The Would

The Would Restaurant

120 North Road

Highland, NY 12528

A great video they just completed

WATCH IT HERE

TAP THE PHOTOGRAPH FOR THEIR WEBSITE

Hind Sight

Hind sight is a wonderful thing. AT THE TIME, I thought this sign was perhaps the cleverest thing I had ever come up with ..... let me go back a little.
  There was a small restaurant available, not to far from where we lived, so, I rented it. First thing I did was to find a large grill for the kitchen, had a very hard time getting that installed, and we were up and running.
  Dennis worked the grill, had a couple of waitresses, Billie Clifton and another one whose name escapes me right now.
  We did a good breakfast, many local people, oil field workers, pumpers, laborers, and nice variety. Lunch was busy, had a nice business going in Marne, Ohio.
   Then, I felt we needed an outdoor sigh. I called a sign painter from Granville, Ohio, he came out, told him what I wanted, I remember he said, "Are you SURE that is want you want?" Without thinking, I told him that was what I wanted. He did the sign and we put it over the door.
  Marne was a small community, a lot of elderly folks, not much in Marne but a plumber, Dick Houston, Collins Gas Station, the Marne Methodist Church, and that was about it.
  My clever mind came up with this fantastic idea, "Eat under the golden arch."
  In retrospect, a foot is perhaps the worst symbol you could use for a restaurant. SO many jokes about it, and it has NOTHING to do with a restaurant.
  But NO ONE ever told me how stupid it was, probably very few, if any, understood it, and no one asked why we had a foot over the door. One lady, eating at the counter, oddly enough a French teacher in high school, understood, I think she called it, "The Arch de Oro," or something like that.
  If only someone had told me, but  they didn't.

HEY, it's my kids!!!!!!!

Fred Kormann, Lisa Bozydaj, Debra Dooley and Claire Winslow 

Highland Local Notables: Clair Winslow and Debra Dooley, The Would
by Peter Aaron, February 28, 2012

It would come as no surprise if The Would restaurant in Highland was the visual inspiration for the 1996 film Big Night. It certainly looks the part. Housed in the lower level of a charming, three-story, ivy-covered brick building, the cozy establishment opened in 1926 as the Hotel di Prima, which fed and accommodated weekending Italian-American families from New York.

Its present heyday began in 1994, when the property was purchased by Claire Winslow and Debra Dooley, who rechristened the hotel portion The Inn at Applewood and renamed the restaurant The Would. Winslow, a Culinary Institute of America-trained chef, has a uniquely flavorful style that combines New American cuisine with French flair.

Known for palate-dazzling dishes prepared with local, organic produce, poultry, and other ingredients, and warm, welcoming service, The Would has truly become one of the Hudson Valley’s most beloved eateries. The restaurant has won gold and silver medals from the American Culinary Federation and rave reviews from Zagat and the New York Times.

And it’s not only the sumptuous signature entrees—pan-seared organic chicken filled with collard greens and tomato confit with a braised garlic sauce, just one mouth-watering example—that keep delighted diners coming back. A repeat winner of Wine Spectator magazine’s Award of Excellence, The Would maintains a seasonal cellar populated with approximately 300 bottles of local and international vintages. The on-premises bakery draws raves for its fresh-baked breads, pies, and cakes, and divinely decadent desserts.

“In the high-stress world of work, work, work, it is more important now than ever for our guests to truly enjoy an evening out,” explains Dooley. “I want them to leave satisfied.”

And, judging by the glowing praise from thousands of contented patrons over its nearly 20 years, they always do. Only to return again. Thewould.com

Stupid things I have done .... Number ONE

Years ago, we had a restaurant just outside of town, in the little area called Marne, Dooley's Diner.

It had originally been a small grocery store, then it was converted into a restaurant. One owner did quite well when they were working on a new freeway and all the workers ate there. When the freeway opened, he got smart a sold it.

It did well for a while, but they finally closed up.

Then I came along and re-opened it. We did a good breakfast trade and an even better lunch. There was some construction going on, and oil field workers who pumped the shallow wells around the area.

Shortly after we opened, in one of my moments of "good sense" lapses, I decided to have a sign painter do a big sign to hang over the door, 5' x 4'.

Now remember, we are in a small rural community, a lot of elderly people, retired farmers, a lot of good folks.

I called an old sign painter who actually painted, no vinyl, and he came from Granville out to our place after I called him. I knew what I wanted, but had nothing down on paper for him to look at.

We sat in a booth and I told him what I wanted ....

"I'm sorry, you want a what?"

"A big, gold foot, with a high arch."

"I thought that's what you said."

I thought it was a great idea, a takeoff of "Eat under the Golden Arch."

I think I was the only one who saw the humor in it. I had hoped to get sued by McDonalds or something, at least some publicity.

But nothing happened, just a decrease in business, very few saw any humor in the sign, a big yellow foot hanging over the door of a restaurant.

It did inspire a few comments, most of which were a little on the gross side and will stay unsaid.

I thought it was clever.

The Would in Highland, New York

On a recent trip back East, we discovered some great "out of the way" spots. One such was a place with the strange name of "The Would." We laughed when we first heard of it ........... Who Would ............ We Would ......... that sort of thing, but we drove to this lovely spot, had a delicious dinner, and wanted to learn more about the place.

Originally part of the summer resort, Hotel Di Prima, opened its doors in 1926. The Would Restaurant has a long history of warm hospitality. The Hotel Di Prima catered to Italian families from the New York City area. In the 1940s and 1950s, thousands of vacationing families came to relax and savor the rich summer flavors of “the country.”

In 1994, Claire Winslow and Debra Dooley purchased the establishment and became partners in this famous Hudson Valley retreat. With renovations underway they changed the name of the resort to the Inn At Applewood, and the restaurant to The Would.

Many guests say that "the old resort atmosphere relaxes you and takes you back to slower days." On summer evenings guests enjoy dining on the porch, while watching the boccie players. In the winter they dine by a crackling fire with white linen table cloths, candlelight and fresh flowers.

What more can I say. We roamed around the grounds after dinner for quite a while, it is, in a beautiful setting, and the owners have kept much of the nostalgia which I am sure has been there since back in the 20's.

It really was a walk down "memory lane."

If you are in the area, or near, I suggest you try it out. You will find the ambiance relaxing, and you will almost be transported to an earlier, slower time, when graciousness was king. The food is excellent, they have an award winning wine cellar, all of the appointments are elegant, spotlessly clean, yet a truely warm and friendly atmosphere.

The Would knows how to do it right ..... Highly recommended.