Life in the Country: Bovina, New York

Dinner at Brushland Eating House (brushlandeatinghouse.com) feels a lot like Thanksgiving with your favorite relatives. One of just four commercial buildings in the historic dairy town of Bovina, New York, the restaurant offers a single seating per night. Seasonal dishes (the ingredients all sourced from nearby farms) are coursed out family style at a leisurely pace to encourage conversation with surrounding tables.“We want it to feel warm, familiar, and friendly,” says Sara Zandi, who, alongside husband Sohail, opened Brushland in 2014. (She handles the front of house; he runs the kitchen. They live across the street.)

Ready for a quieter life, the couple left the Brooklyn restaurant scene and landed in Bovina almost by accident: Sara stopped at a café for a pastry and directions, and they decided to stick around when they learned the building was for sale. After three months of elbow grease, the restaurant was open for business—and has been drawing diners from near and far ever since. These days, when they’re not welcoming guests at Brushland, catering occasional private events, or stocking shelves at Russell’s (the town’s 102-year-old general store), the Zandis spend their time taking long, winding drives and doting on daughter Violet (15 months) in their home garden. “We’re living the dream,” says Sohail. “It used to be, ‘How much can we pack onto our plates?’ Now, we’re comfortable with the speed we’re working at.”