Arkville Bread & Breakfast has a treat for you. It’s one of those places that locals adore, and visitors wish their own towns had: fun, unpretentious, and delectable.
Planning a visit to the Western Catskills near Arkville? Bring your appetite, because Arkville Bread & Breakfast has a treat for you. It’s one of those places that locals adore, and visitors wish their own towns had: fun, unpretentious, and delectable.
“Best veggie omelette I have ever had...fresh spinach, mushrooms and even purple cauliflower!” writes a satisfied customer on TripAdvisor. “Best home fries around,” writes another. Still another reviewer is clearly a regular: “French roast coffee, egg sandwiches on ciabatta bread makes this a great choice for breakfast. But lunch is where it's at for me. Best tuna melt sandwich and the Cuban or chipotle black bean wrap is awesome. Jack's (the owner) personality shines with his quick wit, subtle slightly sarcastic humor and singing.”
So who is the witty and melodious chap who’s made what the cognoscenti call “the Caboose” or just “Jack’s” into a breakfast and lunch destination—where lovers of veggie omelets can feast alongside those who prefer their eggs with brisket and grilled shrimp? Jack Zamor came up from Long Island on what was to be the first leg of a trip to Colorado and Utah.
“A friend said he had a place up here I could use, and I ended up staying longer than expected,” he says. “I started doing all the things I swore I was never going to do, like having my own business.”
“It wasn’t going to cut it with just breakfast; it’s not like Long Island with millions of people where the side roads are busier than the main highway here. I’ve pretty much been doing lunch since.”
That was in 2007. Jack’s stewardship began two years later, operating the caboose (Arkville Bread & Breakfast is literally built around a vintage caboose, next to a railroad track) as a breakfast-only establishment. He soon expanded the restaurant’s offerings to include lunch. “It wasn't going to cut it with just breakfast; it’s not like Long Island with millions of people where the side roads are busier than the main highway here. I’ve pretty much been doing lunch since. And yearly numbers are still climbing; 10 of the 12 years saw increased business, which makes me think I'm doing something right.”
That “something” has brought a lot of joy to a lot of people—and the former Long Islander has found plenty to enjoy in his adopted neighborhood, like “the infinite shades of green in spring and summer, the number of people per square mile, and nature!” No wonder, then, that he’s found common ground with the guests who come to feast on fresh-baked breads and breakfasts that range from basic egg sandwiches and huge omelettes to French toast and pancakes. Lunch choices include Reubens, Cubans, Philly cheese steaks, and more. Jack learned his art by doing, starting with a job at a major grocery store in high school and moving on to work in “a few delis on the Island, in different areas that ran the whole financial gamut of clientele and locations.”
“I genuinely like people, individually, and people pick up on that. It’s basically friendly; I mean, no one can smile 100 percent of every day, but even then, the food’s always fresh.”
“Best veggie omelette I have ever had...fresh spinach, mushrooms and even purple cauliflower!” writes a satisfied customer on TripAdvisor. “Best home fries around,” writes another.
Arriving upstate, he started casually helping a friend make some sandwiches and ended up in an ownership role despite himself. “Julia Child said, ‘You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces, just good food from fresh ingredients’ at a fair and reasonable price in a timely manner,” he says. Charm never hurts, especially when you’re pleasing a crowd that includes “locals, second home owners in summer and ski season, wedding attendees, tourists, definitely families with young kids. We’re very kid- and dog-friendly. It kind of helps when you still think like a kid. It's a very relaxed atmosphere; casual dining at its most casual.” The physical setup helps, with guests able to choose from a dining room, deck, porch, or grassy meadow experience. In season, there are blueberries and strawberries out front that kids (or the young-at-heart) can pick for their own French toast or pancakes.
He’s found common ground with the guests who come to feast on fresh-baked breads and breakfasts that range from basic egg sandwiches and huge omelettes to French toast and pancakes. Lunch choices include Reubens, Cubans, Philly cheese steaks, and more.
Jack’s hired another grill cook to handle eggs during the week on busy weekend mornings while he makes the French toast, pancakes, and waffles; but like many an owner, he finds himself wearing multiple hats as “manager, bookkeeper, slave...I was known for my entertaining and singing, but no more energy for that.” (We hope that as New Grill Guy becomes proficient, Jack will once again be feeling the song inside him and letting it out.)
Regardless, guests get a real Catskills welcome. “I genuinely like people, individually, and people pick up on that,” he says. “It’s basically friendly; I mean, no one can smile 100 percent of every day, but even then, the food’s always fresh.”
Having rescued an Arkville landmark where many had tried and failed despite great views and the neighboring railroad depot (the Delaware and Ulster Railroad offers round-trip scenic train rides and train robbery reenactments on weekends), Jack is looking ahead to his own eventual next chapter.
“I’d like to get my old Land Rover restored—I’m about halfway there—and drive that around the country taking photos and experiencing this planet of ours 10 months a year,” he says. “Meaning that at some point in the not-too-distant future I’ll be turning this place over to another, who can hopefully maintain a similar standing in the neighborhood.”
Clearly, when that day comes, there will be big boots to fill. Have you always dreamt of a super-cool Catskills-casual eatery of your own? Now might be the time to begin negotiations over a plate of French toast or a sweet-and-sour jambalaya wrap. For now, you can still get them done Jack’s way...and as folks in this corner of Delaware County will tell you, Jack’s way is very good indeed.
Arkville Bread & Breakfast
43285 State Route 28, Arkville
845-586-1122 Find them on Facebook at facebook.com/arkvillecaboose
