The Dish Local Restaurants Want You To Try During Hudson Valley Restaurant Week
Hudson Valley Restaurant Week is in full swing, and The Groundhog dug up some information from restaurants in Dutchess, Ulster, and Orange county.
A Tavola Trattoria
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
Steak tartare is always popular, and the roasted cauliflower is a phenomenal dish — always popular on the regular menu.
What do you wish people would try?
Grilled Octopus — it “never rubbery, and I’ve turned people into octopus lovers who never thought they’d try octopus”
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
A full, well-rounded experience. We want people to feel special, because they are. We know not every can go out as often as others, so we want people to be blown away not only by food and drink but also by the feeling they got when they walked in, while they ate, and as they say goodnight.
American Bounty
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
Roasted Loin of Lamb.
What do you wish people would try?
Crispy Monkfish Cheeks.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
We want to showcase the CIA as a whole and not one specific restaurant over another. We are an educational institution that has restaurants run by its students and not many people know that. Restaurant Week, while not economical for our restaurants*, really does enable people to join us who would normally not because of our traditional a la carte menu price points. In turn, we get to showcase our school to a much diverse audience…and in the end, those people could very well have children interested in Culinary Arts or they themselves may be interested in taking some adult continuing ed classes.
Amici’s
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
The Lobster mac and cheese, it’s the biggest dish.
What do you wish people would try?
People eat what they feel comfortable eating, so if they like chicken parm, they’ll probably get chicken parm.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
We’ve been here 10 years, so we have our regulars, but Restaurant Week is fun because we get people from New York City, or further Upstate, who don’t know the area that well, and it gives them a chance to try our food.
Aroma Osteria
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
The fresh buffalo mozzarella imported from Italy.
What do you wish people would try?
Cavatelli All’ Amatriciana pasta.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
Our beautiful villa and our authentic Italian cuisine, rustic food, and also that fine dining does exist in this area and were setting the example for authentic Italian cuisine. It’s a beautiful villa type place, and we think we’re one of the best — if not the best.
Baja 328
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
The chipotle shrimp over rice.
What do you wish people would try?
The chicken hawk balls-appetizer.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
Our food and tequilas.
Blu Pointe
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
We definitely expect the Short Ribs and the Pork Shank (Pork Osso Bucco) for Dinner, and for lunch, the Steak Frites and Chicken Endive Salad.
What do you wish people would try?
The Chickpea Panisse: it’s quinoa and chickpea served with a Mediterranean garlic-almond dip. It’s a take on the falafel. The salmoriglio garlic almond mixture with the deep fried chickpeas and quinoa are little golden brown pieces of deliciousness.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
We’re looking to showcase the bounty at Blu Pointe, local products, and the complex preparation of Mediterranean food that you won’t find in the local area. And get people to try our food.
Bocuse Restaurant
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
Short Rib Bourguignon.
What do you wish people would try?
Sauteed Squab.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
We want to showcase the CIA as a whole and not one specific restaurant over another. We are an educational institution that has restaurants run by its students and not many people know that. Restaurant Week, while not economical for our restaurants, really does enable people to join us who would normally not because of our traditional a la carte menu price points. In turn, we get to showcase our school to a much diverse audience…and in the end, those people could very well have children interested in Culinary Arts or they themselves may be interested in taking some adult continuing ed classes.
Canterbury Brook Inn
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
The Risotto and Ossobuco.
What do you wish people would try?
The Raclette.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
We’ve been here about 22 years and we have a very loyal following; it’s nice to have new people in and try it.
The Corner Restaurant at Hotel Tivoli
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
The classic Chicken Tajine with green olives and preserved lemon.
What do you wish people would try?
We always want people to try our classic dish. We don’t really push anything else. Our classic dish represents the culture of our restaurant.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
We hope to bring in people that have not dined with us. We are very welcoming and love new customers and guests.
Cosimo’s Brick Oven
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
Murray’s chicken.
What do you wish people would try?
Probably one of our pork dishes. Not too many people lately are into pork but we definitely have a great blend of flavors there.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
We just want people to see that we are here and we want people to experience that ‘home feel’ since we are a family-owned restaurant.
Cosimo’s On Union
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
For dinner, I would say the gnocchi entrée because we don’t have it all the time.
What do you wish people would try?
Murray’s chicken.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
That we use the local farms around here year-round.
Cosimo’s Trattoria
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
For entrees, we are trying out some new local things for our menu. So probably Murray’s chicken.
What do you wish people would try?
Polenta. I think a lot of people look at polenta and are scared of it but ours has a great texture to it and people don’t know enough about it.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
Our restaurant is family-owned and it has been in the Hudson Valley for about 24 years. It’s nice to go to a big restaurant that feels like a chain but actually isn’t.
Cosimo’s Woodbury
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
Any dishes with Murray’s Chicken, a local purveyor.
What do you wish people would try?
On the craft beer and cocktail end of things — we are launching along with Restaurant Week a craft beer program. We’re using Sour Ale from Hudson Valley Brewery. I think it’s a great beer, something people probably won’t step out of the box initially to try.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
We really just want to showcase that we are a very-well established family-owned restaurant group in the Hudson Valley that wants to bring people out and let them know that we are focused on utilizing the best and freshest local ingredients.
Crave
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
The braised pork shoulder.
What dish do you wish people would try?
The flat iron steak — it’s got a nice Mexican flair to it with a mole black bean. We’re not sure what’s scaring them off.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
We cook seasonally and have been doing this for eight years now. Restaurant Week gets people out of their houses during the middle of the week when they normally, during the wintertime, wouldn’t be doing so.
Dino’s Vigneto Cafe
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
Any of our signature dishes (the lobster, crab meat, pasta, etc.)
What dish do you wish people would try?
All of the dishes.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
We’re hoping to gain some new customers. Compared to last year, this year the weather is going to be nicer so we’re hoping more people will come out.
Eleven 11 Grille & Spirits
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
The grill hanger steak.
What dish do you wish people would try?
The shrimp and crab stuffed salmon.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
To try and get new customers. People who are going out to eat for this pre-fixe menu will maybe come back afterwards if they enjoyed the experience.
Farm to Table Bistro
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
I believe the women will end up ordering the salmon dish and the men will stick to the Pork Shank. The pork shank is imported from Umbria, Italy and it was a huge commitment for me. I spent over a month perfecting the dish.
What dish do you wish people would try?
I’d really like customers to try the pasta appetizer, sugo all’amatriciana. This includes one of Italy’s best known sauces with sautéed onion and guanciale. For dessert I’d like to see customers try Cathy’s not-to-be-outdone “Lemon Bar” for dessert.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
Aside from our great food, I’d like to just get customers in to experience the atmosphere as well. We’ve had Architectural Digest here twice to photograph our space.
Henry’s at the Farm
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
Usually it’s our double-breasted chicken. People like to order the safe and classic items.
What dish do you wish people would try?
The Sweet Potato Gnocchi. This is a fun dish and the gnocchi is all made in-house. It is a good winter dish, which seems appropriate since the cold weather has quickly come back.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
Mostly to get people here and see the place. This is a very unique space with an animal sanctuary, spa, hotel rooms, an inn as well as smaller homes to stay in.
Hudson’s Ribs & Fish
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
Probably our Louisiana-style New York sirloin. This is blackened with a sauteed mix of mushrooms, onions and bell peppers.
What dish do you wish people would try?
I’d like people to try our imperial flounder. This is an item that will probably be going on our menu next month. It’d be great to get back some feedback because it’s an item we haven’t done in a while.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
We are all about being fresh — fresh seafood, fresh vegetables and all of our steaks are hand-cut on site.
Il Barilotto
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
The mediterranean sea bass.
What dish do you wish people would try?
The crispy pork belly.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
We’re just hoping to bring in some new guests in the area.
Joseph’s Steakhouse
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
Tuscan short ribs.
What dish do you wish people would try?
Tuscan short ribs or any one of our italian dishes.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
Some of our italian dishes, and our prime rib.
Liberty Street Bistro
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
We believe our most popular dish will be a roast chicken with lentils and a parsnip puree — we did a similar dish with chicken last year and feel we should do something with chicken again because people love chicken.
What do you wish people would try?
We have something on our regular menu called Pigtail Roulade, which is made from actual pig tails which usually turns people off a bit
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
Liberty Street Bistro is a beautiful space in Newburgh, its simple and clean and people love to come here to look out at the view of Washington Headquarters.
Limoncello at Orange Inn
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
The most popular dish would be for the appetizers would be the Tartare of Salmon or the Eggplant Rollatini. For the entrees it would be the Smokehouse Maple BBQ Glazed Salmon with Pine Island roasted potatoes and a horseradish root creme fraiche. For dessert it would be the Warwick Apple and walnut bread pudding with caramel gelato.
What do you wish people would try?
Tartare of wild salmon: it’s hard to get people to eat raw fish.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
We are hoping to showcase how we are a family environment, how we have a warm atmosphere and to show people that we can be their home away from home.
Monte’s Local Kitchen & Bar
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
Our All-American Burger is usually popular all year round and we expect it to be popular again this year during restaurant week. It’s the best burger in the area.
What do you wish people would try?
I would say our pork chop is something that people don’t get too often but they definitely should.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
Our farm to table aspect is really important to us, so we hope people see that. Other than that our rustic interior and warm, friendly environment is something we want to show.
Nina
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
Probably our pan-seared cod filet. We ran it as a special a couple weeks ago and it sold really well, so we figured we’d feature it for restaurant week.
What do you wish people would try?
Our Hudson Valley duck steamed egg rolls. It’s an appetizer and it’s definitely different but it’s very delicious and people probably wouldn’t usually try it.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
We make everything fresh everyday, and we use local ingredients as much as we possibly can.
Ole Savannah Southern Table & Bar
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
We’re doing new items (4 new appetizers, 4 new entrees) for Restaurant Week, so we’re not sure what the most popular will be.
What dish do you wish people would try?
I honestly think they’ll try everything! Nothing is so outside the norm that it might be unappealing.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
We’re hoping to showcase our new style — moving away from purely Southern BBQ to Southern/Bistro.
Poughkeepsie Ice House
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
Probably the seafood mac and cheese or the fish and chips.
What dish do you wish people would try?
The bacon egg and cheese risotto. The eggs are served over-easy on top and the risotto has bits of bacon in it. Also, the three mushroom flatbread. I, myself, eat that all the time.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
We take the time to make sure everything tastes good and is prepared as fresh as possible. We really use the freshest ingredients to make sure we’re spotlighting what we have in the Hudson Valley. We try to put an emphasis toward fish since we are so close to the river.
Restaurant 1915
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
For an appetizer, you can choose between a pasta dish and salad, and I’d say most people will choose the pasta. For the entire, definitely the steak. Dessert is a toss up.
What do you wish people would try?
Our salmon and trout combo. The fish is delicate and light.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
We use farm table products and source locally from the Hudson Valley as much as possible. We hope to showcase the amount of variety here in the Hudson Valley.
River Station
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
The Grilled Cheese Special, or maybe the Duck Dinner, both are fantastic.
What do you wish people would try that you won’t think they’ll try?
The Ahi Tuna Panini for sure.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
Our diversity in the menu.
Sapore
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
The Shell Steak.
What do you wish people would try?
The Beef Bourguignon.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
The good food that we make here at the restaurant.
Storm King Tavern
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
Based on the first night, most people ordered the steak… it’s a peppered sirloin steak with potatoes, wild mushrooms and roasted shallots.
What do you wish people would try?
Pan fried filet of ocean redfish with caponata. I had it, it was very good.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
We have a culinary institute trained chef, a beautiful view, and we’re open in the winter. People don’t seem to know that we’re open to the public because we’re on a golf course, so I think that letting people know that we’re open is the most important thing.
Terrapin
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
It’s usually our maple brined pork chop.
What do you wish people would try?
Our duck quesadilla is pretty good… some people might be turned off because it’s duck but it’s very delicious.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
Our menu is pretty extensive compared to most other offerings for Restaurant Week, we really like to showcase our local ingredients. We hope that people will take advantage of Restaurant Week and try new things.
Trattoria San Giorgio
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
A veal and mushroom lasagna.
What do you wish people would try?
House-made gnocchi with a seared beef heart, it’s delicious!
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
A lot of items in our kitchen are homemade, such as the pasta sheets for the lasagna I mentioned before. We use fresh, Hudson Valley food and produce.
Wildfire Grill
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
Probably our slow-roasted brisket, we change the menu every time we do restaurant week but that’s a good seller already so we’re hoping it remains a good seller.
What do you wish people would try?
I wish they would try the chile poblano, it’s actually a vegetarian option that we added onto this menu.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
The wine, the service, the menu — we want people to come back knowing they can have a good time.
The Would
What do you expect to be the most popular dish?
The Pork Osso Bucco with Creamy Polenta and Gremolata, I think that’s been number 1 so far, appetizer-wise the tuna tartare is one of our most popular dishes, it’s a real healthy dish. And then as far as the entrée, any of them — my favorite is the Boneless Chicken Thighs with Pancetta & Baby Potatoes and then for lent we did just a common fish and chips. My favorite dessert is vanilla crème brûlée with fresh raspberries and chocolate which we put on the bottom, so the creme brûlée is on top and when you dig into it, you get a fresh layer of that and it’s delicious.
What do you wish people would try?
I think it’ll break out pretty even, I think it’s a pretty friendly, fun kinda menu. Whenever I write the menu, I try to write around the season and around [buying] local as well so when you get to March you try to go toward spring, you try to get some spring items, so that’s kinda how I try to write it.
What are you hoping to showcase about your restaurant during restaurant week?
The food. It’s all about flavor, we work hard to make sure we get them the best quality flavor, making sure the food is so good that you wanna come back. There’s a lot of competition in the area so you know repeat business is so important.
