American Glory BBQ
Specializeing in comfort food and pan-American barbecue, Ameircan Glory is set in a restored firehouse, retaining the original brick walls, wood floors, and staircase. The first floor’s 30-foot bar offers nine ice-cold local craft brews on tap from frost-covered towers. American Glory’s own brand is produced at nearby Chatham Brewery. Appetizers include macaroni and cheese balls ($7.25), crabmeat deviled eggs ($9), and Pail of O’s, a bucket of onion rings with dipping sauce ($7). Meat is smoked onsite and barbecue options include Texas hash sloppy joe ($8.50), North Carolina pulled pork ($8.50), St. Louis ribs ($16-$24), Tallahassee turkey drumstick ($20.50), and Texas beef brisket ($18). There are also a few vegetarian options—a grilled veggie platter ($18) and Nana Lee’s stuffed peppers ($14)—and there’s a long list of sandwiches, burgers, po-boys, salads, soups, combo meals, grilled and roasted entrees, and sides to choose from.
342 Warren Street, Hudson. (518) 822-1234; www.americanglory.com
Birdsall House
Birdsall House’s draught list features 20 beers from small production breweries across New York and the Northeast as well as a curated list of beers from across the country and Europe. The list changes with the seasons, but always has an eye on local craft brews and keeping a balance of styles. Birdsall offers American whiskey, bourbon, scotches, and agave tequilas. Their menu is driven by local products and the restaurant purchases their grain, polenta, bread, and crackers from Wild Hive Farm in Clinton Corners and beef from Hemlock Hill Farm in Cortlandt Manor. Co-owner John Sharp describes the food as “pub fare with a little extra attention and a southern accent.” Offerings include a Hudson Valley cheese plate ($12), pulled pork tacos ($11), and blackened shrimp and grits ($16).
970 Main Street, Peekskill. (914) 930-1880; www.birdsallhouse.net
Boitson’s
Boitson’s owner Maria Philippis, an on-and-off Hudson Valley resident for the past 20 years, has finally come home to stay and open her dream restaurant. The long, narrow dining room, lined with a room-long banquette and mirrors, leather, and velvet, leads to an outdoor deck with views of the Catskills. From the marble-top bar, Boitson’s serves an array of cocktails—many named after New York City boroughs. Go for little-neck clams ($7) and Blue Point oysters ($9) from the raw bar and entrees like the Boitson burger and fries ($10), whole trout meuniere ($21), fried chicken and mashed potatoes ($15), or roasted beet risotto ($14). Four-dollar sides include biscuits and gravy, succotash, and bacony collards. To support eating locally, many of the ingredients on the menu are purchased at the Kingston Farmers Market.
47 North Front Street, Kingston. (845) 339-2333
Dutch Ale House
When Johnny and Karyn Pavich took over the Dutch Ale House last September, they decided to keep some of the old charms—like the Dutch-themed memorabilia that’s been on the walls since the ‘80s—but add some fresh ideas. Chef Thomas Muff kept some of the old favorites on the menu, like the Pilgrim sandwich—house-roasted turkey, stuffing, and provolone on grilled rye with cranberry sauce and gravy ($10). New additions include garlic and ale cheese spread with flatbreads ($5); mozzarella spedino—mozzarella stuffed inside focaccia and fried ($7); the bacon, egg, and cheeseburger ($11); and a roasted vegetable panini with zucchini, yellow squash, red peppers, eggplant, fresh mozzarella, and harissa-lemon vinaigrette ($9).
At the bar, there are 15 craft brews on tap and 20 bottled beers to choose from. The Pavichs are in the process of building a microbrewery on the premises and hope to start brewing this fall.
255 Main Street, Saugerties. (845) 247-2337; www.dutchalehouse.com
Grand Cru Beer and Cheese Market
The Grand Cru Beer and Cheese Market is piled high with 350 to 400 different craft beers from around the world—and owners Eric and Mary Molleur have tried them all.
Grand Cru offers a revolving three beers on tap, growlers to fill up, artisanal cheeses, smoked meats, and a wide selection of other local gourmet products. Highlights include smoked venison from Highland Farms in Germantown, local honey and potato chips, and Spacey Tracy’s pickles from Rhinebeck. Eric Molleur remarks, “Most people think wine and cheese but we thought, beer and cheese work well together, too.” The shop is definitely not a bar, but the casual, laid-back atmosphere has turned the small café area into a happy-hour spot for the locals.
6384 Mill Street, Rhinebeck. (845)876-6992; www.grandcrurhinebeck.com
Gunk Haus
After leaving behind high-profile desk jobs in Washington, DC, Elizabeth Steckel and Dirk Schalle moved to the Hudson Valley with the dream of opening up a family-friendly gastropub. After over two years of renovations on the former Hollywood Bar in Highland, Gunk Haus opened its doors Memorial Day weekend. Dirk says, “The German theme is meant to put into perspective our preferences for seasonal, slow food, and beer-pairing as a cultural tradition, not a trend.” Examples include the grilled cheese sandwich: locally-made pastrami, jarlsberg, and haus-made pickled onion relish with a spinach-bacon salad with sherry vinaigrette ($12); portobello paprikash: grilled, marinated portobello on a pretzel with a local mesclun salad, pickled beets, and haus-made bleu cheese and dill dressing ($10); and pork schnitzel: boneless pork loin with paprika sauce, braised leeks, wilted spinach, and roasted red potatoes ($18). For dessert, try schatzies: chocolate-filled pretzel bites ($3). Their wine list is a Hudson Valley tribute, featuring wines from Whitecliff Winery in Gardiner, Brotherhood Winery in Washingtonville, and wine and hard cider from Warwick Valley Winery. On the beer side, enjoy Keegan Ales Mother’s Milk, Brooklyn Pennant Ale ‘55, Blue Point Toasted Lager, Franziskaner Hefe-Weisse, and Dunkel-Weisse.
387 South Street, Highland. (845) 883-0866; www.gunkhaus.com
Krazy Kate’s Landmark Inn
This outpost of country-style comfort food has been open in Boiceville for half a year, serving eclectic fare that wouldn’t have been out of place at a family restaurant circa 1980. (And, gratefully, at prices closer to then than to today.) Steak au poivre ($19.95), chicken française and chicken Marsala (both $14.95), and a variety of pasta ($13.95 to $16.95) anchor the entrees. For starters, the citrus-marinated seared sea scallops and braised pork “wings” are highlights. The cozy atmosphere and supercomfy bar chairs in the historic setting give Krazy Kate’s the perfect down-home Catskills feel.
4072 Route 28, Boiceville. (845) 657-8777; www.krazykateslandmarkinn.com
Mint Lounge and Tapas
Mint Lounge, in the former Downtown Café space in Kingston’s Rondout, specializes in innovative cocktails. They offer drinks like the Peach Pearl—Ketel One, Captain Morgan, peach nectar, and Cointreau ($11); the Green Tea Lychee Martini—house-infused vodka and muddled lychee ($10); the Love Affair—Grey Goose vodka, muddled strawberries, lemon, honey, and prosecco ($9); and the Acai Basil Caipirinha—cachaca, acai juice, muddled basil, and lime ($9). On the food menu, savory tapas include grilled endive drizzled with olive oil and balsamic reduction ($4); goat cheese crostini sprinkled with walnuts and drizzled with lavender honey ($5); and classic fondue with apples, pears, homemade rosemary focaccia, ciabatta bread, and smoked ham ($14 for 2/$24 for 4). On the sweet side, try fruit and cream with fresh berries served on a rosemary skewer with limoncello mascarpone ($4); two homemade biscotti served with a dollop of honey ricotta ($4); or chocolate fondue with pretzels, strawberries, bananas, mini macaroons, and pound cake ($11 for 2/$20 for 4).
1 West Strand, Kingston. (845) 338-6139; www.mintloungeandtapas.com
Momiji Steakhouse & Bar
A second restaurant in the heart of Rhinebeck (the former Sakura location) for the Japanese restaurant already with one outlet in Stone Ridge. The spare, clean aesthetics of the space offer a blank slate against which to try the hibachi, sushi, and tempura offerings. Among the extensive appetizers, the tuna dumplings are not to be missed.
43 E. Market Street, Rhinebeck. (845) 876-5555
No. 9 Restaurant
Chef and owner Tim Cocheo’s appreciation for food began as a child from watching his Croatian immigrant grandparents tend their gardens and make wine. After graduating the French Culinary Institute, Cocheo got a job as a sous-chef at Wallse, considered one of the top French restaurants in New York City. The combination of these experiences inspired No. 9’s creative American cuisine with French-Austrian leanings. The current menu features roasted beet salad with smoked trout, crème fraiche, and horseradish ($12); pan-roasted duck breast with braised red cabbage and wild mushroom bread pudding ($26); sauteed diver scallops with sunchoke puree, bacon, sauteed pea shoots, and Reisling sauce ($26). For dessert, warm red wine poached pear with vanilla crème fraiche ($7) or local pumpkin souffle with crème anglaise. No. 9’s menu is constantly evolving, with changes made every week based on what’s in season in the Hudson Valley. The restaurant uses predominately local, organic produce and only uses sustainably farmed or wild-caught seafood. The wine list offers over 35 wines from the West Coast, Australia, South America, Europe, and South Africa. No. 9 is located inside the Victorian-styled Simmon’s Village Way Inn, awarded Gannett’s four-star rating.
53 Main Street, Millerton. (518) 592-1299; www.number9millerton.com
Pennings Harvest Grill and Brew Pub
Pennings Harvest Grill and Brew Pub is set on the grounds of Pennings Farm and Orchard in Warwick, making eating and drinking there a true farm-to-table or farm-to-bar experience. The bar at the pub is made out of an antique apple grader, with Ommegang Witte, Keegan Ales Old Capital, Southern Tier IPA, and PBR on tap. Pennings makes their own hard apple cider and they offer hard peach cider from the Warwick Valley Winery and Distillery. They have local wines from Warwick and Washingtonville as well as wines from California, Italy, and South America. Adjacent to the bar is the Harvest Grill, an informal, family-oriented eatery with specialties that include a signature apple salad—field greens with marinated julienne apples, toasted almonds, and house vinaigrette (small for $5 or large for $8); fish and chips (various sizes available for $8 to $32); and their self-proclaimed specialty, New England clam chowder ($3.50 cup, $5 bowl, $10 quart). They also offer a list of paninis, sandwiches, burgers, pasta dishes, seafood, and a kids menu. Outside, visit the old-fashioned custard and ice cream stand and the farm animals petting area.
Route 94 & Warwick Turnpike in Warwick. (845) 986-1059; www.penningsfarmmarket.com
Stockade Tavern
Husband and wife co-owners Giovanna “Jenny” Vis and Paul Maloney are bringing the pre-Prohibition-style cocktail back into fashion in uptown Kingston. “The cocktail was invented in America.” explains Vis. “There were incredible, inventive bartenders [before Prohibition] and [today] we don’t touch upon the variety of ingredients.” Try the sweet-tart Prosecutor ($9): Old Overholt Rye, St. Germain, Chartreuse, and lemon juice; or the Moscow Mule ($8): vodka, ginger beer, and lime. The tavern is set in the former Singer sewing machine building; the original S is still on the door and inside the tables are made from the iron sewing machine bases left behind. The original tin ceiling is in place, embellished with crown molding and Federal-period colors. Appetizer-like vittles are also available.
313 Fair Street, Kingston. (845) 514-2649
Superfood Citizen Café
One of the Beacon community’s newest additions is the Superfood Citizen Café, a raw, organic living foods café and high-alkaline juice bar. The breakfast menu, served all day, includes cinnamon rolls, pecan-maple leather rolled with apricot jam and house cream cheese ($8), and yogurt parfaits, layers of raw granola in vegan yogurt and fresh fruit ($10). Gluten-free dinner entrees, also served all day, include stuffed corn enchiladas and mesquite cocoa mole with vegan sour cream, guacamole, fresh salsa, and lemon ($21/$12 half portion); zucchini macaroni and cheese with spiced collards, crusted heirloom tomatoes, and bacon bits ($16/$8); and four-tiered pizza rounds made with macadamia nut mozzarella, italian herbs, pesto, sun-dried tomato marinade, mushroom-pepper tapenade, and olives ($18/$9). Try naturally sweetened, low-glycemic, desserts like nut-milk cheesecake ($8/$4); raw cocoa truffles ($4); and house cookies ($2/$1).
484 Main Street, Beacon. (845) 440-8344; www.superfoodcitizencafe.com
Yum Yum Noodle Bar
Yum Yum will be Nina Moeys-Paturel and Pierre-Luc Moeys’s third Hudson Valley restaurant, following Café with Love in Saugerties and Oriole 9 in Woodstock. Moeys describes Yum Yum as “a noodle bar with all kinds of Asian street food dishes on the side.” The make-your-own bowl includes a choice of noodle, broth, and protein for $9. On the side, enjoy a of helping of miso-cured grilled salmon ($8); Indonesian chicken satay ($4); green papaya salad ($6); pad thai ($8); and marinated green beans ($6). Nothing on the menu is over $10 except for family-size portions.
4 Rock City Road, Woodstock. (845) 679-7992; www.yumyumnoodlebar.com
This article appears in August 2010.
