The Hudson Valley’s restaurant and bar scene continues to buzz. This month try Dominican homecooking in Woodstock and Indian tiffins in Kingston, charcuterie platters and bottled cocktails in Hudson, and tiki drinks and bites in Newburgh.
Calcutta Kitchens
448 Broadway, Kingston | Calcuttakitchens.com
The recent opening of Calcutta Kitchens at the corner of Broadway and East O’Reilly Street heralds, at last, the end of Kingston’s Indian food drought. In a single storefront, owner-chef Aditi Goswami combines a retail outlet for her line of jarred simmering sauces and chutneys, Indian grocery staples, fresh chai, and homestyle Indian cooking. Daily rotating tiffins (a light afternoon meal) mean the menu is always different. Recent options have included paneer methi matar served with paratha flatbread and garlic tomato chutney; and ghugni, a Bengali dried pea curry, with tamarind chutney and sweet pav rolls. Though the menu leans vegetarian by nature, some dishes include meat. (There are always portions of recent vegetarian and vegan meals in the freezer, alongside flatbreads like naan and paratha.) And there’s hot chai and cold limeade to sweeten the deal.
Padrona
17 N 4th Street, Hudson | Buttercupeats.com
After a long-imposed pandemic hiatus, mixology royalty Kat Dunn has returned to her 2020 plans for a fast-casual cocktail bar in Hudson, called Padrona. Her beloved endless summer pop-up, Buttercup, which emerged in the interim, will continue serving lobster rolls and Coney Island hot dogs on the sidewalk out front during the day, operating out of the same kitchen. Come evening, Padrona will open sometime in July with a 28-foot bar inside and patio service outside. Padrona’s cocktail concept keeps it casual with drinks on draft, bottled cocktails, slushes, and a range of beer-and-shot specials, plus all the classics by request. On the food front, Padrona will serve up lighter fare like conservas, charcuterie, local cheeses, tinned seafood, and trout rillettes to soak up the booze before you totter out into the night.
Related
Padrona to Finally Open in Hudson in June
Que Lo Que
1 Tinker Street, Woodstock | Queloquecocteleria.com
In February, Shindig closed its doors after seven years on the Village Green in Woodstock. But the space came alive again at the end of April for a Dominican food pop-up by chef Sam Fernandez called Que Lo Que. After two successful weekends, Fernandez has set up shop permanently at 1 Tinker Street. The Que Lo Que Cocteleria, set to open around July 15, will bring bright tropical colors and a focus on homestyle Dominican food and batched cocktails to the village. Latin-Caribbean staples like empanadas, rice, beans, and plantains are at the core of the menu, though Chef Fernandez brings their own fresh-and-funky twist to classics.
Related
Que Lo Que: Woodstock to Get its First Dominican Restaurant
The Jet Set
50 Front Street, Newburgh
In mid-July, the team behind Liberty Street Bistro—chef/owner Michael Kelly, his wife Alex, and executive chef Maggie Lloyd—along with beverage director Jessica Gonzalez, will debut The Jet Set, a contemporary tiki bar on the Newburgh waterfront. Located in the old Blue Martini space, the Jet Set will offer a vacation from the mundane with a space inspired by Mid-Century Modern tiki culture. Escape from real life in a tropical refuge replete with water views (albeit the Hudson) while you sip on classic tiki drinks like the Mai Tai and the Zombie or a proprietary, modern tropical cocktail. Everything will be made with fresh, housemade syrups and juices. Under executive chef Lloyd, the food menu will feature both Asian-inspired traditional tiki eats and high-end takes on bar food, with dishes ranging from fried rice and cold sesame noodles to burgers and fried oysters.
Rosie General
39 Broadway, Kingston
In the spacious corner storefront at the intersection of Broadway and Abeel Street in Kingston, you’ll find the new Rosie General. Founded by born-and-bred locals Nicole and Andrea Sasso, the spot is part bakery, part Italian-meets-Jewish delicatessen, and part provisions market. Fresh baked breads include sourdough, baguettes, focaccia rossa, caraway rye, and walnut fig. But that’s not all the ovens turn out: there’s also bagels, pastries, pies, and fudge by the pound. The breakfast menu spans classics from a bacon, egg, and cheese to an egg and chorizo burrito, while lunchtime picks include hearty offerings like the mortadella served with ricotta, pistachio, cherry bomb pepper, and Kingston honey on semolina hero bread. There’s also soups and salads. Sliced deli meat by the pound is coming soon, and in the meantime you can buy many of the house ferments like Rosie Kraut, giardiniera, and other deli staples.
This article appears in July 2022.
