5 New Hudson Valley Restaurants & Bars to Try in April

The Hereafter

721 Columbia Street, Hudson

Opened in mid-February, The Hereafter bills itself as a “cocktail bar for the curious.” To that end they boast over six pages of cocktail offerings, which are broken down into the categories: fun, classy, eccentric, and deep. The Good Denim typifies the deep category with mezcal, fernet, vermouth, and pear brandy ($18). The eccentric Tiger pairs tequila blanco with roasted pineapple brandy, mango and kaffir lime cordial, lime, and a cilantro salt rim ($15). Beyond the local cheese and charcuterie plates ($20, 22), there are five “small dinner” choices. With guajillo chile, fresh herbs, and the requisite egg yoke, the steak tartare is a standout ($17). There’s also a pork shoulder steak ($22) and a trout in escabeche ($20) as well as a couple of veggie dishes.

Buns Burgers

32 Eastdale Avenue N, Poughkeepsie

The Buns empire continues to expand, bringing their homemade burgers to the people wherever they are—in this case, to the Eastdale Village in Poughkeepsie. The fourth location joins the growing gastronomy circuit of more than a dozen cafes, restaurants, and markets within the multiuse development. Buns’ classic menu is available with a variety of meat and non-meat burgers, hot dogs, and other kid-friendly faves like nuggets and milkshakes.

Braised Pies

2665 E Main Street, Wappingers Falls

At Braised Pies in Wappingers Falls, Sue Wilkinson focuses on her recipes for British savory pies, while her husband Andy and their six children—four of them born here—keep the cogs turning. The brand, which began at farmers’ markets throughout the region, just debuted its brick-and-mortar in Wappingers Falls at the beginning of March. There you can order classics like shepherd’s pie, a boozy braised beef pie, and turkey pot pie or more inventive selections like coq au vin, BBQ pork, and chicken curry with coconut mango masala.

All for One One for All Distillery

221 Craigville Road, Goshen

On April 5, nonprofit farm All for One One for All (AOOA) will reopen its seasonal farm stand as well as debut its new farm distillery. AOOA is a regenerative silvopasture farm, a model that combines grazing animals with edible trees and shrubs to create a multifunctional landscape that improves the soil and ecosystem. Stepping away from the region’s profusion of whiskeys, AOOA’s line of liquors goes in a different direction with spirits and French-inspired liqueurs, like walnut, cherry, and blackberry, made with nuts, herbs, fruits, and vegetables from the property. Their take on Chartreuse packs more than 17 herbs picked fresh on the farm and macerated for months.

Mighty Donuts & Coffee

7265 S Broadway, Red Hook

There are donuts and then there are donuts. Red Hook’s new Mighty Donuts & Coffee joins a growing cadre of pastry shops in the Hudson Valley serving gourmet, elevated offerings that leave the simple glazed donut in the dust. Think flavors like matcha with honey, orange blossom, lemon lavender thyme, and strawberry lemonade. With the redesign of the former Bottini Oil garage headed up by local firm KDA, the interior of Mighty Donuts is retro-sleek with tons of natural light, green accents, and a fan-like, marble counter where you can drool over the donuts on display.

This article appears in April 2024.