HudsonValleyGoodStuff

The Tavern at Diamond Mills: A delicious flatbread, gourmet burger & a Manhattan vibe in Saugerties

My husband surprised me by taking me to Diamond Mills, the new luxury hotel in Saugerties for our wedding anniversary. I have seen Diamond Mills in all phases of construction over the past few years. My first impression when I set foot in the Tavern at the hotel was, "Wow! Where the heck am I? Where did all these people come from?" My husband told a staff member that he felt like he was in the Twilight Zone. "You're not the first person who has said that," she said with a smile.  I think she knew that he meant that in a good way. You feel like you are in a chic Manhattan steak house, without all the pretention that goes along with eating in a fancy Manhattan steakhouse.  

To start I had a small plate seared scallops. They melted in my mouth. I also ordered a small plate of crab cake. The crab cake was small, but very tasty. Tom ordered the Tavern Salad. I ordered the flatbread with potato and asparagus as my entree. It was very filling! Tom had the Burger, which he was very impressed with. He kept oohing and ahhing about the burger sauce. For dessert, we shared the Hudson Valley sampler. It felt like everyone knew it was our anniversary which made the meal extra special.  

Our server Victoria was very friendly and patient with our questions.  A few of the food runners seemed a little stressed out, but first week jitters are to be expected at any new restaurant or hotel, especially an ambitious one like Diamond Mills.

As we were leaving, I spotted a local politician entering the bar there. By summer time, the Tavern plans on offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily. Right now, they are only serving dinner. For more information visit the Diamond Mills website.  

 

Best of Hudson Valley Good Stuff: Memorable events, meals & moments of 2011

Cupcakes galore at the Cupcake Festival at Gardiner

Post-Irene tree climbing 

The Midtwon Margarita at Boitson's in Kingston

The Lake at Belleayre Mountain, Pine Hill

REO Speedwagon at the Dutchess County Fair

Our new family member at Animal Kind in Hudson, NY

 

American Red Cross in Kingston--CPR class

Brasserie 292

Bell's Christmas Tree Farm


Another year of blogging about Hudson Valley Good Stuff. Put it in the books! My blog turns 3 today. As I look back on 2011, here is list of my top memorable events, meals, and moments that I blogged about. 

January:  About two hours after our romantic anniversary dinner at Violette's in Woodstock, my daughter fell very ill and we had an emergency at the house. This prompted me to sign up for a Red Cross CPR training class in Kingston. Thankfully my daughter got better the following week, and the year got better. 

 In February, I signed up for a Partner Yoga workshop at Shakti Yoga on Valentine's Day weekend in Woodstock, and the poses Linda taught us that day, have stuck, at the end of a stressful day, in addition to bringing out the potato chips, we practice partner yoga.

In March there was Hudson Valley's Restaurant Week.  I discovered The Village Tea Room in New Paltz. I wrote a review for LoHud's Small Bites Blog here.

April: The Woodstock Writers Festival is only in its 2nd year, and already very successful. I only made it to one lecture, but hopefully in 2012 I will make it to at least 2 lectures and workshop, who knows. Check out the Woodstock Writers website to see what Martha Frankel and her staff are planning this year.

May: On Mother's Day, I went to the Cupcake Festival in Gardiner and had a very sweet time. I will definitely be back there this year if the festival takes place again. It is a foodie's dream!

June: I wish I could have spent more time at Pine Hill Lake at Belleayre this Summer. It is truly a slice of Hudson Valley paradise.

July: While we really got a cat to take care of the mice situation we have totally fallen in love with her. We adopted a senior cat at Animal Kind in Hudson. The staff are very helpful and the adoption was a breeze.  If you need to surrender your cat for whatever reason, give them a call. 

August--I will never forget the angst in the air at the Dutchess County Fair the night we saw REO Speedwagon in concert, the day before T.S. Irene arrived. Being a weather junkie, I was excited about a potential hurricane. After the first intense 20 minutes though, our power went out and that is when the fun abruptly stopped. Later when I saw the down-trees and wires, flooding, my excitement turned to panic, then to gratitude. We only lost our power for 5 days, and we stayed one night at the Hampton Inn, and the rest of the time with family in Long Island. Hudson Valley Weather's Facebook Fan Page and The Watershed Post proved to be  very valuable resources for victims of Irene.

September--Celebrating my husband's birthday at Boitson's in Uptown Kingston. I tried devils on horseback for the first time and had the best margarita of the year!

October--My favorite week in Woodstock continues to be the Woodstock Film Festival week where thousands of filmmakers come to town to screen their indie movies. The concerts are not to be missed. In 2009, I became a ukelele fan and now  Melvern Taylor is on my iPod. Last year, I saw Simi Stone in concert at the Colony Cafe and I bought her new CD from her at the concert in November.  

I cannot forget walking into Rock Star Rodeo in Saugerties and hearing a guy sing "Happy Birthday" on my actual birthday, only to find out it was the store owner Billy Yosh's birthday too!

On November 11th, 2001, I saw the amazing Simi Stone again in concert at Vivo Art Gallery in Woodstock. Later that month, Brasserie 292 in Poughkeepsie invited us for lunch. It was delicious!

December--While I had fun with the family at Sinterklaas in Rhinebeck, I have to say that my favorite adventure was chopping down the Christmas Tree at Bell's Christmas Tree Farm.

 In December, we put our Hudson Valley Good Stuff billboard up. A huge thank you to our current sponsors Fez Cafe in Saugerties, Taft Street Realty, IXL Health & Fitness, Fun-e Farm Bouncy House Fun center in Kingston, and River Rock Health Spa in Woodstock, and our future sponsors (you know who you are) for your support! 

What will the 2012 hold for the Hudson Valley and HVGS? I am working on HVGS wish-list. First thing on my list is snow!   Wishing you all a Happy New Year & please keep sharing this blog. 

Land and Sea Grill & Steak House in Saugerties--Old-fashioned amazing home-cooked dinner!

 
 Every time I drive by the Land and Sea Grill and Steak House in Saugerties on Route 212, near the Hess station, I end up craving whatever is listed on their small billboard sign. The restaurant has a very unassuming exterior, but it is one of my favorites here. What I love about it very authentic, and doesn't try to be trendy or exotic. This is a perfect place to take someone who loves to eat good food, but doesn't like fussy restaurants. I think my mother-in-law would probably loves this place, especially since they have old-fashioned wooden bar too.

My husband could barely contain his excitement when I told him that I wanted to take him here for his birthday last week. For starters, I ordered a grilled stuffed mushroom special, and he had the crab cakes. Both appetizers were quite hearty and very delicious. I ordered the grilled pork chops, 2 huge savory chops which I got with mashed potatoes. He ordered the chicken. For dessert he had a special plum tart a la mode, and I had the hazelnut creme brule. I didn't make a big fuss with the birthday dessert this year, like I did last year at Mohonk for his 50th. The lady at the table next to us got a "happy birthday" serenade though which was fun.

It just serves really good home cooked food. It reminds me of the old-fashioned pub-style restaurants my parents used to take me when I was a kid, way before the "minimalist" trend in food circles. Land and Sea Grill and Steak House is located at 395 Route 212, Saugerties, NY. (845)  246-0355.

Hudson Valley Green Drinks: Eco-curious network with the Eco-serious

 I attended my first Hudson Valley Green Drinks eco-schmooze event at The Rhinecliff Hotel. The Rhinecliff is a really beautiful historic railroad hotel right next to the Rhinecliff Amtrak train station. It recently became an offical "green certified" hotel. Before the live webcast ("The State of Local Food"), one of the owners gave a group of us a tour of the hotel, noting all the green remodeling that took over five years to complete. We also got to see a cozy romantic standard room there (one of the 9 rooms). Ear plugs are available in every room for those guests who might be bothered by the train whistles though that is definitely part of this hotel's charm. It was nice to meet a few green drinkers. I fall into the "accidental vegan" category, but I'm trying to be greener these days. It's good to know where the eco-serious folks go. The next Hudson Valley Green Drinks event will take place at The Would Restaurant in Highland on June 9th. 

Birthday Dinner: Cucina Restaurant--Woodstock, NY

I didn't know where my husband was going to take me for my birthday night dinner. Since it was my birthday, he left it up to me. I picked Cucina in Woodstock because it is close to home, open on Wednesdays, and it's just a nice special occasion "splurge" restaurant. Set in a restored farm house, it is very cozy and elegant. They had a dinner prix fixe--$29 includes choice of appetizer, an entree, and dessert. We both went for the Prix Fixe. I started with the preserved tuna in olive oil with onions, tomatoes, black olives. My husband started with the pizza with mozzarella, prosciutto, and greens. (The crust is very thin, but the pizza is huge!)  For entree: slow cooked salmon on mashed potatoes. He had the rib eye steak. Both entrees were melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I had the gelato sampler for dessert. The meal was delicious from start to finish.  The lights flickered on and off during the dinner due to the wind storm so that added a little drama to the meal too!  Cucina is great place to bring someone for a special occasion. (Proof --a fellow diner sitting at the table next to ours was celebrating her birthday too!  The server put a candle on a piece of ricotta cheesecake! ) I had my cake when I came home--will post a photo of my birthday cake soon.  Cucina Woodstock, 109 Mill Hill Road, Woodstock, NY 12498. (845) 679-9800. http://www.cucinawoodstock.com. Reservations are suggested here, especially on the weekends.

Birthday Dinner: Mohonk Mountain House--New Paltz, NY

Since my husband made me promise him I wouldn't throw a big surprise party or plan anything too crazy for his 50th birthday, I decided to make a reservation for dinner for 4 at the Mohonk Mountain House in New Paltz. I under-estimated how long it takes to get there from the Kingston area. There is a long and winding uphill road that you must drive up to reach it, which took at least 10 minutes to climb. But once you get there, the Victorian castle is really magical.  (There is also an indoor pool and spa resort here that I would love to try one day).  We had gift certificates that we won, but the cost of a 4-course dinner for adults is $67, and for children 12 and under it is $34.  The dinner includes 2 appetizers, a main course, and a choice of desserts.  (Tax and tip is included in the meal price).

We both started with the Hudson Valley cheese plate, which was a thick slice of Camembert-style cheese on a cracker.  I had the artichoke fritter, which was also bite-size, but delicious.  My Tasmanian Salmon with onions melted in my mouth, and was cooked to perfection. My husband's Cowboy Steak was "hungry man size" and he had no complaints! The children had their usual grilled cheese and chicken strips, and ice cream for dessert.  I noticed that mainly couples had choice tables with the amazing views, but you can really see the glorious panorama from wherever you're sitting..though if you really want a romantic dinner, request a table by the window in advance.  The dining room also bakes cakes for special occasions. (They even will create a cake for 2-4 people). I chose the 4-10 serving cake, which ended up looking bigger than I expected. The service was very fast, which is always a huge help when you are dining with children. The staff pulled off the surprise cake with effortless finesse!  For more information on the Mohonk Mountain House, visit http://www.mohonk.com.  They also have a Sunday buffet brunch.  Check their programs. There are a zillion activities to choose from, and they are offering special weeknight packages.