currently snacking on...

...French breakfast radishes from the Farmers Market with a good smear of Kriemhild Meadow butter and Beekman 1802 hickory smoked salt. C'est bon!

Black Cat Cafe

It's tough starting a new job without any vacations days, especially when you want a getaway in the summer. Cooperstown's just a lovely reminder that a break from city life is just a little over an hour away with some tasty options along the route. For us, a typical trip to the Coop means stops by the Beekman 1802 Mercantile, flight of beer at Council Rock Brewery, and dinner at Brooks BBQ. Lunch at the cafe at Ommegang and Council Rock are great options, but when the hunger grumps hit en route, just hit up the Black Cat Cafe in Sharon Springs. 

Blink and you might miss this small, quaint little village down Route 20. Turn right on Main Street and you'll be greeted by the historic American Hotel and the village's charming boutique shops including the Beekman 1802 Mercantile. Dining options are limited aside from the hotel, but the Black Cat Cafe offered just what we needed for lunch. If you're up early enough the cafe has an array of breakfast options including omelets and breakfast sandwiches. For us late risers, lunch is an equally perfect opportunity to sit back and relax on the patio.

This isn't our first stop at Black Cat. We knew ordering a side of Lebanese potato salad and Mac 'n Blaak was a must. The potato salad is simply dressed in lemon, olive oil, parsley, and salt and pepper but so good; these bright, light and fresh flavors were perfect for summer. I'd rather have this all the time than the mayo-laden version. We've pretty raved about everything Beekman related and the same goes for the mac 'n cheese made with The Fabulous Beekman's Blaak Cheese, a semi-hard cheese made with 60:40 mix of goat and cow milk, with Martha Stewart's seal of approval.  Although the mac 'n cheese could have used some salt and pepper, the mild goat cheese flavor came through fabulously and was still distinct enough without being overpowering as some goat cheeses can be. A spoonful was a warm, comforting cheesy bite. 

Of course there's no such thing as too much cheese. As if "as featured on CNN" wasn't intriguing enough, the flavor combos of  the Wild Julia grilled cheese was too good to pass up on: extra sharp cheddar, applewood-smoked bacon, tomato, pepita seeds, and Frank's red hot on white bread. It might look like a lot of ingredients but they all melded together beautifully. Cheese and bacon are inherently a match made in heaven but the added texture and crunch of the pumpkin seeds along with the fresh bite of tomato and zing of hot sauce was like no other. They're all simple ingredients but sandwiched between buttery, toasted slices of bread, and they're transformed to a whole other level. 

Add an orange carrot smoothie and you've got yourself the perfect patio lunch. Stop by The Beekman 1802 Mercantile afterwards for an added bonus. It's conveniently located a few doors down from the cafe. Be sure to stock up on jars of Beekman goat milk cajeta. We've been eating the caramel by the spoonful and can't wait to return to both the Mercantile and Black Cat. It's a winning combo en route to Cooperstown or just on its own.