Outdoor dining space is a hot commodity in the walkable city of Hudson. Since the pandemic changed regulations, nearly every restaurant in town seems to have at least a table or two on the sidewalk, but expansive patios are rarer fare.
So, it was a big deal when the large, vaulted pavilion at Wm. Farmer and Sons debuted last summer, adding 55 rain-proof al fresco dining seats to the city. The lofty space, with its big arching California redwood beams, bluestone floor, and hanging gas lanterns has a timeless, rustic feel as if it's always been there. Potted tropical plants and flowering shrubs ring the structure and rustle in the wind, making it feel lush, secluded, and intimate. When the weather cools off, roll-down windows and heaters will extend the viability of outdoor seating well into November.
While the pavilion offers a lovely outdoors setting to dine, it’s really the refreshing summer menu that will have you returning to Wm. Farmer & Sons again and again. The inventive, playful appetizers are where the kitchen shines. With a few friends you can easily tear through all eight options.
Two of the (admittedly indulgent) standouts have a fried component. The snail cannolis offer a savory twist on the Sicillian dessert mainstay. Served in a cast iron skillet, the cannoli is stuffed with herbed chevre, topped with a garlic-thyme butter and spiced pistachio, and surrounded by a generous serving of de-shelled snails for easy eating ($16). The grass-fed beef tartare is served with a quail egg perched atop it and drizzled in porcini conserva and gochujang for a little kick. They don’t serve you nearly enough truffled wontons to eat it all, but if you ask nicely they’ll bring more ($26).
The oft-cloying sweetness of melon in the blue crab salad is balanced perfectly by the bitterness of the red endive that accompanies it, the umami crabmeat, and the cool freshness of spearmint ($20). A colorful summer option is the charcoaled golden beets dish, served with roasted strawberries and rose petals ($17). Other apps include a baby octopus arancini (Italian rice balls, $17), fried chicken livers, and a cool heirloom cucumber dish ($18).
Onto the mains, if you are a fan of truffles, the chicken Francaise dish will delight, served with black truffle, farmers’ cheese, and fried pickle ($30). For a surf option, the king prawns are served with red curry orzo and roasted pineapple in a salted celery broth ($40). The pork chop is done up with a “Cherryaki” glaze and served with local oyster mushrooms and ham hock brodo (bone broth, $36). If it’s a special-occasion splurge kind of night, carnivores should opt for the Europe-trotting tavern steak served with panzanella, patatas bravas, and an au poivre sauce ($45).
Given the ever-climbing cost of cocktails these days, it’s appreciated that Wm. Farm & Sons has settled on an even $16 for their 10 house standards. The spot is renowned for its craft cocktail program, and if you’re a newbie, the bar is where you’ll want to sit to watch serious, canvas-smocked, mustachioed mixologists hand shave ice and fresh press juice for your drink. If you’re not an empiricist, or you’ve been before, stay in the pavilion and await your alchemical potion outside.
Keep it simple with a Japanese highball, served long with Japanese whiskey, soda water, and a grapefruit twist. The botanical rum-based Boukman negroni offers a spin on a summer classic. For a refreshing yet spicy pick, opt for the jaguar nap, a shaken cocktail of mezcal, lime juice, cucumber, sugar, Angostura bitters, and cayenne pepper. There’s half a dozen other options, plus top-shelf liquors available straight or on the rocks: local craft beers; and an extensive, well-manicured, Euro-centric wine list with at least a dozen options by the glass. Bottles range from $55 to $180, glasses $12 to $17.
Wm. Farmer & Sons restaurant, barroom, and pavilion are open Friday and Saturday, 5-10pm and Sunday through Tuesday, 5-9pm.
