MY DAY OFF

Sarah Podemski's Perfect Day Off in Hudson, NY Is All About Thinking And Eating Local

The road-tripping actress from 'Reservation Dogs' and 'Resident Alien' loves the small-town feel of this riverside arts hub.

By Emily Saladino and Sarah Podemski

Published on 12/1/2022 at 3:10 PM

Photo courtesy of Sarah Podemski

Sarah Podemski is busy these days. She stars as Rita, a single mother navigating complex identity politics and interpersonal relationships in an Oklahoma Indigenous community, in FX's critically acclaimed series Reservation Dogs that was recently renewed for a third season, and as Kayla, the dynamic lawyer on Ute Reservation in Syfy's dramedy Resident Alien, a graphic novel adaptation that’s shooting its third season. Based out of Toronto, Podemski is also currently working on a documentary series about road trips and small-town life in Southwestern Ontario.

My husband and I love road trips; we love investigating small towns and cities. I saw Hudson in a magazine maybe 12 years ago and we started going almost every year. It was developed because there were a lot of art dealers and antique dealers who left their extra stuff in these empty storefronts. Some of their clients would come up and take a look around, and so people started opening cafes and restaurants because there were people coming up to look at all these secondary storefronts of these well-known antique and art dealers. The shops there are so unique, and it’s so beautiful. Being on the river, there’s something really special about it.

Talbott & Arding is one of my favorite places. You go and you get artisanal products that are from local makers. I love seeing that it took only one or two steps to get from the person who made it to me. It’s a total privilege to be able to shop like that, but I also know that if you have the privilege to shop like that, take the opportunity to support the people who are still working in their communities, feeding people—that’s part of a sustainable community. Talbott & Arding has some of my favorite goodies, and their readymade foods are so good, and it’s so good to grab something quick and walk up the strip.

Photo courtesy of Rivertown Lodge

“If you have the privilege to shop like that, take the opportunity to support the people who are still working in their communities, feeding people—that’s part of a sustainable community.”

I love to stop into Minna because I love locally made, handmade art. I’m an artist myself—I make dream catchers and spent years in the craft world. There’s something so special about that community of people who are so passionate about making things by hand and really respecting that that’s a certain price. When you want to support those artists, it’s a little bit of extra money, but you have these special pieces that will last you much longer, and you know that it’s supporting a local business or a local artist. Minna is so beautiful, it’s almost meditative to go in there. I have a handwoven blanket from there. It’s light pink and gray with black stripes, and when I look at it, it brings me back there. It’s what I want my house to be full of: beautiful, handmade things that I look at and I remember where I got them and who I spoke with.

Last year, we went for Winter Walk, which is this incredible festival. All the stores are open late, and thousands of people come from all over. We’re going again this year. The main strip is packed with people and there’s food trucks and there’s carolers and there’s music and there’s dancing, and just the joy and spirit of the season. No matter what holiday you’re celebrating, this is a time to gather and sing and celebrate. There’s a bit of Christmasy stuff, but it’s not full-on only Christmas. It’s really cool to see that because, growing up as half-Jewish, half-Native, it was very heavily Christmas all the time. So, it’s nice to see that now everyone can come and be represented.

Interior | Photo courtesy of Minna

“It’s what I want my house to be full of: beautiful, handmade things that I look at and I remember where I got them and who I spoke with.”

It really is a culinary trip when you go to Hudson, and every dish at Wm. Farmer & Sons is so warm and comforting. They’re appreciative of the people who come and support the local restaurants and local businesses, but they treat you like you’re part of the community. You don’t feel like an outsider. You can come there and chat with the servers, chat with the table next to you. There’s a real community feeling there. Growing up in Toronto and living in Toronto, and living in Los Angeles, and living in New York, and living in big cities my whole life, I’m obsessed with the small-town feel.

I love to stay at the Rivertown Lodge. Everybody that works at Rivertown is so wonderful. You come inside and it’s a bit chilly, and there’s hot apple cider on, and you sit by the fire. It feels like an extension of your home. That’s really something that you don’t get at the big cities in the big hotels. It’s really thoughtfully curated in terms of the design, the atmosphere, and they have the most incredible restaurant there. When you do these road trips, you’re not paying for airfare, so we give ourselves a little bit more. This might be a splurge to eat, but since it took us like $50 in gas to get here, it becomes a really celebratory thing. And then you get to eat somewhere where people are getting paid a fair living wage and you’re eating local.

Interior | Photo courtesy of Talbott & Arding

“Get on the road if you want to have a few days vacation, go to Hudson, splurge a little bit, and then drive home.”

We can go and travel on a dime—which I’ve done for years—but as I’m more mindful about the wages people need to live, and the quality of food, and farmers, and local artisans, it’s really shifted the way I travel in terms of how I want to use my dollar. That’s why Hudson is so great. Even though it’s a bit on the fancy side to some, you know that you’re supporting a local economy. It’s definitely a privilege, but at the end of the day, when I look at the trips where I took a flight to and ate at the cheaper places and tried to get the bang for my buck, it kind of evens out. Get on the road if you want to have a few days’ vacation, go to Hudson, splurge a little bit, and then drive home. It’s probably about a seven- or eight-hour drive from Toronto. We usually stop on the way, but we just love it. We love being able to support that town and those amazing people that we meet there.