The Bounty of Andes, A Town in the Sky

Founded in 1819, Andes, NY, is a Catskill Mountain gem, nestled high in the hills and low in the hamlet. It is a town of 72% second homeowners and many New York City transplants, where one can rub elbows with producers and directors, as well as stonecutters an dairy farmers. Most importantly, it is a town whose charm has never been compromised. It is no wonder that this once sleepy little dairy town now enjoys a booming tourist industry.

Andes is a four-season town, comprised of fine restaurants, antique and gift shops, art galleries, a new vintage clothing store and an artisan tea shop, as well as a general store, several options for lodging and friendly realtors (in case you never want to leave). There is a strong emphasis in Andes to shop and eat “local,” as the bounty of the Catskill Mountainss is tremendous, and local farmers grow some of sweetest corn and raise some of the most tender beef and poultry in the country. The restaurants in Andes support local farmers; even the Chace-Randall Gallery serves wheels of local cheese at artist receptions.

Yet the bounty of Andes is not limited to food. Many of the treasures in Main Street’s antique shops come straight from local barns and estates. Andes’ hills are filled with artists and writers, working in the respite of the country. And then, there are the people—colorful, welcoming, and kind.

Enjoy the full Bounty of Andes!

Antiques
Andes Art & Antiques
Andes Art & Antiques, located at 173 Main Street, offers the most eclectic mix of antiques and collectibles in the Catskill Region. The antiques traverse the front porch to the back barn. By appointment view 19th and 20th century paintings, prints and sculpture as well as fine art prints, a specialty of the proprietor.

Brooke’s Variety
In the heart of the Main Street business district, Brooke’s Variety offers one-of-a-kind furniture items for the young homeowner, a variety of oil cloths and, for the kids, the best selection of penny candy in the Catskill Mountains. Gift items include rubber duckies, paper dolls, vintage coloring books and antique-style lunch boxes. Brooke’s windows are colorfully decorated for each season, including the yearly stage for Halloween’s “guess the weight of the pumpkin” contest.

Delaware Trading Post
Having expanded from its wonderfully intimate back lane cottage into the old Village Hall, Delaware Trading Post offers everything from vintage girls’ dresses and straw hats to antique architectural fare and newly upholstered antique chairs. Delaware Trading Post also sponsors a host of readings and musical events for the entire family. Stop in and ask Scott Hill for a schedule.

Fisk Barn
Just six miles northwest of Andes, on Route 28, is the newly renovated Fisk Barn, full of some of the finest antiques in the area. The Fisk Barn is conveniently located next to the Fisk House, a Delaware County Bed and Breakfast (see below: Lodging).

Kabinett and Kammer
Located in the old post office building, at the blinking light, Kabinett and Kammer offers a bounty of wonderful 19th century prints of animals and shells, as well as the real objects, such as exotic oyster shells and animal horns and antler sheds. Primitive cupboards and farm tables and chairs are also available.

Mercantile
Next door to Brooke’s Variety, and once an farm equipment and feed store, Mercantile is the place where new merchandise and antiques meld perfectly. Vintage chenille bedspreads, as well as new hand-embroidered Irish linen, adorn antique poster beds and nightstands. Mercantile also offers all natural cleaning products by Meyers, fabric softeners from The Good Home and a number of handmade beeswax candles.

The Arts
Blink Gallery
Blink Gallery of Contemporary Art and Design is located at 454 Lower Main Street, directly behind the blinking traffic light. The gallery showcases contemporary art and design by serious artists working in a variety of media. Blink features representational and abstract painting, one-of-a-kind handmade jewelry pieces, hand-blown and kiln cast art glass, stained glass, sculpture and ceramics.

C.A.S.A.
The Cooperative Arts Store of Andes, 65 Main Street, showcases local artists. Work is hung salon-style on grid-like animal fencing. A new gallery, it is currently run by proprietor Linda Jones, but the plan is for each participating artist to work the gallery on alternate days—a good way for the community to get to meet artists and see local works.

Chace-Randall Gallery
Located at 49 Main Street, Chace-Randall Gallery is a contemporary fine art gallery, exhibiting world class artists in a variety of media, from representational and abstract paintings to sculpture and photography. The gallery’s six yearly exhibitions range from solo to group exhibitions and run six to eight weeks. All gallery artists sport impressive exhibition histories, and many are museum collected.

Dining
The Andes Hotel
Serving lunch and dinner daily, and brunch on Sundays, The Andes Hotel features an inventive, regularly changing menu focusing on the best the region has to offer. From arugula to asparagus, ramps to radishes and strawberries to sweet peas, the season’s bounty is Chef Ed O’Neill’s inspiration. Whether you’re enjoying a local brook trout with a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, or a hearty cut of Delaware County beef with a big cabernet, the offerings of the seasons in the Catskill Region won’t disappoint. From fried mushrooms to foie gras, blue point oysters to Buffalo wings, Chef O’Neill serves great food with care and without pretense. When it’s warm out, eat on the porch and watch main street America at its best. When the snow flies, relax in the red room, a farmhouse parlor reborn.

Cantina
At the blinking light, Cantina serves fresh Mexican cooking in a stylish and festive atmosphere. Start your visit with a fresh pomegranate margarita and homemade chips and salsa. Their menu offers a full range of specialties including Fish Tacos, Chile Rellenos, Fajitas and Shrimp Cilantro. There are many choices for vegetarians, including their signature Spinach Enchiladas Fuerte. For gringos, there are steaks, barbecue ribs and burgers. A children’s menu is available.

Cassie’s Kitchen
Serving breakfast and lunch with a Wednesday night supper special, Cassie’s Kitchen is the place to experience one of Andes’ greatest bounties: the people. Relax on the front porch or perch over coffee at the counter, shooting the breeze with your neighbor and the wait-staff. And that strawberry rhubarb pie is homemade fresh with local berries and sweet rhubarb.

Slow Down Food Company
Nestled behind Mercantile, on Lee Lane, Slow Down Food Company is the epitome of “buy local” and regional food. All meats, eggs and seasonal vegetables & fruit come from within a 150-mile radius, mostly from farms within 50 miles. The menu is eclectic and worldly, from the simplest “eggs any style with organic rosti potatoes and organic toast” to their famous Tunisian Breakfast or fluffy Ricotta Peach Pancakes. For lunch try homemade soups, sandwiches, panini and salads, followed by homemade mile-high fresh fruit pie and a cup of organic coffee.

Lodging
The Andes Hotel
The Andes Hotel has ten motel spacious rooms, all newly renovated, conveniently located in the center of the village, a stone’s throw from the restaurant and tavern and other businesses. The rooms are great for singles, couples and families and affordable too! It’s like driving across country in the '73 Plymouth Satellite all over again, as seasoned Catskill Mountain visitors and first-timers alike get a kick out of the unique “home town America” experience that is The Andes Hotel.

Delaware County Association of Bed & Breakfasts and Country Lodgings
The Delaware County Association of Bed & Breakfasts and Country Lodgings invites you to experience the splendor of historic Delaware County while staying in one of their nine delightful inns. Unique and charming accommodations make for a memorable vacation or a “touch of home” during a business trip.

Fisk House
Located just 6 miles northwest of Andes, on Route 28, The Fisk House is a historic home which has been restored to its original condition after a fire several years ago did serious damage to the structure. Proprietors Lee and Roxie spent several back-breaking months working on the house, paying loving attention to every detail, including the crown molding and hand-stained hardwood floors.

A House Around the Bend
A House Around the Bend homes are private homes, rather than businesses. They come with all the amenities you need for a great relaxing vacation as if you owned it yourselves. Choose your vacation home by length of stay, size of your party/family or type of home. Choices range from pond-side cottages and mountainside log cabins to restored farmhouses and tucked away lodges. Many homes are pet friendly and some have hot tubs.

Shopping
Andes Connection
Next door to the Chace-Randall Gallery, the Andes Connection specializes in handcrafted items, antique porcelain, hand beaded and sterling silver jewelry, pocketbooks, small watercolor paintings by local artists and gift items. They also carry everything for tea. The Andes Connection’s Kids Korner features handmade blankets by local craftspeople, hand knitted veggie or fruit hats, other custom made clothing and books.

Clementine
Above Mercantile, find Clementine Vintage Clothing, sporting a collection of mostly natural fibers, comfortable for a lifestyle in the Catskill Mountains. The inventory changes seasonally, so that sweaters and Halloween costumes, as well as party dresses and summer frocks, will be featured in their time. A browser will find new additions every week, and at prices that are almost irresistible ($25 to $75, with scarves, ties and belts from $5 to $10).

Farmers Market
Every Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm, shop the Andes Farmers Market for handmade soaps, natural meats and eggs, organically grown kale, tomatoes, lettuces and squash, tree-ripened fruit and sweet organic honey and homemade pies. Meet the farmers of Betty Acres, Indigo Hill Farm, Red Hen Farm and Thorn-Ridge Farm and enjoy the bounty of the land.

Hogan’s General Store
Smack dab in the middle of town, Hogan’s General Store carries everything from gasoline and motor oil to breakfast cereal and cold beer. Grab an egg sandwich or turkey sub on the fly or enjoy garlic knots and the best pizza in the Catskill Mountains in Hogan’s new back addition. Lose a glove? Find a replacement at Hogan’s, where they have great selection, ranging from the Trail Glove to Pig Skin.

Paisley’s
John Gregg and Judy Garrison of Paisley’s Country Gallery, now in its 20th year, are still energetically seeking out original sources of handcrafted textiles, baskets, clothing and jewelry from around the world. Some items you will find in the store to serve the wonderful regional foods from our area include handcrafted wooden salad servers from Kenya; tightly woven bread trays from Cambodia; acacia ware salad bowls and olive trays from Hawaii; sushi sets, bowls and plates from Japan, and handblockprinted and jacquard woven tablecloths and runners from India

Tay Home
Just written up in last month’s Every Day with Rachel Ray magazine and founded by tea connoisseur Nini Ordoubadi, Tay Home specializes in creating a distinctive line of hand-blended teas. Some of the botanicals that are used to create the tea blends are grown on Ordoubadi’s certified organic farm in nearby Meredith. Tay’s signature tea blends enhance any lifestyle and invite one to embark on the timeless ritual of drinking tea. Stop by Tay Home for tea tastings and enjoy the array of teas and tea services.

Still don’t want to go home? See Dorothy McArdle of Apple Tree Realty, or stop into Ron Guichard Realty, located in the old bank building, and find your own Andes dream house in the sky. An area favorite, Coldwell Banker—Timberland Properties, has offices conveniently located in nearby Margaretville and Delhi. All three agencies offer gorgeous acreage, as well as village or country homes and estates. All three principal brokers have lived in the area for over 20 years: Ron Guichard is a native Andean and Eric Wedemeyer, of Coldwell Banker—Timberland Properties, has been coming to Andes since he was a boy. There is even a road named after his grandfather. And no one knows Tunis Lake better than Dorothy McArdle.

For more information, please visit www.andesnewyork.com.

Andes Businesses
Andes Antiques and Art
173 Main Street
845 676 3420
Open Thursday-Sunday, 11 am-5 pm and by chance or appointment.
Antiques, Estate Jewelry, Fine Art.

Andes Connection, Ltd.
33 Main Street
845 676 4308
Open Saturday & Sunday, 10 am-5 pm
www.andesconnection.com
Handmade baby gifts, jewelry, things for tea.

Andes Fine Art and Antiques
454 Lower Main Street—at Blink Gallery
845 676 3420
e-mail: PopperArtsy2@aol.com
Open Friday, Saturday, Sunday 11 am-4 pm
19th & 20th century paintings, prints, sculpture, fine antique furniture and accessories.

The Andes Hotel
110 Main Street
845 676 4408/676 3980
www.andeshotel.com
Serving lunch and dinner seven days a week; lodging and catering year-round.

Apple Tree Realty
85 Main Street
845 676 3377
Open daily, year-round
www.appletreerealty.biz
Village & country homes, lake properties.

Blink Gallery of Contemporary Art & Design
454 Lower Main Street
845 676 3900
Open Memorial through Labor Day
www.blinkgallery.net
Contemporary art and one-of-a-kind jewelry.

Brooke’s Variety
72 Main Street
845 676 3123
Open Thursday-Sunday, 9 am-5 pm
Weekends after Columbus Day
Antiques, oil cloth, vintage toys, penny candy.

C.A.S.A.
65 Main Street
845 676 4663
Open Thursday-Sunday 10 am-5 pm
Co-operative art store, fashion jewelry & handbags.

Cassie’s Kitchen
85 Main Street
845 676 4500
Open daily 7 am-3 pm
Serving breakfast and lunch, Wednesday evening dinner.

Chace-Randall Gallery
49 Main Street
845 676 4901
Open Friday-Sunday and Holiday Mondays 11 am-5 pm
and by appointment
www.chacerandallgallery.com
Fine art paintings, photography, prints.

Clementine Vintage Clothing
72 Main Street, 2nd floor
Open Saturday and Sunday, 10 am-5 pm
Vintage clothing for the Catskill Mountain lifestyle.

Delaware Trading Post
60-62 Main Street
845 676 3313
Open Saturday and Sunday, 10 am-5 pm
www.delawaretradingpost.com
Local history and design books, antiques, Catskill Region memorabalia.

The Fisk Barn Antique & Art Center
The Fisk House B & B
State Highway 28—116 Fisk Road
Delhi, NY 13753
607 832 4544
www.thefiskhouse.com
A barn full of antiques & art, bed & breakfast in a restored 1890s farmhouse furnished with antiques yet with all the modern amenities.

Hogan’s General Store
103 Main Street
845 676 3470
Open daily year round
Gas, pizza, bakery, sundries.

A House Around the Bend
607 832 4589
www.ahousearoundthebend.com
Vacation rentals of all kinds.

Kabinett & Kammer
7 Main Street (on the corner of Route 28 at the flashing light)
845 676 4222
Open Saturday 10 am-6 pm,
Sunday 10 am-5 pm
Specializing in 19th century antique furniture, prints, school charts and interesting objets d’art.

Mercantile
72 Main Street
845 676 4477
www.andesmercantile.com
Open Thursday-Sunday, 9 am-5 pm
Antique and contemporary items for the home and garden.

Paisley’s Country Gallery
75 Main Street
845 676 3533
Open Thursday-Sunday, 10 am-5 pm
Select handcrafts, jewelry and clothing from around the world.

Ron Guichard Realty
221 Main Street
845 676 3600
Open Daily
www.ronguichard.com
Country homes & estates.

Slow Down Food Company & Café
22 Lee Lane
845 676 4488
www.slowdownfoodcompany.com
Open Thursday & Friday, 11 am-3 pm; Saturday & Sunday, 9 am-3 pm. Gourmet shop open until 4 pm.
Local & organic food, specialty cheeses & baked goods. Catering.

Tay Home, A Tea & Home Store
72 Main Street, second floor
845 676 4997
www.taytea.com
Open Saturday & Sunday, 10 am-6 pm
Artisanal, hand-blended teas & home accessories.