Cafe Espresso
59 Tinker Street, Woodstock
Lizzie Vann is on a mission to revamp Woodstock’s historic sites, starting with the Bearsville Theater complex and now with Cafe Espresso. The coffee shop at the corner of Tinker Street and De Vall Road was a favorite haunt of Bob Dylan and other folkies in the early ’60s and, later, the building housed the Center for Photography at Woodstock. The spot has reclaimed its 1962 name and cafe function, albeit with reduced seating, as Vann works to renovate the rest of the building. Given the name, it’d be a sin not to offer the full range of coffee drinks, which the cafe serves up with organic coffee beans, complemented by pastries from neighboring biz Nancy’s Artisanal Creamery. Sidle up to the small bar or grab a table and enjoy the throwback decor.
Blackbarn Hudson Valley
25 South Partition Street, Saugerties
When Tom Struzzieri wasn’t able to find a suitable buyer for his epic waterfront property Diamond Mills Hotel & Tavern, he pivoted, as shrewd businesspeople do, instead lightening his workload by offloading the restaurant’s management to Manhattan-based Blackbarn. The Saugerties spot, with its 150-seat restaurant and stunning waterfall views, will be the first upstate outpost for the NoMad bistro and is slated to open on April 13. Given its practice of sourcing local and seasonal ingredients from Tristate farms and their barn location (already an anomaly for New York City), the move to the Hudson Valley makes sense, putting Blackbarn closer to the agrarian sensibility already at the heart of their identity. The kitchen will be helmed by Executive Chef Marcos Castro.
El Gran Toro
118 Broadway, Newburgh
¿Qué es esto? A Mexican-French brasserie? Imposible! Not if you’re chef-owner Miguel Perez Valencia, who has hacked through our culinary preconceptions to deliver the El Gran Toro to Newburgh’s Broadway restaurant corridor. Think French-inflected Mexican classics like snail tacos, truffle quesadillas, wild boar enchiladas, and cast-iron roasted quail served with mango salad. On weekends you can expect classic Mexican brunch fare like huevos rancheros, steak and eggs, and housemade ceviche.
Salt Box
10 Crown Street, Kingston
The elegant stone building at the intersection of Crown and Green streets has sat quiet since Crown Lounge closed in December 2020. But in late February, it reopened as Salt Box, a stylish dive bar with a focus on affordability (think $4 cans and $5 drafts of beers). Under new owners Noah Blaichman, Ama Keates, Ava Hama, and John Hallstein, the historic building trades the cabaret vibes of its previous incarnation for a vintage vendor stall aesthetic with touches like plush velvet folding chairs, retro salt tins, a standout matchbox collection, and a mirrored bathroom wall. A rarity in the region, the bar is open seven days a week till 3am, serving a mixed crowd of boisterous locals and selfie-taking out-of-towners.
Last Whisky Bar
45 Woodlands Way, Warwick
We admittedly missed the scoop on this one. So, instead, join us in congratulating Warwick’s Last Whisky Bar on its first anniversary. This speakeasy brings bottle service to the masses: a noble mission. Head there with friends, a date, or on your own to purchase a bottle of their top-shelf liquor selection, Wild West-style. You can request your spirit to be served neat, on the rocks, mixed into a cocktail, sent to the cutie at the next table, or whatever floats your boat. If you haven’t cleaned up shop by the time the night is through, you can stash your bottle behind the bar ’til next time. There are around 40 premium Kentucky bourbons to choose from, as well as an array of other spirits by the bottle, flight, or cocktail; wine; and beer. On weekends, the bar also dishes up live local music acts.
This article appears in April 2023.
