Hungry after a day of U-pick fun? Stop by one of these farm-fresh eateries for homemade chili, smoky sandwiches, and wood-fired pizza.
Greig Farm
Not only does Greig Farm offer pick-your-own apples and pumpkins, the property is home to an art gallery and a number of craft and food markets. And of course, there’s Papa’s Best Batch, a smokehouse serving “sammiches” out of an Airstream trailer. Standouts include the Asian smoked brisket sandwich on ciabatta and the smoked salmon with cream cheese, caper purée, and red onion. Also on the farm is the Hudson Valley Farmers’ Market, which serves above-average, farm-fresh breakfast, lunch, and dinner (to-go). Treat yourself with a duck egg, spinach, and avocado breakfast sandwich. At lunch, the variety widens even more to include fish tacos, a buffalo chicken wrap, and a pulled pork sandwich, among others. Papa’s Best Batch is open Wed–Sun, market open daily.
Red Hook — 227 Pitcher Lane, 845.758.8007
Update: Papa’s Best Batch is closed for the 2020 season.
Hurds Family Farm
This Ulster County orchard is well known for its prime apple picking, but on weekends and holidays from August 29 through the remainder of the season, the Big Apple Café serves farm-to-table fare. Everything on the short and sweet menu includes the orchard’s homegrown fruit. Try a bowl of turkey apple chili with peppers, tomatoes, local honey, and beans. Or try a grilled beef hot dog, made with Hurds’ apple butter. Go the gourmet route by ordering it on a brioche, topped off with some chili and you’ve got the perfect way to wrap up a day of apple picking.
Modena — 2187 State Route 32, 845.883.7825
Twin Star Orchards
With its slogan “Ugly Apples Taste Better,” Twin Star Orchards prides itself on putting flavor first. This is also true of their café, serving burgers and wood-fired pizza that ranges from margherita to fig and prosciutto to a three-mushroom white pie. Fresh-made cider donuts are also available; if you’re lucky, you’ll catch one of the pig roasts, which occur periodically throughout the season. Everything is perfect for pairing with an afternoon of apple picking and one of their many ciders.
New Paltz — 155 N Ohioville Rd, 845.633.8657
Westwind Orchard & Cidery
Stocked by such venerable institutions as Balthazar Bakery and Via Carota in Manhattan, and more locally, Woodstock’s Silvia, Westwind’s ciders carry a certain panache with their “biointensive” methods of production. Generally, apples are available for U-pick between mid-September and mid-October. On weekends, the tasting room serves an assortment of Italian fare, including rotating flavors of wood-fired pizza, pasta dishes like carbonara and cacio e pepe, even desserts like tiramisu and panna cotta.
Accord — 215 Lower Whitfield Rd
Warwick Valley Winery & Distillery
On the western edge of Orange County, this orchard opens back up for the apple picking season on August 29. Between Thursday–Sunday, the Pané Café serves a variety of sandwiches, like caprese, on freshly baked bread as well as a number of salads like apple walnut. From spring to autumn, Doc’s Bar & Grill is also open for business, adding a smoky bent to the offerings with items like grilled Mexican corn on the cob with chipotle mayo and grilled chicken bread sandwiches with pineapple chutney and dill ranch dressing.
Warwick — 114 Little York Rd, 845.258.4858
Love Apple Farm
This orchard in Ghent is celebrating over 50 years of business in the Hudson Valley. What started as a tiny kitchen serving pies and Mexican food has expanded to offer soups, salads, and sandwiches. From sunrise egg wraps with roasted sweet peppers to ribeye steak sandwiches with provolone, the food at Love Apple Farm’s café is always fresh. And to answer your question — yes, they still serve Mexican food.
Ghent — 1421 State Route 9H, 518.828.5048
