Mohonk has a troubled history. Forget the food (what a relief that it's been improved - it was always inedible). Behind the magnificent natural beauty was the rotten cancer of restriction. Jews and African-Americans weren't permitted to stay there, courtesy of the racist Smiley family. That this is no longer the case is far more palatable than the menu.
6
Gosh, Elizabeth ...your description of the food at Mohonk as "inedible" is as overstated as your denunciation of the Smiley family as "racist" on the basis of long-ago policies when discrimination occurred at all American hotels.
You might just as well label Abraham Lincoln a "racist" because he surely wouldn't have advocated for putting Sojourner Truth on the $10 bill.
As hotel proprietors, the Smileys could hardly be expected to man the battlements in fighting racial and religious discrimination; yet as Quakers, they lent support to many progressive initiatives, some of which are detailed at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohonk_Mountain_House#History
You might just as well label Abraham Lincoln a "racist" because he surely wouldn't have advocated for putting Sojourner Truth on the $10 bill.
As hotel proprietors, the Smileys could hardly be expected to man the battlements in fighting racial and religious discrimination; yet as Quakers, they lent support to many progressive initiatives, some of which are detailed at:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohonk_Mountain_House#History
6
What lovely photographs of a beautiful place -- a "must" to visit! I first visited here .... more than several decades ago! The tour guide we had reflected ..... then ... "He felt he was in Europe ...... whenever he visited Mohonk!" ... Such a special memory! ... Thanks again NY Times for sharing these dynamite photos!
2
We enjoy the BBQ at the Granary overlooking the lake. We have been visiting since the early 1980's, our favorite room was 659, the I Love NY guide book back then contained a $100.00 voucher, these days that's not very much as a four day stay costs about as much as a trip to the Caribbean with hotel and air.
We passed the days with rock scrambling and nature walks, boating on the lake and revisiting the attractions on the property. It was then a trip back in time.
Well worth a visit today.
We passed the days with rock scrambling and nature walks, boating on the lake and revisiting the attractions on the property. It was then a trip back in time.
Well worth a visit today.
It's the Shawangunks mountains
some climb against gravity grade 5
some climb against gravity grade 5
I used to hike in the area and first time I went with friends they blindfolded me to surprise me and I was when this palace appeared in the middle of nowhere like a magical dream. I once used it as a backdrop for a movie I made, The Eternal Hat, and my friend climbed the nearby cliffs which some climbers use to practice for the big ones.
My Brooklyn born mother used to talk about a memory...was it a dream?...of driving up a winding road through a blooming laurel dell to find at the end of the road an old Victorian hotel on the edge of a glacial lake. In 1978 my husband, 6 month old son and I found ourselves living out her dream on a vacation to Mohonk. But, contrary to your story, I remember that the hotel was still dry. Our son was up all night in teething pain and the next morning we sought the advice of the house doctor who went to the locked liquor cabinet in his office and poured a vial of whiskey to rub on Sam's gums.
2
There are few places my kids, siblings, and parents have been together that elicit such uniformly warm and wonderful memories. Rejuvenation, timelessness, beauty, and comfort, all without glitz or modern doodads. I'm glad to hear that they're upgrading the food, not because it was ever a disappointment--as others have mentioned, the food was never the point--but because it may attract some newer clients who can keep the place thriving. My sister recently digitized some 20-year old videos of a family outing at Mohonk featuring relatives who are now grown, gone, or dispersed to the globe's far corners. Thanks to the Times for similarly stirring up mental images of canoeing, feeding fish, eating lobsters, and strolling through flower gardens. Time to plan a family reunion.
4
I stayed at Mohonk House many years ago. What some call quaint I call old, dirty and decrepit. I stayed in a room in the main corridor to the dining room. The room smelled of cooked food all the time, there was no air conditioning, the walls were paper thin and the "rugs" looked like they came from John's Bargain Store. For $660 there are a lot nicer places to stay, Motel 8 comes to mind! The grounds are beautiful but you don't need to stay there to wander the grounds. BTW the food was closer to gruel when I was there, so the only way was up!
4
Back in the day, Mohonk was only about serenity, natural beauty and simplicity. The place was a bit stodgy, but that was part of its charm. In fact, there was a saying that Mohonk was a place for the "newly wed and the nearly dead." The kitchen served food best described as serviceable. While I understand the need to add things like the "spa experience" and trendy farm-to-table fare in an effort to compete for today's resort dollars, I do believe something has been lost.
3
We need to look forward not backward
4
Back in the day, the resort was owned by the Smiley family, who restricted Jews and minority guests.
5
We get it Elizabeth. That was then.
4
My wife and i never went to Mohonk for the food, which was always middling, but for the hiking, one of the loveliest places in the world. And you don't have to rent a room but can hike there by paying a day fee or better yet by joining the Mohonk Preserve. Or now, with the improved food, coming and paying for lunch. But it is the hiking, the views, and such a short distance from New York city. I am forever grateful to the Smileys for Mohonk and the Preserve.
7
You don't go to Mohonk for the food. The natural beauty, the peace, the marvelous happenstance of finding a huge beautiful wooden hotel on the top of a mountain with a natural lake in the back -with a view of four states, is an experience you will find no where else. I first visited Mohonk in the 80's when I worked in nearby High Falls, and since then I have directed dozens of neophytes there, and not one has returned disappointed by the visit.
10
I've taken my extended family, eleven of us, to Mohonk every august for the last twelve years. It's easier to explain what Mohonk isn't than what it is. It isn't glitz, it isn't change. It isn't Le Bernardin, it isn't some water park.
What it is is tradition, wholesome values, and knowing that the bugler will play in the mountains in the afternoon, while we all gather on the rockers on the main porch and have tea and cookies.
What it is is tradition, wholesome values, and knowing that the bugler will play in the mountains in the afternoon, while we all gather on the rockers on the main porch and have tea and cookies.
13
I've been staying at Mohonk as often as possible for the past 28 years. Some changes were indeed welcome (ice skating pavilion) and other's make me nostalgic (key cards). Some upset me (the availability of liquor). The food has always been wonderful, especially the granary. In the past few years the addition of more vegetarian options has been welcome. However, this past weekend I was disappointed by the food. The granary was a mess--they ran out of food and the staff was not interested. The dining room food was minimal, there was less of everything, including desserts. The tofu dish off the menu was flavorless. I sincerely hope this was just an "off" weekend.
8
This "farm to table" stuff is all such baloney, you know? It used to be "nouvelle cuisine", then "curated", and who knows what else. Food is food and I probably would rather eat something that's been inspected six ways from Sunday out in California than a local nose picking farmer 2 miles from the restaurant.
That being said, I've been to Mohonk. Beautiful place where the film starring Matthew Broderick who played a quack doctor based on the Kellogg cereal King was filmed. Anyway, go there and enjoy yourself. Just don't go psycho over the "farm to table" food.
That being said, I've been to Mohonk. Beautiful place where the film starring Matthew Broderick who played a quack doctor based on the Kellogg cereal King was filmed. Anyway, go there and enjoy yourself. Just don't go psycho over the "farm to table" food.
5
In reply to "Tom" above; his comment re the "nose picking farmer 2 miles away" was unnecessary and pompous. I am from the New Paltz area and take offense. If Mr. Tom (from Darien..no doubt!) has ever had the indeed pleasure of meeting any local farmers he would not make such a statement. The farmers are well educated people who take pride in their work and in their food. I have only had the pleasure of dining at Mohonk once in my life...an experience. I hiked there often. Now living in W.V (another comment from Tom..maybe?)...I don't get home and I dearly miss the mountains and this wonderful gem Mohonk. Unfortunately the room rates are above the pay grade for a Ph.D.
16
Tom, I suggest your taste buds have been clogged up with pesticides and hormones injected into food produced on industrial farms. If you abstain from chemically infused food for a while, perhaps your mouth will recover and you too can appreciate quality locally raised, real food.
16
As someone who grew up in Darien, I hope Tom's comment is not representative of that community today. I had a high school friend there whose extended family vacationed every year at Mohunk. She would often take a friend along, and they would have a wonderful time. I never got to go, but I've been intrigued by that place for 50 years now. While hiking is no longer a draw for me, the farm-to-table food may be the attraction that gets me there at last.
6
I think you mean Welsh rarebit!
2
"Welsh rabbit" is perfectly correct. Check out culinary history.
Not only is 'rabbit' correct ('rarebit' being a corruption of 'rabbit'), but the irony of the dish's name is lost on you. The name of this cheese-and-bread dish is a comment on the poverty of people who did not have actual rabbit to eat.
4
First went to Mohonk over 35 years ago and never seem to find the time to get back as often as I'd like. It's great to hear how they've improved the dining but, honestly, they could serve bread and water and it would still me a magical place.
14
So true!
2
Great to learn about the improvement in the quality of the food. Feeding that many people is not easy. However, the true magic is the hotel itself. There is simply nothing like it. Every time I go I feel i have stepped back in time. People who love Mohonk, hike the trails, row out on the pond, play tennis, golf, ice skate, XC ski and bike the trails. In other words get outdoors and return to the magnificent old hotel for tea and cookies or dinner in the grand dinning room. Truly special.
9
The bathrooms have all been renovated? What a shame - I loved the old ones!
6
Mohonk is an antidote to a lot of what is wrong with modern life--blaring TVs, too much auditory chatter, cable news, fast food, rushed people, and so on. The food, while always satisfying, has become even better over the years. I've only been there a couple of times over many years (it is pricey, but you definitely get what you pay for, and then some), but each time I left feeling calmed and refreshed and happy and healthy and licking my lips over the food and the service. Long may Mohonk thrive!
11
One of my travel dreams! While we've been in the USA quite a few times, it's yet to be achieved ... maybe next year?
4
I had the pleasure of being there for a theme weekend. The weekend was a singles weekend and chocolate. I didn't meet anyone but had some wonderful dishes including venison in anchocolate sauce and a salad with a chocolate vinaigrette. fATyopjiUEEvery meal had a chocolate component to it such as white chocolate pancakes. There was also a chocolate carving demonstration by local chefs. I enjoyed building a chocolate graham cracker house using chocolate icing as mortar. I hope to go there again for another themed weekend. It was fun.
4
My family and I have been to Mohonk perhaps a half dozen times over the last twenty years. Those first trips in the 90's and pre-spa era were wonderful for the lovely scenery, the joy of quiet and hiking trails. The rooms--the bathrooms in the cheapest rooms weren't renovated. Food--ok, but nothing to rave about. Clearly, you went for the experience of the place, not modern conveniences or tastes. The last few years my husband and I have reaquainted ourselves with Mohonk and the old attractions still hold. But I have been unabashed about raving about the 'new' Mohonk. All the bathrooms are now renovated and, best of all, the food has jumped several levels and we foodies are quite satisfied. The fine dining dinner menu is very good; my husband loved the beef cheeks and had an opportunity to thank the chef personally, which we believed he enjoyed. Having a drink at sunset on the porch is a nice prelude to dinner. The Granary barbecue holds its own and the ice cream--to my waistline's woe-- is first rate!
5
We went here twice a year, every year, as kids, and the memories are indelible. My parents still love to take us there, along with our kids (their grandkids) to relive those memories and create new ones. We went last winter, and I found the food to be horrible. I'm so glad they have finally decided to make the food match the remarkable setting, and now I can't wait to visit again. What a magnificent place!
3
I first saw Mohonk as a SUNY New Paltz freshman in 1968 and fell in love. We took my father-in-law there when Ruth Smiley still held hymn sings in the afternoon. Tales of the quarry on site as well as the old school are entrancing. I have about a dozen pictures of Skytop around the house. Go for the food, if you like; stay for the beauty.
4
Like others, my reaction to Mohonk was, well....I'm not here for the food...it was at best a hotel buffets best effort. Tying something this pricey is a risk, let's hope the article has some "chops" and can be trusted...because the grounds are truly exquisite...we'll see.
4
I worked at Mohonk in the late 1960's,on three occasions. First as a waiter, then building roads,also running the Coxing Camp rock climbers campsite,then running the boat dock. I also helped prepare the hotel for it's annual re-opening. It used to be closed in the winter. If I had my life to do over I would never leave. I'd spend my whole life there. Timothy Schuyler
27
It's a special place, and the food is good. Even the buffet. As a local, being able to take advantage of the community days is key as the mountain house is not cheap, even by Manhattan standards.
5
Love the egg creams at the gift shop and hiking the surrounds
3
My family loves Mohonk! We used to go every year with our children, but now my husband is retired, and my kids are in college-- so... No money for much other than tuition! But my youngest (now 16) was dreaming a few days ago of supper at the Granery. I just need him to get a good paying job and take his old mom to the Mountain House for a week!
5
My mother, now 94, used to go to Mohonk with her parents from NYC in the summers in the late 20s and 30's.
We had a family reunion there in July 2000 for my dad's 80th birthday.
The grounds were extensive and beautiful surrounding a lake. Accommodations nice old school Northeastern resort.
One of the best rock climbing walls in the Eastern US, the Gunks, are a short distance away.
Don't remember much about the food but the beautiful dining room was like being in the nave of a cathedral.
Comparisons are odious but for my money the most beautiful old school resort in the East is High Hampton Inn and Country Club in Cashiers, NC. My wife and I went back there a few weeks ago and the food just standard American fare, but the scenery unsurpassed.
Glad to hear the premiere dowager resort in the Northeast is thriving with culinary innovation.
We had a family reunion there in July 2000 for my dad's 80th birthday.
The grounds were extensive and beautiful surrounding a lake. Accommodations nice old school Northeastern resort.
One of the best rock climbing walls in the Eastern US, the Gunks, are a short distance away.
Don't remember much about the food but the beautiful dining room was like being in the nave of a cathedral.
Comparisons are odious but for my money the most beautiful old school resort in the East is High Hampton Inn and Country Club in Cashiers, NC. My wife and I went back there a few weeks ago and the food just standard American fare, but the scenery unsurpassed.
Glad to hear the premiere dowager resort in the Northeast is thriving with culinary innovation.
5
We spent the past weekend with our in-laws at Mohonk, our most favorite place in the world. The food had been hit or miss until recently, as many readers note. The food in the main dining room was much improved this weekend, but the picnic lunch at the outdoor Granary was a disappointment on Sunday. We arrived late and during a bit of a rush, a lot of the food had run-out and the staff was clearly overwhelmed. It was a shame, since we always look forward to Granary meals overlooking the lake. Once last Mohonk dining story: We spent the past New Year's Eve at Mohonk and dined in the smaller and fancier dining room. The meal took forever to arrive, at least an hour. And my 17 year old son was crushed to see his entree of three small scallops on an enormous plate arrive after such a long wait. No guest should want a trip to Shake Shack after such an expensive dinner.
14
We visited Mohonk for the first time this April. We love good food but we took one look at the massive dining room and just assumed there was NO WAY they would able to prepare high quality food for that many people. Can't believe how wrong we were - every night we received a different menu with amazing options (and a whole vegetarian menu too). Presentation was as good as the taste. Top notch. By far the best thing about our trip (and we loved the hiking and ice skating etc too). Even the buffet lunches were amazing. The only place where they can step up their game is the options for children. But other than that this article pretty much nailed it.
9
Wonderful place and people! Thanks to the Smiley family!!!
7
We had been to Mohonk in July 2013 for a couple of days and extended our stay to a week because it was so hot in NYC. By the end of that week, we couldn't wait to leave because we were tired of the food -- bland, boring. Last month we visited Mohonk again and the place is still great, but the food was incredible. For dinner, we selected from the menu each night and everything we got was delicious. The food now fits the price of the place as it is expensive.
18
Glad to learn your experience. I grew up in the Shawangunk Mountain region, love to visit Mohonk but only for one day. Too pricey and unimpressive dining. Will try again.
4
My family is from nearby Rosendale and every once in a while, we would go to Lake Mohonk to eat in the big dining room on Sunday, after church - the food there was by far the worst I've ever had in a restaurant - to say it was awful doesn't do it justice - granted, the last time I was there was maybe 10-15 years ago...but it will take some persuading (more than this article) to make me believe that they have actually changed that much.
13
I was there last weekend - it was all, including meals ordered from the menu, plus lunch and breakfast buffets - delicious!
4
My wife and I had lunch during the Community Days when Mohonk invites members of the community to dine at a discounted rate. I had been there some 40 years earlier but my wife had never been. The lunch was very good as was the service. But the other factor besides food (you don't go there just for food obviously) were the wonderful photos which capture the essence of New Paltz and the Hudson Valley a beauty and serenity to which we wake and appreciate every day. It's a place that stands still in time as I told my wife- nothing has changed from 40 years ago except maybe new elevators.
11
When I expire, my fervent hope is that the Afterlife somehow approximates Mohonk.
31
Anyone who could afford to stay here yet chooses not to should have their head examined!
9
Stayed there a few months ago. Agree the food was good, but the service needs to be better. It took several hours for us to finish dinner due to poor service.
8
Shhh! Don't publish articles like this - then everyone will know.
27
That won't be much of a problem because it is hideously expensive and most people cannot go. Despite the expense OTOH I think it's frequently sold out. I lived in Redlands CA for a # of years, which is a town the Smiley Brothers used as their winter retreat (and a town they endowed generously). The former director of the A.K. Smiley library (gorgeous BTW) occasionally led tours to Mohonk. They were way out of my travel budget but I do gaze longingly at the photos.
6
Everyone knows already.
5
I miss Mohonk - the scenery, the trails, the hotel, everything! My husband and I and our children visited a number of times in the 70s and 80s. The food was good then, though not quite as exciting as it seems to be now. Some of Mohonk's employees (perhaps retired) may remember my younger son in 1974. As car-less New Yorkers, we took advantage of their car service. Our 20-month-old screamed all the way from Riverside Drive to Mohonk, and kept reaching for the door handles. We nearly died of embarrassment. About 18 years later, I showed the chauffeur my son's photo and said he was a trumpet play. The response? "He sure had the lungs!"
16
So much delicious food but my favorite is Mohonk's signature round waffle topped with fresh blackberries, real whipped cream (unsweetened) and warm maple syrup.
5
It's difficult to take seriously any executive chef who would tolerate anywhere in the vicinity of his kitchen the serving of much ballyhooed (everywhere in the venerated resort's promotional literature) afternoon tea and cookies consisting of store bought national brand mass market cookies.
17
The cookies may not be gourmet, but it's nice to know that afternoon tea at Mohonk hasn't changed!
10
Yes. My God. The Horror!
6
i'll just say "hi" to Bob, who tipp't me off to this article.
beautiful foods, and pics.
keep tilling
let's all be mindful of this nourishment, and where it comes from.
as the italians put it,
"chow"
for now.
beautiful foods, and pics.
keep tilling
let's all be mindful of this nourishment, and where it comes from.
as the italians put it,
"chow"
for now.
2
My husband has been a regular since his childhood and introduced me to Mohonk in 1992. We were there three weekends ago and I ordered a petite salad. When it arrived, we both laughed so hard, we were in danger of choking. There were literally two small leaves on the plate with five mini-vegetables (think carrot the size of your pinky nail, not kidding) stuck to the plate with one drop (seriously they had to use an eye dropper - no spoon is that small) of thick dressing. If you put the contents of the plate on a lab scale (again, no normal food scale could detect the mass) you would be measuring in milligrams. The server totally got it, and brought me a normal salad. The rest was delicious, though also small, especially considering that my husband had hiked all day. I think we will avoid the menu option next time and stick to the buffet so he doesn't have to supplement dinner with power bars.
15
A marvelous place. We have gone a couple of times per year for decades. The food is terrific.
9
An evolving classic. And the epic setting is eternal.
18
I stayed there last for a few days and what stayed with me was how spectacularly good the buffet-style lunch and breakfast was - If I been there longer I might have had to start skipping dinner just to stay under 300 pounds.
Our family has been there a few times over the years and it's the first time the food was memorable; I am not surprised the change inspired a piece like this.
Our family has been there a few times over the years and it's the first time the food was memorable; I am not surprised the change inspired a piece like this.
8
I was used to the food being just fair but because of the article, I hoped for better. It didn't happen.