Casa Susanna Is the Coziest Place in the Catskills

"Since 2023, Casa Susanna's chef Efren Hernández has been pouring care and craftsmanship into his cooking at Casa Susanna in the hamlet of Leeds, just over two hours north of the city. And during summertime, the menu definitely celebrates the area's peak produce. But it's dishes like brick-red chicken posole, and the hallmark tetela - right now stuffed with mantequilla beans and Alpine cheese and served with salsa morita - that make a case for a winter visit."

"Like enchiladas, but enrobed in a smooth peanut-chipotle mole, the Smoked Queso Fresco Enmoladas ($17) are stuffed with springy cheese and served alongside a mound of pickled onions, radishes, and herbs. Garnishing with cilantro would've been fine, but I found out that those herbs were a constantly rotating mix, this time: two different varieties of cilantro, and huacatay - also known as black mint, a heady, almost basil and anise-like South American herb."

"The Little Gem ($20) is a heaping pile of romaine and slivered watermelon radish dressed in epazote green goddess and showered in crumbled cotija. It is not to be missed. The brunch menu's molote ($20) - an empanada-like fritter common throughout Oaxaca - stuffs the dinner menu's pull-apart smoked lamb barbacoa inside an elongated torpedo made of Casa Susanna's celebrated fresh masa."

Since 2023, chef Efren Hernández has led Casa Susanna’s kitchen in Leeds, focusing on careful, craft-driven cooking that leans on summer peak produce and winter specialties. Signature dishes include brick-red chicken posole and the tetela stuffed with mantequilla beans, Alpine cheese, and salsa morita. The Smoked Queso Fresco Enmoladas are enrobed in a smooth peanut-chipotle mole and served with pickled vegetables, while the Little Gem salad combines romaine, watermelon radish, epazote green goddess, and cotija. The molote houses pull-apart smoked lamb barbacoa inside fresh masa. The Cel-Raicilla cocktail mixes blanco tequila, guanabana, lime, celery, and raicilla. On-site rooms, cabins, saunas, and nearby activities support weekend stays.

Read at Eater NY