Lunch and Shopping in Greenwich, NY

My sister Ginny and I are taking a ride to Greenwich, New York, for lunch today.  It's about 20 minutes east of Saratoga Springs, and the ride there, on Route 29, is beautiful.  As you head east, the Green Mountains of Vermont loom in the distance.  This part of New York State is very New-Englandy (is that a proper adjective?) with rolling hills and open fields.  On the way there, we pass quaint antique shops and small businesses that stand alone -- no chains along this route.  There's the Farmer's Daughter ice cream stand that sells all kinds of not-too-fast food and home made hard and soft ice cream and Italian ices.  Further east is a Chinese Restaurant that was once home to Schuyler Farms Dairy Bar that I wrote about in an earlier post. 

Once in Greenwich, Ginny and I will have lunch at Beth's Cafe.  I typically order a half-sandwich and their soup of the day.  Their chicken salad is amazing -- chunky and stuffed with grapes and celery.   After lunch we'll browse in the nearby shops -- Just Because (that's the name of the boutique next door, where I've bought some beautiful baby gifts as well as pretty clothes), and the Yankee Peddler, home to great kitchen ware, Christmas items (Department 56) and some of the best home-made fudge I've ever had.  Down the street we'll walk through Union Village, a beautiful shop that houses two stories of gorgeous country furnishings, textiles, artwork, wrought iron accessories -- it's just so pretty.

I live near Saratoga, yet for a day of casual shopping and lunch, I love to take that drive east to Greenwich.  It's like a trip back in time to an earlier era, when people shopped downtown rather in malls or on-line, where you walk in and the shopkeeper says "Hello  Jeannie, how have you been?" and you know they're glad to see you and really appreciate the business. 

I like to spend part of my weekend doing such things.  It's like a mini-vacation, and if you read my post yesterday, you know I'm in need of one! 

Hope you all enjoy the rest of your weekend!


Photo credit: http://i.timeinc.net/recipes/i/recipes/ck/05/04/chicken-salad-ck-1041889-l.jpg