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Hudson River restaurants serve up new takes on seasonal flavors alongside classic turkey dinners and pumpkin pie for the holiday.
By Sabrina Sucato and Raphael Beretta
Does the thought of turning on your oven induce fear? Do you crave something besides turkey and pumpkin pie? Are there too many people in your dinner party to even attempt a turkey roast?
Whatever your dilemma is this Thanksgiving, find a solution in the form of the Hudson Valley’s restaurant scene. This year, local eateries delight with seasonal ingredients and artful preparations that turn even the most uninspiring turkey and mashed potato traditions into multi-course culinary affairs.
Be warned, however: Reservations for lunch and dinner go like hot cakes as the holiday approaches, so call in a spot sooner rather than later if you plan to eat out for Turkey Day.
The ’76 House
Tappan
Seatings at 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4:15 p.m., and 6:15 p.m.
$76/person
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For a truly American Thanksgiving, look to The ’76 House for a lunch or dinner that infuses history into the turkey-filled to-do. The three-course prix fixe structure allows diners to choose one appetizer, one main, and one dessert from the Americana offerings. Our picks? Try the seafood Newburg bouchon, gulf shrimp cocktail, or the Thanksgiving spring roll for the first course. Then, move onto the roasted native “Tom” turkey with all the expected accoutrements or the apple brandy-glazed ‘76 famous pork chop. After rounding out dinner with baked apple crunch or pumpkin pie, don’t forget to give thanks to the Founding Fathers for a delightful meal.
Blu Pointe
Newburgh
12-5 p.m.
$49.95/adult, $24.95/child (10 and under)
Craving seafood with your turkey? Call in a reservation at Blu Pointe for a fish-friendly dinner that provides surf options to pair with the traditional turf spread. Although classics like turkey, mashed potatoes, and gravy are on the lineup, swap them out this year for Tuscan white bean salad, spinach-stuffed sole, and orecchiette with broccoli rabe. Eaters who swoon over Italian fare can eat happy here, thanks to a full station dedicated to dishes like eggplant parmesan, Sicilian meatballs, and seafood fra diavolo.
Le Chambord
Hopewell Junction
11:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., and 5:30 p.m.
$69/adult, $29/child 4-11; children under 4 eat free
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Forgoing prix fixe in favor of a buffet, Le Chambord brings French influences to the longstanding American celebration. Fill up on traditional roast turkey, maple glazed roast chicken, baked salmon, herb stuffing, roasted Brussels sprouts with bacon, and bourbon-glazed sweet potatoes. The carving stations boast roast sirloin with bordelaise sauce and roast pork with an apple brandy glaze, and displays of charcuterie boards, fresh fruit, smoked salmon, and shrimp cocktail round out this festive buffet. Be sure to save room for the elaborate dessert spread, with cakes, seasonal pies, pastries, cookies, and brownies.
Cucina
Woodstock
12-7 p.m.
$75/person for four-course prix fixe menu
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In Woodstock, Cucina serves both a four-course prix fixe Thanksgiving dinner feast and a slew of a la carte specials. The fixed menu kicks things off with an artisanal bread basket, featuring fresh focaccia, cornbread, and biscuits with a local maple syrup butter. Next, choose between succulent starters like the butternut squash soup; endive salad with pear, apple, crumbled blue cheese, and toasted walnuts; and the pan-seared scallops. Then, opt for the rich lobster risotto, 14 oz prime rib, or halibut for a twist on your Thanksgiving main. That said, you can still get turkey with all the fixings—namely roasted Brussels sprouts, sausage stuffing, potato puree, and orange cranberry sauce. Finally, it’s time for pie: apple, pumpkin, or pecan. If you’d rather take a choose-your-own-adventure approach, browse the massive a la carte menu and construct an even more elaborate Thanksgiving spread.
Diamond Mills
25 South Partition St, Saugerties
$95/adult, $22/child (12 and under)
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Celebrate the bounty of autumn in the Hudson Valley by inviting family and friends to dine at Diamond Mills on Thanksgiving. Executive Chef Marcos delivers all the best fall flavors in a five-course fete. Elaborate cheese and charcuterie boards, shrimp and lobster cocktail, fig-balsamic arugula salads, and a butternut squash bisque start things out right. Then, courses take a turn for the savory—dig into your choice of turkey breast with mushroom pudding, prime rib, stuffed rainbow trout, or local duck confit with ratatouille. Of course, plenty of sides like green beans and brioche stuffing are available. For your finale, sample a pumpkin spice cheesecake or an apple cider bourbon cake.
Goosefeather
Tarrytown
A la carte menu with Thanksgiving specials
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Thanksgiving may be a tried-and-true American event, but Goosefeather is here to infuse it with the flavors of traditional Hong Kong dishes. Chef Dale Talde, a two-time contestant on Top Chef, brings traditional Cantonese fare to the Hudson Valley with his three-course Thanksgiving prix fixe meal. Along with its usual menu, Goosefeather offers Thanksgiving dinner specials that play on the holiday staples. Enjoy a char siu roasted turkey breast served with ginger cranberry sauce, whipped mashed potatoes, and shiitake mushroom gravy. The two additional specials are desserts; you’ll have to choose between the pumpkin pie—comprised of burnt marshmallows, pecans, caramel, and vanilla ice cream—and the spiced churros lathered in apple butter alongside a scoop of vanilla.
Hudson House
Cold Spring
$75/person
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One look at Hudson House’s Thanksgiving dinner menu and you might permanently forgo eating the holiday dinner at home. Executive Chef John Guerrero takes standby dishes to the next level with the help of seasonal ingredients and thoughtful preparation. Although everything on the menu sounds sumptuous, standouts include the house-made burrata with beefsteak tomatoes and truffle balsamic glaze, the New Zealand rack of lamb coated with whole-grain mustard and dusted with porcini mushrooms, and the pumpkin pie topped with vanilla bean whipped cream and raspberry coulis.
Mohonk Mountain House – SOLD OUT
New Paltz
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Mohonk makes its name on unforgettable overnights, retreats, and day trips in the Hudson Valley, so it comes as no surprise that its Thanksgiving luncheon buffet—available exclusively for overnight guests—is one for the books. Diners have the best of Thanksgiving fare at their fingertips here. Think roast turkey, maple-braised yams, grilled halibut, and prime rib, just to name a fraction of the delectable options. Dessert, meanwhile, is the cherry on top of a superlative meal. Family-favorites like pecan tarts, sour cream apple pie, bread pudding, and raspberry swirl cheesecake offer a sweet end to the dining experience.
Shadows on the Hudson
Poughkeepsie
11:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.
A la carte menu with Thanksgiving specials
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Anyone who wants to turn Thanksgiving dinner into a large group affair should consider Shadows. The riverfront eatery offers an a la carte holiday menu instead of a prix fixe one so diners can eat according to personal preference. Fall flavors shine across the board in dishes like the harvest squash soup with maple crème, pumpkin ravioli with sage cream sauce, and traditional pumpkin pie for dessert. Mains range from cherry bourbon salmon to strip steak with taters. Kids can enjoy some pretty fine dining, too. For $12, eaters under 12 can score a turkey dinner with mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, or chicken tenders and fries, plus a scoop of ice cream at the end.
Related: Here’s Where to Order Thanksgiving Dinner in the Hudson Valley