A very pleasant, relaxed atmosphere and welcoming vibe with tasty sandwiches and dessert.
Another local recommendation was lunch at Stamford Coffee (79 Main Street Stamford NY). A very quirky decor with kitschy, mismatched furniture. A collection of vintage coffee pots. Wood floors. Gentle music played in the background. A very pleasant, relaxed atmosphere and welcoming vibe. Two elderly women at the counter were having a conversation about the best place to buy chainsaws.
I had a very pleasant conversation with Vincent the barista. An area native, he gave me some tips on other points of interest. He asked me what I thought of The Hobart Book Village. I said honestly I loved it, but it was smaller than I was expecting from all the hype. He said that was a common opinion of first-time visitors and recommended I check out the town of Delhi. It’s the Delaware County seat with a good deal to do.
That will be part of my next trip up here. For today, I’ll be taking a quick drive over to check out an independent bookstore in Delhi called ‘The Lost Bookstore’ on Vincent’s recommendation. He also suggested I visit LionEyes Books (66 Main St Stamford NY) who had recently relocated from Hobart. Sadly they were closed.
I like that the lunch menu is very limited to a handful of sandwiches and the selection changes from day to day. I think more places would benefit from scaling back their daily offerings.
For lunch I got their Turkey Pesto Sandwich with Swiss and Arugula on Ciabatta. Heated to a nice crispy crunch on a panini press. Quality meat and cheese. Fresh pesto. A very tasty lunch for around $12.00. And as someone trying to watch what I eat and drink, I did appreciate the complimentary water.
For dessert I got a robust, fresh-baked Oatmeal Raisin Cookie and a hot Chai Latte. All of their cookies and pastries are baked on site. I had heard from two locals that this was the place to go for pastries. They were right. If I’m not mistaken, Stamford Coffee supplies pastries to a cafe in Hobart. I’ve also heard good things about their coffee. I’m not a coffee drinker, but I can say their Chai was very good. A delicious dessert for around $7.00.
Stamford Coffee is near Veterans Memorial Park and not far from the Library and Tops Supermarket. Another point that came up in my conversation with Vincent is that the town of Stamford — known as The Queen of The Catskills — had been recently awarded a $4.5 million state grant for downtown revitalization, building restoration, and public spaces. The locals are understandably thrilled.
I definitely plan to spend more time getting to know the area on my next trip to the Catskills. In the meantime, be sure to stop by Stamford Coffee. They’re closed on Tuesdays. Monday & Wednesday 8:30am-3:30pm. Thursday thru Sunday 8:30am-7:00pm.
Cheers!
Stephen
Instagram -> instagram.com/stamford_coffee
Facebook -> facebook.com/StamfordCoffee
