FINE
DINING IN DUTCHESS COUNTY
The Culinary Institute of America, the world-renowned training center for professional chefs, is the centerpiece of Dutchess County’s extraordinary food and wine offerings. In addition to its five award-winning restaurants, the school provides a steady supply of graduates who practice their art at eateries from one end of the county to the other. A visit to The Culinary Institute of America (www.ciachef.edu) is an unparalleled experience for the palate and a chance to discover the world’s next culinary stars. One trip and it is easy to see why France’s greatest living chef Paul Bocuse gives high praise to the school, sending his own son there for his culinary training.
Students under the supervision of a prestigious international faculty prepare meals at the school’s five public restaurants with numerous European and American master chefs. The American Bounty restaurant celebrates America’s diverse culinary heritage with regional ingredients and preparations. The Escoffier Restaurant showcases modern interpretations of classic French cuisine, emphasizing the art of tableside preparations. The Caterina de Medici offers regional Italian specialties and seasonal selections. St. Andrew’s Cafe has a casual family-friendly atmosphere and offers a wide variety of salads, sandwiches and wood-fired pizzas. The casual setting gives parents the opportunity to teach their children proper etiquette and manners when eating at a restaurant . For a quick bite or baked goods to go, try the CIA’s Apple Pie Bakery, open weekdays.
As special as The Culinary Institute of America is, it alone would not have earned Dutchess County its reputation as a culinary center. Harralds Restaurant (www.harraldsrestaurant.com) in Stormville has a Four Diamond award from AAA and is a Distinguished Restaurants of North America Award winner. Allyn’s Restaurant (www.allyns.com), located in the heart of hunt country in Millbrook, features American and continental cuisine with signature seasonings, sauces and unique combinations. The Inn at Osborne Hill serves an eclectic selection of continental offerings prepared by a husband-and-wife team of Institute graduates. Regional French fare served in intimate dining rooms of a brick country home makes eating at Le Pavillon (www.lepavillonrestaurant.com) in Poughkeepsie a sumptuous experience. Claude Guermont, chef-owner of Le Pavillon, spent six years as a chef-instructor at The Culinary Institute of America before opening his restaurant. He is also the author of “Normandy Table,” a book dedicated to the food, culture and recipes of his native region.
The Old Drovers Inn (www.olddroversinn.com), listed in the Relais & Chateaux guide, is another of Dutchess County’s noteworthy eateries. Located in Dover Plains and dating to the 1750s, this Colonial stone and wood house once was a stopover for cowboys, also known as drovers. Today, old world atmosphere created by warmly decorated rooms and glowing fireplaces awaits guests at the inn. Choice seafood, seasonal game specialties, a selection of outstanding classic dishes and an expansive wine list make for a memorable dining experience. They are also recipients of the AAA Four Diamond award.
Cosimo’s Trattoria and Bar (www.cosimosrestaurantgroup.com) in Poughkeepsie has an elegant contemporary feel and an expansive wine list. The wines are shelved throughout the restaurant and the staff helps guests choose the perfect wine to compliment their meal. GiGi Trattoria (www.gigitrattoria.com) in Rhinebeck offers traditional Italian dishes with fresh ingredients right from the Hudson Valley. Its sophisticated yet informal environment along with moderate prices and attentive service keeps customers coming back again and again.
There are also countless cafes, bistros and pubs interspersed among the antique stores and specialty shops that line streets of the county’s villages. Representing the microbrewery craze, the Hyde Park Brewing Company (www.hydeparkbrewing.com) in Hyde Park offers a fine line of craft-brewed ales and lagers.
Dutchess County is more than American, French, and continental gourmet restaurants. There is a selection of Japanese restaurants that serve sushi and sashimi, as well as hibachi style dinners. O’sho Japanese Restaurant in Poughkeepsie has a sushi only area and two floors of hibachi tables where guests watch as their food is cooked right in front of them. Hana Sushi (www.hana-sushi.com) in Red Hook is known for its traditional atmosphere and fresh sushi selections. Other choices include Osaka Japanese Restaurant (www.osakasushi.net) with two locations: Rhinebeck and Tivoli, and farther south the new Neko Sushi, Hibachi and Sake Bar, which has all the essentials for a great meal.
One key reason Dutchess County restaurants are so special can be traced to the fantastic variety of produce and vegetables yielded by the area’s rich, well-drained soil. More and more restaurateurs are developing distinct regional menus featuring locally grown products. Hudson Valley pale-white peaches, golden russet apples, currants, baby bok choy, dandelion greens, mizuna, purslane, etc. all provide a special just-picked taste and texture. Farm markets and pick-your-own farms that dot the countryside in Dutchess County allow visitors to bring some of the bounty home with them.
