Chef Spotlight > Cripple Cgreek

Benjamin Mauk of Cripple Creek
By Harold Jacobs . Photos by George W. Gardner

Located in a quiet cul-de-sac off Garden Street in Rhinebeck, Cripple Creek has garnered a reputation for being one of the finest restaurants in the Hudson Valley region.

Patrick Hayes, a former concert pianist and world-traveled food enthusiast, manages the restaurant and will soon become its sole owner. He seeks to create an all-encompassing dining experience for his patrons. Rose petals are placed on each guest’s napkin, black napkins are given to guests wearing black clothes to avoid leaving a trail of white lint, reading glasses are made available for those who need them, and children are loaned Gameboys. The staff, trained to be knowledgeable about the food and wine, is friendly, unpretentious, and eager to answer questions or make recommendations.

Upon entering Cripple Creek one encounters a modern, attractively designed dining room with taupe-colored walls and subdued lighting. The warm overall effect is accented by an emphasis on the arts. A central bookcase contains a collection of important literary works, including some first editions. Eight original lithographs by Marc Chagall, all relating to music, theater, and art, adorn the walls. Near the restaurant entrance across from the intimate bar sits a grand piano that Hayes uses to entertain his patrons.

Executive Chef Benjamin Mauk’s take on “American” cuisine goes beyond the now commonplace emphasis on fresh, seasonal ingredients, locally derived when possible—a legacy dating back to the early 1970s with the opening of Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. Equally inspired by the European classic tradition and Asian fusion cooking, he extends his cuisine in an ethnically varied and eclectic direction.

In Mauk’s dishes, one finds locally grown heirloom white beets and white carrots, micro-greens, and Hudson Valley duck breast, along with such internationally derived ingredients as black truffles from Perigord, France; Japanese edamame beans; and Israeli couscous. He describes his approach to cooking as “very straightforward,” but adds that he often subtly incorporates the flavors of Southeast Asia and India in his dishes to give them a more complex dimension.

As a first course, I particularly like the Lobster and Mango Salad. Moist, bite-sized pieces of lobster sit on a bed of watercress that is tossed with a tarragon vinaigrette and julienne-cut slices of mango. The ingredients are horizontally divided into thirds by two thin coriander seed crackers whose crunchiness introduces a change of texture. The 2001 Laboure-Roi Macon-Village from France, a wine made from the Chardonnay grape, goes well with this appetizer. My dining companion enjoyed a Spinach and Blue Stilton Salad. Baby spinach leaves are tossed in a light vinaigrette with rich, creamy, and mellow chunks of English Blue Stilton cheese and crisp pieces of pancetta. The herbaceous 2002 Giesen Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand complements this dish.

A Grilled Marinated Quail, cooked properly rare, accompanied by Israeli couscous salad, has a refined woodsy flavor. A Duck and Foie Gras Terrine has a luxuriantly smooth and sensuous feel on one’s palate. The addition of small, flat, pickled cipolline onions, red pepper jelly, and sunflower sprouts raised a very good dish into something quite special. I was less enthusiastic about the Vegetable Spring Roll with a red pepper coulis and pickled daikon, which I found a bit under-seasoned.

Among Mauk’s entree selections, the Sauteed Hudson Valley Duck Breast with a light apricot ketchup drizzle stands out. The duck breast is served with pancetta-wrapped fingerling potatoes and sauteed arugula. The potatoes are among the most succulent I have ever tasted. The chef explained his cooking technique as follows: he partially cooks the potatoes in boiling water, slices them horizontally in half, lets them cool, then wraps each of them with a thinly sliced strip of pancetta. The potatoes are sauteed in duck fat until the pancetta becomes crisp and then finished in the oven. When eaten, they melt in your mouth and serve as a perfect accompaniment to the duck. The 2000 De Loach Merlot from California, given its depth of flavor, concentration, and moderate acidity, pairs well with this dish.

My dining companion selected one of Mauk’s signature entrees, a Roasted Halibut, served with fava beans, oyster mushrooms, semolina gnocchi, and asparagus, topped off with an aromatic lobster sauce. The halibut is slow-roasted in a convection oven, leaving it fully cooked and very moist. This dish was paired with the 2002 Alban Viognier from California, a full-bodied white varietal that is a good alternative to a Chardonnay. The Alban, with its peachy and spicy pine flavors, held up exceptionally well to the lobster sauce.

Other entrees on the menu include a Black Sea Bass with botan rice, cucumber and wakame salad, enoki mushrooms, and a miso mustard sauce; and a Crispy Skin Wild King Salmon with crushed potatoes, spinach, red onion, cucumber, and cured lemon relish. Sauteed Free-Range Chicken Breast comes with herbed Yukon Gold potatoes, ratatouille, and swiss chard. The beef entrees include a Grilled Filet of Beef with asparagus risotto, asparagus cream, and herb jus, or a Dry-Aged Strip Steak with roasted red potatoes, grain mustard vinaigrette, and a spring onion ragout. Sauteed Lamb Chops are accompanied by semolina gnocchi, fiddleheads, ramps, and a red wine jus. The pasta dish, Handmade Farfalle Pasta, is tossed with fava beans, forest mushrooms, walnuts, and fresh herbs.

Desserts, rich and comforting, remind one of irresistible old favorites. Chocolate lovers can choose between the Warm Chocolate Mousse Cake and the Cripple Creek Chocolate Chip Cookie Plate. In the Mousse Cake, the chef uses Callebaut Belgium Chocolate for the creamy center and accompanies the cake with Ronnybrook Farm Hazelnut ice cream and more chocolate sauce. The chunky cookies utilize both white and dark chocolate and are topped with vanilla ice cream. In addition, there is a Banana Tart with Caramel Sauce served with butter pecan ice cream, an updated version of the New Orleans’ classic Bananas Foster. A Lemon-Curd Tart with crushed berry compote has a finely honed interplay of tartness and sweetness.

Cripple Creek offers a fixed-price, three-course dinner, which includes your choice of appetizer, entree, and dessert from the entire menu, for $32. That is a bargain and the restaurant’s most popular option. There is a multi-course chef’s tasting menu for $52, with the possibility of electing (for an additional $32) a supplemental wine pairing to go with each dish. The menu changes slightly six times a year to take advantage of seasonal ingredients, and there are off-menu specials available most evenings. The restaurant prides itself on its Wine Spectator award-winning wine list. Bottles range in price from $22 to $400, with a good selection of wines falling between $6 and $11 per glass.

CRIPPLE CREEK
25 Garden Street, Rhinebeck, NY 12572.
Reservations are recommended. (845) 876-3980.
Open Monday to Wednesday from 5 to 9pm & Thursday to Saturday from 5 to 10pm.