By Jeanne Sager
JEFFERSONVILLE — November 12, 2002 – County residents may find the pictures in the October 2003 issue of Country Living magazine slightly familiar.
The national magazine was in Jeffersonville last month shooting scenes at The Kitchen, taking advantage of the local scenery to craft a fall-themed montage for the year to come.
The spot just seemed to fit into what the magazine was looking for.
The Kitchen’s owner, Randy Florke, a Manhattan realtor who sells mostly in Sullivan County, is also a contributing editor for Country Living.
And when they were looking for a spot to take fall photos, he suggested his Jeffersonville restaurant.
The Kitchen opened in June 2001 to offer area residents and visitors alike some old-fashioned family comfort food – meatloaf and fried chicken, macaroni and cheese and pies.
Florke was looking to take advantage of the growth of Jeffersonville’s main street and the ambiance of the country to create a cozy restaurant which could feed people’s hunger for old-fashioned meals.
“I think people come in for the food and the atmosphere,” he noted. “The ambiance of the decor is really the soul of the restaurant.”
To Florke, The Kitchen is a perfect example of country living at its best.
Florke has made changes over the past year and a half – he changed partners this year, and added managers Jay and Lori Glockner of Cochecton to try to attract a more local customer base and go back toward the country feel.
Even the food on the menu has changed – both the prices and the flavors.
“The original focus was more Southern comfort food, but it was such a strong theme-type restaurant,” Florke explained. “We felt people were looking for something more generic.
“And we’re looking for repeat customers,” he added. “I think the food and decor and atmosphere are easily identifiable to our customer base – locals are our first priority.”
The magazine photographers took photos of Florke and his family and friends (including several local residents) on the deck behind the restaurant to include the area’s famous fall foliage and the Callicoon Creek which flows behind The Kitchen.
Other photos were taken upstairs and down inside the restaurant.
“It’s a full encompassing photo shoot,” Florke explained.
There were shots of a family sitting down at dinner, a group entertaining friends and folks eating pumpkin pie overlooking the water.
Florke is also including several recipes from the restaurant in the magazine spread, mostly popular menu items at The Kitchen.
The photos can all be seen next year in the October issue of Country Living.