Two Cafés And A Baker: The Lighter Delights Of Tivoli
By Cait Johnson

Tivoli is a unique, steeped-in-the-alternative lifestyle kind of place with a big influence from nearby Bard College and an atmosphere all its own. You can’t throw a rock in Tivoli without hitting at least a couple of top-notch restaurants: the Black Swan (which is also a great Irish pub), Osaka (fabulous sushi and sashimi), Santa Fe, and Stoney Creek all leap to mind. Tivoli is also home to two special cafés that cater to the breakfast and lunchtime crowd, with lighter fare and baked goods that won’t break the budget, but will warm body and soul on a wintry day very nicely.

Milagros
Several years ago, Milagros’ owner, the affable Pamela Morin, took a falling-down church and turned it into a haven for the Tivoli community and its visitors. Milagros retains the stained glass windows and spaciousness of its previous life, with a lofty upstairs for weddings, parties, and events, and a cozy downstairs café that does a brisk business, alongside a market section—a kind of gourmet convenience store—stocked with everything from Thai noodles to dog food to cleansers. (“There’s no other market thing close by,” she says. “I don’t make any money from it, but it’s a service I like to provide.”) Pamela radiates affection for the town she now calls home, and she constantly keeps its needs in mind.

The café is a pleasant place, with a pastry selection that brought back memories of the New York City delis I used to frequent during my time there. My teenaged son, Reid, always ready for a taste experience, split a chocolate croissant ($2.00) with me and we were both quite pleased: the pastry was flaky and chewy, the chocolate dark and rich. We also saw muffins, scones, and little strudels ($1.50 to $2.00 each) on the countertop, and the pastry case yielded sightings of a decadent iced carrot cake ($3.75/slice), something called a “chocolate confusion” that may be our choice next time ($3.95), a New York cheesecake ($3.75), and some appealing little cinnamon rolls ($2.00).

While I chose to focus on the baked goods, Milagros whips up a full range of breakfast and lunch items that make use of seasonal Hudson Valley produce (there were several tempting wraps on display, and my head was completely turned by a platter-sized offering of eggs benedict being wafted past our table). In cold weather, Milagros’ hot chocolate—made with Mexican chocolate—sounds like just the thing, but cappuccino and chai are also available, and Pamela is introducing a line of organic coffees, roasted locally, to her regular blends. The cooler is also stocked with healthy juices.

It sometimes takes a little persistence to attract the counter people’s attention, but Milagros is clean and attractive, and the upbeat flavor of the place is enhanced by local artists’ work (Jean Campbell’s paintings were on display when I was there), and by regular infusions of live music (there was a nice jazz group playing the day I visited). Overall an enjoyable experience.

Open Monday through Thursday, 7 am to 6 pm, Friday and Saturday 7 am to 9 pm, and Sunday 8:30 am to 4 pm. Milagros caters, and offers space for events of all kinds. Address: 73 Broadway, Tivoli. Phone (845) 757-5300, fax 757-5305. Email pmorin@marketwell.com.

Paradox Café
Paradox owner/chef Deborah Maisel, who also co-founded Luna 61 in Red Hook is, in the words of a friend of mine, “The most inspired baker I’ve ever met.” As my son would say, “true dat.” Perhaps the paradox here is that Deborah coaxes such a rich intensity of flavor out of such healthy ingredients.

For starters, Deborah says she uses half the conventional amount of sugar in her creations but, believe me, you won’t miss it. Reid has a confirmed sweet tooth and the requisite cool of most fifteen-year-olds, but his enthusiasm for the chocolate pecan bar he tried bordered on a rave. When I heard that, of course I had to have a nibble, too. Mmm—creamy, chocolatey and delicious. Deborah uses 100% organic flour, and the majority of her products also feature spelt, a healthful alternative to wheat flour. I’ve had her banana cream cuties—everyone’s favorite in my particular crowd (“They’re a transcendental experience,” says one friend)—and the scone, studded with plump raisins that I split with Reid was the most flavorful I’ve ever tried. She loves whipped cream (a kindred soul!) but also specializes in vegan goodies that taste so great you don’t miss the dairy. She bakes exclusively with Belgian chocolate (this would explain those heavenly chocolate pecan bars), and offers a nice range of goodies with a seasonal flair: there were apple-spice muffins on offer the day we visited, as well as coffee cakes and those tasty scones.

Deborah does all of the baking and cooking at Paradox herself, and, as she says, “There’s always something coming out of the oven.” I can vouch for that: while we were chatting, she whisked out a tray of humongous cookies (“It isn’t everyplace you can get a cookie the size of your face for $1.75,” she says) while whipping up a batter for the next creation. And that’s just the baking end of it. Paradox also offers a variety of other breakfast and lunch delights (the omelet with fresh spinach that I saw her plating as we talked looked very tempting), definitely worth a visit. Paradox is a great favorite with Bard students and the atmosphere can be slightly funky, but it is relaxed and comfortable and the artwork is great fun.

Deborah caters events for fifty people or fewer, and will create specialty cakes for around $25, a real steal. Her fabulous desserts—tofu cheesecake, melt-in-your-mouth squash cream pie, and the never-better German chocolate cake—are available at night at Luna 61, which is a must-try all on its own. Paradox Café is open every day from 8:30 am to 5 pm. Address: 55 Broadway, Tivoli. Phone: (845) 757-5575.

Mikee The Baker
Mikee Gonnella, aka Mikee the Baker, operates the Tivoli Bread and Baking Company from the back kitchen of what used to be the Café Pongo and, while he doesn’t have a storefront, he does distribute his artisanal breads to several fine restaurants and purveyors in the area (including the Paradox next door, which uses it for its sandwiches). Mikee is something of an institution here, young though he is, and anyone who has tasted his products can tell you why. (The passing of the Pongo was grieved at least in part because his devotees mourned the loss of his baked goods. How wonderful to know they can still be had!) Actually, Mikee is the only game in town when it comes to fresh-baked breads: the cafés only do pastries. And if you appreciate fine quality, you need to know about him.

His signature stuffed baguettes are the perfect place to start: thick crusty, chewy loaves, their tops split and studded with jewel-like cherry tomatoes, garlic cloves, or oil-cured olives. Mikee also makes a great plain baguette, as well as sourdough loaves, a wonderful dense multigrain walnut loaf, cookies, brownies, scones, and a sticky bun made of rich brioche drenched with Russell Farms maple syrup—sheer heaven. (Mikee says he went to school with the Russells. It’s a local loyalty thing.) Then there are his mouth-watering lemon squares, their tart-sweet flavor gently exploding in the mouth in a manner that beggars description.

Be on the lookout for Mikee’s wares at Gaetano’s Harvest Gourmet on Route 9 in Red Hook (well worth a trip, with a great selection of fresh seafood and gourmet take-home and catering selections), Rhinebeck Health Food Store, and Rave Reviews in Astor Square. Mikee does special orders on request and will provide the baked good for catered events. Take note if you are about to be a bride: he can be prevailed upon to do your wedding cake, but only if you ask him in person. Reach him online at bakerboy@mac.com.