The well-preserved stone structure dates back to 1750 when professional drovers herded New England cattle to New York City markets and stopped off at taverns along the Old Post Road. The drovers are gone, most of the taverns have disappeared and the road is now Route 22. But the original Old Drovers Inn candlelit tap room with its thick beams, stone walls, massive hearth and crackling fire is still welcoming diners. The walls of the inn are hung with framed accolades from the country's best food critics and travel writers.
Breakfast here is really a meal to savor.
We'd come back again just for the breakfast. Innkeepers Alice Pitcher and Kemper Peacock are wonderful hosts. Old Drovers Inn, Old Route 22, Dover Plains, NY 12522. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner five days a week and is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Attractions The Culinary Institute of America, Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome, West Point, Tanglewood, Franklin D. Roosevelt's Hyde Park home and the Vanderbilt Mansion.