We hear there’s a brand-new French bistro in Poughkeepsie (an area woefully lacking in same). Le’ Express, in the town’s Red Oaks Mill section, opened in December; it bills itself as a modern French bistro, with a menu that features classics (beef Bourguignon, steak au poivre, croque-monsieur) as well as fusion fare inspired by the cuisine of Morocco, Vietnam, and other former Gallic colonies. Owner John Lekic’s impressive resume includes stints at marquee hot spots in Manhattan and Las Vegas; currently, he manages Fishkill’s Sapore steakhouse… In other Potown news: The party scene heats up at two of the city’s best-known eateries. Bull & Buddha now hosts singles events for those 40-plus on the first Thursday of each month, with drink specials and $3 appetizers. Down by the waterfront, Shadows on the Hudson’s recent interior redecorating includes a new dance floor; music (provided either by a live band or house DJ Joey Bumps) keeps it hopping on weekends…
Did you catch The Martha Stewart Show’s “all things sticky” episode on November 30 featuring Dutchess County’s own Crown Maple Syrup (pictured)? Owned by Robb and Lydia Turner, the year-old company’s Medium Amber Syrup was the main ingredient in Upside-Down Sticky Toffee Pudding; the inimitable Martha called the saccharine stuff “really quite good”… Pizza lovers in Ulster County might want to make a pilgrimage to Il Forno, a just-opened pizzeria/restaurant near the Hudson Valley Mall in Kingston. We’re told on good authority that the pies (baked in a wood-fired brick oven) are a cut above, the garlic knots resemble small tennis balls in size, and the filled-to-order cannoli rival those found in Little Italy. Mangia!
