Get outta town

When my friend Rachael announced she was getting married, we were all a bit shocked. Sitting here at a crumbling Mac laptop in Seattle, waiting to pick up our friend from London at the airport, I’m still reeling. She’ll be the first of our college clique to tie the knot, after a yearlong whirlwind romance with a tall, dark and gangly man she met through mutual friends a few years after college. He does seem kind and he’s from New York, so he’s got at least two things going for him. I’ll be throwing the bachelorette party later in the week — a three-hour cheese and wine tasting at a fancy shop in Portland, Ore., in a private room overlooking a garden that should be in full bloom. I eschew traditional gag gifts and awkward encounters with adult entertainers, so I thought this might be a nice alternative. Rachael does love cheese.

After the wedding, I’m packing up the vestiges of my West Coast life and driving them back to the Hudson Valley in my car, which has been in storage for the better part of eight months. I enjoy road trips and all they entail: speeding down an open highway; watching the scenery change from verdant hills to rocky mountains; even the obligatory window washing every 200-300 miles. But most of all, as you might imagine, I enjoy making my way from diner to dive to drive-thru across the U.S.A. There’s no better way to see how the other half eats.

In that spirit, I thought I’d profile two little eateries beyond my usual half-hour radius for the next couple of columns. They’re both good enough to serve as end destinations on mini-road trips if you're looking for a local adventure; also, you never know when you might find yourself in Ellenville, let’s say, hungry for some of the best borscht you can find this side of the Crimean Mountains. Coincidentally, I just happen to know of such a place.

The glow of the golden arches across from European Deli at 54 North Main St. (Route 209) in Ellenville may cause those not in the know to overlook it. It is a rather plain pinkish building with a quick-stop mart look to it but, as usual, its appearance is deceiving. Behind its glass doors lies a rather comprehensive stock of eastern European groceries, a meat counter heaped with kielbasa and wursts of all shapes and colors, and bronzed baked goods, like Danish rings teeming with heavy pastry cheese. Behind the register are letter boards with an eat-in/take-out menu and hand-lettered signs boasting the specials of the day. In the middle of the room, heavy mauve tablecloths top small tables, perfect for two or three.

I recommend you start the meal with a bowl of Ukrainian red borscht ($2). This stellar version of the hearty soup gets its vibrant color and sweet finish from heaps of shredded beets. The addition of celery, potato, cabbage, carrot, parsley and fresh dill adds variety in texture and color, keeping every bite exciting. While borscht is usually topped off with a dollop of strong sour cream to balance the sweetness of the beets, the little white cap is absent from this bowl. However, judging by the color, it appeared to me that the sour cream was pre-mixed in, which would account for the balance of flavors in this dish. Borscht is served with a thick-crusted hard roll, buttered generously but not overwhelmingly, excellent for dipping.

The Polish Platter ($6.95) is the main event, a sampling of European Deli’s finest that’s big enough for two. It includes: four fried pierogies, traditional dumplings with a mashed potato filling dotted with pepper flakes; two short kielbasa links, bisected and fried until red and golden brown; one cabbage roll, filled with a mixture of beef, pork and rice, and smothered with a smooth thick tomato-based sauce topped with a sprig of fresh dill. There is also a generous pile of tangy sauerkraut, mixed with tomato sauce and chunks of kielbasa, a true improvement on the norm.

For those with smaller appetites, kielbasa and sauerkraut on a roll ($3.50) is a meal unto itself, served with a bright green mild dill pickle. The roll is the same crusty spheroid served with borscht; it stands its ground against sauerkraut and as much spicy deli mustard as you can stand.

If you’re in the mood for something sweeter, cheese blintzes with fresh strawberries ($6.55) are supernal. Completely covered in powdered sugar, these rolled crepe-like pancakes are crispy on top, soft and yielding on the bottom, and filled with a dense cheese topped with an even line of strawberry halves. They are at once savory and sweet, flavors that fuse when a bite of blintz melts in your mouth.

After a meal here, I take 44/55 back home, lazily wending my way south through the mountains, past Lake Minnewaska. The scenery is gorgeous and I find the hour-long drive is the perfect amount of time to digest.

Megan Labrise

(Orig. pub. date: April 25, 2007)