HudsonValleyGoodStuff

Ever Ready Diner in Rhinebeck: Sleek counter, big salads, shakes & friendly service

In September I had a great lunch at the shiny new Ever Ready Diner in Rhinebeck. It replaces the former Double O Grill. I have tried all 3 Ever Ready Diners now. (The others are in Hyde Park and Brewster).  I like the one in Rhinebeck the best for decor and the atmosphere. The food and service is just as good in Hyde Park though. The diner in Hyde Park has more of old fashioned decor.  Look at the beautiful counter! This diner would be a great place for a first date, I think.

I went to the Ever Ready diner in Brewster once, but I found that the food wasn't as good as the other 2 locations. I will be heading to Brewster again soon for a doctor's appointment so I may give them the Ever Ready diner there a second chance. For more information on the Ever Ready Diners, check out the Ever Ready website. 

Garden Cafe in Woodstock: A big tasty veggie burger & quesadilla that leaves me feeling skinny!

I had a really tasty vegan lunch at the Garden Cafe in Woodstock today. It had the "Southwest Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burger" and it was incredibly good.I started off with an olive quesadilla, which was very light and scrumptious. (Even when I order vegetable quesadillas at other restaurants, I end up getting heartburn). Not here though. I think it is because they bake it and use all organic ingredients.

After leaving the Garden Cafe, I felt skinny and calm. Maybe dining among local yoga teachers had something to do with it too. Who knows? In any case, it is a great place to eat if you want to jump start a healthy diet after a week of Thanksgiving gluttony.  The Garden Cafe also has a popular vegan buffet on Monday nights. (Reservations are required for the buffet). I've got to try that one of these Mondays. Garden Cafe on the Green, 6 Old Forge Road, Woodstock, NY. (845) 679-3600.

Do you have a favorite vegan restaurant in the Hudson Valley?

Brasserie 292 in Poughkeepsie: Delicious classic French cuisine, beautiful high ceilings & happy fussy customers!

In late June, Chris Crocco, co-owner of Brasserie 292 invited me to sample the menu of French cuisine offerings and check out the new restaurant in Poughkeepsie. I finally took him up on his offer yesterday for lunch.

For the appetizer I ordered the soup a l'ognion, and my husband ordered the warm Camembert wrapped in phyllo. After taking the first bite, he said, "I just went to France!" So, I had to try it, and it was very gooey and good. I know what he meant. (Later found out that the Camembert is none other than Old Chatham Sheepherding Company Cheese made here in the Hudson Valley!) For my entree, I had the tuna nicoise. It is served rare, but I asked for it medium and it was perfect. My husband ordered the Bistro Burger with Gruyere cheese. 

Our handsome server Anthony tolerated my husband and I arguing over whether he resembled a young Robert Duvall or young Rudy Guliani. He also answered exhausting questions from the high-maintenance food know-it-all at the table next to us with total grace--not one smirk! (This foodie nerd wanted to know the exact size and species of the lobster on the menu). The service was excellent. Thanks Anthony!

For dessert, we shared the dessert special: carrot cake bread pudding with pumpkin gelato and caramel sauce. (As you can tell from the photo, it was very good!)  

It's a beautiful space. Their private event room can seat 20 people and their dining room can seat 80. They haven't hosted a wedding there yet, but I can imagine it would be a great setting for a rehearsal dinner or a small intimate wedding party. It is also a great place for a business lunch. Brasserie 292, 292 Main Street, Poughkeepsie, NY. (845) 473-0292.

Fez Cafe: Yummy Moroccan and Mediterranean Cuisine in Saugerties!

Please note: 1/05/2012---Fez is only open for dinner. No lunch.

I had a delicious lunch at Fez Cafe, a restaurant that serves Moroccan and Mediterranean in Saugerties. I haven't found any other restaurants in the area that serve Moroccan food so I was very happy when they opened over a year ago. It has a cozy eclectic ambiance. There was a couple with two tween daughters were enjoying a lunch when I was there. A local couple sat at the table next to mine. The woman boasted that chef owner Neils Nelson really has a finesse with the way he prepares the food. I have to agree. It is definitely cooked with love! (My husband raves about the curry chicken salad at Fez Cafe). 

I started with the falafel fritter starter, which was very filling. The falafels were very crunchy and the tahini sauce was perfect. For my entree I had the signature Fez salad, with a lamb kebob. The over-sized salad had a little bit of everything, cured olives, goat cheese, stuffed grape leaves, artichoke hearts, homemade hummus, pita bread over greens. For dessert I had the cardamom creme brulee.

(Tip: If you go there mention the Hudson Valley Good Stuff ad on the blog and you can get a free cardamom creme brulee with your entree!)  

I'm very excited to have Fez Cafe as a sponsor for the blog because they really have good stuff! Fez Cafe serves brunch, lunch, and dinner. Credit cards are not accepted but there is an ATM across the street. They have daily specials as well as a wine list. See website for hours. Closed Tuesdays. Fez Cafe, 71 Partition Street, Saugerties, NY (845) 247-7198.

Fez Restaurant: Moroccan & Mediterranean Cuisine in the Hudson Valley!

Falafel in Pita at Fez

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Chicken Kebob Wrap at Fez

Please note: Fez is only open for dinner now. No lunch in 2012. 

 

Fez Restaurant at 71 Partition Street serves Moroccan and Mediterranean cuisine. I  so rarely get to eat a Moroccan meal! I've never been to Morocco, but I've always loved the cuisine.  My French mom used to make couscous all the time.  

My husband had the sausage and bean soup which was very tasty. For the entree I ordered the Falafel in pita with tahini ($7)  which was very good, but the portion was huge so I didn't finish it. My husband had the Chicken Kabob wrapped in moroccan flat bread which was even tastier. If you go here, make sure you try the sweet Moroccan mint tea. A nice place for a lunch date. They don't take credit cards.  Fez "Mediteroccan" cuisine. 71 Partition Street, Saugerties, NY. (845) 247-7198.  Follow Fez Cafe on Facebook here.

Meatless Mondays: Gigi Trattoria in Rhinebeck

 

Skizza asparagi e uova(Skizza with asparagus and egg)
Gigi Hudson Valley/Leonardo Frusteri

 In my on-going quest to eat healthier, I will be blogging about restaurants in the Hudson Valley that offer delicious vegetarian options for Meatless Mondays, a healthy eating initiative by lead by the John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Although I don't think I'd be able to be 100 percent vegetarian, I can be meatless on Mondays. Gigi Trattoria has a wide selection of healthy Mediterranean dishes on the menu. Many of them are vegetarian, or can be adjusted to be meatless. "I think 'Meatless Mondays' is a great initiative linked to getting American to eat more healthful and sustainable plant foods," says Laura Pensiero, owner of Gigi Trattoria, and author of "Hudson Valley Mediterranean" (HarperCollins, 2009). (You can find a lot of tasty vegetarian recipes in her cookbook including Gigi Cider Doughnuts and Spring Vegetable Stew). Trained as a nutritionist, she finds that following the Mediterranean cuisine is the most pleasant way to eat healthy. She shares the same sensibility with executive chef Wilson Costa of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

 

The Gigi Team works hard to include locally grown produce in the menu. When she is not running the restaurant, Pensiero likes to visit the local farms, keeping a pulse on what's growing and what's in season. "This is a very energizing time for the food and agriculture business in the Hudson Valley," says Pensiero.

 

Some of the most popular vegetarian appetizers at Gigi Trattoria include the Hudson Valley Mediterranean cheese plate, a skizza (pictured above). Catering events keep them busy as Gigi Trattoria caters private dinner parties to weddings. If you prefer a no-fuss take out dinner, Gigi Market at Greig Farm has oven ready appetizers and entrees, you can just heat up for your guests. (Let them believe you've been taking cooking classes!)

 

Kathy Freston wrote a great article on Meatless Mondays in the Huffington Post last year, in which she discusses the benefits of going meatless for one day a week. To learn more about the Meatless Monday campaign go to the Meatless Monday website.  Do you practice Meatless Mondays? Where do you dine? What do you cook?

 

Gigi Trattoria is located on Montgomery Street in Rhinebeck, NY. (845) 876-1007.

 

 

 

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. 

New Olive Garden in Kingston, NY--Family style Italian food & bread-sticks!

 
 The new Olive Garden in Kingston at the Kingston Plaza Mall was very busy for lunch today. I don't remember ever having to wait for a table for lunch in the Hudson Valley so I was a bit amused when the hostess asked for my name and told me it would be about 10-15 minutes, and handed me a buzzer. The space is huge, with a few hall-size rooms, and a semi-private dining area for groups. Our waiter Ryan was very attentive, and the food was brought out very quickly, and the food and plates seemed extra hot. I had heard a lot about these bread-sticks there, and they were quite good. A lot of diners were extra-happy to be there because of the novelty factor.

Now that chain restaurants in Ulster County have to include calories on the menu, I feel less guilty about ordering. I started with the pasta e faglioi soup, and I split an order of stuffed mushrooms with my husband. He had the chicken marsala for his main dish, and I had the portobello raviolis which were really rich, but surprisingly only 450 calories. Next time I go, I'll try one the dipping sauces for the bread-sticks. A couple friends of mine swear the bread-sticks are the best in the world. That is a bit of an exaggeration, but it is hard to stop at one. I'll have to work it off this weekend. I did see quite a few families with babies and young children here so definitely baby friendly. They even have those Koala holders for car-seats. Olive Garden, 560 Kings Mall Court, Kingston, NY. (845) 336-4867. Have you been to the new Olive Garden in Kignston?  How was it?

Steel House Bar and Restaurant--Kingston

The upbeat Steel House Bar and Restaurant in Kingston's round-out area is one of my favorite dinner places in the Summer. Their mango margaritas and chicken wings are amazing! The weather was dreary today though so we were the only ones there. A few of my single friends go there for Country Night. I believe they have line dancing there too.

Since I'm trying to shape up for ice cream season I got a boring old Caesar salad with chicken. Well, not as exciting as the chicken wings, but still pretty good. My husband's Steel House Burger with the house salad was very tasty. Next time I will try one of their specialty pizzas from their brick oven.

Tomorrow, they are expecting a good crowd from the Kingston St.Patrick's Day parade and the 22nd Annual Shamrock Run which starts at 12:50 pm. 

Deising's Bakery, Kingston, NY--Wicked breakfast wraps and wedding cakes

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You can't miss the huge "Deising's" sign as you enter Kingston via Washington Avenue.  If you eat here on a weekday, you'll see business people enjoying power breakfasts and lunches.  I ate breakfast here recently, and realized I should come here more often. It's just not on my regular errand route. My breakfast wrap was overstuffed the way a wrap should be. (You get to pick 3 stuffings) and it is hard to resist all the delectable home made pastries Deising's offers. Waitresses are very professional and friendly. Deising's also offers off-site and on-site catering.  Two locations in Kingston: Deising's Bakery, 111 North Front Street,  Kingston, NY. 845-338-1327. Or 584 Broadway, the one I go to, (845) 338-1580. Deisings.com