High school pals Anthony Michelin and Steven Wrobel were teenagers when they first started working in professional kitchens. They became so besotted with the restaurant world that, as ambitious 20-somethings, they decided to band together and transform an old Italian joint in their hometown of Wappingers Falls into the upbeat West Main Kitchen & Bar. While Wrobel presides over the front of the house, Michelin — a Culinary Institute alum — dreams up compelling spins on comfort food, such as his American-meets-Mexican-meets-Italian bacon and manchego cheese rice balls. But these tasty orbs are just a prelude to slow-cooked chicken stew accompanied by buttermilk biscuits; or root beer-braised short ribs paired with herb smashed potatoes, Brussels sprouts, and a brandy demi-glace. The airy dining room is lined with banquettes and black-and-white prints; patrons who don’t have time for a proper meal can roost at the bar — a prime game-watching spot — and enjoy a happy hour pint or $10 wine flight along with a Vermont cheddar-topped burger and mess of garlic-parsley zest fries. 845-297-0510; www.westmainkitchenandbar.com