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Manhattan culinary star Zakary Pelaccio shifts his attention upstate at Fish & Game.
(Photo: Courtesy of Fish & Game) |
Sit down for lunch at Bonfiglio & Bread, the Platonic ideal of a small-town café: a commitment to local produce, homemade bread, stellar coffee, and the kind of upstate vibe that feels like it’s ripped from the pages of Kinfolk. The menu changes daily depending on what’s in season, but if in doubt, ask for the poached eggs over avocado with yogurt, lardoons, croutons, lime zest, and housemade chile oil ($8). And the pizza ($8.50) is excellent � light, bubbly, and crispy, it’s like a cross between Neapolitan- and Roman-style pies (from $11), and you can choose toppings like anchovies or a runny farm egg. This place is small and casual, so if you can’t grab one of the few seats, take your breakfast or lunch to-go (preferably with a loaf of cinnamon bread, $6).
Feast at Fish & Game, Hudson’s premiere fine-dining restaurant, which opened in the spring of 2013. Former Fatty �Cue chef Zakary Pelaccio moved his team upstate to transform a 19th-century blacksmith’s shop into a place that celebrates the Hudson Valley’s local ingredients. He works with farms and artisans from all over the region, so you can trust that when he says, �I foraged these wild mushrooms today,� he means it. At between $85 and $100, the multi-course menu is a worthwhile splurge, featuring imaginative dishes like cabbage with sea urchin, venison with beets and potatoes, and rye ice cream. But it’s equally worthwhile to just sit at the handsome bar for a spiked hot chocolate with the spirit of your choice ($15) and a snack from the limited bar menu, which includes a bread board with warm biscuits and cultured butter ($15), and raw oysters with a kimchi mignonette ($16).
Grab a casual bite at Warren Street newcomer Food Studio Hudson. Chef David Chicane’s tiny Vietnamese restaurant makes use of local meats and produce, and his approach is light and clean: take the ramen ($16), which Chicane elevates by using pork- and chicken-bone broth from North Wind Farms and eight-hour-roasted Berkshire pork shoulder; or the deceptively simple tofu-mushroom stir-fry, with chanterelles and miso butter ($18). The intimate space, with long communal tables and a window with a prime view of Warren Street, is the perfect place to while away the evening with friends�plus, dishes like roasted half chicken with lemongrass-caramel sauce ($22) are apt for sharing.