Well, it’s that time of year again, with a little old holiday to celebrate love coming up on February 14. In the spirit of Saint Valentine’s Day, we asked our office mates to dish on their favorite romantic restaurants in the Hudson Valley. And whether you’re happily married, coquettishly dating, bravely manning a situationship, or severely single, one love is abiding: food. These Hudson Valley restaurants have passed the bar not only dishing out romance but also good eats. So head there this week for your Valentine’s Day dinner or stash this list for a later date.
Feast & Floret
13 S 3rd Street, Hudson
Our marketing manager, Margot Isaacs, tapped Italian bistro Feast & Floret in Hudson as her pick for most romantic spot. She says, “cozy booths, warm lighting, and housemade pasta basically guarantees a good night.” Don’t just take her word for it. Award-winning architect and Columbia County resident Elizabeth Graziolo picked Feast & Floret as her favorite restaurant in the Hudson Valley a few years back for another article we did, and she has AD-certified good taste. Inside the solid bones of a historic, brick blacksmith shop, the restaurant has a light, breezy design that spotlights the wooden cart in the center flourishing with fresh flowers—that are both for sale and a part of the decor. For your wintertime romantic date, snag a cozy table by the wood-burning fireplace, while in summer the covered bluestone patio offers a pretty, lush, al-fresco dining option. Feast & Floret’s Italian-inspired menu is fresh, savory, presented with warmth, yet still exciting and full of interesting touches that keep you engaged in each complex bite.
Pretty to Think So
6417 Montgomery Street, Rhinebeck
Not sure if Hemingway is a connoisseur of romance, at least not in the trad, monogamy sense, but beyond the titular nod to The Sun Also Rises at Pretty to Think So rich colors, fine marble, dimmed lights, and caviar service will have you falling head over heels. This is Chronogram Media founder and CEO Amara Projansky’s romantic date spot pick. She says, “I like to sit at the bar with my sweetie to eat oysters and admire the room—the pretty chartreuse velvet banquette that wraps all the way around, the sparkle of wineglasses and conversation, and the warm glow of brass in the low light suspends time for just a little while.” And then there’s the seafood towers, well really the whole raw bar is enough to seduce. But there is also plenty of solid, comforting New American food from crispy pan seared cod to cast iron hangar steak and the ultimate romantic pick: duck for two with Calvados gastrique. Diet restrictions? Fear not, this is a pretty safe date pick as the entire menu is dairy- and gluten-free but fairly delicious across the board.
Good Night
15 Rock City Road, Woodstock
I’m a sucker for a good room, and Good Night delivers in spades. Vintage Murano glass chandeliers; a sinuous 28-foot, pink marble bar; velvet banquettes in an array of sexy, dusty tones from copper to rose—the space drips in elegance and peddles romance. But for a restaurant, especially on Valentine’s Day, that’s not quite enough—it also has to deliver on food. What’s sexier than your partner oohing and aahing over exotic flavors? At Good Night, the focus is on Southeast Asian cuisine, with a menu that spans Vietnamese, Thai, and Lao influences rich with bright aromatics like cilantro, mint, and basil. The menu is inspired by and adapted to local, seasonal ingredients, and given the nature of the cuisine, essentially dairy-free and 95-percent gluten-free. Beautiful space? Flavorful and inventive dishes that are not commonplace? Diet sensibility? Check, check, check!
Champetre
2938 Church Street, Pine Plains
Editorial head honcho Brian K. Mahoney selected Champetre for his romantic date night destination. He had all this to say about the Dutchess County French restaurant: “Tucked away in an unassuming storefront on Church Street in Pine Plains like a love letter folded into a coat pocket, Champetre glows with the quiet confidence of a Parisian, whispering sweet nothings into a lover’s ear. The candlelight flickers aganst the glint of wine glasses filled with something dark and velvety. The room hums with the intimacy of a place that knows exactly what it’s doing: setting the table for romance.” Well, damn. He’s the boss for a reason—he knows what he’s doing. As does Champetre chef-owner Michel Jean who owned the beloved SoHo haunt Provence for years. His current take—a 23-seat bistro in the boonies—is lower profile but dishes out the same high-quality, rustic, time-honored French food from garlic escargots to coq au vin and duck confit. Don’t skip the wine, you’re in Provence for the night, so raise a glass. And there’s no website, so call to reserve: (518) 771-3350.
Lil’ Deb’s Oasis
747 Columbia Street, Hudson
OK so when we say romantic, we tend to think more candlelight than neon; more marble than oilcloth. But Hollywood notions aside, romance should also be SEXY, FUN, COLORFUL. And Lil’ Deb’s Oasis is all of those things—a visual feast for the senses with electric flavors that’ll have you doing a little boogie in your seat. Rural Intelligence editor Jaime Larson hasn’t forgotten romance’s key ingredients, and Lil’ Deb’s is his pick for sexy date spot in the Hudson Valley. He calls it “a vibrant and lusty culinary jungle. With a sultry menu of James Beard Award-nominated equatorial fusion and a beautifully queer, comedic, and colorful atmosphere, Lil Deb’s is romantic in that racy, sweaty, heart-pounding kinda way.” Tropical comfort food is the name of the game here, with mouthwatering takes on classic dishes from around Latin America, paired with an excellent and extensive selection of natural wines (don’t skip the perfect wine poems).
What? No Poughkeepsie restaurants? Brasserie on Main Street should be in included