After nearly three decades running McGillicuddy’s, a veritable institution on Main Street in the heart of New Paltz, veteran restaurateurs Brian Keenan and Craig Gioia began thinking about their second act in the Ulster County town—while considering how much diners love eating outdoors.
And then it occurred to them: a restaurant in which the main attraction is a large outdoor patio that would beckon diners to enjoy the sunshine and fresh air in a relaxed and fun setting—with a menu that had been lacking in New Paltz’s diverse and eclectic dining scene.
Thus was born Sideshow Kitchen and Bar, a 3,000-square-foot indoor space complemented by a 4,000-square-foot patio—a vibrant eatery where guests can enjoy creative Southern cuisine.
“We landed on the name ‘Sideshow’ because McGillicuddy’s is the big top, while our additional business in New Paltz would be the sideshow,” Keenan says. “It all made sense as we moved along.”
Sideshow debuted on January 6 to great fanfare, according to Keenan, a longtime restaurateur, who along with Gioia, operates several local restaurants, including Darby O’Gill’s in Hyde Park; Gioia also owns Novella’s in New Paltz.
“The main thing I’ve heard from our customers is that it’s a cuisine the town was missing, and people are very excited about sitting outside in the warm weather.”
While the venue is a big part of Sideshow’s allure, the food commands just as much attention. Executive Chef Christopher Tompkins, owner of the former Crooked Rooster in Poughkeepsie, fires up a range of hunky, smoky barbecue classics like brisket, pulled pork, and dry-rubbed St. Louis spareribs. A chef with 35 years in the business, Tompkins also whips up Southern favorites with an indulgent twist, like Carolina fried chicken paired with crispy buttermilk waffles and smoked bourbon maple syrup, as well as rattle snake pasta, made up of garlic-sauteed jumbo gulf shrimp and rigatoni tossed with garlic cream, jalapeños, and cotija cheese. Handhelds include the standout apple cider pulled pork melt served with a side of crispy potato-skin fries, and salad lovers will enjoy feasting on the chopped cowboy cobb, with romaine, black bean and corn relish, crumbled blue cheese, hard-boiled egg, and crispy tortilla shreds, tossed in smoky jalapeno ranch dressing.
With the food and the setting combined, Keenan expects Sideshow to appeal to a wide swath of people because of its “fun and festive vibe.” Keenan notes that “New Paltz is a college town, but it’s really so much more than that. People have weekend homes here, and it’s a town where you’ll see a college kid sitting next to a hiker sitting next to a family sitting next to a college professor. It’s such an eclectic and welcoming mix. You get a lot more than a restaurant when you come to Sideshow because you get the village of New Paltz, which really is unlike any other town in the area.”
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