Welcome to our list of favorite dining destinations in New York's Hudson Valley and Adirondack regions. We visit restaurants, wineries, barbecues, and a smattering of off the beaten path culinary destinations like maple sugar shacks and fromageries. My friends and I have been dining out together weekly for over twenty years. The locations we write about are our favorite destinations. We are not claiming they are the best, just our favorites. The posts are not "reviews" in the classic sense. - we offer only our picks, not pans. We will leave the criticism to others. We are a happy blog. We much prefer a good bistro to "haute cuisine", especially if they also have a nice bar. We prefer a crock of cassoulet and a bottle of Beaujolais to just about anything else. If you enjoy simple home style rustic cooking with a decent (but not too expensive) bottle of wine, then pull up a chair and join us.



This Month's "Well Said!"

"Remember that a very good sardine is always preferable to a not that good lobster."

Ferran Andria

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Tasting Notes - New Menu at 36 Main, New Paltz

Chef Adam Sternberg introduced his new fall menu last week, and we stopped in with the Wednesday Night Boyz to sample the fare.  Luckily for us, Theresa was on the bar, Pinot Grigio at the ready when we arrived, and she shared the new menu with me.  The offerings include nine "small plates" and eight entrees.  The small plates are designed as appetizer fare, or perhaps for sharing, but many of us used them as a main course this evening. We started with plates of duck wings from Maple Leaf Farm ($12) deep fried and tossed in a spicy sweet and sour glaze. Crispy pork shanks ($9) were thankfully held over from the summer menu.  They are  glazed with a piquant Thai chili sauce, and served with a blue cheese dressing.  I had the Crab Rockefeller ($14), plated with three individual servings of crab, blended with spinach and bread crumbs and quite tasty.  One of my tablemates ordered the night's special, a platter of sliced duck breast cured with pastrami seasoning.  Very nicely done.  An old standby of Hudson Valley foie gras is always a favorite, plated with Chorizo stuffed figs and bacon strips.  We also ordered an entree portion of roasted chicken breast ($26) from Wellington Farm, served with braised leeks, feta cheese, and socca, a flat bread made from chick pea flour and oil.  A nice combination of flavors that was very well prepared.  The new menu also offers a cod filet with pork belly and brussel sprout hash.  The hash is also offered as a side dish, which we tried and enjoyed very much with our apps.  I was glad to see the blue cheese potato chips are also still available as a side for $6. I saved the short ribs cannelloni ($26) for my next visit.  It is served with porcini bechamel and baby carrots.  36 Main remains one of our favorite destinations.  The kitchen consistently puts out a good selection of well prepared interesting dishes using locally sourced products whenever possible.  The atmosphere is comfortably casual yet the staff is always professional and attentive. And they have a really friendly fun bartender.  What's not to like?

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