ALBB took a Lunch Date over in the garden at Homespun Foods! Teslie (Program Manager) got the citrus salad and added salmon (good choice)… “refreshing and so delicious”, and Katie (Owner of ALBB) got the burger because “those crispy fried onions are too hard to resist!” We got to flip through the wine list that the writer, sommelier and owner Joe hand-stitched together. Love this about business owners who let their passions overlap into each other.
Teslie and Katie don’t make many appearances here on the blog, but we wanted to show you the tulips. The backyard garden is gorgeous and so relaxing! Learn about all of the restaurants in A Little Beacon Blog’s Restaurant Guide here.
A Little Beacon Blogs sister company, Katie James, Inc., designed Homespun Foods website and created features that allow them to bring their restaurant to life and offer their beer store online! And a beer subscription for craft beers! Yup, you can subscribe to beer right on their website. You can also view their full menu online and order for pickup right through their site. Definitely make sure to check out their daily specials page and keep up with all they have going on!
Beloveds, it’s been a long, long time since we last met here; I hope you are all well and surviving if not all the way to thriving. So there’s much to catch up on. What did you read and love this summer? My summer reading favorites were: Office of Historical Corrections by Danielle Evans (who is an extremely talented writer), Interior, Chinatown by Charles Yu (innovative structure for a novel-as-screenplay), and The Porpoise by Mark Haddon (trigger warning in an Ancient Greek kind of way).
I just finished The Matrix by Lauren Groff, which, oh my goodness, knocked my socks off and also made me feel slightly self-conscious that I was reading about nun sex in a public place. Currently reading Fault Lines by Emily Itami which may veer too far into the sad mommy genre, but also delivers whoppers like “It’s hard to remember who you are without people who know you that way.”
I took an amazing field trip over the summer to Hobart, NY – the used bookstore lover’s dream. Made me incredibly grateful we have Binnacle Books here in Beacon with their used book selection, but how great would it be if there were, say seven more used bookstores?
So what’s happening this month in the world of literary pursuits?
The Howland Library has a great program set up for October: Stop by at any time starting Friday, October 15th to pick up a cookbook titled, "Vietnamese Food Any Day: Simple Recipes for True, Fresh Flavors" by famed chef and author, Andrea Nguyen. FREE! 2021 Big Read's chosen title is the graphic novel memoir "The Best We Could Do" by Thi Bui. The memoir follows a family's journey from Vietnam to America and is being discussed on October 20th outside in Memorial Park.
Split Rock Books in Cold Spring has a couple of great events lined up this fall, as well as their graphic novel and fiction book clubs which meet at the end of the month. Their fiction pick is one that has been on my list: Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead: A Novel by Olga Tokarczuk, and translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones.
Over the bridge in our sister city is the Newburgh Literary Festival at the end of the month. I’m so happy to see this event return, it was so fantastic the first year it happened. The festival will begin Saturday, October 30 at 11am with a full day of readings, interviews, and conversations with eight featured writers. Sunday, October 31, will feature a series of in-person writing workshops with award-winning, Hudson Valley-based authors and artists. The Saturday event, which has been curated by writers Ruth Danon and Belinda McKeon, will include paired readings and moderated conversations and will feature an in-conversation event with Joe Donahue, host of The Book Show and The Round Table on WAMC, Northeast Public Radio. We stan for Joe Donahue!
Here in Beacon, our very own Donna Minkowitz is putting on Lit Lit, a monthly writer’s salon at Homespun Foods on Main Street. This month the reading is October 7th, from 7-9pm, and going forward will meet the first Thursday of every month, with Friday as the rain date. Writers can read their own writing of any genre, up to five minutes in length.
Zoom Readings?!
If you want to attend some killer zoom readings with famous authors, may I suggest The Writing Institute at Sarah Lawrence, who has some heavy hitters booked for later this month and November. If you want to take a workshop, The Poetry Project in NYC has some really far-out offerings coming up. The Hudson Valley Writer’s Center has a number of readings and workshops, including a Legend of Sleepy Hollow family storytelling workshop on October 17th that looks like a lot of fun.
Here’s to cozy reading and blue skies and bright leaves for the next little longer, friends. I promise not to let it be so long before we meet again.
UPDATE: The opening night of 6/29/2021 is canceled due to forcasted heavy rain. Said the organizer: “Because it is going to rain pretty steadily tonight, we are cancelling Lit Lit in the interests of safety, because I think our crowd will be too large for the indoor dining room at Homespun. But no worries, we have rescheduled for NEXT Thursday, August 5 at 7 PM, when the weather forecast is no rain and we can read in the garden!”
The literary scene in Beacon was bubbling softly like a nice glass of effervescent wine before the pandemic hit. But all that went flat when the shutdown happened. Literary events were usually held in restaurants, like the Get Lit event in Oak Vino before that wine bar closed, sold, and has since reopened as a new delicious eatery.
Homespun was a restaurant who had newly shifted under new ownership, and was promptly shut down while New York State got a handle on the virus. New owner Joe Robitallie was new to owning a restaurant, but not to the written word, having earned his Masters of Fine Art in Poetry from Brooklyn College. While studying word rhythm, he worked as a sommelier in the city before starting a family and moving to Beacon.
Enter Donna Minkowitz, a writer based in Beacon, formerly of Brooklyn, who has organized a new literary open mic night for literary folks to gather to read pieces, perform their ideas, and connect with one another for growth that will happen once a month on Thursdays. "Beacon's writers and readers have been wanting to gather again for awhile,” Donna told ALBB. “As things have started to open up again, I thought the time was now (as long as we exercise reasonable caution).” As for any relation to the Get Lit group, Donna confirms: “We are not related to the former series Get Lit at Oak Vino, except that we take them as an inspiration, because we loved them!”
People are invited to tell stories or “perform” their work (playwriting, spoken word) if that applies to their genre. People are encouraged to sign up to be a reader by filling out this form, or can go to simply listen and experience. Signups are closed right now so as to make room for signups the night of the event. Some of the published authors who are expected to read at the first event are poet Ruth Danon, food writer Matt Clifton, playwright, fiction writer, and poet Peter Ullian (who was Beacon's poet laureate from 2019-2020), and Donna (the author of two memoirs, and a former writer for the Village Voice and the Nation).
The first Lit Lit will be Thursday, July 29 at 7pm in Homespun‘s back patio garden. Homespun is located at 232 Main Street. In the event of rain, the group can move inside.
Lit Lit will give a reason for Homespun to turn on the twinkle lights in the back patio and tend bar at the new Beer bar. Photo Credit: Homespun Foods
Joe spoke with ALBB to answer why he is looking forward to this new event: “It signals a return to normalcy and groups gathering outside to express their common interests. I am excited because we always imagined that we’d be able to use Homespun as a meeting place for the community, that it would be a safe space for people to gather and build community around their interests. I am excited to hear neighbors read their writing and find inspiration in one another. How writing communities work is always so fascinating, with people sharing through reading and how ideas get pushed forward. Finally I’m excited because it gives us a nice chance at Homespun to turn on the lights in the backyard, and have people enjoy an evening out there. Homespun: the Bar, for an evening.”
Homespun’s wine, beer, soft drinks, and perhaps some snacks will be available for purchase.
Editorial Note: Homespun is a sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog, but this article was done independently of that partnship.
At first blush, this seems to target canoodling. As one 8 year old observed: “Everybody knows that COVID cases are coming from people kissing at bars.” The truth may be that infections are spreading at home as people get lax in their social circles. With Thanksgiving coming up, Governor Cuomo just decided for you on if you were merging with another family, depending on the size of yours. Which may be good, as family table talk could get fiery with the election still in the rear view mirror.
For some restaurants in Beacon, the surge in take-out, delivery, parklets (seating in the street) and new safety measures have helped keep their businesses alive. We checked with business owners in Beacon to see how this curfew will impact them, interviews with some are below.
The eateries most impacted will most likely be Hudson Valley Food Hall, with the limitation of the Roosevelt Bar, Barb’s Fry Works, who just opened a stall inside HV Food Hall to cater to the late night drinking crowd, and The Beacon Hotel, who is known for their late night lounge service.
Max’s On Main, one of the original a late-nighters in the game, pivoted already to focus on food and take-out. The Eat Church Food Truck used to be hunkered down at Industrial Arts Brewing on Rte. 52, but long ago pulled up the pins and was serving from Marbled Meat Shop in Cold Spring, and will bounce to Kingston next. Sadly, Joe’s Irish Pub, announced their permanent closure and retirement in early November 2020.
We interviewed several owners below, and heard from others as well.
Some Restaurants Already Started Closing At Or By 10pm
MEYERS OLD DUTCH Meyers Old Dutch (MOD) owner and chef Brian Arnoff used to have a weekend late night crowd, but stopped when he re-opened during the pandemic. “Since COVID started, we’ve been closing by 10pm anyways. We used to stay open until midnight on Friday and Saturday nights. Thankfully, this shouldn’t impact us. At least for now anyways.”
CHILL WINE BAR Jim Svetz, owner of Chill Wine Bar, is also able to proceed, saying: “Thankfully this won’t impact us that much, since we reopened with already limited hours Friday and Saturdays, from 5pm-10pm. So no change here. I think most places with limited indoor seating will have a difficult time this winter. But we will get through this together.”
HOMESPUN New owner of Homespun, Joe Robitaille, who is a wine expert (aka sommelier), has increased the amount of wine bottles and specialty beer they sell from the store, which “has helped us so much,” he told us when mulling over Thanksgiving and catering options. Look for a possible fire-pit and heaters in the back garden, but that is not confirmed yet.
BANK SQUARE COFFEE HOUSE Bank Square Coffee House is a coffee house that caters to a beer crowd for day-drinking and lightly into the evening. Says their manager: “I do believe it might impact our weekend crowd. Now with winter coming along, we depend a lot on our weekday regulars and our occasional busy weekends. Now with not many people being able to stay out late, I think we might see a little less of a weekend crowd. Fortunately, we close at 8pm even on weekends, so we won’t get too impacted.”
Late Night Bars With Food Who Pivoted With The First Re-Opening
QUINN’S Quinn’s was one of the last restaurants in Beacon to re-open, waiting until summer. For this latest restriction, Quinn’s manager, Stamper, was feeling prepared: “After our hiatus between May and August, we re-opened understanding that we would not be a late night place again for a long while. With this in mind, we shifted our hours to incorporate lunch and closing at 9pm. With the removal of Main Street parklets, losing our outdoor dining, we’ve recently opened up indoor at an exclusive capacity, and with new hours: 5pm-11pm. This change was so fresh, that most customers still assume our kitchen is only open until 9pm, and so orders taper off around then. Ultimately, we’re losing an hour, but the bulk of our business is kept between the 5pm-9pm hours, and I’m certain as word spreads, folks will hang at Quinn’s until 10pm. Thank you!”
MAX’S ON MAIN Max’s on Main is where you go where everybody knows your name, at practically any time of the day. You need a Blondie dessert at 11pm after having a great dinner at Dogwood? You go to Max’s. However, after the re-opening, they too shifted their late night bar scene to be heavy in food. We caught up with Jesse Kaplan, son of co-owner Richie Kaplan, and bar tenders Stephanie and Mary.
Said Jesse: “We were one of the business that served food the latest. Our customers know that we are available here later than some other places, and they have been very supportive of that. We are going to take a hit for that. But, we care about everybody being safe. If this is what we have to do to help the community be safe, then we are all in favor. I would never want to put the community at risk. We have been very careful here about everything. Face masks. Sanitation. Temperature. If we have to close at 10pm, that’s what we’re going to do.”
Will alcohol sales hurt Max’s? Jesse explains: “Our identity changed a little bit as a result of the pandemic. We made the decision to operate the business more as a restaurant once the pandemic hit, with an understanding that we would lose those alcohol sales, but our customers and our staff would feel more safe.”
Delivery is now available at Max’s. Right now, the crew is driving. “We all have been pitching in. Richie takes a delivery. I have been known to take a delivery or two. Stephanie (a bartender and former reporter and student in cyber crime) will take one one the way home at the end of her shift. The staff has really stepped up to pitch in.”
Stephanie chimed in to say that right away after the pandemic started, the community was very supportive and ordered a lot of food. Jesse recalls phone-in orders, where people will say: “Hi, I’m calling in an order, and I ordered from Brother’s earlier, and the Diner yesterday. I want to do my part to support restaurants in town. We are very thankful for that.”
HUDSON VALLEY FOOD HALL VIA THE ROOSEVELT BAR Owner of the Hudson Valley Food Hall (HV Food Hall), Marko Guzijan was cruising right along with the bar business at the Roosevelt Bar until 1am, which was doing so well that Barb’s Butchery, who enjoys popping up on Main Street at the Farmer’s Market from time to time from her home base of Spring Street, had just opened a stall inside the food hall called Barb’s Fry Works, which catered to the hungry late night crowd. HV Food Hall is very spacious inside, with tall ceilings, and has a generous patio on their corner lot.
Said Marko, who was looking forward focusing on his 40th birthday: “The late night crowd has been very good for us. Barb’s Fry Works just opened, and her business model is based on staying open with the bar. So it’s a big hit. Everyone in the Food and Beverage business wants to do the right thing. If shutting down helps end the pandemic, then let’s do it. But it feels like the Governor just keeps punching down and hurting Food and Beverage businesses.
“We try to follow the rules. We implement new business models, and then the Governor changes it all up and offers us nothing in return. We have to help out with overhead and bills. Central Hudson still charges the same rate, Optimum charges the same rate, our insurance is based on the size of the business, but our business is cut by over half. I think all small businesses will do what is best for the greater good, but it feels like we are the ones taking the larger hit on our business.”
What new things has HV Food Hall done to accommodate the pandemic? Marko describes: “The food hall bar business model for us is fast/casual and self-service. With the new restrictions, we have had to hire more staff (2 hosts, 2 servers, a barback, and 2 busboys). Now we need to figure out if we need that staff anymore. I really don’t want to lay people off in a pandemic, but might not have a choice.
“We have limited our seating because of the 6 feet rule, which has forced us to turn people away at times. Because of the food rule, the bar will buy food for patrons instead of forcing them to spend more money on something they don’t want. We have 25+ staff in the whole food hall, and have not had a single positive test. When someone doesn’t feel well, they stay home and close the stall. We then pay for a commercial cleaning company to come in and deep clean everything, at a cost of almost $1,000. Five guys in hazmat suits spend 4-5 hours going over every inch of the food hall. We do these things and we’ve never had a staff member test positive.
“As the rules keep changing, we start running our business in fear. At any point, the Governor can send people in and take away the liquor license. I would love to have live music for Saturday and Sunday brunch, but can’t get clarification on if it is allowed or not. So I don’t let it happen, even though a few of the chefs have pushed for it.”
THE BEACON HOTEL The Beacon Hotel was fully renovated a few years ago by a different ownership team. Jon Lombardi started as the general manager there, and is now co-owner. Under his management, The Beacon Hotel has become an eatery for all times: brunch, lunch, dinner, and operates as a lounge in the evening. Jon was walking past his restaurant when we caught up with him. When asked about the change, he didn’t flinch. “We’re ready. I’ve got my flyer. I’ve got my to-go glasses.”
Jon is never one without ideas, and has inspired his pandemic survival package with a “Last Call: 10pm” theme. Patrons can order to-go shots with group discounts, different cocktails in cute mason jars, and perhaps the best part: if you bring back your mason jar for a refill the next day or days later, you get a discount. Food has always been available to go at The Beacon Hotel, and continues to be, which includes rotating specials and themes for whatever is going on.
There are other bar/restaurants in town, but we did not get their definitive plans in time for this article. Wishing everyone the best, and to keep on ordering.
It's Memorial Day Weekend, and we have 3 words to kick off this weekend edition of the newsletter: THANK YOU Veterans. Re-read this speech from LTC Caroline Pogge on a woman's perspective during her time serving in Iraq. She reminded the audience that women first started serving in the armed forces in secret.
Dutchess County Memorial Day Drive-By Parade
Day: Monday, May 25, 2020 Time: 11am Location: Throughout Dutchess County
This may be the largest Memorial Day parade the county has seen with a cavalcade of vehicles from the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office and fire vehicles from various municipalities and districts. The convoy will depart at 11 a.m. from Poughkeepsie and the Dutchess County War Memorial.
Beacon of Love Fareground Fundraiser Preview
Day: Tuesday, May 26, 2020 Location: beacon-of-love.myshopify.com
Beacon of Love, a coalition of area residents, are announcing an online art show/fundraiser to benefit Fareground, a Beacon-based nonprofit organization, that has ramped up its efforts to combat food insecurity in the wake of Covid-19. On May 26, the online fundraiser will go live for previews only at https://beacon-of-love.myshopify.com/. Featuring works by 30 local artists and with prices tiered at $100, $150, and $250, the sale will go live on May 30 and run through June 2. Information >
The Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) Virtual 5K Run & Walk
Days: Sunday May 17-June 17, 2020 Time: At Your Own Pace Location: Favorite trail, your neighborhood, the park, your treadmill!
Complete a 5 Kilometer run and/or walk (5K kilometers = 3.1 miles) in the comfort of your own neighborhood or on a treadmill between May 17th and June 17th, 2020. You choose the date, the time and location. Information >
THE VAULT The Vault is now offering free local delivery! Call (845)202-7735 to place your order! Their hours are:
Tues-Thur 12-7pm
Fri & Sat 12-8pm
Sun 12-7pm
They have $5 off $35, $10 off $50 discounts from Tuesday to Thursday. Information >
BEACON PANTRY
Beacon Pantry is open 10am-6pm - closed Mondays but you can still order or pick up. The store is stocked full of goods. Check out what is on their shelves through their Instagram (@beaconpantry) and plan ahead for your next curbside pick up order. If you do come to the store, please wear a mask and follow their capacity guidelines posted on our door. View their product list HERE. Contact Beacon Pantry by email or phone at Beaconpantry@gmail.com or (845) 765-1933. Information >
EAT CHURCH
Thursday through Sunday you can grab a bite to eat from Eat Church. You can grab their daily special or pick from their menu. Visit their website to view current menu & place your orders for pickup or delivery or call (917) 364-0838. Online ordering is super easy! And the view of the mountain is spectacular. Eat Church food truck located on the hill at Industrial Arts at 511 Fishkill Avenue. Plenty of parking in the swooping parking lots.
Follow them on Instagram (@eatchurch) for daily specials only available at the truck. Eat Church is a ALBB Sponsor!
KITCHEN SINK
Kitchen Sink has been popping open on the weekends with a stuffed theme. Lots of things are stuffed and little, and available in limited quantities. Their menu opens up on the weekend, and you got to go to their website fast to place your order. Same with Eat Church if you want to snag their specials!
HOMESPUN FOODS
Homespun is hanging in there as a wine shop at the moment, and specialty grocery destination or delivery service! The wine list at Homespun is selective and extremely special, if you value where the vine is rooted and how the growing season was. Saturdays are their days for pickup of grocery and wine bundles, and delivery is available for other days. While the kitchen is not open, you can still get carrot cake logs! Start browsing here.
SOLSTAD HOUSE Solstad House asks "what exactly does an open retail shop look like in the COVID-19 era?" They want to hear from YOU. While there will mandates in place (ie: wearing masks, etc.) they want to know what else can be done to make you, the customer, feel safe not only in their shop but other local businesses in Main Street. Leave a comment in their Instagram post with your thoughts. Information >
BINNACLE BOOKS
Beacon artists @daniel_weise and @kalener (@clubdrawbeaconny) have put together an incredible initiative called WearTogether which pairs local artists with local businesses: the result, beautiful t-shirts with proceeds supporting both the artists and the businesses. You have TWO weeks to get your hands on this limited edition BINNACLE BOOKS / URSULA K. LE GUIN T-SHIRT drawn by @shamblanderson! Order by visiting this link. You can find more Beacon businesses participating and support at https://weartogether.shop/pages/beacon-ny Binnacle Books is a ALBB Sponsor, thank you!
PTACEK HOME
We don't have to tell you how beautiful Hudson Valley wood is, let the endgrain speak for itself! Save a chunk of wood this Memorial Day! Order now on PTÁČEK Home's website at www.ptacekhome.com with curbside pickup or front door delivery! This One Chunk Console is now 30% off, now at $664. Visit their website for more information! Shop Now > PTACEK Home is a Sponsor, thank you!
LUXE OPTIQUE
Luxe Optique is featured in A Little Beacon Blog's latest article on how some boutiques who were slow to build an ecommerce side of their websites, quickly dove in to develop this option when the shut-down happened. While Luxe Optique did have a website, they are currently building a new ability to order contacts online - even if you got your prescription with another doctor. Read all about it! Luxe Optique is a Sponsor, thank you!
ECHO BOUTIQUE
Don’t all rush at once…space yourselves…but one of the most innovative shop windows in Beacon right now is at Echo Boutique at 470 Main Street, on the east end of town near the mountain. This boutiques with a wide curated selection of women’s clothing, kids toys, and some men’s accessories as well, was one of the first stores to voluntarily shut down - even before the Executive Order. Now, they are one of the first windows on Main Street to organize inventory in such a way that people can shop by number from the other side of the glass.
BEAUTY TIP
Are you trimming your own bangs? Shaping your own beard? Plucking your own eyebrows? Massaging your own neck? If you miss your stylist for these things, go ahead and send them some cash when you're doing this beauty update to yourself. They will thank you, and it helps them see you on the other side.
Change is hard! Adapting to learning online through Zoom and other meeting platforms can be intimidating. Our Managing Editor, Marilyn Perez, shares her own experience overcoming her anxiety when she had to take her yoga teaching from the studio to her bedroom (!!) for Firefly Yoga's online Zoom classes. And while she's referencing yoga, this can be applied to any kind of online gathering from classes and workshops to meetups! You can read more in her personal blog Ink+Coffee+Yoga.
Not Quite BOB Teen Zoom Book Club
Day: Tuesday, May 26, 2020 Time: 3pm Host: Howland Public Library
The library's annual summer program Battle of the Books has been cancelled. So, while you'll have to wait until next year to compete to for the banner, that doesn't mean you can't meet to share your love of reading. Interested in joining? Email Coach Michelle at community@beaconlibrary.org. You don't have to be a former High School Battle of the Books team member to join. Information >
Zoom Trendy Stitching Workshop For Tweens and Teens
Day: Thursday, Day: Thursday May 28, 2020 Time: 3:30pm Host: Howland Public Library Grade 5 and up
This virtual hand-sewing workshop, presented by Ellen Brown, is geared for students grades 5 and up. Via Zoom, participants will learn how to use a trendy one-straight-stitch embroidery technique to accessorize or fix clothes and other items. Information >
Zoom Stay Put Bookmark Workshop For Tweens and Teens
Day: Thursday, May 28, 2020 Time: 5pm Host: Howland Public Library Grade 5 and up
This virtual hand-sewing workshop, presented by Ellen Brown, is geared for students grades 5 and up. Via Zoom, participants will learn how to use material and hand stitching techniques to create a personalized bookmark. Information >
BEACONARTS
Have you seen the makeover done to the brick man on N. Chestnut St just off Main Street? Located on the side of Last Outpost next to Dennings Point Distillery, BeaconArts caught up with building owner Joe Darmetko adding a mask to "the duke". Meet Joe in this Instagram video. Watch here >
ANTALEK & MOORE
A friendly reminder from Antalek & Moore that their offices will be closed on Monday, May 25, 2020 for the Memorial Day Holiday. And if you're planning a cookout at home with your immediate family, don't forget to clean and maintain your grill as our friends at Antalek & Moore recently reminded us in this video they shared from Lowe's on their Facebook page.
PS: It's Friday, and Antalek & Moore wants to know what you're doing this weekend to get your foodie on? Chime in on their Instagram post! ALBB is ordering mozzarella sticks, at the very least, from Max's. Antalek & Moore is a Sponsor, thank you!
TIN SHINGLE
Thinking of becoming a screenwriter? Are you dusting off your keyboard to finally type it out? Tin Shingle Members get to watch this interview with a person such as you, Patty Carey, who lost sight of her writing dreams when her career in Location Managing in New York City took over her life. When she had children and took the summers off, her itch to write grew stronger, and she listened. Her first show was produced last year, after winning a contest of 300 other writers. Watch This >
KATIE JAMES, INC.
Do you need to build your website? You do, and it's a daunting task. Sometimes, all you need is a sounding board. An expert to hold your hand as you plot your way through. Many tools are out there for you to turn the lights on, but which one do you use, and how? Square, Squarespace, WordPress, Shopify, and other niche platforms that offer special tools for specific industries. Katie James Inc. and Tin Shingle are introducing a 3-session series where people can sign up and call in to workshop their websites in a group setting. FREE: For Tin Shingle Members, and Beacon businesses with a storefront on Main Street. There will be a fee for others taking it, and registration is limited. Details with signup link will be posted soon.
We got a suggestion in from a reader, who wanted to know how to send A Little Beacon Blog financial support to help us continue to produce. Even just $5. First of all: THANK YOU to that reader for wanting to do this! Support Here >
People Who Have Given Reading your comments of what ALBB means to your life has been humbling and keeps us going. Thank you. See Who Supported >
I am sitting in my house in Beacon at 9 am with no phone calls from work, no shifts to cover, no orders to put in and no fires to put out and I am loving it!
What are your days looking like?
I've been walking everyday and brushing up on my Spanish using our library's online language classes - check them out!
Also, Chris and I are going traveling soon and we are busy packing up our house and dealing with all the stuff we have accumulated. (Really, how many cookbooks do you need???)
What do you eat if you’re not at Homespun? Do you cook Homespun at home?
Okay, first, when you own a restaurant, you end up eating restaurant food all the time! Because there’s a lot of leftovers or a lot of takeout, you get tired of being around food. It's a pleasure to cook at home although the cleaning up part is a drag. We eat simply which was the basis for Homespun from the beginning.
The first week I was retired, I baked bread and made a great chocolate halvah babka ... but it’s not as much fun if you aren't getting positive customer feedback!!
My favorite lunch now is rice cakes with tahini, sharp cheddar, tomato and sprouts ... it is a crumbly, delicious mess.
I don’t miss the work, but I do miss my staff and being such a part of the neighborhood - but it was a good run. I did what I set out to do which was to make community.
Homespun Foods is a staple in Beacon. It always has one of the longest lunch lines, is one of the most trusted menus for ready-to-go dishes or desserts to quickly pick up and bring to a party, and is one of those eateries in Beacon that is built into the experience of living here. A few years ago, they opened a café down at Dia:Beacon, and do Dia’s catering for in-house events. At the original Main Street location, you step in through the well-worn heavy door, onto the warm, hardwood floor that has absorbed the aromas of the soup-making and pastry-baking over the years, and you feel at home.
When the building that houses Homespun was up for sale, the natural question became: “Will Homespun stay?” And it did, confirmed founder and former owner Jessica Reisman in an article we ran about it. But then something else happened: Jessica sold Homespun to a new owner. The food seemed to stay the same, the website got updated, a kid drawing showed up in the Instagram feed, so we wondered… Who is this new owner? What will Homespun become now? Will we still have access to the baked french toast, the Mediterranean plate, and the carrot cake log?! Turns out, the answers are yes to all…
About The New Owner
Meet Joe Robitaille, the new owner who moved his family (including his wife and three young children) from Brooklyn to Beacon - but that path is not as straightforward as it seems. It never is when telling the business story of businesses in Beacon. Joe grew up in Hamburg, NY, just outside of Buffalo. He fled south to attend and graduate from the College of Charleston (me too!) where there is lots of good food (especially Mediterranean), and then moved to Brooklyn to earn a MFA in Poetry at Brooklyn College.
To support himself through school, he worked at a wine store in Brooklyn Heights. “That led to me becoming a sommelier in the city,” Joe explains, “working at il Buco for six years as head sommelier, and two years as chef-sommelier for Daniel Boulud’s Bar Boulud and Boulud Sud.” And so began Joe’s career in wine, which he is bringing to Beacon.
Working At A Wine Store Means More Love For Wine … And Food
Joe with Homespun’s sommelier-in-training. The staff will learn more about wines from Joe and importers he works with.
Being a sommelier means that you are an expert in pairing food with wine. People who love food often love good wine. Just ask Tim and Mei, founders of Artisan Wine Shop just down the road, who built a kitchen in the back of their wine shop just to host wine tastings with unusual food they like to cook (catch this food pairing almost every Second Saturday).
Being in New York, Joe tells me, has its advantages. “We are pretty spoiled in New York because a lot of the great wine arrives here first and sits in warehouses until it gets funneled through different shipping channels,” he explains. “I got to source wine through purveyors in South Carolina at Butcher & Bee, which gave me a glimpse at how wine travels through national channels, and got to pair wine with their menu which was really, really fun because their food is this brackish zone between Israeli mezze and Lowcountry.”
Joe with one of his wine importers for German white wine. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
Being a sommelier also means you are working directly with people. Some of those people are wine importers. You need a wine importer to bring the wine to your restaurant. Because some of the greatest wine arrives in New York first, extra fees on shipping it across state lines can be avoided. Joe aims to use that, and his current relationships with wine importers (one of whom is a German wine importer who stopped into Homespun to convey season’s greetings the day of our interview, pictured here) to keep the tightly curated selection on his wine list more affordable to patrons.
Wine will be available shortly, just as soon as the license gets approved.
Was Homespun Looking To Sell? How Did That Happen?
As we were researching this story, a reader asked this question, so we asked Joe: “How did you find out about Homespun?” While we love Beacon’s existing businesses and buildings, sometimes their owners are ready for something new, and they put an ad out to sell the business. And that’s how Joe and Jessica’s relationship began. Jessica put an ad out, and Joe found it. “Jessica and I both really like and respect each other a lot, and we stuck to the plan through all the bumps. I count Jessica among the mentors I have had in my career. She did an amazing job for the community, and set me up for success.”
Is the staff staying? “Yes, all of them really!” says Joe. “ It has been a remarkable transition. I learn so much from our staff everyday.” The menu is also remaining the same, with breakfast available every day, and new specials appearing in the menu. Dinner is coming, but Joe is waiting for his new chef to start, who can incorporate a special menu just for dinner.
The New Business Journey - Finding Homespun
For those who like a good business startup story, here is Joe’s in his own words. With a young family of three boys, working in the restaurant industry can be tough with its long hours. Now, at Homespun, he is minutes away from school (just wait until he experiences the tug of snow delays!), and can break up his day between work life and personal life.
“I had been wanting to open my own restaurant for a long time. I had done trips up here and started to really home in on the Hudson Valley/Catskills as the place to do it. Brooklyn wasn't going to be possible, and definitely wouldn’t be possible without a multitude of investors, so I was looking up here.
“Initially we were looking at the area around Phoenicia, but decided we ultimately wanted to be closer to the train. I liked Beacon a lot from visiting with my wife, Kate, a few years earlier, just knowing Dia was here, and I remembered a nice record store on Main Street. The town seemed pretty lively on the weekend we were there, so there was energy.
“After a long weekend stint of working as sommelier in the city, just laying around the house, I started reading an article about Bottega il Buco, which is the restaurant my old boss Donna Lennard opened in Ibiza. I was looking at photos of the place, and seeing the place very much having a sibling resemblance to her two spots in the city. It was its own unique space for sure, you could tell that, with these beautiful whites and blues and open air and light, but you could also tell Donna had done this, even though it looked so new.
“In that moment, I felt this urge of ‘I want to open a restaurant so bad!' I literally Google searched ‘turn-key restaurants hudson valley.’ That's how I met Jessica Reisman. Her ad came up of selling this sweet restaurant in Beacon, right on the Main Street. It had been open since 2006. It had this beautiful backyard, the exposed brick inside, a nice size for a cozy restaurant. And then as I read I saw that she also ran the cafe at Dia:Beacon. I sent the link to my wife, who had historically been pretty skeptical about me finding a space etc, and Kate said, ‘You have to write this lady.’ So I did.”
Watch For More From Homespun
There is even more to this story, for the foodies in the audience who want to know more about Joe’s experience with food and chefs who open restaurants. This, I will bet, will be a feature you’ll read about in edible Hudson Valley, so we’ll leave it to them for the interview. But also know this: Joe has been following the threat of the 100 percent tariffs expected to come on European wines, a result of the current U.S. administration’s tariff war, says Joe. Already, a 25 percent tariff is in play, “but most importers are eating it,” he says. “If the tariff happens, a $12 bottle of French wine could be $40.” People are encouraged to call their congressional representatives.
Meanwhile … lunch at Homespun continues!
PS: We interviewed Jessica Reisman too, to find out where she is now. Read her answers here!
When a building goes up for sale, anything can happen. So we reached out to Homespun’s owner, Jessica Reisman, to inquire if she knew about any next steps. Essentially - is Homespun going anywhere? Will the deep-dish french toast and homemade soups still be within walking distance? “Homespun is definitely here to stay (almost 13 years old now!)” Jessica responded. “We are hoping that whoever buys the building will give us a good long lease!”
Well, that’s good news! Being that the listing is with Gate House Realty, an advertiser here at A Little Beacon Blog and the reason 232 Main Street is in our Real Estate Guide, we reached out to Charlotte for any inside scoop she could release. “There is an accepted offer, and the new buyer would like to see her stay, so hopefully Homespun will be around for a long time.” Anything can happen in real estate, so we’ll think good thoughts and wait until the end, or rather, the new beginning.
And keep it tuned to A Little Beacon Blog, refreshing often to see real estate opportunities like this if you have been looking for a great building to invest in, with popular businesses and tenants already there. There are more houses, apartments, and sometimes storefronts that get featured in our listings. This fixer-upper with the vintage kitchen is still available…
Afternoon snacky snack. A slice of Homespun’s famous carrot cake and a cup of coffee.
Alright, fine - the honest answer - this was dinner.
Doing a Saturday work session to catch up on publishing some articles that are getting way too backlogged! We’re in the middle of a series on the Shopping Guide Shuffle that highlights businesses who have moved down the street, or moved in for the first time, and the buildings that house them. Then we’re doing a few features on the Real Estate Guide, including a spotlight on Newburgh.
Hence, the need for coffee and sugar. Eyes are blurry at this point. :)
New paint job for beBhakti Yoga Center. Photo Credit: Katie Hellmuth Martin
Matching marketing cards make it easy to find the business! Photo Credit: beBhakti Yoga Center
Bright colors on the outside of a building pretty much always signify that you'll find something interesting on the inside. Storefronts in any setting, city or town, must compete heavily for the attention of people walking by. That's especially the case when the business is not located on a beaten path, but on a nearby backroad instead. Such is the case for beBhakti Yoga Center, where founder Lauren Magarelli makes it easy to spot beBhakti-backed events and offerings with her signature blue on postcards, and now the building and fence posts! Look for it at 89 DeWindt Street in Beacon, which runs parallel to Main Street.
"There has been a wonderful community response to our yoga offerings, as well as the vibrant color of the logo," Lauren reflected when we reached out to learn about the inspiration for the blue. "We wanted the building to reflect these two positive energies and encapsulate that feeling of warmth and brightness while also being distinguishable. We hope the new paint will catch people's eyes and stir a curiosity to come in." The color was certainly a welcome hue after such a long, dreary winter.
Colorful Buildings in Beacon
beBhakti isn't the only Beacon building painted in vibrant colors. Homespun Foods has long been known for its signature red and orange, and the inside does not disappoint, with an artistic menu board on the wall, and more healthful illustrations throughout. Just down the street from Homespun is Ziatun, which added the color olive and a subtle amount of a bold eggplant purple to its palette when it first opened. And you know how we feel about petunias (thanks, Max's on Main!).
Marketing in a small city/town isn't easy, so using these boldly colorful moves can be a winning strategy, while making Beacon a more visually exciting place to live.
Just follow the blue cards, and you'll get to yoga in the studio or down at Long Dock!
It’s as if there is a Winter Break *just* for getting sick. Right when you have the week off to celebrate the holidays and go wassailing to visit friends, someone or everyone in each family has a stomach bug or bronchitis. So before that pesky tickle cough turns into pneumonia - call your doctor of course in case you need an inhaler - but brew this tea and drink up daily. You can find everything you need to make it right on Main Street in Beacon:
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
a few shavings of fresh ginger
a clove of freshly chopped garlic (optional, if you have extra inflammation)
a slice of freshly squeezed lemon
a teaspoon of honey
your favorite sick-day mug
You might have an old bottle of apple cider vinegar in your cupboard, but do yourself a favor and pitch it. If it’s old, it most likely looks unappealing to you and you’ll skip this recipe. Take yourself to the olive oil store, Scarborough Fare Olive Oil and Vinegar Tap Room, on Main Street, next to the building construction and across the street from Homespun Foods. There you will find a deliciously refined bottle of apple cider vinegar that you’ll actually want to drink.
Next, cross the street to Homespun and select local honey, or the “Super Special” honey from France. Those who go deep with nutrition may prefer the local honey to get more local flower pollen into your body, but if you’re partial to pretty cans and French flowers, try the Super Special honey! That’s what they call it at Homespun, so just ask for it by name. I just bought it for the first time, and I’m an allergy barometer, so I’ll let you know if the foreign flowers make me sneeze. Probably not.
Then, shred a bit of that ginger into the mug with a knife or a cheese grater. Slice up the lemon and squeeze into the concoction.
My favorite sick-day mug is one that I picked up at Wickham Studio’s pop-up Holiday Sale three years ago, as it always fits just the right amount of this tea.
Finally, smell the tea for a while. The aromas will start working immediately on blasting out the unpleasant feelings.
Bonus round! For achy bodies, get thee to a bath right away, and soak in Epsom salts. If you go the route of unscented and un-anythinged, you’ll have only the magnesium sulfate to draw out the toxins from your body and relax muscles. Epsom salt baths are a frequent Mom-recommended thing, and an Internet-recommended thing. Vogel Pharmacy, right next to Homespun, is the place to buy straight up Epsom salts. Your total cure and sickness miracle tea, all in a three-shop radius. Well, save for the ginger and lemon, which are just down the block at Key Food.
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A podcast from A Little Beacon Blog. Your hosts: Katie Hellmuth martin & Brandon Lillard.
The City of Beacon entered into a contract with Legal Services of the Hudson Valley to provide increased access to Beacon tenants facing eviction. They may also be able to help with sources of rent arrears assistance. Call the paralegal, Steven Mihalik at 845-253-6953 to inquire.
Dutchess County Helpline. Open 24/7 to take your calls, listen, and give you resources.
