While for many people New York conjures images of the soaring skyscrapers of Manhattan, there’s much more on this state’s menu than the Big Apple. Our Gourmet Holiday in New York State is a great way to experience all the delicious offerings that the Empire State has up its sleeve.
The Finger Lakes region upstate is where New York’s wine, some of the country’s finest, is produced. The lakes which give the region its name provide ideal grape-growing conditions, and vineyards in the area even capitalize on New York’s notoriously severe winters, producing ultra-concentrated ‘ice wines’ from the frozen grapes. Geneva on the Lake, a characterful hotel converted from an old world mansion, is perfect for local cheese and wine trails and nearby Seneca Harbor is renowned for its amazing fresh seafood.
The rugged, robust landscapes of the Adirondack Mountains are reflected in the region’s cuisine, and the renowned farmers markets in the area are the best place to sample the local produce. The Good Bite Kitchen in Lake Placid offers a great range of inventive vegetarian cuisine, always using fresh, locally sourced ingredients. For a more formal dining experience, The Point offers an elegant blend of formality and fine cuisine. Meanwhile, Mirror Lake Inn, one of our favourite hotels in the region, has been renowned for the quality of its food throughout its long history as a luxury resort – the emphasis of the resort’s founders on local, fresh produce has survived to this day, and the trademark Adirondack flapjacks with hot maple syrup are rightly renowned in the local area.
Having explored the rolling vineyards and rugged mountain landscapes of the Finger Lakes and Adirondacks, try spending a couple of nights in the picturesque Hudson Valley, being sure to sample the delicious fresh pressed cider from the area’s orchards. And after all those rustic gastronomic delights, there’s still one of the food capitals of the world to explore: the cultural and culinary melting pot that is New York City.
