When you mention Kutsher’s to someone they’re likely to ask “You mean Ashton has a restaurant now, too?” Uhg. When I hear Kutsher’s I think of THE MOUNTAINS! Upstate, the Borscht Belt, or the Catskills! I’ve been going upstate since I was in my mom’s tummy…in fact, legend has it that I’m the result of make-up sex on a rainy day from inside a car parked off of Route 17B…yes THAT 17B…the way to Woodstock, except my parents were no hippies…they were more like the couple in that movie A Walk On The Moon. They’ve been going up there since the 60s, as new immigrants to American Jewish life. The Catskills has seen some great times, some ugly times, and more recently some good times again. There’s been talk of gambling for so long now, and it looks like that’s happening, and while there’s people buying Sullivan county up, Monticello and its surroundings is still kinda down and out. Most of the big hotels are being demolished or are in limbo because of asbestos issues, some of them go on fire in the middle of the night because of what some locals have dubbed, “Jewish lightning.”  One of the classic hotels that seems to be a busy as ever is KUTSHER’S. I knew they had a big conservative Jewish clientele and they keep the kids busy with all their sports camps, but they also host all types of functions, like the dance competitions my mom would attend. I would stop by just to buy t-shirts and sweatshirts, almost as a proud, but inside Jewish joke. I knew the hipsters from Brooklyn must’ve known about this cool place, but I never in a million years would have thought that the All Tomorrow’s Parties Festival would take place up there. Wow. The New York version of the festival was curiated by the Flaming Lips, but how cool is it that Suicide played their first album? This is My Bloody Valentine playing some noize.

Then there’s this one on the one and only Morris Katz

 And lastly, take a look at this photographer named, SIMON. He took plenty of shots of Kutsher’s.And stay tuned for my photos of the LOST CATSKILLS…yes, be very afraid.