"At Bovina Farm and Fermentory, you can dine outside in the summer months or warm up inside the idyllic farmhouse with an ale. Either way, it’ll be one of the most romantic meals you can have in the Catskills. You’ll need to send a few emails to make your reservation, but by the time you drive up the winding road to the remote farmhouse, you’ll have forgotten that the internet exists. The tasting menus are hand-written in loopy script to describe elegant, homey dishes like tender meat in celeriac mash or glazed root vegetables. Table dressings like vintage earthenware jugs and taper candles dripping wax onto beer bottles make the whole evening feel like you've wandered into a 19th-century French still-life painting. And it’s easy to make conversation with your dining companions at the communal table as you pass along platters piled high with crisp greens and baskets of perfect scones. photo credit: Lisa Nichols photo credit: Lisa Nichols photo credit: Lisa Nichols photo credit: Lisa Nichols photo credit: Lisa Nichols A lot of restaurants in the Catskills lean into cottagecore fantasies. Bovina Farm and Fermentory commits to that aesthetic and lifestyle without ever feeling over-the-top or campy. After your meal, full and surrounded by candlelight, it’s easy to imagine a simple life of collecting eggs and wearing cream-colored linen smocks. Yet dessert here tastes that much sweeter knowing you don't have to wake up early to homestead in the morning. Food Rundown photo credit: Lisa Nichols Tasting Menu Every dish on this five-course menu comes with anecdotes about the ingredients’ provenance and the accompanying beer pour. Jewel-hued grisettes are matched up with fatty chunks of lamb, and farmhouse ales bring out earthy notes in celeriac mash. The portions are absolutely massive, and even your communal table won’t be able to tackle everything before the end of the night. The bread is also a highlight. Hot scones are the perfect vehicle for sweet cream butter, and it’s clear that Bovina takes its dairy as seriously as the town’s name implies. If beer isn't your thing, they also have a NA pairing, but you won't find a standard bar or wine list here." - Anne Cruz
