July is a spectacular time to be on the Hudson River. The height of summer fun, river traffic, waterfront events, vacationers, travelers, wanderers of all sorts co-mingle along the various different shore stops, islands camps, riverside parks and lucky for us, waterfront restaurants!!

You can't find a more pleasant afternoon than a hot July day, with a soft river breeze. Of course that experience is heightened by a juicy smash burger, a fresh lime juice margarita or specialty cocktail, and live local music as the perfect soundtrack to your dreamy Athens afternoon. This is what we envisioned when we set out on this journey and its incredible to watch it all take place.

Theres so much you can learn from people watching. Whats working, and whats not. Sometimes I see a server taking one of our signature cocktails to a table and I wait to watch the reaction. Is the presentation pretty enough? Are the colors bright enough? Will they be able to tell every ingredient we use is either fresh off a local farm, or out of our own culinary garden, and hand squeezed daily? What will the reaction be to that first sip? Did we do that drink justice and really produce the freshest, most interesting cocktail we could? And as a people watcher, its been a really satisfying run.

I have the same thoughts when I see those shiny silver trays placed down in front of a hungry diner. Because I LOVE food, I know that I think about what I might order on my drive, or cruise to the restaurant. In this day and age I think most of us can agree that we all google the menu before we get there. lol. We excitedly follow our host to our table, take a second look at the paper copy menu in hand, and make the final decision. And then we wait. How amazing is it when you see the server or runner heading towards your table with that order you've now, (starting with the googling) been thinking about for a good half hour, and you say to yourself or your fellow diners, "WOW, that was quick". (Not something historically said at The Stewart House) Then you look down at that tray, stomach grumbling, and see this array of bright colors, fresh vegetables, house grown herbs, and visibly high quality meats, poultry, and fishes. That'll do it for me. Instant happiness.

Truth or dare. Dare? ok... I DARE you to find a more beautiful setting, a tastier cocktail, better soundtrack or a fresher healthier and more fulfilling meal...good luck... Take ME to The River.

Saturday afternoon, sittin' riverside. #takemetotheriver

The Summer FUN has begun!!