Despite the fact that Hudson Valley restaurants have been allowed to offer indoor dining since the region entered Phase 3 in late June, many proprietors have chosen either not to do so for health concerns or limited the space the designate.
So what to do with all that unused indoor space? While they are still offering indoor dining on the full upper level space (with a new bar coming) and in the bar-room, The Amsterdam in Rhinebeck, which reopened to fanfare on July 27, decided to transform their main dining room into a quaint provisions market, join the COVID-inspired restaurant-turned-bodega trend.
In the antique setting of a 1796 Dutch townhouse in Rhinebeck, The Amsterdam’s new market has a rustic, agrarian feel with goods displayed on vintage hutches and dressers and old farm shelving that co-owner Chris Jacobs scouted at The Antique Warehouse in Hudson. The cozy space showcases the bounty of the Hudson Valley’s many farms and purveyors producers.
The array of products includes fruit, veggies, meat, and dairy from local farms, including Sonofabee Farms, Northwind, Common Hands Farms, HoofPrint, and Hawthorne Valley. They also have value-added goods from area artisans, cheeses, and house-made charcuterie, in addition to prepared foods like sandwiches, salads, and fresh pastries made daily on-site. The local brands carried include Acme Smoked Fish, Poor Devil Pepper, Our Daily Bread, Maple Leaf Sugaring, Beth’s Farm Kitchen, North Fork Potato Chips, Copper Horse Coffee Roasters, Sfoglini Pasta, Jacuterie.
There is also a small section of gourmet imported foods, including 24-month Parma proscuitto, buffalo mozzarella, Greek and Italian olives, oils and vinegars from Europe (France, Greece, Italy), La Boite spices and spice blends (Lior Lev Sercarz/Eric Ripert), vegan fig salami from Greece. The market is open daily from 8am to 8pm for in-person shopping, or you can call ahead to order and request curbside pick-up.
The restaurant has also expanded and improved their al fresco dining experience this summer. “Outdoor dining has always been big at The Amsterdam, we have a lovely tent with lighting and decor out back and we added seats in the front,” says co-owner Howard Jacobs.
In addition to launching their new provisions market, the July reopening of The Amsterdam was a debut for the recently promoted executive chef Randi Jimenez whose menu revamp has received warm praise.
“The change in chef has brought out creativity and luscious new dishes that people are raving about,” Jacobs says. “People are commenting how the food is better than ever, with interesting new dishes full of flavor and delicious international flair.” Jimenez, who is classically trained in French cuisine, has worked with Michelin-starred and James Beard Award-winning chefs and brings global flavors to the locally sourced menu.
New and updated menu items include the vegetable tempura, which features zucchini, onion, asparagus, broccoli, peppers, and tsuyo; and the beef tartare with Peruvian anticuchera sauce, botija olives, garlic aioli, and potato crisps.
Whether you’re picking up groceries after you eat dinner in the fairy-lit backyard or pop in pre-picnic to stock up on all the essentials, it’s a good time to visit The Amsterdam.
This article appears in August 2020.
