The year was 2004, and while Mark Zuckerberg was launching Facebook, Massachusetts was legalizing same-sex marriage, and Americans were paying $0.97 for a loaf of bread, a pair of husband-and-wife chefs were cooking up something new and innovative for the Hudson Valley: farm-to-table fine dining.
Although no food critics were there documenting the moment (as far as we know), it’s safe to say that Jeff Gimmel and Nina Bachinsky Gimmel introduced a concept that is now a matter of course in the region when they transformed an old, neighborhood restaurant space in a 19th century building on Warren Street in Hudson into Swoon Kitchenbar two decades ago.
“We were the first farm-to-plate restaurant in the Hudson Valley to source from and create enduring relationships with a community of farmers who hadn’t previously engaged so regularly and comprehensively with a restaurant,” says Gimmel, who does a majority of the food preparation while his wife crafts the desserts. “We were the first to print new menus every day because the dishes inevitably varied depending on what ingredients we sourced from the farms.”
A hefty undertaking for a couple of newbie restaurant owners, but it was all in a day’s work, according to Gimmel. “We didn’t really see it as a challenge; it was exciting and all new, and it was just what we wanted to do.” However, he does note one tricky part of forging a new path in dining: coming up with a good name. “We decided ‘swoon’ conveyed a nice image of enjoyable over-indulgence.”
Opening a restaurant in May meant that the late spring/early summer local bounty was in full force, dazzling the Gimmels with the colors and flavors of the season: cherries, tomatoes, asparagus, radishes, green beans, apricots, nectarines, and peaches. “We made a big loop in the minivan, visiting five or six farms a couple of times a week,” Gimmel recalls. “There’s nothing better than going to the farm yourself, picking out the best, freshest, most local stuff you can get your hands on, and getting to know the farmers and their families.”
Although most of the farms now deliver, those early “farm run” feelings remain close to the surface for the Gimmels. “The farmers have become our friends. We appreciate them and their hard work,” says Gimmel. “And we still look forward to seeing what’s new each day. That’s what led the menu back then and it’s the same thing now.”
Open Wednesday through Sunday, Swoon accommodates 50 diners (plus 15 at the bar) and serves wholesome, thoughtfully prepared dishes. Ingredients burst with in-season vibrance and taste, as gentle seasoning in the kitchen allows the farm-fresh food to speak for itself.
To commemorate two decades in dining, Swoon is hosting a $59 four-course prix fixe menu (during the last two weeks of every month) that shines the spotlight on a “star” ingredient—at its peak ripeness and flavor—and incorporates it into every dish, appetizer to dessert. Mushrooms take center stage in October, followed by squash in November; chili peppers played a leading role in September. “We are in the middle of farm goodness here,” says Gimmel. “This is the breadbasket. And it’s just fantastic.”
In 2018, the Gimmels took over Le Perche a few doors down on Warren Street and operate the quaint space as a daytime eatery and companion bakery. With no immediate (read: public) plans to expand their farm-to-fork “empire” further, the Gimmels intend to keep focusing on the ideals they held tight when they first opened their doors back in 2004.
“The nice thing about working seasonally is that it forces constant change and evolution,” Gimmel acknowledges. “Hopefully this means we—and our guests—don’t ever feel old.”
To be 20 years old again…we’ll toast to that.
