Early in 2025, I started doing a ton of research on vermouth for an article in The Valley Table. You can read it HERE, but if you choose not to, no worries, it was general; what vermouth is, the guidelines for classifying vermouth in Europe versus the U.S., and who’s making it in the Hudson Valley. But if you do read it, there’s a cool, funny Winston Churchill bit in there. Just saying! One of the places that helped significantly with my vermouth knowledge was Klocke Estate in the Hudson-Claverack area where they make their own wine for vermouth, from their own grapes, that’s fortified with their own apple brandy, that’s made from apples grown on the grounds. The botanicals? Also grown right at Klocke Estate, well…with the exception of cinnamon.
CT Chef and resident, Hugh Mangum, co-founder of the much-loved Mighty Quinn’s BBQ as well as Rise Doughnuts, recently released a BBQ bible, a cookbook that explores BBQ across the globe.
The new cookbook is titled, BARBECUE: Smoked & Grilled Recipes from Across the Globe, and is the ultimate guide to cooking with fire and smoke, featuring 280 beloved barbecue and grilling recipes from cultures worldwide.
We sat down with Mangum to speak with him about the new cookbook.
Community table is housed in a nondescript, quaint structure on Route 202 in New Preston, and presents a dining experience that blends effortlessly into its rural setting. The only recognizable landmark to announce your arrival is a simplistic roadside sign with a singular orange “Ct” logo on a white background, reflecting the restaurant's core value: a strong focus on community with an upper case "C" and a less formal, more shared dining experience at the table with a lower case "t". A farmer's porch extends across the front of the building, and a large parking lot is located to one side. The entrance is immediately to the left of a striking, vertically soaring, organic, red metal sculpture, leading guests directly into the bar area.
