Courtesy Cinnamon
Want to give your pantry an upgrade and support local? Here’s how to shop right, according to a Culinary Institute of America pro.
If you want to be a great cook, you need to know where to find the best ingredients. Chef Bruce Mattel, senior associate dean of culinary arts at the CIA and resident of Staatsburg, has made it his mission to source the very best local foods. Join us on a tour of his top spots.
GROCERIES
Amazin Grace African Market, Poughkeepsie
What Bruce buys: African specialty ingredients
“They carry hard-to-find African foods. There’s an Ethiopian dish I like to make for my family: chicken doro wot with homemade injira bread. I can get ingredients here that are authentic, like teff flour and egusi seeds.”
Bread Alone Bakery, multiple locations
What Bruce buys: fresh loaves of sourdough and peasant bread
Breadfolks, Hudson
What Bruce buys: pan au levain and any natural-starter breads
Hawthorne Valley, Ghent
What Bruce buys: kimchi and sauerkraut
Hudson Valley Fisheries, Hudson
What Bruce buys: steelhead trout
“The owners are good friends of mine! I’ve bought from them forever. I make a farrotto (risotto with farro, not rice) with cauliflower, green beans, and pan-seared steelhead trout.”
Golden Russet Café & Grocery, Rhinebeck
What Bruce buys: local cider and beer
“It’s owned by this really nice couple Craig and Jenny. Craig is a cider expert. He has the best selection in the area, right in this tiny general store and restaurant.”
Tropical Fresh Supermarket, Poughkeepsie
What Bruce buys:
Caribbean spices and unique fish like red mullet, butterfish, and parrotfish
“My son, Jason, wrote his college admissions essay about Tropical Fresh. It’s a Caribbean market on Main Street. I shop there all the time and used to take him with me when he was growing up. The food they sell represents so many different ethnicities—he used that to analogize his love for and pursuance of international affairs at George Washington University.”
“Tropical Fresh has the best seafood in the area. Sure, they have salmon and shrimp, but they also carry unusual varieties that are popular with people from the Caribbean.”
Rossi’s Rosticceria Deli, Poughkeepsie
What Bruce buys: dry pasta
“I grew up in the Bronx, so for me, Rossi’s is the closest thing to Arthur Avenue. Rossi’s has a really good selection of imported Italian pasta.”
CHEESE
Adams Fairacre Farms, multiple locations
What Bruce buys: stinky and rind-ripened cheeses like Taleggio and French Munster
“If it smells like dirty socks, it tastes like a dream.”
Old Chatham Creamery, Old Chatham
What Bruce buys: sheep milk cheese
FARMS
Hackett Farm Supply, Clinton Corners
What Bruce buys: eggs and poultry
Migliorelli Farm, Tivoli (farmstands in Red Hook, Rhinebeck, and Mt. Tremper)
What Bruce buys: produce
Montgomery Place Orchards & Farmstand, Red Hook
What Bruce buys: produce
Northwind Farm, Tivoli
What Bruce buys: goat, rabbit, sausage, oxtail, and heritage turkey
“They make great charcuterie and all kinds of European-style sausage. I make a fantastic Caribbean curry dish with their boneless goat. I get my Thanksgiving heritage turkey (the best ever) here every year.”
Rhinebeck Farmers Market, Rhinebeck
What Bruce buys: produce
WINES & SPIRITS
- Angry Orchard, Walden
- Artisan Wine Shop, Beacon
- Bad Seed Hard Cider, Highland
- Captain Lawrence Brewing Company, Elmsford and Mount Kisco
- Harker House Wine & Spirits, Clinton Corners
- Milea Estate Vineyard, Staatsburg
- Millbrook Vineyards & Winery, Millbrook
- Sloop Brewing Co., East Fishkill
- Suarez Family Brewery, Hudson
- Whitecliff Vineyard & Winery, Gardiner
When Bruce isn’t cooking, you might find him at one of these go-to spots:
CHINESE: Golden Wok, Red Hook
“For takeout—this is my favorite.”
DOMINICAN: Nelly’s, Poughkeepsie
“It’s a great Dominican ethnic experience. Get the braised oxtails and the black beans and rice.”
DUMPLINGS: Palace Dumplings, Wappingers Falls
“They make dumplings to order. There are super interesting options like lamb and watercress.”
FRENCH: Le Petit Bistro, Rhinebeck
“Go here for authentic French food.”
INDIAN: Cinnamon, Rhinebeck
“I’m not a vegetarian but Cinnamon has so many vegetarian dishes that are fantastic.”
ITALIAN: Lolita Pizza, Poughkeepsie
“It’s on par with Posto. If you’re not near Rhinebeck, this is the place to get Neapolitan-style pizza. Their house-made pasta is fantastic, too.”
KOREAN: Korpot, Poughkeepsie
“The best Korean fried chicken.”
MEXICAN: Rosita’s, El Azteca, and La Cabañita, Poughkeepsie
“I like to go to La Cabañita for its Oaxacan cuisine. They have tlayudas (a fried tortilla with toppings) with stretchy Oaxacan cheese… it’s great.”
PHO: Saigon Pho, Wappingers Falls
“A great, inexpensive Vietnamese restaurant for pho, banh mi, and noodle dishes.”
PIZZA: Pizzeria Posto, Rhinebeck
“Some of the best pizza I’ve had in the U.S. Their Morandi with pistachio is my favorite. I have them add anchovy.”
SRI LANKAN: Red Pepper Diner, Fishkill
“People don’t know about this place! It’s a tiny diner, but the owners are from Sri Lanka and make really good food.”
Related: Upgrade Your Chicken Dinner With This Highly Addictive Caribbean Recipe
