"i married the man for his meatballs and sauces, says Peter’s wife, Diane."
“He makes a mean eggplant parm, healthy, thin-crust pizza, arugula pizza, [and] Brussel sprout pizza.”
Peter learned to cook “Italian from the heart” from Ernie and Rachel Toscani, owners of the legendary Toscani’s Delicatessen in New Paltz.
“I started working there when I was 10 and stayed until I graduated college,” Peter says. “Then I worked for UPS until this came along.”
Under Peter’s reign, The Country Inn has become much more than a standout beer bar. It is now The Country Inn, Deli, Restaurant, Market, and Love Shack.
“I didn’t want to alienate anybody,” says Peter. “I was buying a business with an established clientele—which is wonderful—and I didn’t want anybody feeling like they’d lost their comfort zone.” So, Peter took his time, making gradual renovations and adjustments to the menu.
“It used to be that funky roadhouse on the hill,” he says. “Now it’s the funky Italian place on the hill.”
Five hundred beers from all over the world are still offered at The Country Inn, but the cuisine that accompanies those beers has transformed from basic pub fare to fresh, house-made food. Peter and Diane raise their own pigs for sausage, and they gather eggs from their own chickens and ducks.
