"We’d drive 100 miles during rush hour on the Friday before a three-day weekend just to eat and drink at Westwind Orchard. Even with the tank on empty and gas prices at $8 a gallon. Even if the person we were with insisted on listening to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra all the way there. OK, we’re exaggerating on that last bit, but the point stands: we’re supremely jealous of anyone who lives within 20 minutes of this restaurant, orchard, and cidery in Accord. The pizzas can easily stand up to the top spots in NYC, but it’s the panzanella that will have you inventing absurd hypotheticals about the journey you’d take to eat it. While that and a bottle of raspberry cider should be your first few priorities, there are plenty of other ways to have a great time at Westwind. The outdoor area is huge and filled with picnic tables, and sometimes there’s a cover band of local dads playing music for other local dads to bop along to. Dogs have plenty of grass to roll around on, and there’s endless space for kids to play horseshoes, spread out on beach blankets, and get messy with strands of cacio e pepe-coated bucatini. You can pick your own apples, or just buy some apple rosemary jam from the farm shop near the entrance. It’s all a beautiful way to spend a weekend afternoon in the Catskills, whether you live around the corner or spend the majority of your day crossing the George Washington. Food Rundown Panzanella However you feel about the tomatoes at your local farmers market, just know that Westwind’s are somehow infinitely superior. The tomatoes are perfectly sweet, and the bread is crisp but infused all the way through with the juices. You will try to create this dish at home, and it will not be nearly as good (we’ve tried). Margherita Pizza Get a few pizzas if you’re with a group, and make sure there’s at least one margherita. It’s the same tomatoes from the panzanella, after all, and a nice complement to a heavier pie like the prosciutto and funghi. Cacio e Pepe This is not an easy pasta to pull off, especially if you’re trying to serve it to dozens of people on a busy, sunny weekend afternoon. Westwind’s version sees the high bar, and raises it even higher. The sauce is creamy, thick, and cheesy, and will never show up to the table congealed. Raspberry Cider Saying this cider is crisp, tart, and the exact level of refreshing needed after a hike on a hot summer day is true, but it doesn’t quite cut it. It feels fancy—even fancier than the $28 price tag would suggest." - Tiffany Yannetta
