Another Fork In The Road
After an eventful Saturday in Hudson, we had some time for more adventuring on our way home on Sunday and naturally, our first stop was lunch. Since we were a bit clueless about the surrounding area, we turned to our favorite restaurant at the Ramp Fest- Another Fork In The Road. After some google mapping and a few wrong turns, we finally stumbled upon this tiny roadside cafe in the little town of Milan, NY. We were greeted with smiling faces and when we shared the news that we had been huge fans of their ramp creations, they in return shared their excitement to feed us with complimentary dishes that left us itching for more.Plate after plate appeared on our table and we dove right in. The first dish to hit our palettes was a grilled lamb and potato gratin with braised vegetables, including- you guessed it- ramps. My favorite thing about this dish other than the incredible combination of flavors and textures? The meat tasted exactly like my mom’s cooking. Something about the seasonings transported me home and I couldn’t wait to taste more of this home cooked goodness.
Two more surprise dishes appeared in front of us. Unfortunately, despite my bravery with oysters the previous day, I wasn’t feeling quite as adventurous and I forgo tasting the anchovy and cucumber crostini. Although, the sous chef’s incredible description almost had me. It truly sounded right up my alley – sans the seafood part. Thankfully, my trusted food-fest partner in crime downed them both and alas the look on his face made me wish I could reverse my aversion to seafood.
A final treat came out to us in the form of pickled watermelon and apples (pictured at the top of this page), surrounded by a few other traditionally pickled veggies. Of course, there was nothing traditional about this plate and it was perhaps some of the most flavorful and interesting pickling that I have ever come across. The pickled watermelon almost tasted like ginger and each bite on that plate revealed a whole new world of flavors that I enjoyed discovering with each sweet, savory, tangy and fragrant bite. With stomachs nearly full, we took some deep breathes and prepared ourselves for some more delicious food.
Finally, our selections from the menu arrived and these certainly did not disappoint either. I started with a baby beet salad with salsa verde, walnuts and upland cress. It was a perfectly light but well balanced salad and it paired really nicely with my other appetizer of choice, goat cheese crostini with blood orange marmalade, fennel and black pepper. Even though my stomach was packed to the brim, I couldn’t resist a few bites of the lamb meatballs on the other side of the table and I’m glad I didn’t miss these- they were perfectly seasoned and unlike most meatballs with marinara, the tomato sauce didn’t overpower the dish, letting all of the incredible flavors shine through.
My favorite thing about all of this food was how fresh the ingredients tasted and how unique the flavors in each bite of every single dish were- unique in a way that put simply, just worked. Nothing was overdone and yet everything was something new to me and everything tasted inspired. The other great part about this huge meal? We felt full and satisfied but we didn’t feel heavy or weighed down. In addition to the food, we had the chance to sit down with the owner and head chef, Jamie Parry, and chat about the ramp festival, his food, and yes, Sprout & Pea. Funny enough, it turned out that Jamie had just come across Sprout & Pea that very morning! You better believe I was shocked and thrilled by this news. After a great chat with Jamie and sous chef, Micah, we hit the road with a new found love for a place that we only wish was a little bit closer to home. If you ask me, Another Fork In The Road outshines many of the proclaimed eateries back in Brooklyn. If you ever find yourself in the Hudson Valley, be sure to visit these guys for a very special meal.
