep your eyes open and notice your surroundings. You just may catch an artist at work. Have a great end of your week.
Do you need something to do this weekend? About 1.5 hours north of NYC by car is New Paltz, N.Y. Head to the New Paltz- Woodstock Craft Show at the Ulster County Fairgrounds.
This event run the entire Memorial Day Weekend. There is plenty of parking in the fields across the street. The rural road the fairgrounds is on does not get much traffic, so crossing with the fairgrounds staff is safe.
As with other craft fairs this event has food and drink vendors and many arts and crafts vendors under tents. At events like this, I have found the arts and crafts people are not always keen on having photos taken of their products, so I only included the one below.
Bar Fiore is a fresh cut flower bar fashioned from a horse trailer. They told me they get their flowers from two farms in the Rochester area. I picked out a few flowers and had them pick out the others and they arranged them into a bouquet I gave to my mother. Bar Fiore can be rented for private events. Their website is http://www.barfioreflowercity.com.
https://www.barfioreflowercity.com
Dragonfly allowed you to sample their products. I bought the cherry amaretto. I loved their display. I believe they had two choices with some heat to it. Dragonfly is based in Youngstown, NY.
https://www.facebook.com/DragonflyJamsandJellies/
Mina Saffron carries saffron from Afghanistan. Saffron is a spice, but it has health benefits. It benefits the nervous system, the immune system and metabolism which may lead to weight loss. The family selling the product at the booth are recent refugees.
Be Still is carrying handmade soaps and all natural mosquito spray. They have soaps such as Berry and Activated Charcoal and Tea Tree. They are based out of Pleasant Valley.
Horton House Scone Company makes gluten free baked goods. They had scones, muffins and some other items. They are based out of Amenia, NY.
La Shot Photography is a repeat vendor at the event. He carries prints, framed prints, and canvas prints from England, Ireland, France and other places. I am partial to his images of Gold Hill in Shaftesbury, England and others the Cotswolds region of England.
You can buy tickets at the gate. This event happens twice a year at the same location: Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend. It is a great event to attend and there are many other things to do in the area. For more information click on the link below:
Sharon's Iconic Travel Photography Blog 