50
A well of gratitude…
50 years. A Friendly Place by the Side of the Road.
I imagine to be too exhausted by next Wednesday to think too much about it, let alone organize it and write it down. Next Wednesday, May 27 this experiment turns 50. We plan on celebrating this more than a little over the next few days. More than that though, our message is of gratitude and appreciation. To our families and friends who have supported us, tolerated us, maybe even missed us a little. To our sales reps, our delivery people, mailman, bankers, brewers, electrician, plumber, plow guy and a million other talented tradespeople who have contributed. Every sax blowin’, banjo pickin’, drum bangin’, bass slappin’, ivory ticklin’ artist who’s decided it’s a good idea to play a gig outside the limits of New York State’s smallest village. Talk about “off Broadway”! To every single dishwasher, busser, hostess, cleaner, bartender, cook, baker, server and farmer that have been a link in the continuous 50 year chain of dinner service. And of course to each and every first timer who’s chosen to head out to this beautiful little farm town for an Anderson Acres burger. There is a well of gratitude in this barn for every single minute of it.
My dying friend handed me his stimulus check in the midst of the pandemic and told me he wanted me to use it towards some new patio furniture. He was more confident we’d eventually reopen than I was.
I asked three friends at the bar one evening if they could stop by the next day for ten minutes to help me set a 24 foot beam in place. They each brought their sons. We ended up with eleven men and we set the beam, all the rafters and the rough cut 1x10 sheathing on the new patio roof in an hour.
Nancy from the B n B texts me.
“Can you use some arugula tomorrow?”
My high school English teacher brought me a gorgeous photograph last week that she took of this barn in 1975.
50 years. You get the point. It takes a village.
The stage is set. The garden is mostly planted and weeded. Lawn’s been mowed. Seating arrangements are coming together.
Kilcoyne brisket is on the smoker fueled by Smith’s applewood.
Our good friend, Jeffrey Foucault, is taking a break from trout fishing just long enough to kick the weekend off for us on Friday evening. His constant compadre Jeremy Moses Curtis on bass. Winnie Roy opens and joins on vocals.
Banjo maestro Scott Hopkins brings his jazz trio to Galway for the first time on Saturday. Tarik Shah on bass. Luke Franco on guitar.
On Sunday, The Insolent Willies provide the foot stomping, acoustic, rock, blues, roots, folk soundtrack for our barbecue buffet.
Monday, we’ll be on a hay wagon in the Galway Village Memorial Day parade. We’ll be the ones with the gooey chocolate chip cookies!!
Tuesday evening, Professor Pray brings his Big Soul Ensemble back to town. 17 piece jazz band swinging into the summer sky. It’s always spectacular.
Wednesday…our 50th Anniversary…we’re doing a summer BBQ buffet one more time as we celebrate with Rodeo Barons taking the stage. Chris Carey, Mike O’Donnell, James Gascoyne and Sam Zucchini. Find me four better musicians. Find me four nicer humans. I’ll hold your beer while I wait!
We had a unique opportunity a couple of Sundays back to host a dinner party for our closest farming families. Imagine 42 farmers sitting at the same time, breaking bread and enjoying a meal of their own land and labor. A rare sight. Even more rare in the middle of planting and calving season. Among the most memorable and rewarding events we’ve been a piece of in this barn. One of the women who taught me how to tend bar and serve tables forever ago happened to be in for dinner that night and watched the whole thing. Sometimes stories write themselves.
50 years. In an 1852 barn built by James Cavert. Last farmed by the Simboli family. Imagined as a restaurant by Don Staber. Artfully restored by the Wielt Brothers. First filled with music by Jack Fragomeni.
A Friendly Place by the Side of the Road.
50 years. Thank you for all of it. From all of us.
Pet the dog
Hug a farmer
Kiss the chef
Tip the band
Love a barn
Enjoy Beef
