By Virgina Croft and Sabrina Sucato, with additional reporting by Raphael Beretta
With the weather getting warmer and warmer each week, we all deserve a meal to celebrate the arrival of spring in the Valley. Hudson Valley Restaurant Week is March 21 – April 3, with a hefty offering of cuisines and atmospheres — find the full list of participating eateries here. With options spanning all of the Hudson Valley and Westchester, here are six great options to get your foodie fix.
114 Old Post Rd, Wappingers Falls
Cozy up to Aroma Osteria’s inviting dining room, serving an extensive selection of Italian wines. For Restaurant Week, try the orecchiette rustiche with fennel sausage, broccoli rabe, and sun-dried tomatoes; and for dessert, you may just have to order zeppole and the sorbetto or gelato of the day.
512 Clock Tower Commons Dr, Brewster
Head to Brewster for Clock Tower Grill’s farm-to-table menu. Start with a grilled cheese consisting of sourdough, prime beef tar tar, and gruyere or a gorgonzola endive salad. For the main course, go Italian with semolina gnocchi with the eatery’s own farm-raised lamb. After, savor a slice of winter citrus and cardamom cake.
721 Main St, New Rochelle
Try Croatian fare for Hudson Valley Restaurant Week. Dubrovnik serves monkfish carpaccio, mussels “bazara,” and other starters. Then, try the branzino with swiss chard and potatoes. Palačinke, Croatian-style crepes, makes for a delicious dessert.
45-53 North St, Middletown
At Middletown’s Oak & Reed, start your Hudson Valley Restaurant Week experience with spring pea and sausage arancini. Then, carve into Achiote-braised pork belly over rice. Anyone with a sweet tooth will enjoy the strawberry shortcake bread pudding.
Photo courtesy of Toasted Newburgh
45 Liberty St, Newburgh
The latest in a long line of eateries to hit Newburgh’s beloved Liberty St, Toasted takes a simple approach to food that tastes amazing. Enjoy a satisfying lunch-all-day experience for Hudson Valley Restaurant Week. Start with sautéed Brussels sprouts with dates and parmesan from the selection of salads. Then, enjoy a tomatillo and poblano pepper gazpacho or a potato and leek soup with crispy prosciutto. Finally, select something off the sandwich menu, ranging from corned beef reubens to fried oyster mushroom on a toasted baguette.
1725 Rte 9W, Milton
A mainstay in the Hudson Valley since 1925, The Ship Lantern Inn is a true dining delight with black-tie service and crisp white tablecloths. On the menu, the local icon delivers farm-fresh flavor in the form of wild salmon pastrami that’s smoked in the Hudson Valley and local free-range turkey with apple-walnut stuffing. Even dessert gets the local treatment, with tempting bites like Caradonna Farm apple crisp and Lukan Farm honey-infused crème brûlée.
Related: This Toasted Pear Cocktail Is the Ultimate Autumn Drink