April – May 2018: Pennsylvania & Upstate New York

Stop #5 Pennsylvania

We were so excited to get a few days off while in New England and headed to the family farm in Pennsylvania. Our happy place 🙂 . This was our first time at the Farm when there was still snow and Beausarge’s first visit. He loved being able to run free in the snow and had a blast with our cousin Judy’s beagle Cooper (see video of them smash mouthing below). Thanks Judy for the warm hospitality! Having a few days to escape from the world is a great refresh and is so good for the soul.

Food fave @ The Farm: Judy’s homemade gnocchi and meatballs. SOOOO GOOD!! But really, thank you Judy! My great Aunt Norma, Judy’s mom and an amazing Italian woman, was a great cook and Judy has kept that tradition going. <insert drool here>

Stop #6 Upstate New York

The food in Upstate New York was awesome. The Finger Lake wineries had some surprisingly good wines. Their ice-cream game was on the weaker side since they are more of a custard place. Still delicious, it scores lower than the New England goodness. Our Faves:

Poutine & Paté: Kindred Fare in Geneva, NY. We found this place on the way back to Rochester from wine tasting along Lake Seneca, and it was a true gem! The poutine and the paté are absolutely devine. We ended up returning for round 2 before we left because they were just too good to pass up. 😋 DELICIOUS!
Bloody Mary: The Craft in Niagara Falls, NY. They make their own horseradish and it is the bomb! A meal in a glass with the perfect kick.
Almond Croissant: Soul Coffee and Jazz in Rochester, NY. We would have bought them all if they had more than one left. Perfect filling flavor and texture.

Our home in Upstate New York was Rochester. We arrived at the end of Winter so it was not horribly cold but still very chilly. The Finger Lakes area was beautiful to drive through and the winery tastings were awesome. Many of them were dog friendly so the pups got to have an adventure as well. Neither of us had tasted dry Rieslings before and ended up enjoying them quite a bit. Niagara Falls was beautiful and the pups loved walking around the park. The Craft was the perfect afternoon spot to enjoy a Bloody Mary after walking around the Falls. Upstate New York, thank you for a wonderful time!

~ Clare