November 2005 - Miss Lucy's Kitchen
5.50 - 6.5, 6, 6, 6, 5.5, 5, 5, 4 

A crisp, cool evening greeted us as we left the warmth of our own homes to bask in the warmth of the Adams’ home and the love, affection and ”bounciness” of Buddy (the way I see it, he doesn’t “jump”; it’s more like he “bounces”).   The recipe for Judy’s "spinach, red pepper, water chestnut, who knows what else" dip is a must, as well as the fresh fruit that has become a staple when visiting the Adams . After a cocktail or two and Buddy entertaining himself .... (when is he getting “fixed”?...), we headed south.  Although we were all guessing perhaps Saugerties, I don’t believe anyone knew the exact location until we got to Miss Lucy’s Kitchen. 

The Up side :   An eclectic, but warm and homey atmosphere greeted us inside.  We were seated at a large, old farm style table with plenty of room to move. Don had the best seat in the house at the head of the table, where he could peak under the aprons hung over his head – anything worth seeing there???
      An adequate pinot noir was shared by the usual red drinkers, Judy had her favorite champagne and raspberry liqueur concoction, and Don and Deb decided on beer for a change, but not just any beer--Cooperstown ’s own Ommegang.  The menu was small, but varied, featuring all organic, natural and many local specialties.  Kriss finally stepped up and ordered her steak well done, with authority, making it perfectly clear to the waitress that nothing else would be acceptable, and, for a change, got her way.  Ken ordered the pork, which he announced was quite good, as was Tim’s fish.  Don’s sausage ... was tasty, and those with the scallop dinners agreed it was a good choice.
      Dessert was scrumptious - Mexican chocolate rice pudding, chocolate bread pudding and a few orders of home made apple crisp with apple crisp ice cream rounded out the meal.
       As always, the conversation was lively – ...   …)  ....

The Down Side : A new level of leisurely dining was attained on this trip.  Our waitress, Gwen, and her bus girl, Sarah, were friendly, but the service missed the mark.  Half of the first round of drinks, when they finally arrived, were spilled and had to be replaced.  An innocent and occasional mistake, no doubt, but replacements took almost as long to get as the originals.  Similar faux pas took place over the entire dining experience.  Ken had to wait for his salad dressing (we finally had to ask), as well as that 2^nd and 3^rd cup of coffee that we all know is all important to the Ken-meister.  Apparently, they made the apple crisp from scratch, because that was another substantial wait between courses.  Not a huge deal for us.  We go out to dinner not just for the food but for the social interaction and the fellowship.  However, when you are having a good time and enjoying each other’s company and still think, ‘Is this taking a long time or is it me?’, then maybe it’s taking a little too long.
      While most proclaimed their dinner good to excellent, including Tim, who joined me in ordering the fish, my fish (mahi mahi) was “fishy”.  The accompaniments were tasty, except for that broccoli rabe thing – all declared that too bitter for their tastes.

All in all, I may make this sound like a so-so restaurant.  But I think it would definitely be worth a do over.  I loved the menu and the idea of fresh, local and organic choices.  The staff was friendly, if not overly attentive, and that can make all the difference.