The shop is closed Tuesday and Wednesday, open at 7 a.m. the rest of the week, until 5 p.m. Sunday and Monday and until 7:15 Thursday through Saturday. Find it at 407 Main Street, (845) 658-3355 or at www.lemoncakes.com.
Another highlight of my food tour was the Big Cheese across the street, which would be heaven for a Mediterraneanophile mouse. As a cheese fanatic, I want to move in and never leave. An overwhelming variety of imported and local cow, goat, sheep and raw milk cheeses at good prices would be enough, but owners Yuval and Lisa Sterer can’t stop there. Not only do they add a cornucopia of Mediterranean delights from produce like prickly pears to pantry gourmet delicacies, but you can also take out tempting prepared foods for a gathering or a meal, from tahini bread to falafel, from beet salad to baklava and much, much more. One recent special was a roast turkey sandwich with the bird from Fleischer’s. Recent soups included a carrot/ginger and a seafood chowder.
There is a cozy bright space to sit and eat your goodies, and if the food choices are too much for you, you can mull it over while you turn your attention to the back of the store, where you can find vintage cookbooks and cowboy boots, belly-dance garb, servingware and more. I went a little mad at the Big Cheese, leaving with a teeny caramelized onion/bleu cheese tart, some goat Gouda, sharp provolone, fresh Greek manouri and a nicely priced wheel of killer Kunik (a goat/cow hybrid from upstate – one of my favorite cheeses anywhere).
The shop opens every day at 8:30 a.m., closing at 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and at 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and is located at 402 Main Street or (845) 658-7175.
If you wend your way back through High Falls, back to Route 209 and continue west, you’ll find more great eating. A ways down on the right is Cherries, a small roadside eatery featuring ice cream and good basic standards to take out or eat there. Winter hours are 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., closed on Sundays. Call (845) 687-9121.
Keep going, and watch for County Route 2 on your right, where a six-mile detour will bring you to the Country Inn of Krumville, with 500 kinds of bottled beer plus ten or 11 on tap, complementing a menu featuring local seasonal fare. Recent specials have included braised monkfish and grilled hanger steak with a mushroom demiglace. Credit cards are not accepted and reservations are recommended on weekends at this cozy and busy spot.
The Inn is at 1380 County Road 2 in Krumville and open Wednesday through Sunday, opening at 3 p.m. Sundays and 5 p.m. the other days. Call (845) 657-8956 or visit www.krumville.com.
Back to Route 209, keep going west and watch for a huge barn on your left. That’s the Pizza Barn, unusual for a pizza place in its commitment to using only all-natural ingredients. Inside, you’ll find a big airy space and inhale the heavenly aroma of the organic pizza sauce. Its thin crusts are made of 100 percent organically grown, stoneground hard red wheat and malted barley flour. Everything is prepared fresh every day, and there are no hormones, pesticides, bleach, bromate, nitrates, trans-fats, high-fructose corn syrup, artificial flavors, dyes or preservatives in anything. The motto is “Changing the way Americans eat pizza, one pizza at a time.”
Pizzas range from $11.75 to $18.75 and feed three people, except for the gluten-free crust version ($15), which feeds one. Available combos include the Loaded Potato, with Applegate bacon, organic onions and local all-natural cheddar cheese drizzled with ranch dressing, available Friday and Saturday only; and the Gorgonzola, which adds organic tomatoes, peppers, dried cranberries and sweetened nuts to the creamy cheese. There are also salads and a natural Boylan soda fountain ($2.25, includes refills). Winter hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., with the kitchen closing at 7:30 p.m. Every Wednesday is Kids’ Night, with pizza-making, face-painting and balloon animals. The Barn is located at 5125 Route 209 in Accord, (845) 626-2300 or https://thepizzabarn.webs.com.
Join the family! 
