"The Valley is best known for tapping into its local farming and artisan community, so it’s no surprise that the Farmer’s Market is absolutely fantastic. I often head over first thing in the morning for some fresh flowers and food for the house. Everything is garden-fresh and the people are lovely." - Katie Lydon
"Whoever wants to, goes with my partner Fritz and I to the fresh farmer’s market in Hudson to gather bounty for our Saturday evening home-cooked dinner." - David Mann
From the shortlist of Frank Rosa -
"If we are lucky we’ll snag a table at The Corner Hotel in Tivoli for brunch. The owners (Brice Marden and his family) have done a fantastic job redecorating the hotel, which is also home to his outstanding personal art collection. It is set in a charming century-old building and the farm-to-table menu somehow seems to appeal to all members of the family—a rare yet important factor, for sure. More than likely I will see a familiar face in there, too!" - Katie Lydon
"My husband and I both love The Corner, the restaurant in Hotel Tivoli that features incredible farm to table food by Chef Devon Gilroy sourced from local farmers. The personal art collection of painters Brice and Helen Marden is woven throughout the restaurant and the hotel rooms upstairs." - Bettina Prentice
From the shortlist of John Stern -
From the shortlist of David Mann -
If you’re ever in Hudson you MUST go to this incredible little cheese and provisions shop. Not only do they have one of the best selections of curated artisanal cheeses I’ve ever seen, their sandwiches are absolutely delicious. They have amazing baked goods and salads, and their prepared foods are excellent, too. Everything is so thoughtfully done; you can tell a lot of love goes into it. - Katie Lydon
I like to stop at Talbott and Arding to pick up some culinary hors d’oeuvres for our dinner at home. - David Mann
I love finding sources for local Hudson Valley cheese, this one is the best! - Claudia Hanlin
If you're looking to up you're cheese board game, Talbott and Arding in Hudson is your place. it has many locally made cheeses, preserves, crackers, and cookies, with a friendly staff that can help assemble a perfect board. - Ana Hito
So many special original products come out of their market. I never go to Hudson without stopping there to stock up. - Michael Bruno
"I would by no means consider myself a biker, but it is a joy to ride along Wire Road, which all the locals (myself included) consider to have one of the most spectacular views across farmland and the Hudson River to the Catskill Mountains. My family and I have our own bikes that we finally invested in to keep at the house. If you’re in the market, I highly recommend stopping by Steiner’s Sports, a family-owned store in Hudson—it’s where we went!" - Katie Lydon
“They have absolutely delicious food made with local ingredients and a beautifully designed space. Make sure you get the Macaroni and Cheese to start...it's beyond beyond!" - Brad Ford
"I really enjoy Gaskins, a great restaurant in Germantown. It’s our go-to spot when we’re looking for delicious local farm-to-table fare and to have a really charming and fun evening. The location is cozy and it has a delightful sparkle to the interior. Plus, the owners are consistently warm and friendly." - Katie Lydon
Warming food that represents the locally sourced ingredients. - Ana Hito
Over 300 places in Upstate NY with a focus on art, design hospitality and the natural world, curated by Tastemakers who live in and frequent the area.
April 4, 2020 – Letter to Upstate NY merchants featured on Tastemakers Guide.
All small businesses are important, right down to the first lemonade stand many of us had as kids when we discovered we were entrepreneurs.
Your business is one of the 300 small businesses featured in Tastemakers Guide, selected by Tastemakers that live in or frequent the Upstate Region. Upstate New York is the closest thing America has to the European countryside with its inns, restaurants, farms, and shops scattered throughout the region. I built Tastemakers Guide about a year ago because I wanted to promote our beautiful countryside. I was fortunate enough to sell my last company 1stdibs.com and have the resources to open a small hotel in the lower Hudson Valley, Valley Rock Inn, and now to use Tastemakers Guide to help us all stay in business.
Right now we all need a central station where people can search online in one place to find out everyone’s current business status and to discover new businesses and dream about where we can go when it becomes safe to venture out.
We are making it easy and comforting for people to find out who is open and what you are offering: delivery, curbside pick-up, e-commerce, gift certificates, special rates on future bookings, and acts of kindness.
While we would like to cover all small businesses we are focusing on the ones that drive spending and create local good jobs through hospitality, craft, collecting, and community essentials of which you are one.
There is no cost to be included –
The road ahead will not be easy but there is strength in numbers, even though that is counter to how many of us feel in the current moment.
Before developing Valley Rock Inn, I was the founder and CEO of 1stdibs.com for 17 years. I was responsible for developing and supporting a large online community of thousands of small business owners in the art and design field. Together, we survived and prevailed significant hardships, including 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the 2008 financial crisis. The entrepreneurs that were on 1stdibs came through those difficult times stronger I believe because of strength in numbers. If we all work together simply by providing and sharing information with existing and potential new customers we can do the same with this platform.
By now we have all begun to hear about the Federal Government’s programs which will give small businesses a very short lifeline to cover about 2.5 months’ worth of expenses mostly in the form of loans. If you include March, we are all on our own come mid-May, so we must act quickly. Tastemakers Guide will evolve as we go, but getting going is the most important thing.
We appreciate your input and are grateful for your participation, please provide your business status information as soon as possible as we plan to update the site the week of April 6.
Our first plan of attack, once we have updated the site with everyone’s information, will be securing media coverage and getting the site in front of New York City’s tens of thousands of employees in the tech industry. They are gainfully employed and therefore excellent consumers, they love a good database of information and they love Upstate NY.
Warm regards, Michael Bruno
Founder 1stdibs.com
Founder TastemakersGuide
Owner Valley Rock Inn
