There's no crying for any reason in historic Cooperstown, New York.
“How can you not be romantic about baseball?”
This is a line from the 2011 film Moneyball, and I think about it a lot. No other sport hits me in the feels quite like America’s pastime. I grew up cheering for the Chicago White Sox and have always tried to go to an MLB game when I’m traveling. So far I’ve crossed a lot of iconic stadiums off the list, but I still hadn’t managed a trip to Cooperstown, New York.
Baseball fans will know Cooperstown immediately. It’s where the Baseball Hall of Fame is, sure, but it’s also an iconic stop for many little league players who attend camps and games there every summer. Since my dad is the biggest baseball fan in my life, I asked him to tag along for a trip to Cooperstown with me to visit the Hall of Fame. We packed our matching White Sox-themed Hawaiian shirts and headed east.
I figured that the Venn diagram of “baseball” and “kids” would have exactly one food item in the middle: hot dogs. I anticipated eating hot dogs—like, a lot of hot dogs. And somehow, I left Cooperstown having eaten zero hot dogs. Instead, I dined at a 170-year old cider mill, a 4-star steakhouse and inside a greenhouse. Oh, and I also had the best Indian meal of my life.
Here’s a breakdown of the surprising and delicious food scene in Cooperstown.
The Resort
My dad and I stayed at The Otesaga Resort Hotel, and it is absolutely stunning. I never wanted to leave! Built in 1909, it sits right on Otsego Lake and has every amenity you could possibly need. Even if I had spent the entirety of our trip sipping coffee on the veranda, it would have been a worthwhile vacation. I felt like I had magically stepped back in time while walking around this resort. If you’re both a history nerd and a foodie like me, you need to spend a few nights here.
The Leatherstocking Golf Club
The Otesaga is actually where I had two standout meals on this trip, and given that the quality of a resort’s dining options is never a guarantee, I was thoroughly impressed. The first was a casual lunch at the Leatherstocking Golf Club. This was the first meal we had after arriving in town. The Golf Club looks like it was plucked out of Scotland and plopped in the middle of upstate New York. It was both comfortable and surprising, which definitely set the tone for the trip.
I ordered a turkey club wrap, which fixed my main complaint about a classic turkey club: too much bread! That extra layer in the middle always made it hard to eat. Piling all those fillings into a tightly rolled tortilla was a genius swap, and I was very pleased with my choice. My dad had a tuna salad sandwich, which included capers and whole mustard seeds. He said the flavor and texture was incredible. Simple, well-executed sandwiches with a few twists—this is exactly the kind of lunch I am always in the mood to eat.
1909
The signature steakhouse at The Otesaga is named after the year it was built. Everything about this restaurant is elegant and curated, from the decor to the menu. It leans completely away from the stuffy, outdated aura that I feel like a lot of steakhouses can veer into. Dining here felt both upscale and relaxed. It’s quality without pretension.
We started the meal with a bento box appetizer sampler, which arrived in a very fun vessel. Right away, the meal was playful and engaging, which is an aspect I expect from a modern fine-dining experience. I had a Wagyu flat iron steak that melted in my mouth, and my dad thoroughly enjoyed his New York strip steak.
Our dessert was called “Golden Apple” and consisted of an apple layer cake, cider gastrique and cardamom ice cream. This was so uniquely good I can still taste that cider gastrique on my tongue. I would fly back to Cooperstown just to dine at 1909 again.
And not for nothing, the service was exceptional. When I spilled chimichurri on my dress, the waiter saw me dabbing at the spot and brought me club soda and a fresh napkin without hesitation. And then the maitre d’ brought me a Tide To Go pen. Needless to say, my dress did not get stained, and I could refocus on the excellent meal in front of me.
Norbu
One of the great things about staying at The Otesaga is that it’s just a 10-minute walk from downtown Cooperstown. And the undisputed gem of Main Street is Norbu, an Indian restaurant with impeccable ambiance and a menu to match. Indian cuisine is one of my favorites, and I could happily eat a stack of naan with chana masala every night.
Obviously, I did get naan at Norbu. But I started with samosas and pan-seared scallops, which were phenomenal. We paired our meal with Kingfisher Lager, which is one of India’s bestselling beers. It’s crisp and smooth, with an ABV of 4.8%, making it an incredibly drinkable accompaniment to our spicy Indian meal.
Then it was time for the main course. We shared a dish that I had never had before, which immediately caught my eye on the menu: zafrani malai kofta. It’s paneer potato dumplings simmered in a creamy saffron cardamom sauce. Dear reader, this is one of the most delicious dishes I have ever eaten in my life. It celebrated so much of what I love about Indian cuisine: simple, high-quality ingredients that were well-crafted, balanced and perfectly spiced. I would also fly back to Cooperstown just to dine at Norbu again—can you sense a theme here?
Fly Creek Cider Mill & Orchard
Just a 10-minute drive from downtown Cooperstown is the historic Fly Creek Cider Mill. Built in 1856, it’s currently run by three generations of the Michaels family. And that family aspect is so apparent everywhere at Fly Creek—there are plenty of activities and foods that kids of all ages will love.
After learning how an apple goes from the orchard into a bottle of cider, my dad and I had worked up quite an appetite. In our minds, there was only one dish calling our names: the famous pot roast sandwich with horseradish sauce. It’s one of the things that Fly Creek is known for, so we ordered a couple and sat outside by the pond to eat them. The pot roast was unbelievably tender and melted in my mouth. The horseradish sauce was the perfect tangy complement to the juicy meat, and the bread roll was perfectly soft and fresh.
Obviously, we had to get apple pie. This was probably the part of the meal my dad enjoyed the most, since apple pie might be his favorite dessert. The pie was unreal: gooey, sweet and flavorful. The tartness of the apples still came through alongside the sweet cinnamon and caramel sauce. And the true MVP of any pie is, of course, the crust. I would eat Fly Creek’s pie crust without any filling, so safe to say it passed the test.
Origins Cafe
Our final stop before flying home was Origins Cafe, a totally unique dining experience where you can actually eat inside a greenhouse! It’s the ultimate stop for any gardening aficionados, and the whole time we were there my dad and I kept remarking about how much my mom would love eating here.
The menu is, unsurprisingly, very plant-forward. Lots of fresh veggies, fruits and mushrooms grown on-site are a big part of what Origins has to offer. In fact, while we were dining we actually saw the chef go out to the herb garden with her kitchen scissors to snip a few more fresh herbs.
We ordered coffee, which came in handmade pottery mugs. My dad got a burrito bowl and I got a portobello mushroom panini. Everything was adorned with edible flowers, and everything was delicious. I thought it would be beautiful to host a party in this space. At the very least, I need to come back and visit with my mom!
Final Thoughts
I went into this trip expecting hot dogs and potato chips and ended up having some of the best meals of my life. Cooperstown might be on the map for baseball, but it definitely deserves recognition for its food scene as well.
In a lot of ways, this trip felt like a perfect celebration of America’s 250th year. Sure, there was plenty of baseball and apple pie. But it also brought together so many different kinds of dining experiences, from a garden-to-table panini to an unforgettable Indian meal and a humble (but delicious) turkey club. The service everywhere was phenomenal, and everyone was proud to tell me the stories behind their food. How can you not be romantic about that?
