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BACKROADS • AUGUST 2021 Ben’s Fresh 33 East Main St, Port Jervis, NY • 845-856-9760 • bensfresh.com Sun-Thurs: 11am-10pm • Fri-Sat: 11am-11pm
It was a beautiful day which screamed for an ice cream run. By the time all the daily chores had been taken care of, it was getting on in the afternoon so we looked for a shorter but still fun ride in the general vicinity of Backroads Central. Like most of you, there is a route that is in the tank bag which serves to clear the head and stretch the cables, while still getting you out and back in a quick turnaround. And that is exactly what we did this day, with a great ice cream stop along the way. Heading out on Route 519 east, we took the road which we feel is our tire-warmer on the way out of town or the welcoming home to a journey of any length. Today, the icing on the cake was that it had recently been paved and all the tar snakes and potholes which marred this snaky pavement, which we like to call the Crazy Squirrel, were no more. We effortlessly cruised to Route 23 and headed north over the equally curvaceous High Point and back down into the burg of Port Jervis. We have started many a Backroads’ ride at the Port Jervis Diner and, for many decades, Homer’s had served riders a terrific meal before or after a ride. But there’s a relatively new kid on the block. Ben’s Fresh, owned by brothers Ben & Kanan Zyberaj, extended their culinary fingers in 2016. For years, Port Jervis Brick Oven Pizza served up some of the best pizza in the area and drew a loyal and hungry following. But they wanted to bring a different cuisine to the area and Ben’s Fresh was born. While the menu may sound like fast food choices, that is far from the truth. The burgers – 100% pure, fresh, custom ground beef – are cooked to order and served on a toasted pickle bun. The split and grilled hot dogs are 100% pure beef served up in a variety of ways but all delicious. The fries are freshly hand cut from Idaho potatoes and cooked in pure peanut oil. While there is no fried chicken, their hand breaded, fresh fried chicken fingers are sure to please the pickiest of chicken lovers, as will their choices in crispy chicken sandwiches. To round out the menu, you’ll find quesadillas, salads and a wonderful variety of fresh fruit smoothies. But we had come for ice cream, not a full-on meal, and we were not disappointed. Ben’s Fresh proudly serves up Perry’s, Gifford’s and Gillette Creamery. This last one, to my surprise, was one I had not previ-
