When Clare de Boer graduated from Brown University, she had some things figured out and others, well, less so. She’d already met Luke Sherwin, her future husband, who would go on to co-found the mattress company Casper. But she’d also taken a job at Goldman Sachs—a far cry from the career she would soon pursue. “It was not meant to be,” she told Times Union in 2024. “I spent most of my time curating my lunchbox.”
What she really loved was cooking. Born in the U.K., de Boer returned to Europe to attend culinary school in Ireland. Then came a stint at London’s River Cafe before she moved back to New York. By 26, de Boer had opened the West Village restaurant King with Jess Shadbolt and Annie Shi, followed by Jupiter, at Rockefeller Center. She struck out on her own in 2022, taking over Stissing House, the historic tavern in Pine Plains, New York, where she reimagines wood-fired American cooking (see: bone marrow oysters).
Her latest venture deepens those upstate ties. Three years ago, she founded Roseland, a small design and furniture company, with Sherwin, to make American-made classics more accessible. When they aren’t in Brooklyn, the couple and their four sons spend time at their home upstate. Here, the five-time James Beard nominee shares her go-to spots in the Hudson Valley.
Rose Hill Farm
Rose Hill grows something like 24 varieties of apples, including Shizuka, Fortune, Keepsake, and the usual suspects. Go around breakfast time to eat cider donuts, pick bushels, and get some of their unfiltered cider vinegar. (pickrosehillfarm.com)
Montgomery Place Wayside Stand
A dream selection of pristine fruits and vegetables from the nearby Montgomery Place Orchards. Make an event of visiting the farmstand, then walk the South Woods Old-Growth Forest on Bard College’s campus. (montgomery-place-orchards.com)
PUMPKIN HARVEST AT SOUKUP FARMS
In the fall, the maple-syrup farm local to my house scatters pumpkins all over its fields and drives you up to the “patch” on a hayride. There’s a corn maze, but it’s actually quite terrifying and hard to escape. Harvest Festival runs every weekend in October. Their syrup makes for good gifts. (soukupfarms.com)
CHURCHTOWN DAIRY
Churchtown Dairy, outside of Hudson, is totally beautiful and sells the most delicious raw milk at their farm store. Be sure to stock up on dried herbs from their medicine garden. (churchtowndairy.org)
VITSKY BAKERY & THE LANTERN INN
Tucked into the little hamlet of Wassaic is a sourdough bonanza—Ariel Yotive at Vitsky makes incredible loaves. The Lantern Inn, across the street, is a great place for family pizza. (vitskybakery.com; wassaiclanterninn.com)
Mel the Bakery
This bakery is right off the main street in Hudson. It’s entirely worth driving an hour from wherever you may be to buy every baked good they have. (melthebakery.com)
STISSING HOUSE
It feels like home in the Hudson Valley, only you don’t have to do the dishes. (stissinghouse.com)
SHEEP & WOOL FESTIVAL
This country fair is a celebration of sheep and everything that can be made from them. It’s completely overwhelming—you’ll either run there or avoid it at all costs. (sheepandwool.com)
Montage antiques
The best antique store in the area. They have warehouse sales on days when they unpack containers shipped from Europe. Check out their Instagram to see when the next one will take place. (montageantiques.com)
Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome
This museum transports you to the 1920s through theater and airplanes. Air shows take place through October 18, and if you feel like splurging, you can even take a ride in a biplane. (oldrhinebeck.org)
Innisfree Garden
This incredible garden, established in the 1930s, is open to the public and filled with specimen trees: tulip trees, dawn redwoods, majestic white pines that feel pre-colonial … It takes about an hour to take a slow walk around the pond. (innisfreegarden.org)
The Harlem Valley Rail Trail
This 12-mile trail from Amenia to Millerton is safe for kids and filled with trees. If we complete even a short stretch, we reward ourselves with beef pho at the Oakhurst Diner. It’s really good.
