It started with a peck and grew into a kiss. Chadwick Greer and Tammy Ogletree, who own and operate Beso Restaurant & Bar in New Paltz, chose the name Beso ("kiss" in Spanish) as a tribute to where they first met and fell in love: In San Francisco, at a French bistro named Bizou, which means "little kiss," Ogletree was first swept away by Greer's heirloom tomato soup garnished with basil oil, and then, by him.

After Greer graduated from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco in 1995, he apprenticed with some extraordinary chefs. In San Francisco, he worked under Michael Minna at Aqua, a four-star restaurant noted for its seafood. When Greer relocated to Manhattan, Jean-Georges Vongrichten placed Greer in charge of the fish station at his flagship restaurant, Jean-Georges, and eventually promoted him to sous chef at Vong. Greer then moved to Tom Valenti's noted bistro-style restaurant, Ouest, where he served as the opening chef de cuisine. When Greer and Ogletree heard from a friend that the Loft restaurant in New Paltz was for sale, they bought it and opened Beso in May 2005.   

Upstairs, downstairs in Beso's dining room

Beso's dining space occupies two floors defined during daylight hours by the natural light pouring through the skylights and windows that dominate the facade. Toward dusk, ceiling fixtures and recessed lights provide a subdued glow to dining areas demarcated by Tuscan red and yellow-painted walls. Dark wood tables covered with light brown paper add a touch of informality to the ambiance. A classic mahogany bar, with seating for 10, occupies a relatively narrow corridor in the rear of the restaurant where patrons both drink and eat, either a casual snack or a full dinner. In the evening, candlelight contributes to an aura of romantic intimacy. Unfortunately, the volume and choice of background music and the restaurant's noisy acoustics often make it difficult to carry on a comfortable conversation.

Greer prides himself on his seasonally inspired menu, which features local, fresh food from artisanal producers. He orders duck and poultry from Stone Church Farms in Rifton and fish and seafood from Gadeleto's in New Paltz, and uses premium, naturally raised Hereford beef. He gets his produce from organic farmer Pete Taliaferro, also in New Paltz. Greer's contemporary American cuisine emphasizes complex pairings of these quality ingredients coupled with bold flavors. He pays assiduous attention to the details, from start to finish, that make up a menu item. He not only tastes a sauce or soup when it's done, but throughout all the steps that go into constructing it. Combining technical skill with a sophisticated palate, he consistently produces properly cooked and well-integrated dishes.   

Beso is thriving even with the growing competition in the region. Although its prices are a shade higher than other local restaurants, Greer points out that "profit margins are not high and that the prices reflect the uncompromising quality of the ingredients we serve." People who appreciate Greer's commitment to excellence have made the restaurant a destination of choice, demonstrating that the Hudson Valley is home to a growing number of discerning diners. 

Appetizers on the fall menu include a crisp and tender version of calamari. After lightly flour-coating and deep frying the calamari, Greer seasons it with lime juice and cilantro and tosses it with a roasted chipotle sauce and a pleasantly crunchy chiffonade of Napa cabbage. The hot chipotle sauce provides a smoky, sweet, almost chocolaty flavor that marries nicely with the natural sweetness of the calamari. In his tuna tartare, he mixes fresh, sushi-grade tuna with diced pear, toasted pine nuts, chopped garlic, quail egg, fresh mint, and a triage of jalapeno, habanero, and cherry peppers. He finishes the tartare with a sprinkling of chili powder and a dash of sesame oil and serves it with toast points. The heat of the peppers enhances the sumptuous tuna, making this dish a treat for people who like a real bite to their tartare. Greer's creations also include a deeply satisfying warm goat cheese-and-onion tart. In this three-layered dish, a savory tart shell is first filled with caramelized onion, then covered with roasted red beets lightly dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette, and topped with a mixture containing fresh goat cheese, extra-virgin olive oil, eggs, salt, pepper, and fine herbs. The plate is garnished with wild arugula and kalamata olives.