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

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Tasting Notes - The Owl at Twilight, Olmstedville. New Winter Menu

A table near the fireplace
The Owl at Twilight
1322 County Route 29
Olmstedville, NY 12857
(518) 251-4696

Summer Hours: Thursday through Monday


A complete menu can be found here.


Update - June 2012. The restaurant is open for the summer, and serving dinner in July and August, Thursday through Monday.

We stopped at the Owl for dinner last night, and were pleased to find some new menu items for this winter. Rich and Joanne have cut back to winter hours, opening on Friday and Saturday night for dinner. Also new is a price fixed menu offering all small plate / appetizers for $8.00, and all entrees for $19.

The wild mushrooms and Nettle Meadow (in Thurman) Goat Cheese is thankfully still offered as an app, as is the sauteed calamari stuffed with shrimp, chorizo and rice. I tried a new dish - braised rabbit from Wanabea Farms over in Manchester Center, served with leeks and roasted morsels of turnips. The rabbit was a whole hind quarter, sweet and tender and a nice addition to the menu. It was almost too much for an appetizer. My entree selection was an airline chicken breast from Wellington Farms, beautifully roasted with pancetta and served over sage infused cannellini beans. Moist tender and delicious. Mary tried Rich's zippy take on pot roast – a Ropa Vieja from Tilldale Farms in Hoosick, NY braised with almonds and golden raisins, and served with black beans and rice. Rich has a wonderful way of taking traditional dishes and going off on tangents from the basic theme and playing flavorful harmonies around the dish. Kind of like playing jazz with food. The chrurasco steak with sweet potato fries is still on the menu. A vegetarian dish of Yukon Gold gnocchi comes with roasted beets, walnuts and a beet malbec reduction. A Jamaican jerk dish of Tilldale Farms pork chop is served with a puree of sweet peppers roasted tomatoes, and golden raisin, flavored with cilantro.

Joanne's martini is still my favorite way to start a meal. The restaurant also offers a substantial selection of moderately priced wines, with a focus on Spain and South America, which complements Rich's menu perfectly. We applaud the the restaurant's continuing commitment to locally sourced meats and vegetables and really appreciate the lower menu pricing for the winter.


The original blog-post about The Owl at Twilight can be read - here


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