HudsonValleyGoodStuff

A Happy Father's Day dinner at Stella's Italian Restaurant in uptown Kingston

Happy Father's Day to all you Hudson Valley Dads out there!  I hope you had an awesome day. We had a very busy weekend, and it seemed fitting to celebrate Father's Day at Stella's Italian Restaurant. Tom had the eggplant parmigiana stuffed with beef special. I had the baked lasagna. My daughter had the spaghetti and meatballs. She really loved the meatballs. They were the largest meatballs she's ever eaten! (She ate all the meatballs, but we took home most of the spaghetti. The portions are very generous and shareable here). The service was very friendly, and we got to sit in an over-sized kid friendly booth. It was a great Father's Day feast, and I will be skipping breakfast tomorrow! Happy Father's Day!

Le Canard Enchaine in uptown Kingston: French cuisine prix fixe, le burger & cafe au lait in bowls!

Le Canard Enchaine is a French restaurant in uptown Kingston that my husband insists we dined at over 10 years ago when we were weekenders. I have no recollection of this.  To my knowledge, I have never dined here.  (News: We won 10 gift certificates to Hudson Valley restaurants in a silent auction at a fundraiser recently and I was excited that Le Canard was one of the restaurants that donated a gift certificate because I love French food, and I like trying out new-to-me restaurants so I can blog about them if the food is really good).  It was crowded when we stepped in around 12 noon on a rainy weekday.  It is warm and inviting, and decorated with many French artifacts, posters and Eiffel Towers. 

I had the 2-course Lunch prix-fixe which was $14.95, and added the French Onion soup for an extra $2. The soup was delicious. I loved the extra cruchy layer of cheese on top. For my entree I chose the poisson du jour, pan-seared scallops. There were only 3 scallops, but they were perfectly cooked and melted in my mouth.  Tom had the soup du jour pea soup, and for his entree he had the Le Burger. He said the burger was up there with his Top 5 burgers in the Hudson Valley. I tasted the fries, and they were very Frenchy, skinny and crsipy.

With the french baguette and butter, the hearty onion soup, and the scallops over rice, I didn't have any room for dessert. Instead, we ordered two cafe au laits. I'm so glad I did!  I was excited to see the cafe au lait served in bowls, just like in France! Made me nostalgic for my Uncle Bernard's farm. This was the perfect way to end the meal. The service was great. I would definitely come back for their 2- course prix-fixe and their cafe au lait.  Next time I will make room for dessert. It's great value for delicous French cuisine. Le Carnard Enchaine, 276 Fair Street, Kingston, NY (845) 339-2003

Monthly Monday Night Groaning Table at Duo Bistro: Seafood Boil, roast chicken, black berry cobbler and much more!

The Seafood Boil theme feast at Duo Bistro's Monday Night Groaning Table was belt-busting delicious. Duo Bistro has decided to have their Monday Night Groaning Table once a month instead of once a week. The price for this one was $30 per person, which did not include drinks.  I met and sat next to Karen a Kingstonian and, fellow solo diner, who is a regular at Duo Bistro, but had never experienced the Groaning Table before.  

For the first course we were served platters of oysters, shrimp, mussels, and salad. Then came a plate of steamed lobster, clams, mussels, sausage, and corn on the cob. Karen whispered to me, "Oh, this must be the main entree," and everyone kept gobbling up the food.  They also brought out plates of jalapeno corn bread which was about the best corn bread I ever had.

After this course, our plates were cleared, and we were given new silverware (forks and knives). "Hmm..." said Karen. "What could dessert be if they are giving us forks and kinves?"--Well, a few minutes later the table was surprised with roast bbq chicken, asparagus, and a colorful potato salad.The chicken was outrageous, but I stopped at one drumstick because I needed room for dessert, which was black berry cobbler or apple rhubarb cobbler.  They were both delicious!  What a feast it was! Stay tuned to Duo Bistro's Facebook Page for updates on when the next Monday Night Groaning Table will be. The theme is different every time. Reservations required. Seating is at 6:30pm. Duo Bistro, 50 John Street, Kingston, NY (845) 383-1198.