Restaurant Openings: July 2011

by Zan Strumfeld, June 29, 2011

A Tavola
46 Main Street, New Paltz. (845) 255-1426
www.atavolany.com
Located in the former Beso space, A Tavola is Bonnie and Nathan Snow’s creative take on rustic Italian. The husband-and-wife chefs have recently located to the area, bringing a combined 18 years of New York City restaurant experience to the table. (A Tavola translates as “at table.”) The mismatched tables contribute to A Tavola’s family-style atmosphere, where it’s all about sharing, with half or whole-sized portions. For starters, try the slow roasted local beets with shaved fennel, pistachios, and whipped ricotta ($10), or the olive oil-poached octopus with chickpeas, roasted peppers, and Taggia olives ($12). Then finish with some pasta: the spring pea ravioli with roasted mushrooms, toasted almond, and mint ($13/$25), or the pappardelle Bolognese, a traditional Italian meat sauce that’s braised in the oven for seven hours to maximize the caramelization ($13/$25).

Bacco Restaurant
718 Duchess Turnpike, Poughkeepsie. (845) 454-1882
Father-and-son cooking team Gaetano and Carmello D’Aprile take on traditional Italian cuisine with homestyle concoctions and an exclusively Italian wine list. In the modern and cozy atmosphere of Bacco, the D’Apriles make all the dishes to order. For an appetizer, savor the calamari fritti con verdurine croccanti: crispy golden calamari and mixed vegetables ($12). Try the timballo di melanzane all trapanese for dinner: baked timbale of eggplant, stuff with spaghettini pasta, with tomato and fresh basil ($17), or taste the meat with the lombatina di vitello giardino, a veal chop Milanese style topped with baby arugula, tomato, and onions in a balsamic dressing ($29).

Brasserie 292
292 Main Street, Poughkeepsie. (845) 473-0292
www.brasserie292.com
Classic French food filters through owner Chris Crocco’s casual dining room with historic 1920s ceiling tiles at Brasserie 292. Crocco, who has been in the restaurant business for over a decade, and the chef, his brother Daniel, stay true to their philosophy: use as many local ingredients as possible, including products from Sprout Creek Farm and Hudson Valley Fresh. The Croccos keep it classic French: crispy duck confit with wild mushrooms, shallots, frisee, and mustard vinaigrette ($24), and escargot with garlic butter and fresh herbs ($12). Keep an eye out for the plate of the day, like braised shortribs ($28). Enjoy your meal with their wide selection of beers, classic cocktails, and wines like Haut Bourg Muscadet ($9 glass/$17 carafe). Save room for desserts like the milk chocolate pot de crème with salted caramel or the local apple tarte tatin with brown sugar, sour cream gelato ($9).

‘Cue
136 Partition Street, Saugerties. (845) 246-4283
www.cueshack.com
‘Cue is the newest addition to Partition Street by Miss Lucy’s Kitchen owners Justin Sedlak and husband-and-wife team Marc Propper and Michelle Silver. In `Cue’s casual environment, customers can order and receive their food in less than five minutes on barn red cafeteria-style trays. ‘Cue offers classics like St. Louis ribs (½ rack, $12; full, $20) and baby back ribs (½ rack, $13; full, $22) as well as vegetarian “faux ‘cue,” seitan with caramelized onions and a local, honey-based sauce ($7). Also enjoy the list of sides, like mac n’ cheese ($3) and baked beans ($3). There’s outdoor seating at picnic tables and even an outdoor stand to wash your messy hands! Although they don’t have their beer and wine license yet, ‘Cue has sodas, home-brewed iced tea, Mexican Coke with real sugar, a homemade frozen strawberry lemonade made with local strawberries, fresh lemon, and real sugar, and more. Try their desserts, mostly served in mason jars, like the s’mores trifle: layers of homemade graham cracker crumbs, chocolate, and marshmallow ($6).

Vineyard Grille & Cafe
26 Wing Road, Millbrook. (845) 677-8383
www.millbrookwine.com
No need to leave the vineyard in the middle of the day to find lunch: Millbrook Vineyards & Winery opens its new Vineyard Grille & Cafe every Saturday and Sunday, 12-3pm through the end of October. The eatery keeps it simple with preparations like the grilled chicken breast with chipotle aioli on a rosemary ciabatta roll ($9) or the grilled angus beef burger with lettuce, tomato, and a pickle on a telera roll ($8). All sandwiches come with your choice of a side salad: green, pasta, or slaw. And of course, pair your food with a wine from Millbrook’s award-winning list.