The wet snow that fell the night before Valentine’s Day glazed the equestrian farmland around Goshen, NY with a porcelain sheen. The vast, open paddocks glowed under the dim winter sun as we made our way into the center of the former horse racing capital of New York. The Stagecoach Inn is an establishment older than America itself, having been founded in 1747, and successfully gives guests a glimpse into a bygone era. This makes it a perfect weekend escape; the cessation of your stressful city bustling and the commencement of some well deserved R&R for you and your plus-one.
Occupying a plot of land amongst the other grandiose mansions of Main Street, this beautiful white-washed brick colonial is as magisterial as the Justice’s in their flowing robes and powdered wigs, that congregated here to dine years ago. The stables that formerly resided on the property helped establish Goshen as the “horse trotting Mecca” of America, breeding internationally renowned horses that raced on the Goshen Historic Track just one block away. Pulling up to the main entrance in a Subaru Forrester in lieu of a Triple-Crown winning thoroughbred almost felt reprehensible.
The foyer was plush with fresh flowers; their smell was the first thing to hit us as we walked through the door. Even though The Stagecoach Inn has been recently renovated, the original integrity of the space has been undoubtedly frozen in time. A true taste of the colonial opulence a wealthy business magnate might have experienced back in their time. Gilded mirrors hung from every wall and elegant earth-toned rugs hugged the wooden cherry floors. Heart-shaped chocolates and candles-a-plenty were placed on every table to help warm the room for this special romantic occasion.
We were warmingly greeted by the Inn Keeper, Crystal. Peering at us behind her square-framed glasses, she kindly helped us with our bags and showed us to our room. The Guggenheim Suite, which Crystal announced was “her favorite”, was to be our room for the evening. The walls were splashed with a cool mint green color, the bed’s white and green headboard was a tactful accent, and the accompanying ceramic bedside lights kept with the color theme. At the foot of our bed, we were greeted with two bottles of Saratoga sparkling water and a bag of chocolates. The bathroom had to be our favorite. It features high vaulted ceilings, a restored art-deco bathtub, a white marble vanity, and a beautiful black/white tile mosaic on the floor. The room was complete with the basic amenities; toiletries, high threat count towels and robes, an LCD TV with all major channels, down pillows, and free high-speed wifi. The Guggenheim Suite has the only queen bed of the five rooms, but truly fit for a queen.
While my girlfriend was getting ready for dinner, I walked down the spiral staircase and grabbed a seat at the cozy bar. Their whiskey collection is magnificent. With 50 bottles of fermented grainy goodness at their disposal, even the hardest whiskey snob could find something to satisfy their palette. The smiley and upbeat bartender, Max, walked me through the cocktail menu. The evenings cocktail special list included drinks with the humorous names “Cupid’s Coconuts” and “Side Piece”. Cheeky. Fun. I settled for a ‘Clooney’s Blood’, which was composed of mezcal, Amaro, blood orange liquor, chocolate mole bitters, and a dehydrated blood orange garnish. In the center of my cocktail was a gorgeous translucent cube of ice with Inn’s logo pressed into it. It’s great to see a bar using quality ice in their cocktails, something that is often overlooked when making a drink. As I neared the bottom of my glass, my partner joined me and we were promptly sat at our table.
We were sat in the solarium. Baby blue molding accented the large windows against the rest of the rooms clean white-washed brick (that matches the exterior). Quiet and calm atmospheric music played in the background as couples leaned in close and exchanged hushed conversation over the dim candlelit room. Each table was accented with a red or white rose.
We were enthusiastically greeted by our server, who handed us our menus and walked us through the specials. We uncorked a bottle of Justin Isosceles, a $35 fee, and ordered our food. For our appetizer, we ordered the beet ravioli special with a creamy goat cheese filling, spinach, brown butter, and hazelnuts. We wish we had ordered more because the dish was downright delicious. For our entree, we had the surf & turf special with Maine lobster (the best), filet mignon, creamy mashed potatoes, roasted baby carrots, and seared brussels sprouts. The filet mignon was topped with shitake mushrooms and a rosemary jus that nicely complement the rest of the dish. Halfway through the convivial owner, Faith Ferguson, came over to ask how everything was and introduced herself. Her experience in the hospitality industry as a hotshot event coordinator, and her keen attention to detail, is incredibly evident all throughout the inn’s well-thought ambiance. We talked about the illustrious history of the inn, it’s renovations, and how she came to be the proprietor before she continued with her rounds along xf to speak with her happy guests. We ended the meal with their banana bread pudding, which was moist and spongey, and drizzled with chocolate and hazelnuts. Everything you could possibly want in your dessert.
We closed out our check and enjoyed a digestif in the adjacent room; something that resembled a swanky country hunting lodge. We kept warm by the fire and finished our drinks before heading up to our room, jumping into our terry robes, and bringing the night to a close.
We groggily woke up the next morning, rubbed our eyes, and walked downstairs to enjoy the complimentary American breakfast that the manager on duty, Carrie-Anne, had prepared for us. Her sociable and jovial demeanor was the perfect way to jump-start our morning. The staff really make it a point to go the extra mile with their hospitable approach and make you feel like family. The Stagecoach really does feel like a home away from home. While we were eating by the fireplace in the Spode dining room, with its walls adorned with English pottery and antique maps, we caught a glimpse of the new indoor patio that was being built to host events and weddings this upcoming summer. The Stagecoach Inn is truly the perfect romantic country escape, built for vacations and staycations, for tired city folk looking for relaxation and country couples looking for a change of pace. We stayed to lounge around in their cozy reupholstered wingback chairs and picked out novels from one of the many bookshelves lining the wall until it was time to return to the real world. We were sad to be leaving, but can’t wait until our next visit. So pull up a chair, pick out a book, and let your sorrows melt away next to the fire with a good whiskey in your hand. The Stagecoach Inn is waiting for you!
