The Huli Huli chicken at Flores. Photo courtesy of Flores Tapas Bar
Local foodie favorites bring seasonal flavors and prix fixe price points. Have you reserved a table for Hudson Valley Restaurant Week yet?
By Matt Moment and Sabrina Sucato
For food enthusiasts in the Hudson Valley—cough, cough, everyone—the most magical time of the year is almost here. That’s right, Valley Table‘s Hudson Valley Restaurant Week is right around the corner.
In anticipation of the two weeks of culinary extravagance, which kicks off on November 7 and runs until November 20, we got in touch with a few of the masterminds behind the leading eateries in the Hudson Valley. New this fall, for lunch and/or dinner at participating establishments, diners will choose between four price points: $44.95, $39.95, $29.95, and $24.95. Now, find a great eatery near you and make a reservation—it’s the only way to stop the stomach rumblings.
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P.S. On Valley Table‘s website, visitors can search everything from pet policies and price points to delivery options and proximity to a Metro-North railroad station.
An Artistic Taste
Harriman
This new Orange County restaurant is well worth the $44.95 prix fixe price. Through all three courses of this dining experience, there’s a little something for everyone (even vegans). To start out, carnivores will likely opt for the jerk chicken dumplings paired with plum sauce, scallion top, and tomatillo or the crisp chicken buns, complete with scallions, herb aioli, sweet chili, and pickled relish. For the plant-based crowd, look to the roasted beets or Brussels sprouts, each dressed with surprising, yet simple ingredients.
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The second course yields options for vegans, gluten-free diners, and vegetarians. But don’t worry, meat eaters, we haven’t forgotten about you—the signature burger, for example, tempts with stilton, romaine, confit tomatoes, pecan-smoked bacon, barbecue sauce, house sauce, and a side of fries. Vegetarians are well-advised to order the butternut squash ravioli served with a delicious brown butter sage sauce, squash puree, and pecorino. The coconut curry chickpeas are a fine choice for vegans, and they’re so delicious, they might even get the omnivores to cheat on their cheeseburgers.
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Finally, bring your visit to An Artistic Taste to a sweet conclusion in the way of banana bread, flourless chocolate cake, or rum raisin bread pudding. If your sweet tooth persists, head next door to The Cake Lady for over-the-top decadent baked goods.
Autumn
Sparkill
This farm-to-table restaurant, led by Chef Denis Whitton, is a favorite for French fare in the region. Chef Whitton’s style of cooking is “steeped in French tradition with a focus on game,” elevated by “subtle nuances of other cooking techniques” and local ingredients. This Restaurant Week, take advantage of the opportunity to dine on multiple courses at one of Westchester’s most acclaimed eateries.
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First, you’ll have to decide when to dine, as Autumn offers three tiers: lunch, brunch (both at $39.95), and dinner ($44.95). Each comes with a small plate, large plate, and dessert.
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Autumn goes above and beyond what you thought brunch could be, so we wish you the best luck deciding on what to order. The French toast bites—served with lemon curd, chocolate sauce, and mixed berry jam—provide a sweet start to the meal. Seafood fanatics will be pleased to note that the mystic oysters and mussels are up for grabs at brunchtime as well as for lunch and dinner. Speaking of, we’d be remiss not to highlight the dinnertime entrees like Atlantic salmon, Cornish hen, and pan-seared branzino.
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Profiteroles are the only dessert option at lunch, but, at brunch and dinner, diners can choose between profiteroles, apple strudel, and banana filo.
Flores Tapas Restaurant & Bar
Wappingers Falls
What is it about tapas that is so addicting? We’ve been raving about the Spanish finger foods for a good while, and for good reason. One of the most popular places to snack on tapas in the Hudson Valley is Flores, located in Dutchess County. Its prix fixe lunch ($29.95) and dinner ($44.95) both include a starter, tapas, and dessert; plus, the dinner option comes with a main course.
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At Flores, diners will start simply with olives or shishito peppers, which is exactly the right complement for one of the cocktails. Speaking of, how about a “Purple Drank” with a base of butterfly pea flower-infused gin, passionfruit liqueur, honey, and spiced tonic?
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To comprise the Hudson Valley Restaurant Week menu, Flores selected a few of its top tapas, such as patatas bravas, chicken pintxos, and pear crostini. If you’re dining at dinnertime, order any of the mains or paella dishes excluding the filet mignon—this affords you options like juicy steak in chimichurri sauce, the Hawaii-inspired Huli Huli chicken, and a seafood and chorizo paella sizzling with flavor.
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At lunch, diners will finish with house-made churros. However, at dinnertime, patrons may select any dessert from the menu as part of the package deal.
The Millbrook Inn
Millbrook
If you’re looking for great food and an incredible inn where you can rest your weary head, head to Millbrook during Restaurant Week and dine at The Vintage, the “hyper-local” farm-to-table eatery located onsite at The Millbrook Inn. The eatery offers one menu for dinner ($44.95) and, really, that’s all you need when the constituent dishes are so superb.
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Once you’ve sat down for dinner and ordered a cocktail, you’ll be offered crostini bites with charred McGrath Farms cheese and a butternut squash-apple soup with a foie gras crouton. Next, you’ll delight in the slow-roasted short ribs made with a red wine reduction, parsnip purée, and crispy seasonal vegetables. And, after you’re finally through with your hazelnut-filled pie tart, you’ll likely be ready to slip into a nice, long food coma.
Restaurant X & Bully Boy Bar
Congers
Chef Peter X. Kelly—the owner, chef, and eponym of Restaurant X—is a culinary treasure to the Hudson Valley, so it should come as no surprise that his eatery made our list. Chef Kelly lives up to his reputation as a cook most creative with this Hudson Valley Restaurant Week menu. Whether you come for lunch ($29.95) or dinner ($44.95), you’ll leave wishing you could have him cook three meals a day for you.
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Butternut squash bisque, an autumnal staple speckled with toasted pumpkin seeds, makes an appearance on both menus, meaning it is not to be missed. The same goes for his wild mushroom ravioli, which is slathered in a port glaze a la Brotherhood Winery. When it comes to entrees, diners must decide between pork, shrimp, salmon, beef, chicken, and cod as their protein. To give you an idea of just how tantalizing Chef Kelly’s dishes are, take the salmon dish for example; it’s served as a ragout with orzo, broccoli rabe, cherry tomatoes, and mushroom jus.Â
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Both lunch and dinner prix fixe menus include a dessert, which means you can look forward to a profiterole with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce; organic carrot layer cake; a Belgian chocolate dome with a rich caramel center; and the crème caramel juxtaposed with fresh fruit. If you’re thirsty, order wine or a cocktail sourced from the Hudson Valley. Restaurant X serves up local goodness with vino from Whitecliff Vineyard in Gardiner as well as a seasonal sangria made with Hudson Valley apples and maple syrup.
