We took a random field trip the other day to Cold Spring. The
trip was unplanned. Originally we were headed to Radovich & Dean Music
Store, in nearby Carmel. If you’re still crying because Bramson’s closed and
you don’t know where to go, Radovich & Dean is the place. They sell
instruments, handle school instrument rentals; it’s a place to take lessons,
and they do repairs. Mr. Sax’s alto had a sticky key, so when he said he was headed
to Carmel, I said can I tag along, please. Our mission accomplished at the
music store, a sign saying “Cold Spring, 15 miles,” beckoned.
Cold Spring is an old river town that grew on the Hudson. The
old town, built straight up from the water, is quaint and charming. There are
interesting residential side streets to explore if you’re into eyeballing
houses, and it’s hilly, which is good for the quads. The views from every direction
are awesome. Main Street, the main drag, is a long but pleasant sidewalk stroll
past myriad antique shops, boutiques, a couple of B&B’s, a few restaurants
and several coffee shops, many selling homemade ice cream. When I say homemade,
I mean it, because Cold Spring’s downtown has no chain stores, and according to
a local newspaper I thumbed through, is considering a law barring the opening
of any new business that requires its employees to wear a uniform or a logo-embossed anything.
Free spirit prevails as Cold Spring’s guiding light. Wandering
in and out of shops for an hour, I began to appreciate what I perceived as the
dual vibe of the modern Occupy Movement, mixed with old school hippie-dom. It
was refreshing to hear (twice) people speaking French on the street, and nary a
woman was sporting a Keratin treatment. There was one real estate office in
town: Houlihan-Lawrence. By the river, a few people were fishing, while others
sat on benches in the sun, facing the water.
At the Antiques Center I admired an old, rather beautifully
framed print depicting a horse scene. There was an affordable old hoosier, my
favorite antique kitchen piece, as
well as some really cool vintage clothing. Surprise, surprise, they had a very
good selection, in good condition, of old Playboys and Penthouses. For $5, I
scored a pair of sexy, dangling, silvery earrings. I was tempted by a shop
called Country Clocks. But what really got me was the loads of outdoor seating
where one could tarry, inside or out. The line too long for Moo Moo’s, at
random we chose the Cupocchino Café. They specialize in many formulations of
coffee drinks, tea drinks, chai drinks, and fountain specials. That day, on
their sidewalk blackboard, they were recommending root beer floats.
Inside, Cupocchino was everything I think a café should be. I
loved the back wall covered in huge blackboards, the worn wood floors, and the
friendly atmosphere. The furniture was mix ‘n match. In a case were yummy
bakery items including flaky scones and Danish and black and white cookies. The
ice cream case offered a dozen flavors handchurned by a lady named Jane. You
could get panini sandwiches made to order; a note on the blackboard said egg
sandwiches are available until noon. I can’t even begin to list the choices of
hot and cold beverages, including many true Italian classics like espresso
macchiato and ristretto. Made with two big scoops of that handchurned vanilla, topped
off with a full bottle of Stewart’s, my root beer float was crazy-good.
Waddling back to the car 20 minutes later, I couldn’t help
noticing the outdoor tables everywhere. It made me mad to think about Katonah
and this new nonsense about enforcing the county Board of Health regulations.
Because of the recent brouhaha about outdoor seating, Katonah is suffering. The
rules, whatever they are, are killing the downtown. Somebody needs to address
this problem, and the sooner the better.
On another note, Ebba, the Katonah-centric home goods and
jewelry store is selling this insanely addictive fragrance called Miss Marisa.
Viktoria Fisch, Ebba’s owner, had a wildly successful business, also called
Ebba, for years in Los Angeles. Ebba Katonah is now her only physical store,
but in the world of virtual commerce, www.ebbalosangeles.com
is thriving. Fisch, who creates her own fragrances, conceived of the line years
ago to embody what she describes as the quintessential modern woman. Fisch
said, “The line distills an elusive je ne
sais quoi essence that makes all 6 of the Misses memorable and
intoxicating.” I’ve been wearing the one she calls “Zest” for a week and I
can’t stop sniffing my wrists. Besides “Zest,” Miss Marisa comes in 5 other
scents, including “Original,” “Nuit,” “Fleur,” “Marine,” and “Tropical.” Miss
Marisa has been featured in Lucky Magazine, In Style, Vogue, and Vanity Fair. Fisch’s
cousin dubbed the scent, “The Man Catcher!" Some celebs who wear it
include Amanda Seyfriend, Jenna Jamison, Carmen Electra, the model Nikki
Taylor, her own grandmother in Sweden, and, yes, Dave Navarro! I know Kourtney
Kardashian loves it. How do I know? She talked about it (and Ebba!) on her http://officialkourtneyk.celebuzz.com
website. Now that’s what I call pretty wow.
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