Friends who have lived in the Pine Bush area for more than say, 30 years, have said it is a bit hard for them to embrace the idea of heading to the Hoot Owl restaurant because of memories they associate with the former business. Please, let it go. If you are really nervous, start with a weekend brunch, and you will let go of all of your fears.
Brunch begins with a cocktail. In addition to a lovely specialty cocktail menu, the Hoot Owl's full bar offers mimosas (in this photo is the Blood Orange) and Bloody Mary's or your cocktail of choice.
The atmosphere on a cold, dreary, gray, February morning was warmed by the lighting of a lovely fire.
The menu options are a range including hearty fare and traditional dishes mixed with modern options. Want an addition or to customize - most requests are absolutely no problem.
Strawberry pancakes above were served with a bit of fruit and my friend asked for an additional two over easy eggs - no problem. Though I did not try her dish, the plate was clean when it was removed which to me is the best sign of a favorable review.
I selected my meal mostly based on the wonderful, whimsical name, "Green Eggs and Lamb." Who could resist?
Look at all of this food! A bit of a side salad, scrambled eggs, pita, and the best lamb sausage patty I have ever eaten. Okay, maybe I've never had a lamb sausage patty, but honestly, the texture, seasoning and amount of cooking were everything I could have hoped for with no reference. The eggs. Oh, those eggs. It sounds so simple, but haven't you had eggs which were just not cooked properly? These were pillowy, light, yet no runny, watery, undercooked feel. Heaven. The herbs were fresh and added the "green" in the Green Eggs without the overdone grassy mouth feel. And those potatoes with peppers - just the right cripness and served HOT as they should be. The entire plate was well thought out with various temperatures, textures, savory and sweetness. I almost didn't want to eat the rest of the day for fear of ruining the memory and other food just not living up to this level.
What did we talk about? Well, as you can imagine we touched on a bit of what's going on in the world today and how folks are reacting on social media. It's a minefield out there. The two of us do not exclusively share identical points of view on a variety of topics, but we emphatically agree most people who are creating posts regarding their feelings are creating further divides and typically reacting quite harshly. We talked about the joys of simply scrolling by inflammatory posts without the need to comment, fan the flames or argue.
We talked about family. And, most importantly, we talked about how delicious our brunch was and left feeling Fed Well.
