A  taste of Northern Germany found its way to the hamlet of Callicoon in December, as owner Odina Kolsh was inspired to bring this communal spirit to the area as, for her, growing up in a small town in Northern Germany surrounded by farms, supporting locals and gathering as a community is a big part of life.

“There are lots of similarities with Callicoon and the communal spirit of this town,” explained Kolsh.

“Novar Koken” in German means “your neighbor's kitchen” and is based on the farmer's kitchen which was a communal gathering space for neighbors, farm workers, sharing lunch and stories before continuing on with their day.

Visitors to the restaurant, located at 39 Lower Main Street, can expect fresh and affordable meals. These products will be sourced as much as possible from local vendors such as farmers, artisans and producers.

According to Kolsh, they use “as much local products as possible” for food and meny items.

The eatery also highlights German and Scandinavian products in the specialty store. As an example, German products include egg noodles, potato dumplings, chocolate and tea. Scandinavian products include Swedish jams and crisp bread.

A highlight of the restaurant is Kolsh's handmade pickles, which are currently a work-in-progress and are expected to be available this spring.

“There are pickled tea onions and pickled herring,” said Kolsh. “All are made in house.”

Kolsh faces the challenge in the balance of being both a restaurant and specialty store while maintaining a cohesive experience with the small intimate space in addition to a walk up counter. This makes everything possible in ease and helps Kolsh ensure a positive customer experience.

A big part of Koken's role in the community is being a place for people to come by and sit down, as well as eat and chat with each other. They are also planning on hosting local events in the future.

Kolsh exampled that these events would be with other businesses and the eatery would provide the space to showcase and collaborate with others.

One of Kolsh's primary missions is to source from local farmers directly. In doing so, Kolsh reduces the carbon footprint as it is “the most sustainable way to source products.”

In terms of dishes, Kolsh recommends the Fishroll: a pickled herring beet on a baguette. She also recommends Smørrebrød which is an open faced sandwich with various toppings such as herring and beet salad, smoked salmon and curry egg salad.

Their hours are as follows:

 Wednesday - 11 am to 3 pm

Friday and Saturday - 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday - 10 am to 3 pm

Kolsh invites everyone out to “enjoy the teatime in our Northern German tradition!”