I had been meaning to make it out to the Bees Knees Café [989 Broome Center Rd, Preston Hollow, NY 12469] on Heather Ridge Farm for quite some time, but at an hour drive away from Albany and kind of in the middle of nowhere, it was hard to dedicate a weekend day to brunch!
You could parlay your day by taking a hike at nearby Hyuck Preserve or visiting Schoharie and not too much further, Cooperstown. The clouds were hanging low, mingling with the lush hills, it was a scenic drive instantly made me feel like my decision was worthwhile.
Major tip: if your jerky possessed GPS tells you to take the ‘rough road,’ skip it and find an alternate which is not much longer. Living upstate for nearly a decade I am no stranger to dirt roads, you have to take many of them to get to hiking trails – but I swear to you this road was boulder ridden and I truly thought my car would not make it out of there. Don’t do it! Get to the farm safely. When we reached the happy yellow house and entered, I felt a wave of comfort and happiness induced by the calming colors of the wall, local paintings, mountainous view outside the window, and most of all the plush sheepskin seats that you sink right into.
Curious and feeling a tinge of guilt, I knowingly asked the woman about the seats – whether the animal had to die or not to make such a material. She responded they did die because it was their skin, but it the creatures were being used for their meat and this way more of their body would be put to use. I am so far removed from the realities of the food that I eat. Especially being on a small farm and seeing the animals that are a food source make me much more conscious – which is a good thing. If more people had the connection with the animals they consume I believe there would be a lot less waste. So we went up to the counter in the kitchen put our orders in and grabbed our own coffee and water. It’s casual like that. I went with the breakfast sandwich, though it was anything but ordinary – and quite the hearty portion.
Everything down to the farm made English muffin was local, it was exceptionally fresh and delicious. The hash browns were delicate and lacy – I shared the meal with Jeff so I could sample some of his breakfast skillet which sounded so interesting. Eggs cooked in ancho chili sauce with farm made chorizo, cheese, and corn relish.
It was so rich and flavorful. Served with skillet cornbread and if you slather some of that butter from the tub they put on the table – my goodness absolutely incredible. We were surely full after our brunch feast – but couldn’t leave without brunch dessert after seeing the plum tart on the counter. Heated up and served with honey vanilla ice cream it was outstanding. The perfect level of sweet, tart, and blissful buttery.
I always love eating on farms – they are wholesome, the food is local and fresh as can be, and they make me really think about the food that I am eating. Brunch was top notch and well worth the drive out into the country to visit the café at Heather Ridge Farm.