At the height of the pandemic, bakeries were trending— there seemed to be a new doughnut shop or cupcake stand opening in every town in the Hudson Valley. Now that everyone’s gotten their sugar and gluten fix—and we’re (mostly) vaccinated—new restaurants are popping up all over. Here are some spots we’re eating at this season.
Millstream Tavern | Woodstock
The rolling greens of the golf course offer a scenic view as you drive into Woodstock on Route 375, but for those who aren’t a member of the club, there haven’t been many reasons to turn in to the parking lot. But now Millstream Tavern, under the direction of Dallas and Ted Gilpin (of Dutch Ale House in Saugerties) is open to the public. During the pandemic, the couple scooped up Michelin-starred chef Ryan Tate, formerly of Deer Mountain Inn, to run the food program. Tate, who helped open TriBeCa’s acclaimed Le Restaurant, has toned down his adventurous streak for the golf club setting, turning his culinary expertise, instead, to perfecting familiar classics. Start out with oysters on the half shell ($18) and the hangar steak tartare, served here with a smoked egg yolk, shallots, capers, and mustard ($16). The cobb salad boasts a stunning presentation, with soft boiled quail eggs, gem lettuce, endive, bacon, avocado, bleu cheese crumbles, and mustard vinaigrette ($15). It’s easily a meal even for the biggest appetite. On the mains, a standout is the crisp chicken sandwich, served with sesame-chili aioli, shredded lettuce, and scallions on a sesame seed bun ($18). If the weather permits, sit on the deck and sip a craft cocktail or split a bottle of natural wine, while the stream gurgles by.
Flores Tapas Bar | Wappingers Falls
While the concept of tapas, or “small plates,” has certainly caught on in the Hudson Valley, few places are sticking to the Spanish culinary origins, homing in instead on the shareable aspect. At Wappingers Falls’s newest restaurant, Austin and Danielle Flores build on the success of their four food trucks with a brick-and-mortar that leans into the Iberian origins. At Flores Tapas Bar, you can mix and match a meal of shareable, authentic Spanish dishes like Iberian jamon and cheese ($22), Spanish olives ($9), croquetas ($12), paella ($22-32), gambas al ajillo (sauteed garlic shrimp, $16), pulpo a la plancha (grilled octopus, $18). If you’re having trouble deciding, go all in with the Flores Experience ($68), the chef ’s selection of seasonal dishes, classic tapas, and jamon. There’s also a multinational brunch menu with eggs all ways—benedict, huevos rancheros, Spanish tortilla—plus sangria and mimosas to wash it down.
District Social | Beacon
Okay, so District Social isn’t really a restaurant, but we couldn’t resist including it. (Food is currently provided by the Eat Church food truck, which offers modern takes on Vietnamese fare with a constantly rotating menu. New food trucks will be added to the roster soon.) In the 14,000-square-foot building, there are arcade games and air hockey, axe throwing and darts, billiards, a bar for adults, and live music on weekends. Console games include Walking Dead, Space Invaders, Halo, and Mario Kart, and boardwalk games like NBA Hoops, skeeball, and ring toss. Double doors lead onto a 100-foot deck that seats 80 people and offers views of Mount Beacon. Industrial Arts Brewing is right next door as well!
Village Grocery & Refillery | Kingston
In mid-April, the team behind Village Coffee & Goods threw open the doors on their newest venture: Village Grocery & Refillery. The location shares a parking lot with Kingston Standard Brewing Co. on Jansen Avenue. The shoebox grocery store carries a selection of organic and local produce, dairy products, charcuterie, pickles and preserves, fresh sourdough, and bulk dry goods and home cleaning solutions, plus a full coffee bar, deli case, baked goods (including vegan and gluten-free options), and Asian-inspired fare. At the deli counter, you can order a selection of lunch sandwiches. And under newly promoted head chef Jessica Tibbetts, the menu features options like cold peanut noodles ($12), a sushi rice bowl ($12), and Singaporean kaya toast (think sweet and savory: coconut jam and an egg your way, $9), inspired by the CIA grad’s travels through Asia. Sit and lunch in the back patio before heading next door for a cold beer from the microbrewery.
The Athens Rooster | Athens
The activation of Athens’s adorable little waterfront downtown continues with the chef Melissa Chmelar’s the Athens Rooster, a breakfast and lunch spot dishing up hot coffee and from-scratch goodness. Chmelar, whose Murray Hill restaurant Spoon Table & Bar was among Manhattan’s many COVID casualties, is an expert in elevated comfort food—and in creating the type of neighborhood joint that regulars flock to. Breakfast kicks off with wholesome options like the Power Bowl, with steel-cut oatmeal, coconut flakes, flax and chia seeds, dried cranberries, and almonds ($6.50); indulgent picks like the breakfast panini with thick-cut bacon, scrambled eggs, housemade pimento cheese, and cheddar on a sesame roll ($5); or the hipster-friendly vegan avocado toast with turmeric-tahini-massaged kale, pickled red onion, and sesame seeds ($9). Lunch is all pizzas and paninis. For a pie, try the verdant Greene County with pesto, spinach, ricotta, and parmesan ($12) or the Mediterranean- inspired Athens with fresh greens, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, tahini, za’atar, flax seeds, fresh mint, and basil ($12). On the sammy side of things, try a classic pulled pork Cubano ($9) or satisfy your inner child with the gourmet grilled cheese, a crispy, melty mess of cheddar, fontina, tomato, caramelized onions, and rosemary dijonnaise ($7).
Toasted | Newburgh
It doesn’t take many trips to Newburgh to recognize that Liberty Street is a veritable corridor of dining opportunities, from Korean to New American fare, cafes to pubs to white tablecloth chop houses. In May, Toasted, a new lunch spot opened, dishing up wholesome soups, salads, and sandwiches to brighten your midday meal. There’s a grilled chicken sandwich with hummus and red cabbage slaw ($14) as well as a fried oyster mushroom sammy with sriracha mayo and pickles for the vegetarians ($13). On the salad side, we’re digging the roasted beets and goat cheese offering served with walnuts and cranberries over a bed of baby arugula with balsamic glaze and vinaigrette ($13). There are a couple of bistro tables out front, or dine inside, where exposed brick and Edison bulbs give the space a warm glow.
This article appears in Fall/Winter 2021.
