Things to do / Travel Guide
There are small farms everywhere in the Hudson Valley. In order to reinvigorate a once-flagging farming industry, farmers markets have sprouted up in most of the big to medium-sized cities, greatly benefiting local resident, as well as those from nearby New York City. You can buy a huge selection of produce and fresh dairy products at these markets, as well as lots of various homemade products such as jams, wines, cheeses, and breads.
In these parts a significant aspect of the cuisine isn't the recipes per se, as much as the ingredients that go into the food. The locals here all crave freshness, and a wide variety of fruits and vegetables that compliment the high quality of the earth from which they were grown. The region is particularly gifted in garlic, and the condiment is carefully classed in terms of flavor, heat, and intensity. Other veggies held high in locals' eyes are the mushroom, the beet, the onion, zucchini, and asparagus; fruits include melons, apples, and peaches. Pride of place in the Valley goes not to big-city micro-produced big-named gastronomic masterpieces; but rather to the perfect blend of fresh, homegrown herbs.
Fish and poultry flesh out the standard menu in the Catskills and the Hudson Valley. As trout is a favorite from the smaller rivers and streams, and shad and bass specialties from the Hudson, expect these as a standard part of any cuisine while they're in season. Trout's is from April until the end of the summer, shad's from April until June, and bass from the end of June through to the end of November. Shad preparation is considered something of an art in the region, owing to the many bones these fish have. Native Americans called them inside-out porcupines. But there are plenty of ways to mitigate the problem that you'll come into contact with. Some people will pickle the fish, others slow-cook them in paper bags, others will smoke them; any way they do it, all filet them before cooking. Eat them while they're fresh!
In terms of poultry, foie gras is big in the area, as well as fresh and cured duck. Locals swear that free-range poultry tastes better, and you can eat it with a clearer conscience as well. Preferred ways to prepare poultry in the region is roasting and smoking.
Restaurateurs and chefs are drawn to the region, both the Hudson Valley and the Catskills, on account of the bountiful fresh food. Many of the small farms directly supply the greatest restaurants in the region, and in New York City, so that fresh isn't measured by days but rather hours. The cuisine the chefs specialize in is usually Americana, with a focus on fresh, and the spices are primarily herbs and pungent garlic.
The larger cities in the region, with regard to dining, are Tarrytown, Newburgh, Beacon, Poughkeepsie, Rhinebeck, and Hudson, along the Hudson Valley; and New Paltz, Saugerties, and Woodstock, and Shandaken in the Catskills. Many of the restaurants in these cities are located in their renovated and rejuvenated downtowns. As a general rule, where you find shopping and art boutiques, you'll find the best restaurants. For instance, in Tarrytown the best restaurants are on Broadstreet, Main Street, and Beekman Avenue; in Newburgh they are on Plank Road, South Street, Broadway, and Liberty Street; in Rhinebeck they're on Mill Street; and in New Paltz, there are a tremendous amount of fine eateries on Main Street.
Restaurant and art districts have sprouted up in the empty warehouses of these old industrial towns. Today you can benefit the fruits of this upturn in the cities' luck at hip restaurants such as Yobo's (in Newburgh, specializing in Asian food), Schemmy's (in Rhinebeck, with a bar and entertainment), and Paramount Grill (in Hudson, serving fresh American food, and lauded in the New York Times). At these establishments you can dine on food from diverse cuisine style like Cajun and Indonesian, or snack on homemade ice creams and pastries.
In the Catskills, you will find a French Renaissance in the area of Shandaken, which includes a dozen small hamlets like Mt. Tremper, Phoenicia, Shandaken, Big Indian, and Oliverea. French chefs who emigrated after World War II settled in this part of the Catskills as it reminded them of their own Old World turf. Today you can find a variety of authentic French restaurants, serving food from the bounty of the land, listed on menus that change with the seasons. The clientele is still partly French, and expats stream in for tastes of home: swordfish with green peppercorn sauce, wild roasted boar with lemon garlic sauce, and venison and game. Many of these establishments are also bed and breakfasts, in which dinner and breakfast are included into the tab.
Woodstock, Cooperstown, New Paltz, Catskills and Hudson Valley
Restaurants-Fine-Dining
|
|
|