HudsonValleyGoodStuff

Villa Borghese Caterers in Wappingers Falls to host Italian dinner buffet & night of opera!

 

My Facebook friend and Tweep Robin Locker Lacey of MyMelange Travel told me about this upcoming Italian dinner and opera night at Villa Borghese so I'm passing it along. An Italian dinner buffet and listening to two handsome tenors is my idea of a fun date night or girls night out in the Hudson Valley. If you go, report back on how it was.

Newly-Formed Italian-American Duo of Christopher Macchio and Elio Scaccio arrive in the Hudson Valley Saturday February 18, 2012.

A special dinner show with limited seating has been announced, being held at Villa Borghese Caterers in Wappingers Falls. Tickets available only in advance at Cafe Bocca, 14 Mount Carmel Place.

Check, cash or credit card by phone. (845)-483-7300 http://www.cafebocca.net/

$65 per person. Multi-course Italian buffet, including wine, live performance and dj for dancing after the show till 11pm. email erik@cafebocca.net for more information

Sponsored by: Cafe Bocca, Melange Travel, & Villa Borghese

CJ's Italian Restaurant in Rhinebeck: Amazing whole wheat pizza with fancy toppings!

I went to CJ's Italian Restaurant at 353 Old Post Road in Rhinebeck last week, and had really delicious whole wheat crust pizza. It is hard to find a pizza place that makes whole wheat pizza so this was my first tasting of whole pizza in the Hudson Valley. It was delicious! The best part was that I didn't feel guilty eating it! My diabetic-pizza-snob husband was happy too!  

We ordered the CJ special which includes 5 toppings. I picked pesto, spinach, broccoli, black olives, mushrooms. Vegetarian and yummy! For more info visit CJ's Rhinebeck

Alfresco's Italian Bistro in Oneonta: Huge Yummy Pizza Slices!

We ended up taking a day trip to Oneonta today, and ended up at Alfresco's Italian Bistro. Despite the rain, it was beautiful ride. We went via Route 28. Since it was my first time in Oneonta, I didn't know what kind of restaurants I'd find there. The plan was to just buy a soda here and use the restroom, but the tropical Italian decor and cozy sofas at the entrance won the kids over so we decided to make it an early evening pizza treat.

The waitress warned us that the slices were huge so the kids could easily split one. I'm glad I took her advice because the slices were insane! Huge! I think you would need a baseball team to finish an entire pie. The pizza was delicious though. It was definitely the best pizza I have had in a while. The service was very friendly and fast.  The restaurant is very kid friendly with ample booster seats and a toy box. I had a slice with artichoke hearts. Trying to get my "cleansing vegetables" in with my pizza. 

Alfresco's has an extensive menu. Next time we make it up there, we'll order something fancier. Alfresco's, 26 Main Street, Oneonta, NY. (607) 432-8466. Alfrescos.com.

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.

 

 

 

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. 

Savona's Trattoria: Decadent Italian Fare by the Roundout--Kingston, NY

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The Round-out area in Kingston is a nice place to walk around, and there a few lively night spots on the waterfront, but during the week, it is very quiet. There was hardly a soul walking around when my husband and I were trying to find a lunch spot on Monday. Savona's was the only restaurant that appeared open . We even saw a two happy business people having lunch there. I got a good vibe from the place right away. It is elegant inside, but not stuffy. They had a special 3 course lunch for $11.95 that was tempting, but I didn't want dessert.  We split an Antipasto Salad for an appetizer. I had the soup of the day (butternut squash) which was rich and tasty. For my main dish, I had the Eggplant Rollentini, which came with spaghetti. The portion wasn't huge, but I was so full from the starters and the sinful garlic bread that I really couldn't finish my plate anyway. Savona's Restaurant, 11 Broadway on the Roundout, Kingston, NY. (845) 339-6800. http://www.savonas.com.

Winchell's Pizza-Ashokan, NY

Mozzarella Sticks the size of sponges!

By the time Friday night comes along, I'm feeling pretty lazy and uninspired when it comes to cooking a healthy meal for my family. This is usually when my pledge to practice "mindful eating" goes in the pizza oven.  Tonight the family and I went to our favorite pizza place, Winchell's Pizza on Route 28 in Ashokan. We dine here about twice a month, and we usually go during the week when it is slow. Tonight the place was packed, but service was still pretty fast.  I have to blame my husband for ordering these ridiculous mozzarella sticks. They were the size of sponges! We split a pepperoni pizza.  Their homemade over-sized chocolate chip cookies are way too good. This is actually the worst place for dieters.Winchell's Pizza doesn't have a website. Phone number is (845) 657-3352.

Oriole 9 Cafe and Restaurant: European Cuisine in Woodstock, NY

 

The relatively new Oriole 9 is where I go to treat myself to a gourmet "European style" breakfast. (Woodstock really needed a chic and comfortable breakfast and lunch restaurant). The coffee is very strong and the fresh squeezed orange juice is outrageous. Breakfasts are served on oversized square white plates, and just looking at the presentation of the food makes me feel pampered and happy! My "usual" is the spinach and goat cheese omelet which is served with a small French salad and country bread. I have also enjoyed the Italian Breakfast (2 eggs on garlic toast with spicy sofrito sauce). I need to be more adventurous and abandon my diet to try other delicacies like the French Toast with baked apples and whipped cream. Oriole 9 also does off-site catering for weddings and private parties.  Oriole 9 Restaurant, 17 Tinker Street, Woodstock, NY. (845) 679-5763. Free wi-fi. Oriole 9 website.

Village Pizza--Rhinebeck, NY "Lovely Pizza!"

I was very excited to have my close friend who lives in Denmark visit me upstate with her husband and two children (ages 7 and 2). It was a gloomy rainy day and they all took the Amtrak from Penn Station to Rhinecliff. Since it was rainy we spent most of the day in the house, but before taking them back to the train station, I thought it would be fun to have a kid-friendly pizza-dinner in Rhinebeck. We took them to one of our favorite places Village Pizza in the heart of Rhinebeck. I love this place because we just have a really good track record with the kids behaving and finishing all their food here. We ordered 2 large pizzas (a plain one for the kids, and a mushroom, pepperoni for the adults). Service was friendly and accomodating as usual and the tab was very reasonable. The 2-year old loved it so much that as he was skipping on the way back to the car, he yelled "dejlig pizza!"--which his Danish father translated as "Lovely Pizza!"---Village Pizza is very family friendly, and has comfortable seating (booths). Village Pizza, 19 E. Market Street, Rhinebeck, NY. (845) 876-9676