Ulster County Restaurant Review: Henry’s Farm to Table at Buttermilk Falls Inn and Spa in Milton

For the past seven years, guests have enjoyed the lush surroundings, beautiful views, and pampering indulgences of Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa in Milton. But when it came time to eat, they had to leave. Until this past March, that is. Now, visitors and locals alike can enjoy the Hudson Valley’s latest dining experience at Henry’s Farm to Table, the newly opened restaurant at the resort.

This long-anticipated arrival is “a natural addition,” says Adam Glinert, general manager of Buttermilk Falls. “The Hudson Valley is becoming like Napa Valley, with lots of great restaurants and culinary stars. We always sent our guests to great places to eat, but we wanted a place on the property for people who don’t want to move.”

Henry’s is named after owner Robert Pollock’s two-year-old son. “I thought of it,” Glinert says proudly. “The name has an old-world, rootsy, American feel, which is what we wanted for the restaurant.” That feel carries through to the décor and the menu, of course. The dining room, on the second floor of recently renovated building, seats 56 and features lots of wood and windows, which overlook the Hudson River and the natural beauty of the 70-acre resort. It’s warm and inviting; the hand-crafted tables and bar, blown-glass fixtures, and handmade wallpaper all match the historic atmosphere of the inn. But the space is also thoroughly contemporary. It’s hard-wired for audio-video presentations, fully wireless, and designed to accommodate television productions and photo shoots for the planned cooking schools, conferences, and meetings that Glinert hopes to host here. “It’s really a multifaceted facility,” he says.

» Visit Henry’s Farm to Table
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The food is also both modern and connected to the land; most of it grows right outside the restaurant’s door. Indeed, chef Paul Kelly, a CIA grad who worked most recently at the Lazy Swan Golf and Country Club in Saugerties, was drawn to the job in large part because of the new greenhouses that were built to grow his produce. “I can dictate what is planted — unusual and special things, at unusual times of year, so I don’t have to fly them in from South America or California, which is very important to me,” Kelly says. He hopes that, once the gardens are fully functional, up to 80 percent of his ingredients will be his own pesticide-free, organic crops. Eggs will come from the chickens roosting on-site; the resort’s own beehives will yield the honey; and the meats, fish, and other specialty items, including much of the wine list, will come from local purveyors. Outdoor seating (on the upstairs balcony or the downstairs patio) affords great view of the gardens and grounds (which guests are welcome to stroll around).

The early favorites on the menu, Kelly says, include the Hudson Valley Duck Pizza, with caramelized onions, Fontina cheese, and baby arugula on a whole wheat and honey crust; a grass-fed strip steak with onions, mashed potatoes, and roasted mushrooms; and the appetizer of goat cheese with arugula, shaved fennel, and blood orange. The menu will change with the seasons, but the prices will stay reasonable. “Our check average is about $35 to $40 per person,” Kelly says.

Now open just Wednesday through Sunday for dinner, Henry’s hopes to expand to six nights a week, plus lunches and a Sunday brunch. “Our guests are loving it, and locals are discovering us,” says Glinert. “We’re still in our infancy, but the place is doing great.”

» Visit Henry’s Farm to Table
» Visit Buttermilk Falls Inn & Spa
» Go to our Dining Guide