Fun Foodie Day Trips Near New York City

Written by Shira Boss

Have a tank of gas and an appetite for both food and exploration? Hit the road for one of these day trips for foodies, all within a couple hours of NYC.

Culinary Institute of America

1946 Campus Dr.

Hyde Park, NY 12538

(845) 452-9600

Why Go? Visit a college campus on the Hudson devoted to cooking, dine at one of its restaurants, and take in the FDR Presidential Library and Eleanor Roosevelt estate nearby.

Insider Tip: Make reservations to dine at one of the campus’s three more formal restaurants. January to April is the least crowded season, so you can get restaurant reservations a couple days in advance, compared to up to three months during the high season. For spur-of-the-moment, get more casual fare at the Apple Pie Bakery Café--no reservations required.

Must Do: Take home bread or pastries from the Apple Pie Bakery Café.

The Fine Print: Weekdays are the time to go, since there are no classes or tours on weekends, and some restaurants are only open during the week. Campus closed on Sundays. Visitor parking is free. Tours led by students are Mondays at 10 a.m., and Monday to Friday at 4 p.m.; $6 per person.

Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture

630 Bedford Rd.

Pocantico Hills, NY

(914) 366-6200

Why Go? Visit this 80-acre, non-profit farm and sustainable agriculture education center 25 miles north of New York City, where you can meet the livestock, tour the gardens or take a farm-to-table cooking class.

Insider Tip: Download the farm’s app for a self-guided tour, trivia game, and daily updates from the farmers about what’s growing.

Must Do: Make reservations to have dinner at the acclaimed Blue Hill at Stone Barns. There are no menus, since every day is a different “farmer’s feast” featuring the day’s harvest. Or opt for more casual fare during the day at the Blue Hill Café. (No reservations needed).

The Fine Print: Farm open 10 a.m.-5 p.m.,
 Wednesday through Sunday. Tours and programs on farming and cooking on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Check the website for schedule and to register.

Bobolink Dairy & Bakehouse

369 Stamets Rd.

Milford, NJ

(908) 86-GRASS (voicemail)

Why Go?  Tour the family dairy farm and meet the grass-fed herds that supply milk for their artisanal, raw cheeses. It’s also a bakery of rustic breads.

Insider Tip: Try a hands-on cheese making or bread baking class taught by the farm’s owners on weekends. Class size limited to four, so book ahead.

Must Do: Take a one-hour tour of the milking parlor, creamery, bakery, cheese cave, and a hike to see the cows in their outdoor pasture. Dogs on leash are welcome.

The Fine Print: Tours most Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m., $5 per person, includes cheese and bread tasting in the farm shop. Check the website for schedule and to reserve a spot.

Tuthilltown Spirits

14 Grist Mill Ln.

Gardiner, NY

(845) 255-1527

Why Go? Grab a designated driver and escape the concrete to loll around the farm and distillery of New York’s first whisky distillery since Prohibition. Located on the grounds of the former Tuthilltown Gristmill, a landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Tuthilltown Spirits is a true grain or fruit to bottle distillery--everything is done on-site.

Insider Tip: Tours on Saturday are given by the owner. Local music by The Shoe String Band every third Sunday of the month, 1:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.

Must Do: Taste the Tuthilltown Cassis Liqueur, hand crafted from locally-grown black currants and seasonally available until late spring.

The Fine Print: Tasting room and shop open Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 6 p.m.; $10 fee. Tours Saturdays and Sundays at 12pm, 2pm and 4pm by reservation only. Call (845) 633-8734 or reserve online here - $12 without tasting, $15 with tasting. Children under 12 no fee for tour.