DESTINATION: CATBIRD COTTAGE

By Melina Hammer

As the Co-op’s resident food stylist, Melina has produced commissioned works for the likes of The New York Times, Blue Apron, Ogilvy, Balducci’s and Citarella Gourmet Markets, as well as Edible Mags, Fine Cooking, Eating Well, and others. Here she introduces us to the magic of her new business, a foodies dream upstate experiential getaway! Who wouldn’t want to step right into her photographs and actually taste her magnificent dishes? - Celine Griscom

Catbird Cottage is our Hudson Valley-situated Cape Cod set in a meadow on a hillside. At the cottage, I work on commissioned projects alongside hosting guests from near and far, preparing curated 3- and 4-course dinners as an add-on to stays in the sanctuary of the master suite. These days everyone books dinner, which has kept me on-the-go sourcing great local foods, as well as developing - and harvesting from - our fledgling heirloom kitchen garden. From it all, I curate custom weekly menus and prepare nourishing, of-the-moment, deeply delicious fare.

After living in NYC for nearly 15 years my husband and I realized it was time to invest better for ourselves, take the leap and buy a house. As freelancers, we didn't think it would be possible to own a home, but with a windfall year just prior, it set us up to make meaningful change.
I didn't want a place I'd escape to occasionally, but rather to immerse myself in a completely different lifestyle. Especially, to exchange the city assaults and bring some needed peace to the day-to-day. Instead of sirens and horns we now experience innumerable birdsongs and peepers, along with many other country smells and sounds. Witnessing the seasons from the front row is pretty damn cool. This all led me to realize that others also likely needed more solace or connection in their lives, and so Catbird Cottage - a boutique destination to hit reset - was born.

As a stylist, my numerous collections found the perfect home arranged into vignettes throughout the cottage: still lifes of every sort adorn shelves, curio cabinets, the long farm table where guest breakfasts and dinner parties are had, amongst various other nooks. They end up telling a bigger story while creating a scandi-vintage, serene mood.

Catbird Cottage is now booked 3 months out. While we manage continually hosting, we're looking to next year, planning the expansion of our heirloom, native species, and pollinator gardens. We've found an old iron scalding pot to establish the fire pit and will build out a wood-fired stove to keep cozy in the coldest days of winter. There are endless projects, as anyone who is a homeowner knows, but each align with noticeably better living, and capturing a little piece of paradise.

If you haven't been the the beautiful Hudson Valley, you must. There is nature, culture, and pastoral scenes everywhere. Book a stay with us. Hit reset, sit at our table, and eat heartily.