Neverstill Tasting Room
739 Warren Street, Hudson
The women-led brand Neverstill Wines emerged on the market this year with a trio of Finger Lake whites: a Chenin Blanc and a Riesling in both dry and off-dry styles. In September, the team, made up of founder Christy Counts, winemaker and Master of Wine Nova Cadamatre, and assistant winemaker Bryce Lianna, debuted their Hudson tasting room. On Warren Street, the elegant, light-filled space is comfortable with couches and arm chairs, blown-glass, teardrop chandeliers and other flowing elements that invoke water. The spot showcases the brand’s wines as well as local charcuterie. New wine releases are underfoot, with a pet nat slated for release in February, a rosé in April, and a Cabernet Franc in July. Guests can pick up a bottle or a case at the tasting room.
The Salt Line
165 College Avenue, Poughkeepsie
At the Heartwood, a newly constructed net-zero hotel on the Vassar campus, the onsite farm-to-table restaurant, the Salt Line, is helmed by a CIA-trained chef Zachary Lovenguth, who honed his skills and built his network of local farmers at the elbows of culinary greats. From legendary local spots like New World Home Cooking and Troutbeck to Madison Square Park’s Blackbarn, Lovenguth is in his element driving a hyperlocally sourced food program. Seasonal starters this summer included a stone fruit salad with assorted heirloom tomatoes, East Coast peaches, and microgreens; and a kale and prosciutto salad with local kale, aged prosciutto, apples, and a maple vinaigrette. Select mains include Hudson Valley steelhead trout with fennel, Castelvetrano olives, and orange reduction; and the Northwind Farms roasted half chicken with roasted cauliflower puree, salsa matcha, and sherry pan jus.
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Hamrah’s
3 Albany Avenue, Kinderhook
On October 12, Kinderhook welcomed the opening of Hamrah’s, which brings prepared Lebanese foods made to order and by the pound, baked goods, and a curated selection of Middle Eastern groceries to the village. Take your provisions to go or eat at one of the handful of bistro tables on the sidewalk. The lunch menu features several options offered in pita wrap or rice bowl format—chicken shawarma, beef kafta kebab, and za’atar cauliflower and hummus ($14-$16)—along with fresh salads. A-la-carte sides include grape leaves ($4 for two), falafel ($6 for two), and hand pies ($5). The dishes are made with local meat, fresh produce, and authentic, imported Middle Eastern specialty spices. This is not a place to skimp on dessert. Take home a pistachio-rose shortbread cookie for the road or Hamrah’s baklawa, made with chopped pistachios and orange syrup.
Chemistry Wine Bar
354 Main Street, Catskill
Chemistry Wine Bar founder Dori Fackler wanted to pair her love of historic spaces with the handcrafted products of the many boutique wineries she’s discovered over the years. She does that perfectly in her new spot in an 1800s-brick building on Main Street in Catskill. With tin ceilings, exposed brick, mismatched wood elements, peeling painted-metal accents, and plenty of Middle Eastern rugs designating sitting nooks made of plush, vintage armchairs and sofas, Chemistry has a well-worn-in look that belies its four months in business. The selection of wines is organic, natural, sustainable, and/or crafted with minimal intervention and the small plates selection is seasonal ever-rotating. September specials included a watermelon-feta salad ($10) and lemony ricotta with mint and peas with beer bread ($12). You’ll get a tasting note card with every glass that you can either take home or keep on file to remember which wines you loved. A blind flight curated by the in-house som is another fun way to try new vintages.
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Anna et Pierre
10 Dutchess Landing Road #2A, Poughkeepsie
Anna et Pierre is the culmination of a longtime dream for co-owner Gigi Fairchild. Named for her Caribbean grandparents, the cafe, which she opened with her husband in Poughkeepsie’s Waterfront District, features single-origin coffees as part of a partnership with Nespresso and French patisserie classics baked fresh daily, including pain au chocolat, croissant aux amandes, chou a la creme, as well as other pastries featuring seasonal fruits, baguettes, and other breads. Vegan specialties by locally owned bakeries Little Loaf Bake Shop and Isn’t She Lovely are also available, with sandwiches and prepared salads following in the coming months.
This article appears in November 2024.
