When Richard and Mary Anne Erickson announced their intention to retire in 2022, fans of their unique café, takeout, and catering business got nervous. Blue Mountain Bistro-To-Go, with a decades-long history of providing “slow-cooked fast food,” was not considered replaceable. Would the Ericksons succeed in finding righteous new owners who could achieve their stated goal, keeping the standards high and crafting reliable culinary bliss?
It turns out they did. On November 1, 2024, the reins at the Bistro were turned over to a new team of longtime locals: Colin Lewellyn, Lauren Radel, Michael Quinn, and Whitney Hall. Lewellyn, Quinn, and Hall met in 1998 and have been working together on creative projects ever since; Radel, a Cordon Bleu–trained chef, was a natural fit for this one.
“Lauren grew up in a restaurant, and she’s always found joy in feeding people and seeing the happiness they get from well-prepared food,” Lewellyn says. “She’s been honing her craft for decades, cooking all over the United States and at some of the finest places in New York City. Michael was vice president and creative director for the Blue Man Group; he was responsible for all of their artistic output and directed some of their biggest shows Whitney, along with being a midwife and delivering babies, just got her MBA. That knowledge and her energy level—she’s a natural hustler—are a huge help. And for me, working on a number of start-ups during the first dotcom boom got me used to wearing a wide variety of hats and taught me all about business development in a fast-paced growth environment.”
Would the Ericksons succeed in finding righteous new owners who could achieve their stated goal, keeping the standards high and crafting reliable culinary bliss?
They’re delighting the establishment’s long-time fans and newcomers alike. “Cookies so good I no longer need a grandmother,” one recent reviewer remarked. “Continues to be the great food place & dinner savior of the Rt 28 corridor & surrounding area,” another writes. “From a well-balanced, crowd-pleasing menu to just the right quantity of food, everything was beautifully organized,” a catering client says. It’s music to the team’s ears. All of them knew they had big shoes to fill and were being entrusted with something very special. “First and foremost, we want to make sure Bistro-to-Go continues to be a beloved food source for the community. The warmth we have felt from the community is truly inspiring, and we want to continue earning that respect with great food and a fantastic environment,” Lewellyn says.
“We believe that people come first. We’re all smart business people, smart enough to know that you don’t need to sacrifice caring for people to make a profit. We believe that if you deliver a positive experience, and let kindness and quality guide you, the business will be there.”
As one might hope with a place famous for being fabulously good, the core offerings have remained the same: a top-notch grocery/deli/café with a full-service bakery and a catering division. Much of the team employed by the Ericksons has stayed on too. And, as has been true throughout the decades, Bistro-to-Go is for everyone. “We have locals whose families have lived in the area for generations, and we also cater to weekenders and tourists, as well as people planning weddings and other events in the area,” Lewellyn says.
“We’re quite fortunate that we’re not pigeon-holed into any one customer type. We’ve got something for everyone!” Choices include a variety of sandwiches made with house-roasted meats and hand-crafted spreads, along with panini served on fresh focaccia rolls from Deising’s in Kingston; special menus are rolled out on holidays, and the catering options are extensive and sumptuous. Beyond all that, there are daily specials: Meatless Mondays, Taco Tuesdays, Chicken Marsala on Wednesdays, Chef’s Choice on Thursdays, and a Friday sandwich served on house-made focaccia bread.
Would the Ericksons succeed in finding righteous new owners who could achieve their stated goal, keeping the standards high and crafting reliable culinary bliss?
"We believe that if you deliver a positive experience, and let kindness and quality guide you, the business will be there." – Co-owner Colin Lewellyn
“What we all love most is seeing how happy our food makes people. We get a lot of warmth from the community, and, honestly, that's what keeps us energized and engaged.” – Co-owner Colin Lewellyn
Longtime Bistro fans will notice some new items: “We now offer house-made ice cream sandwiches,” Lewellyn says. “We're baking our own focaccia loaves for sale each week. We also added sunbutter and jam sandwiches with house-made sunbutter. We’re always introducing new menu items and thinking of new, exciting items for our grocery. And we just added a liquor license, so we now sell beer and cider from the store and offer a full bar for catering events.”
The core philosophy remains unchanged: top quality, wedded to convenience. “We have the best, healthiest food you can get, and it’s easy to stop in and grab lunch or dinner,” Lewellyn says. “When you do, you know you are getting quality food that is prepared on site. We use high-quality ingredients and make most of our food in house. We want to know that what we are serving will leave you feeling good after you eat it. What we all love most is seeing how happy our food makes people. We get a lot of warmth from the community, and, honestly, that’s what keeps us energized and engaged. Humor and authentic human interactions are the ingredients that keep work from becoming ‘just a job.’"
Having a successful first year under their belts, the team is looking forward to fresh creative twists to come, so expect ever more deliciousness. “We’d love to expand our catering business; as I mentioned, we just got our liquor license, and so we’d love to cater holiday parties as well as more weddings and other events,” Lewellyn says.
“We also have plans to improve our outdoor dining. We plan to keep introducing new items to the grocery and our in-store menu, and we’d like to grow. We believe in the food we are providing and really think there are more ways we can deliver it. So more catering, perhaps more locations, expanding our food trailer business, and other creative ways to get our great food to people…we’ve got lots of fun things coming in the year ahead."
Blue Mountain Bistro-to-Go
948 State Route 28, Kingston
845-340-9800, bluemountainbistro.com
