HudsonValleyGoodStuff

Just a reminder: Phoenicia is Open for Business! Awesome video from Jo Ostrander

 

Phoenicia is open for business! I love this video from local resident Jo Ostrander.  

Jo Ostrander has  lived in Ulster County her whole life. Her family was one of the first settlers in the Hudson Valley (http://www.ostrander.org) and just celebrated their 350 year in America this August. "Working for TWC and Verizon over the past 16 years, I have traveled all over Ulster, Delaware, Greene, Sullivan and parts of Dutchess Counties. It is hard to find a road that I have not traveled on at least once. I love the diversity that the different communities offer. People can be worlds apart within a 50 mile radius. When I am not enjoying scenery at work, you can find me somewhere in my Catskill Mountains playground," says Ostrander.  

I can't wait to go back to Sweet Sue's and get my monkey pancake fix! To see my Phoenicia related posts, click on the Phoenicia category.

King's Valley Diner in Kingston: Hearty breakfast, good coffee & always friendly service!

I love the florentine omelet at the Kings Valley Diner on Ulster Avenue. How can you not like a diner that serves their toast already buttered? I don't eat this kind of breakfast everyday, but when you are in the mood for a good diner breakfast, this is a great place to go in Kingston! Their salmon benedict is really good too! Kings Valley Diner, 617 Ulster Avenue, Kingston, NY. (845)  331-3254.

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

Post-Irene Phoenicia: Restaurants re-open for business & could use your business!

I drove to Phoenicia today for the first time since Tropical Storm Irene hit the Catskills. I wasn't even sure while driving down Route 28, what I'd see or what the scene would be almost a week after the storm. The Phoenicia Diner is closed. Sweet Sue's ins't open yet. Good news: Brio's Pizzeria, Ricciardella's, Mama's Boy, Sportman's Alamo Cantine and the Ice Cream Station are all open. Yes, Phoenicia has changed since Irene, but it is power is back on at Main Street. The town looks different.  The air felt a bit dusty, certain roads were still blocked, and plenty of tractors around.  I also spotted a Red Cross Disaster Relief truck though. The staff at the Ice Cream Station said it had been terribly slow yesterday, and they missed the busy pre-Irene days.

If you are in the Hudson Valley for the weekend, come visit Phoenicia, voted the 6th coolest town in the USA by Budget Travel.

Red Hook Curry House: Very Popular Delicious Indian Buffet & real Indian chai!

 

The Red Hook Curry House in Red Hook was really bustling on Sunday night. They offer dinner buffets on Tuesday and Sunday. Since I very rarely wait longer than 20 seconds to get a table in the Hudson Valley, I am always impressed when I have to wait 5 minutes. I knew as soon as I walked in there and saw the packed restaurant with beautiful red booths that I was going to have a really Indian buffet dinner.  Locals, weekenders, couples, families with teenagers were all feasting here. 

The buffet ($12.95 for adults) had quite a few vegetarian options, including mugalawtanny soup. For the main dishes: fish karma, lamb vindaloo, chicken tandoori, and very fresh nan. Everything was delicious and fresh. The service was very friendly too.  

Besides the food, I was very impressed with the chai.  Anybody who has visited India knows about real Indian chai. It is sold just about every where you go in India. I had my best chai in a run-down hotel in Mumbai in 1998.   It always amazes me that even good Indian restaurants in New York City have a very lame version of chai. I will ask for chai, and they come back with a cup of spiced Lipton Tea. I don't know why the restaurants don't make an effort to make the real thing.  

Newsflash: Red Hook Curry has the real chai!  I couldn't believe it! The chai here is the closest I've come to having chai in India! It is milky, strong, sweet, and re-fills are free! It was the perfect ending to a delicious India buffet. I didn't have room for dessert though the dessert offerings were small anyway.

Guest blog post: Hokkaido in New Paltz--Sushi, Sashimi & Bento Boxes!

 

Hokkaido is a Japanese Restaurant in New Paltz that I haven't been to yet, but my Facebook Friend Gia Ness, Creative Director of Nesstallgia, a print and media service company in the Hudson Valley, goes there frequently. After seeing her beautiful sushi photos, I asked her to share her thoughts.

"Without exception, the service is always warm and friendly and the owners and staff are incredibly attentive and accommodating.  I bring friends, customers and colleagues to Hokkaido for lunch (love the bento boxes).   I am also very pleased with how gracious they are to my kids when I bring the family for a night out on the town.

One of my favorites on the specials menu is the mango salmon roll – light and refreshing with just the right hint of crunch from the tempura batter.    My husband, Rick, loves his sashimi and is never disappointed with the selection and how fresh the fish is.    From miso soup and cucumber salad to sushi, sashimi, teriyaki, udon noodles.   The menu is simple and satisfying.    Be sure to cap it off with a pot of hot saki or green tea."

I'm really looking forward to going here this year. Is there a restaurant you love in the Hudson Valley that I haven't been to or mentioned yet? If you are interested in being a guest blogger, please email me or comment below. 

 

Texas Roadhouse in Kingston: Fried Pickles, Big Margaritas & Prime Ribs!

We celebrated Valentine's Day early tonight, and had a decadent comfort food dinner at Texas Roadhouse on Ulster Avenue in Kingston.  I have been curious about this place for awhile, but have never been there since they are not open for lunch during the week and my daughter has a peanut allergy. (There are peanut buckets on every table, and peanuts and peanut dust every where and written warnings about the presence of peanuts on the front door).  The restaurant was packed on Friday night. The loud country music gives it a sort of wholesome kind of rowdiness.

I was looking forward to having a margarita all week, and craving bar food! One look at the menu, I knew I was at the right place! What's not to love about a place that asks you if you want your sweet potato loaded with cinnamon butter or caramel and toasted marshmallows.

We started with the chicken wings "mild" though they tasted flaming hot to me.  My husband had the prime rib, and  chose sweet potato and Caesar salad for his side. I had the grilled salmon, but was more excited about the sides (sweet potato with toasted marshmallows & a cup of chili). 

I would definitely come back here, but it is hard not to overeat here so I will probably just save it for those occasions when I really crave fried pickles and margaritas.  I will get the prime rib next time. I had a few bites of it, and it was one of the best I've tasted!  It is very kid-friendly and I did notice a lot of families eating here. It is also a great place to celebrate a birthday as the staff do the whole clapping-singing-and-hooting thing when they bring out a birthday dessert. For more info, check out theTexas Roadhouse website. 

Yum Yum Noodle Bar in Woodstock: Healthy, hot, and hip!

 
 
Yum Yum Noodle Bar always looks busy when I pass by it.  It's the newest restaurant in Woodstock, and it is the brainchild of the owners of Oriole 9 restaurant in Woodstock.  I finally went there tonight. I tried the delicious personal soup bowl for $10. I picked the noodle, protein, and broth. They even throw a hard boiled egg in there!  The pad thai was amazing too! Yum is open from 4:30 to 10pm (closed Tues & Wed). I will be taking out a lot of yummy soup this winter! Check out the Yum Yum Noodle Bar website for more info.

Historic Village Diner in Red Hook: Yummy Greasy Spoon Breakfast

If you are looking for an old fashioned 1920's diner experience, then get your hungry belly over to the historic Village Diner in Red Hook!  We had a perfect rainy day late lunch here, but we ordered breakfast as you can see from the photo. My husband had the angus burger and eggs, and requested mashed potatos instead of the variety of deep fried homefries they offer. I had the veggie omelet, which was hearty and good. The toast was soaked in butter, just the way I like it. Service was super friendly. The folks next to us ordered club sandwiches, which looked really good. For more info visit the Diner's website
 

Cool Places for Kids Birthday Parties in the Hudson Valley

 

   

The Hudson Valley has a lot of great spaces to host kids birthday parties. I find hosting a birthday party outside the house takes away some of my party planning stress. 

Here is a list of places I've partied at:

The Little Gym, Kingston--It's a simple birthday program, but a surefire kid pleaser really no matter how old your child is. The gym room is bright and spacious and very safe.Parties last 90 minutes. The first 1 hour is spent in the gym doing activities and/or structured free play depending on what you want. There is a balance beam, parallel bars, large wheel shaped cushions, a gigantic mat, rings, parachute play, and an inflatable trampoline--(the most anticipated event as seen in the top photo!). Afterwords there is pizza and juice for the kids. (If you want enough pizza to feed the adults too, just order it through them and pay for the extra pies). Approx. $200 covers 12 kids plus membership fees. (Additional guests are $12 each). Birthday girl or boy gets a cute Little Gym t-shirt too. You bring your own cake and goody bags, and anything else you want. They pack the gifts away and tie balloons on the goody bags for you. The staff are all very energetic. The Little Gym also offers camps and Parent Survival Nights.Check out their website for more info here The Little Gym (845) 382-1020.

Skate Time 209 Roller Rink & Skateboard Park, Accord--I have been to this roller rink, but never had a party here. I'm hoping someone I know will host a party here. They have a beautiful rink and skateboard park. Skatetime 209, (845) 626-7971.

Henry Hudson Planetarium, Albany.--This was a bit of a wild-card. It is an-hour away, and I was a bit nervous as I remember having major planetarium-phobia as a kid. All the kids had a great time. Henry Hudson Planetarium. (518) 434-0405. 

Excel Gymnastics--Saugerties. It is a fun place to host a birthday party, especially if you have a budding gymnast. It has more of a rugged professional gymnastics feel with chalk available near a lot of the apparatus. There is a cool foam pit, a huge bouncy trampoline. The only con is that they can have two parties simultaneously so if you prefer a totally private party for your group, it may not be a good fit. You bring your own food. Exel Gymnastics (845) 336-0706.

Local Firehouses---I was once invited to a birthday party at a local firehouse.  The mom who hosted it was a volunteer EMT, but according to her anybody can rent the hall for a party for a fee. (I think it was around $200). Probably not all firehouses can offer this, but worth looking into.

McDonald's--I went to a fun party at the McDonald's in Kingston on Albany Avenue. The kids had a blast on the equipment and a staff member brought a Ronald McDonald cake. If you are on a budget, this is a good deal. $7 per child.

The Childrens School of Yoga, Monroe--I attended one of their classes, but haven't been to one of their birthday parties (yet!). It could be a good choice if your child loves yoga or you want something a bit mellow. Check out Childrens School of Yoga website for more info. 

What are other great birthday venues in the Hudson Valley?