Pancake country

On a recent day trip to the Hudson Valley, my wife and I stopped for lunch at the Hillsdale Country Diner, in Hillsdale, New York. As frequent visitors to this area, we remembered that the restaurant was once the Ro-Jan Diner, perhaps 25 years ago. We tried it once then and didn't like it. Over the years, it has changed hands and names many times. This time, there was a sign on it that said, "Under New Management," and a lot of cars parked in the lot. So we decided to give it another try.

The building is a wood-frame structure, not a classic diner; but on the inside, it has your typical counter and booth setup, kitchen in the back, and lots of stainless steel on the wall behind the counter. Except for the dropped ceiling, it looked and felt like a diner. The first thing I noticed as we grabbed a booth was that the place looked spotless. A quick trip to the men's room revealed that cleanliness extended beyond the dining area.

We were attended to immediately. As we poured over the attractive and extensive menu of diner staples, seafood and salads, we marveled at the incredibly low prices. We weren't famished, so I ordered three pancakes and some iced tea, and my wife ordered the Texas-style French toast, hot tea, and a banana on the side, which she thought was a nice option, being that we like to make sure we have some fruit every day.

The pancakes were absolutely perfect, light and fluffy, with a hint of vanilla. My wife loved the French toast. It was served with a pitcher of syrup that had been warmed up, a welcome touch. The bill came to $8.40.

I talked to Larry, the owner, a soft-spoken man who appeared to be somewhat past middle age. He was sitting at the counter having a coffee break, but got up several times to mop up a couple of spills. He said he had been a restaurant owner for a long time, and bought the diner several years ago. Slowly but surely, he has renovated the interior, and is just completing an addition to the kitchen. After that, he will do some badly needed exterior work, mostly painting and window repairs.

Larry said that business has been great, with a combination of locals and travelers. The location has always been a good one. It sits on Route 22, just south of the intersection with Route 23. The Hillsdale Country Diner is open every day until 9:00pm. For this traveler, it comes highly recommended, and I plan to stop by again soon. Their phone number is 518-325-9230.