 The courtyard behind Demitasse Cafe&emdash;an urban oasis off Main Street in downtown Poughkeepsie |
To make the following recommendations, I sought out places that evoked creativity and passion, both from the owners and from within myself. Food is important, as is audio selection—I prefer the rush of rivers and the twittering of birds to the recorded music of the Gypsy Kings or Loverboy— and furniture: white plastic chairs are a disappointment; and, as entertaining as people-watching can be, I avoided patios bordering car and pedestrian traffic. (Many towns have a favorite patio in the center of town, and these have been excluded as they are obvious finds.)
Read on for choice outdoor dining establishments—from the rustic to the refined.
No summer is complete without at least one evening spent dining riverside at Woodstock's Bear Cafe. Favored as one of the region's exceptional dining experiences, the Bear, on a warm summer night, is absolute magic. Tiny white lights twist up the trunks of gently swaying trees and the rushing creek can be seen from the stone tables that dot the bluestone patio. Black-clad waiters flit to and fro delivering delicacies, from palate-cleansing organic field greens to soft-shell crab to filet mignon with port garlic sauce and Stilton cheese. The menu is new American cuisine cooked from locally grown, organic ingredients whenever possible. Pastas, pastries, and breads are all made fresh in-house. Start with a cocktail, followed by appetizers before the entrée, and finish with coffee after dessert, if only to linger as long as possible. Entrées range between $18 (house-made cheese and fresh herb ravioli) and $29 (steak). Open Wednesday to Sunday for dinner. Route 212, Bearsville. (845) 679-5555, www.bearcafe.com. Reservations are a must.
 Streamside dining at the Bear Cafe in Bearsville&emdash;a magical environment for a summer evening's dinner |
I can't get enough of gardens—my own or anyone else's. I love outdoor dining, at a table inside a garden, with birds flitting and chirping all around, at the edge of a wide waterway bordered by brilliant blooms. I found this all at the Rosendale Cement Company.
A pebbled path leads to the garden, which is surrounded by perennial beds of sage, peonies, cosmos, and echinacea. Fences and wrought-iron metalwork separate the garden from the rest of the world and add an urban edge to the atmosphere. Until the cold weather returns, cocktails are available in the garden at night (excluding Tuesday's and Wednesday's), and appetizers from the bar can be carried over to your private table at the far end of the garden. There's also a covered deck in back where full meals are served, and across from the cement fountain and koi pond a silver Airstream has been converted into a bar.
The menu, according to coowner Scott Stewart, strives to be "post-fusion neo-global soul food," and there is a wide selection of meat, fish, and vegetarian options. Prices range between $13 and $22 for a main course. On a hot day try the $8 Julius salad (hearts of romaine, creamy roasted garlic dressing, and focaccia croutons). Sunday brunch is served from 11am to 3pm and $12 buys your choice of pancakes, huevos rancheros, chicken Caesar salad, or the like, along with a Bloody Mary, mimosa, or juice, and coffee.
Open Thursday through Monday for dinner. 419 Main Street, Rosendale. (845) 658-3210; www.rosendalecement.com.
After driving through Millbrook-area horse farms bordered by black split-rail fences, you arrive at Allyn's—a restaurant housed in a renovated 1834 Episcopal church. The outdoor dining area is just off the road and on a day with a slight breeze the sound of traffic is masked by the gentle tones of a large wind chime. Tables are set on a lawn between formal perennial beds. Across the road, a hill dips into a valley over which the sun sets. It's a beautiful place to watch the early evening light turn golden over the rolling fields and pastures. After a day of golf, horseback riding, or gardening, unwind in an environment both elegant and relaxed.
CIA-trained chef and owner Allan Katz has built Allyn's reputation on its food and wine list. "We like to work with peak seasonal ingredients to create vibrant, healthful, and very flavorful dishes," says Katz. The crisp greens and purples of the radicchio, arugula, and Belgian endive salad is loaded with shaved grana padano parmesan cheese, and paired with a bowl of cream of sorrel and mushroom puree, it is a satisfying light summer meal. Entrées range between $17 and $24.
Open Thursday through Monday for lunch and dinner. There is also a two-course price-fixed Sunday brunch from 11:30am to 4pm. 4258 Route 44, Millbrook. (845) 677-5888; www.allyns.com.
Deep in the heart of the Catskill Mountains in Mount Tremper, the Catamount Cafe has made the most of its gorgeous setting, with a large wooden deck at the edge of the Esopus River. The rushing river completely muffles the sound of the traffic, which is also hidden from view. The feeling is of comfort on the edge of the wild frontier. The deck has a partial canopy of white birches and maples, and on a day I visited two kayakers navigated the currents to reach our shore. In early evening the silhouette of the mountain beyond the river resembles an oversize limpet shell. The menu is contemporary Catskill cuisine and features regional specialties such as smoked trout and grass-fed dairy products from local-sources. For guests who fish, Chef Mike Fichtel will even cook and present your own fresh catch.
Wine is poured generously, fried calamari are spicy, and barbequed shrimp are dressed in a sweet sauce. Entrees like spicy dry rubbed barbecued ribs and Dijon-balsamic glazed Atlantic salmon range between $15 and $20. After dinner, stroll the River Walk.
Open Wednesday to Sunday, 5pm to 11pm; A lunch menu is being prepared for the summer. 146 Mount Pleasant Road, Mount Tremper. (845) 688-2828; www.emersonplace.com/dining/cafe.
Further north on Route 28, just north of Big Indian, the Peekamoose Restaurant and Tap Room has recently opened in the location of the former Jake Moon restaurant. Trees and carefully placed wood rails restrict the view of Route 28, and the large wooden deck offers mountain views. The menu features cuisine of the Hudson Valley with French and Italian influences. Locally grown food sources are emphasized, and with five vegetarian sisters, the chef and owner, Devon Mills (himself a Catskills native), knows how to cook delicious food for those who eschew meats. Or try the locally raised chicken that has been fed almost exclusively on blueberries—apparently the meat is not only delicious but also high in antioxidants.
Open for dinner Thursday through Monday, 4-10pm. (845) 254-6500; www.peekamooserestaurant.com.
Surrounded in red brick walls, the courtyard of the Demitasse Cafe is a spacious oasis in downtown Poughkeepsie. There is unpretentious and comfortable outdoor seating is for 65, yet tables feel private due to the separate environments: One stone patio is set between small angular lawns, a back patio is raised, and there is a courtyard within a courtyard—open on one side and bordered by stone and brick walls with a ceiling of lush tree foliage. A Victorian era inspired mural of a Paris street scene adds to the romantic ambiance. An outdoor kitchen is staffed by a chef who grills the gamut, from hamburgers to 1.5-pound Maine lobsters—including salmon steaks and New Zealand rack of lamb. Sides change daily and might include saffron pasta or grilled eggplant. The regular and grill menus were both created by new owners Christopher and Tony May (both trained at the Culinary Institute). For brunch on Saturday and Sunday try the challah French toast with orange mascarpone and macerated berries, or the lox platter served with capers and tomatoes. This is an ideal place to stop for dinner or drinks while strolling through Poughkeepsie for the Third Saturday ArtHop. And any afternoon it is a perfect place to read, dream, and sip a large, foamy latte.
Brunch prices range between $6 and $12. Grilled lunch specials average $10. Dinner entrées range between $18 and $25. 202 Main Street, Poughkeepsie. (845) 485-8707; www.demitassecafe.net. Open 11am to 9pm every day. Outdoor grill is weather permitting.
Another intimate setting, the Cafe Tamayo in Saugerties, has a courtyard just off a busy street. You'll hear the traffic, but you'll likely be too engrossed in your exceptional meal to mind. Food is American in style with an ethnic influence, and regional ingredients are always used when available. Local farmers supply the restaurant with goat cheese, organic chicken, freshly smoked pork products, foie gras, and duck. Dinner is served Thursday to Sunday. 89 Partition Street, Saugerties. (845) 246-9371; www.cafetamayo.com.
For sushi beneath the stars, try the small courtyard of Hokkaido. The bamboo-lined fence keeps street noise and other distractions at bay, allowing you to focus on the fresh and flavorful fish. Presentation, service, and relaxed atmosphere add to the experience. 18 Church Street, New Paltz. (845) 256-0621.
The large patio of the seafood restaurant Mariner's Harbor (www.marinersharbor.com) on the Strand in Kingston is always packed. For Mexican food, walk down the trolley line and you'll find ample outdoor seating at Rosita's; (845) 339-5372. Further down, you'll come to the enormous Steel House (steelhouse.us), with an outdoor bar and an ample wooden deck right on the water. Food is eclectic American cuisine, although the restaurant converts into a full DJ-led nightclub scene at 10pm on Friday and Saturday nights. Both Mariner's Harbor and the Steel House offer raw seafood bars. On very hot days, the shaded backyard garden of the Downtown Cafe (www.downtowncafekingston.com) is a peaceful respite from the bustle of the waterfront and serves creative cuisine. The atmosphere is old-Montreal funky, with a sloping brick courtyard and mismatched wood and plastic furniture.
There are about a dozen restaurants along Newburgh Waterfront between the railroad tracks and the Hudson River, serving everything from the wood-fired pizzas of Cafe Pitti to the outdoor shrimp, lobster, and oyster bar of CENA 2000. Tuesday night is reggae night at Gully's, a bar on a docked barge boasting an intense party atmosphere. There are so many restaurants that if one is full you'll surely find a seat at another. The feeling here is of a beach resort without the swimming, but the views of the Hudson are good.
Another place to breathe the saltwater air of the Hudson River estuary is at the seafood restaurant the Brass Anchor in Poughkeepsie (www.thebrassanchor.com). There are three choice tables at the far end of the large covered bar that are right on the water and are worth wading through the crowds and plastic furniture to access.
Scheduled to open the last week of July, the new Emerson at Woodstock will have two outdoor seating areas, one a four-table gem on a stone patio beneath the trees with a "romantic beer garden" feel; the second will be on the covered front porch and will reflect the essence of country living, according to Michele Nischan, executive chef. The Emerson at Woodstock will have two menus, one for the upscale Riseley Room, and one for Rick's Bistro (named after an historic apple grower in the region). Both of these outdoor dining areas will be part of Rick's, where food will feature locally-grown Catskill cuisine. Here you will find great burgers and sandwiches prepared with cutting-edge culinary technique. Grilled cheese and tomato will be prepared with grass-fed cheese and three to four varieties of heirloom tomatoes—such as Green Zebra, Purple Cherokee, and Brandywine—served on thick, sliced homemade bread. Meals will be $20 per person or less.
The intersection of Route 212 and Route 375, Woodstock. (845) 679-4861.
The Harvest Cafe (www.harvestcafenp.com) at the Water Street Market in New Paltz is a welcome breather from the bustling streets and sidewalks. Meals are seasonal American and vegetarian, and on Sunday afternoons there is live outdoor folk music; on Saturday evenings there's live jazz.
Should you crave a burger as you pass through Marlboro, stop at the rustic Raccoon Saloon (845-236-7872) and request one of the three outdoor tables perched above a waterfall (size depends on recent rainfall) with distant Hudson River views. This novelty of a location is not for those with a fear of heights or for those who desire privacy when they dine as tables are close together. Food at the Raccoon ranges from burgers served with heaps of sweet-potato fries, to upscale American.
Lifting pints beneath the Tivoli sky is optimal at the back courtyard of the Black Swan (845-757-3777) on Broadway. The patio is paved and the tables are of the plastic or picnic variety, but the foliage-draped white picket fence and the quiet alley nearby are lovely. Dine with friends on pub fair in an utterly casual environment.