Restaurant Matilda
39 Goshen Road, Hensonville
Established as The Hensonville Hotel in the early 1900s, the building that currently houses the Henson inn and its onsite restaurant Matilda has a sterling, century-long track record in the hospitality industry. In 2015, the property passed hands and after years of renovations bringing it into the 21st century, the hotel opened its doors this past Memorial Day weekend. A wood-fired grill is at the heart of Matilda’s kitchen, with plenty of seasonal offerings from grilled asparagus with spring onion, fiddlehead ferns, and Jasper Hill Farm’s Moses Sleeper cheese ($18) to a pair of wood-grilled oysters with bone marrow, sorrel, and pumpkin seeds ($15). The restaurant is committed to sourcing meat, vegetables, and dairy hyperlocally for a seasonally rotating menu that teases light-handed Asian influences, like the Amish chicken’s scallions and koji ($52) or the steelhead trout’s nori puree, garlic mustard, and sea beans ($28).
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Shelter Woodstock
21 Mill Hill Road, Woodstock
The spot at 21 Mill Hill Road on Woodstock’s main drag has had many incarnations—most recently as the pizzeria diner Maria’s Bazaar and gift shop Sparkle. In May, like so many of its residents, Williamsburg bar and restaurant Shelter traded Brooklyn for the Hudson Valley after a decade-long stint. The newly Woodstock-based eatery spotlights open-fire cooking with a menu that ranges from pizzas to Argentine empanadas and grilled meats and fish.
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Via Cassia
214 Warren Street, Hudson
Ca’Mea was a fixture of the old-guard Hudson dining scene for two decades. When owner Roy Felcetto retired earlier this year, the restaurant passed to a chef committed to continuing and elevating the tradition of Italian cuisine. Chef Gaetano Arnone has trained in some of New York City’s top Italian ristorantes including Eataly, Babbo, and Otto before living in Italy for the past four years. Via Cassia is his homage to the country’s casual side-street eateries where you can get an aperitivo or a pasta to blow your socks off and a glass of exceptional wine. Like all good Italian food, the dishes are simple, focusing on execution. For pastas think cacio e pepe ($21) and bucatini all’Amatriciana ($23). The concise secondi selection has one fish, one steak, and a grilled quail. With Arnone’s direct connection to Tuscan vineyards, this isn’t a spot to skip wine.
Underground Ales
36 Main Street, New Paltz
Schatzi’s Pub was a fixture of the New Paltz scene until its final night, New Year’s Eve last year. The space underwent a light makeover and recently reopened as the second location of Highland favorite Underground Coffee & Ales. With espresso drinks, tasty bar food, and a vast selection of craft beers, it’s the perfect fit for the college town, plus the spacious patio is open in time for the warm weather. Whether you spring for the iconic crispy chicken sandwich ($16), the fried buffalo Brussels ($12), or something breakfasty like the Mexican drowned eggs, the grub is the platonic ideal of pub food. Wash it down with one of over 100 beers on offer.
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El Jaguar
284 Wall Street, Kingston
After years of dreaming, siblings Jeremías and Raquel Pop have opened a new Guatemalan restaurant, El Jaguar, in Uptown Kingston. The spot on Wall Street, formerly a drab government office, has been reimagined with colorful touches and offers authentic cuisine from the siblings’ home country along with Mexican eats like tacos and select American dishes. Stumped on what to get? Try the churrasco platter, which includes grilled beef, chicken, and shrimp served with chirmol, rice, beans, potatoes, and from-scratch tortillas ($30).
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This article appears in July 2024.
