A good French onion soup requires a certain faith in alliums. Given enough time, butter, and attention, an everyday ingredient becomes the foundation of something worth leaving the house for. For chef Edward Harder, the dish offers an introduction to Aster Restaurant & Bar, the French steakhouse opening October 29 at Hutton Brickyards in Kingston. “It seems simple, but developing the depth of flavor requires patience,” Harder says. “Properly caramelized onions, a rich broth, toasted bread, and beautifully melted cheese create something comforting and elegant.”
At Aster, that soup ($19) comes with beef broth, toasted baguette, and melted Gruyere—a familiar combination that puts the emphasis on execution. It’s also a useful shorthand for the restaurant’s ambitions: French fundamentals, substantial food, and a setting that supplies plenty of occasion on its own.
Aster occupies the 1873 Cordts Mansion, known today as Edgewood, replacing the property’s former Edgewood restaurant. The interiors remain intact, says general manager Steven O’Hern; the transformation centers on the menu and a more defined culinary direction. Named for the asters that bloom across the region in late summer and fall, the restaurant arrives as dining at Hutton moves indoors from its seasonal River Pavilion.
“With Edgewood, we learned a great deal about our guests, their expectations, and what works within this unique property,” Harder says. “One of the biggest lessons was the importance of having a clear culinary identity.”
Aster’s dining room retains the 1873 Cordts Mansion’s ornate elegance, pairing deep green walls, gilded mirrors, and tall windows with the new restaurant’s French steakhouse menu. Courtesy: Hutton Brickyards Riverfront Hotel + Venue
A Le Cordon Bleu graduate with more than 20 years of experience, Harder has worked at Hudson Valley properties including Wildflower Farms, Tamarack Preserve, and The Abbey Inn & Spa. At Aster, he’s drawing on that background with an increasing appreciation for restraint.
“When you’re younger in this industry, you sometimes feel like you need to prove yourself through complexity,” he says. “After more than 20 years, I’ve learned that great cooking is about restraint, consistency, and knowing when to let the ingredients speak for themselves.”
The dinner menu establishes its French credentials with duck mousse pate ($19), enriched with port and served with cornichons, whole-grain mustard, and brioche. Wild mushroom feuillete ($19) combines morels and chanterelles with white wine cream and puff pastry. Tempura delicata squash ($16), with chevre, Calabrian chile aioli, and crispy curry leaves, gives Harder room to step outside that framework.
The opening steak selection is focused: a 10-ounce prime bavette ($46), 14-ounce New York strip ($66), and eight-ounce filet mignon ($68), grilled over fire and served with roasted garlic and herb butter. Bearnaise, bordelaise, au poivre sauce, and Roquefort butter are available separately ($5 each). Accompaniments include haricots verts ($11), charred Brussels sprouts ($12), and truffle frites or truffle pommes puree ($13 each).
Harder emphasizes marbling and careful handling, followed by proper seasoning, temperature control, and resting. For all the attention paid to the beef, the sauces carry much of the restaurant’s culinary identity. “A properly cooked steak with a beautiful Bordelaise or Bearnaise sauce can be just as memorable as an elaborate tasting menu,” he says.
Beyond beef, duck confit ($41) pairs braised red cabbage, squash puree, and chanterelles with cherry gastrique. Short rib ($42) comes with pommes puree, carrots, and red wine jus; steelhead trout ($39) gets muhammara, Brussels sprouts, and confit fennel. Housemade ravioli ($36) changes weekly. The breadth gives a table options while keeping the kitchen’s attention on sauces, vegetables, and preparations that reward time.
Seasonality will influence how those dishes evolve, though Harder resists treating proximity as sufficient justification for an ingredient. “I don’t believe in using local ingredients simply to put the word ‘local’ on a menu,” he says. “The quality has to be there, and the ingredient needs to make sense within the dish.”
For O’Hern, who arrived at Hutton this fall, Aster is part of a broader effort to strengthen the guest experience across the 100-acre property. His hospitality resume includes Twin Farms in Vermont, Blackberry Farm in Tennessee, and Whiteface Lodge in Lake Placid. Alongside overnight guests, he sees Kingston residents as central to the restaurant’s audience.
The mansion lends itself to anniversaries and celebratory dinners, but the adjoining Bistro & Bar allows for a shorter visit and a smaller bill. Gougeres ($14) arrive with truffled Mornay sauce; mushroom croquettes ($16) combine morels, chanterelles, and Gruyere. The short rib grilled cheese ($22) layers beef, cheese, and caramelized onions on sourdough, with red wine jus. A prime burger ($24) includes fries, while duck confit frites ($28) adds Mornay, jus, and crispy leeks to the potatoes. “Sometimes properties like Hutton Brickyards can feel like they’re primarily destinations for visitors or special events, but we want our local community to feel just as welcome,” Harder says.
Sunday brunch extends the invitation. Caramelized apple brioche French toast ($22) comes with maple creme anglaise and brown butter streusel. A croque madame ($23) stacks ham, Gruyere, bechamel, and a fried egg; wild mushroom tartine ($17) pairs roasted mushrooms with chevre and caramelized onions.
Restaurant Week offers another introduction: three-course dinners ($44.95, with supplements for select entrees) November 5–7 and 12–14, and three-course brunch ($29.95) November 8 and 15. Whether Aster will operate alongside River Pavilion next summer remains undecided. O’Hern says the team would like to keep both running, with this winter helping inform the decision.
For Harder, the more immediate measure of success is repeat business. “As a chef, one of the greatest compliments is seeing familiar faces return because they trust what you’re doing,” he says.
Aster Restaurant & Bar, 132 Lindsley Avenue, Kingston. Dinner Thursday–Saturday, 5–9pm; Saturday bistro lunch, noon–2:30pm; Sunday brunch, 11am–2:30pm. The bistro menu is also available during dinner service.
