Ask A Cidiot

Chocolate has, some might say, an outsized presence in Red Hook. The Chocolate Factory on Elizabeth Street. The chocolate counter at Taste Budd’s. Annabelle’s amazing confections. Cocoa Butter in Kate McLeod’s Body Stones. And from 2014 to 2021, on the first weekend in November, there was a chocolate festival sponsored by The Red Hook Area Chamber of Commerce.   So, hoping […]

This year, Valentine’s Day is on a Monday, a tricky day to find local restaurants that are open, even if we weren’t in a pandemic. But yes, they exist. And we hunted them down for you!  If you’re comfortable eating inside, or simply want to do take-out and eat at home, here are a few favorites that are both open […]

This week I tackle a question from Red Hooker Emma Lewison, who queries a topic we can’t help but ponder when sitting in traffic in the center of Red Hook village, at the intersection of Route 9/Broadway and Route 199/Market Street. “Why does the one stoplight in town truly make no sense?” Lewison wrote in. “Is it really necessary for […]

In the city, the holidays are joyous, and expensive. If you live in a big apartment building, there are a lot of people to tip. Some buildings even recommend the amount to divvy up.  For a newcomer to a small town, it’s not always clear who to tip and how much to give. Emily Post’s holiday tipping advice isn’t specific. […]

Who’s seen rudeness lately? I don’t think it’s just the pandemic, though tense times certainly exacerbate emotions and our worst instincts.  What I keep seeing is people behaving badly on the roads, in restaurants, and in stores. Honking, cursing, and shaking their heads at each other. I’m no Miss Manners, but I can tell you there’s something off. Are the […]

Young urbanites aren’t the only gym rats. The difference is that in the city there are thousands of gyms with pricey memberships, and small apartments limit what you can own. Here, we have outdoors, indoors, and more space in both. When Brian and I first moved to Red Hook, we weren’t sure where and how best to work out, and […]