Lifestyle

A Taste of History with a Dollop of Great Food

Hudson Valley’s Annual Restaurant Week (March 15-28) offers culinary delights peppered with the past

By Georgiana Francisco

This year’s Hudson Valley Restaurant Week, slated for March 15-28, is the perfect time to indulge in world-class dining at bargain prices while exploring New York’s historic and scenic Hudson River Valley. The much-anticipated event now includes two full weekends, making it more tantalizing for those looking for a tasty getaway. Over 80 restaurants will offer three-course lunches at a tempting $20 and three-course prix-fixe dinners at the reasonable price of $28.

Event organizer and The Valley Table magazine publisher Janet Crenshaw calls the Hudson Valley food scene “vibrant,” and so it should be. As a recognized agricultural center, the region is home to the country’s foremost cooking school, celebrated cheese makers, world-class wineries and distilleries, and some of the best chefs in America. No wonder it’s teeming with culinary creativity and an array of gastronomic adventures!

Because agriculture is still the region’s largest industry, locally produced ingredients are key to Restaurant Week’s popularity, from venison, duck, and heritage pork to artisanal cheeses, all found in surrounding farms.

And what a lovely time of year to discover the Valley’s many historic settings: the Tavern at Highlands Country Club in Garrison offers an elegant country ambiance with antique tables and a blazing fireplace; the Village Tearoom with its hand-hewn beams set in a landmark building in New Paltz; and the acclaimed Restaurant 42 atop the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in White Plains, which touts “new” American cuisine and spellbinding 360-degree views.

Speaking of views, there’s also lots of riverfront dining to choose from, such as Harvest on Hudson in Hastings, Half Moon in Dobbs Ferry, or Yonkers’ dramatic Xaviars X20, with 25-foot vaulted ceilings and a glimpse of the Manhattan skyline.

A big “wow” factor in the four-year event is the first-time participation of American Bounty at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, where the world’s premier culinary college offers imaginative global cuisine. Take a tour of the Institute while there--a rare experience indeed.

In between meals, one can relax in myriad elegant spas, shop for antiques in the quaint river towns, sample wines and beers at vineyards and breweries, taste cheeses and other foods at many farms, and catch the first sap run at maple-sugaring operations. Just taking a stroll along the Hudson with its Palisades vistas makes it difficult not to imagine how it was when Henrik Hudson first sailed along these shores.

Overnight accommodations are available at some participating venues, many offering special rates during Restaurant Week. Among them are the gothic-style Thayer Hotel at West Point; the Kittle House, a 12-room historic landmark inn in Chappaqua; and the historic Hudson House River Inn in Cold Spring. Additional unique lodgings can be found at vintagehudsonvalley.com.

For more information visit HudsonValleyRestaurantWeek.com, travelhudsonvalley.com, hudsonrivervalley.com and hudsonriver.com. For a free Hudson Valley travel guide, call 800.232.4782.

Travel to the Hudson Valley

By Car
The New York State Thruway (I-87) and the Taconic State Parkway are the main North-South routes and I-90, I-84 and I-287 are the main East-West routes.

By Train
Metro-North trains run frequently from New York City’s Grand Central Terminal with stops along the line up to Poughkeepsie. Amtrak stops at Yonkers, Croton-Harmon, Poughkeepsie, Rhinecliff and Albany, then north to Montreal with connections to the west. One can also arrange for an Enterprise rental car pick-up at any of the rail stations.

By Air
Commercial air service brings passengers from all over the country into the Hudson Valley. Airports include Westchester County Airport in White Plains, Stewart Airport in Newburgh, Albany International Airport in Albany, plus LaGuardia, JFK and Newark Airports.

Hotels, Inns, and Bed & Breakfasts Offering Discounted Rates During Hudson Valley Restaurant Week

Crabtree’s Kittle House, Chappaqua, 914.666.8044
The historic Crabtree’s Kittle House Restaurant & Inn will offer a 20.10% discount off the overnight room rate for anyone dining in their restaurant from March 15-28, based on availability. Single occupancy rate is $129.64, double occupancy is $147.28. Includes continental breakfast. (kittlehouse.com)

Inn the Woods Bed and Breakfast, Hyde Park, 845.229.9331
This intimate B&B is offering a consecutive night free for each night reserved. Centrally located to all participating Duchess County restaurants, historic sites, great estates, antiques, micro-breweries, wineries and galleries, the inn specializes in sumptuous candlelit breakfasts served fireside each morning. Requires two-night reservation any weekday during the event, including tax & daily breakfast. Bedroom $163 (less than $82 per night), suite $208 (less than $105 per night). (innthewood.com)

1832 Hyde Park Bed & Breakfast, Hyde Park, 845.229.1946
Offering a 20% discount during Hudson Valley Restaurant Week, ths Victorian home is nestled in the heart of historic Hyde Park, home of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. Within walking distance of the library, post office, historical museum, and the Vanderbilt Mansion, the home features queen and double rooms, a gracious living room and an elegant dining room serving a full breakfast, afternoon tea and coffee. (1832hydeparkbb.net)

The Looking Glass Bed and Breakfast, Rhinebeck, 845.876.8986
Located in historic Rhinebeck Village, the Looking Glass Bed and Breakfast is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Special rates during Hudson Valley Restaurant Week are $105/night + tax (add $20 for Friday and Saturday night stays). No minimum stay requirement. (thelookingglassbandb.com)

Mt. Beacon Bed & Breakfast, Beacon, 845.831.0737
Offering 20% off regular rates Sunday-Thursday and 10% off Friday-Saturday. This 1911 Colonial revival home sits at the foot of Mt. Beacon. Three guest rooms with full baths. Features a three-course breakfast in an elegant dining room with wood-burning fireplace. (mtbeaconbedandbreakfast.com)

Hudson Valley Cabin, Stanfordville, 845.266.3213
Offering a promotional rate of $405 plus tax for two- night stay, 10% off regular rate, this romantic lakefront cabin with a wood-burning fireplace sits on an 85-acre property with marked trails and is close to Rhinebeck, Millbrook, Hyde Park and Red Hook. (hudsonvalleycabin.com)

The Thayer Hotel at West Point, 800.247.5047
Offering a romantic getaway package of $159 for an overnight for two, including dinner, The Thayer is the only full-service hotel on the Hudson River from the George Washington Bridge to Albany. The majestic granite building sits at the south entrance to the U.S. Military Academy and touts dramatic views of the Hudson River and Highlands. (thethayerhotel.com)

Hampton Inn & Suites, Poughkeepsie, 845.463.7500
Offers 20% discount off their Best Available Rate. Conveniently located on Route 9 in the town of Poughkeepsie, it is a short driving distance from Marist College, Vassar College and The Culinary Institute of America. (poughkeepsiesuites.hamptoninn.com)

Holiday Inn, Fishkill, 845.896.6281
Offering a special discounted rate of $89 plus tax for regular rooms with two double beds or one king-size bed. Features high-speed wireless internet access. (holidayinn.com/fishkillny)

Hampton Inn, Fishkill, 845.896.4000
All rooms come with microwave, refrigerator, 32” flat screen TV and signature “Cloud Nine” bedding. Room rates include breakfast, internet, indoor pool and access to All Sport Fishkill, a 75,000-square-foot exercise and fitness space. Hudson Valley Restaurant Week discounted rate is $99. (hamptoninn.com)

Quality Inn and Suites, Fishkill, 845.897.9300
Offering complimentary hot breakfast, a fully equipped fitness room, and free wireless internet access. Special rates during Hudson Valley Restaurant Week range from $74.99 for double queens/single king room to $119.99 for king suite spa with in-room jacuzzi. (qualityinnfishkill.com)

Mercury Grand Hotel, Poughkeepsie, 845.462.4600
$59.99 special discount rate for mentioning Hudson Valley Restaurant Week. The hotel features 153 guest rooms, complimentary hot breakfast, voice mail, high speed internet, data ports, iron, ironing boards, hair dryers and coffee makers. (mercurygrand.com)

Georgiana Francisco is a writer and the founder of ByGeorge Communications, a public relations and marketing firm. She has spent more than a decade doing public relations for the food, wine, and hospitality industries and has handled such clients as Paramount Communications, the BEverly Wilshire Hotel, and the state of Pennsylvania. She is a regular contributor to several area magazines and newsletters.

Lifestyle

A Taste of History with a Dollop of Great Food

Travel to the Hudson Valley

Hotels, Inns, and Bed & Breakfasts Offering Discounted Rates During Hudson Valley Restaurant Week

Further Reading