So what would hit the spot tonight? That sweet spot, where favorite flavors meet exquisite preparation? You’re in one of the planet’s best places to be hungry; dozens of inspired world-class chefs are cooking for us every night, using fine, fresh, locally and creatively sourced ingredients in creative ways. Pizza night? Dress for dinner? Outdoors or in front of a roaring fireplace? Land or sea? Gourmet vegetarian? Whatever you’re craving, we can just about promise that something on this list will satisfy. And these are fun places to go, full of love made edible.
Here, for a little inspiration, is our own list of faves.
A SLICE OF ITALY: Everything’s good here, but Ang’s special fig pizza with ricotta, mozzarella, figs, and prosciutto is a must. Kingston, asliceofitaly7115.com
ABA’S FALAFEL: Have the combination plate for a little bit of everything, with salads, hummus, falafels, and pita. You’ll be back for more of your fave discoveries. Kingston, abasfalafel.com
ANGELA’S PIZZA: They’ve been honing the art for 35 years here; try the veggie supreme pizza pie, but the other Italian specialties are mouthwatering too. Lake Katrine, angelaspizzarestaurant.com
ARKVILLE BREAD & BREAKFAST: All of the breakfasts here are killer, but do try the French toast egg sandwich...with a runny egg on top too. Arkville
ASIA: The sushi and sashimi are always amazing, but Asia offers so much more. Try the Korean-style spicy chili soft tofu and vegetables, or the crispy red snapper. Stone Ridge, asiastoneridge.com
BACCHUS: The vegan chili served with house-made crispy tortilla chips is perfect to warm your bones on a cool fall day. Follow up with craft beer and billiards.New Paltz bacchusnewpaltz.com
BISTRO TO GO: Bring home this delicious Classic Shepherds Pie with grassfed Australian ground lamb. Heck, bring home three. Kingston, bluemountainbistro.com
BRIO’S: You can get all kinds of woodfired delights here, but one of our faves is this eggplant pie. Took us right back to childhood memories. Phoenicia, brios.net
CAFE MARGUERITE: Try the Quiche Du Jour, served with a mixed greens salad; wash down with a latte or a fresh squeezed lemonade. Margaretville, cafemarguerite.com
CAFE MIO: The Blackened Catfish Sandwich with Red Pepper Remoulade, served with sprouts and cucumbers, is a wonderful explosion of clean flavors; the burgers are epic too. Gardiner, miogardiner.com
CHEESE LOUISE: Don’t miss the famous chicken matzo ball soup, and grab some fromage and fresh baguettes to take home for nibbling bliss. Kingston, cheeselouiseny.com
Private CHEF ZACH BERGER is a rockstar; let him fix you a custom menu with specialties like this salmon cake with apple ginger tartar sauce and crispy onions for a treat you won’t forget. Hudson Valley, @ food_master_flex
COLONY WOODSTOCK: The Chicken Schnitzel here is superb comfort food and pairs beautifully with local beverage, live music and classic Woodstock welcome. Woodstock, colonywoodstock.com
COUNTRY INN & PETALY’S: Besides all of their Neapolitan pizzas and wondrous beer list, their eggplant parm is absolutely to-die-for and worth the drive from anywhere. Olivebridge, krumville.com
CREEKSIDE BAR & BISTRO: There’s a great lineup of salads, sandwiches, and brunch items; try the Cajun Grilled Salmon entree with tequila cilantro lime sauce. Rosendale, creeksidebistro.com
DARLINGS: Indulge yourself in a SmashBurger or veggie burger, served with smoked onion, pickle and Southern-inflected comeback sauce. Also. their fried catfish and chicken are amazing! Tillson, darlingsny.com
EMERSON WOODNOTES GRILL: Try the classic braised boneless beef short rib with mashed potatoes, haricots verts, and baby carrots, or a perfectly grilled Beaverkill trout for a classic Catskills experience. Mount Tremper, emersonresort.com
FORAGE & GATHER: Stop in for a wrap and a smoothie and you will soon realize you need a cheese and charcuterie board from these good folks to make your next party perfect. Mountaindale, foragemountaindale.com
FIRST CAPITAL POKE BAR: The must-try here is the Old Capital Bowl, with spicy tuna and salmon, cucumber, carrots, edamame, tempura flakes, scallions, and sesame seeds. Kingston, firstcapitalpokebar.com
GARDINER BREWING COMPANY: Feast on Southern Gartucky Shrimp, tossed in Old Bay with lime, for a down-home flavor that perfectly complements your local brew. Gardiner, gardinerbrewingcompany.com
GRAZERY: There are wonderful farm- fresh lunches here; pick one of their bowls or salads or mix and match from their huge list of delicacies and fresh-made delights. New Paltz, grazerynewpaltz.com
HICKORY BBQ: You absolutely must experience the finger-lickin’ great St. Louis Style Spare Ribs with Doc Hickory’s Famous Rub here. Kingston, hickoryrestaurant.com
HIGH FALLS CAFE: We love going for their build-your-own burgers. Choose from loads of toppings, pick the size of the burger, make it veggie or beef, and you can even get it on a pretzel roll. High Falls, highfallscafe.com
HOFFMAN HOUSE: You can’t go wrong here with classic dishes like London broil and roast duckling, but especially don’t forget to try the baked French onion soup. Kingston, hoffmanhousetavern.com
HURRICANE GRILL & WINGS: Try the mouthwatering Gridiron Wings, crispy-skinned from a rub of Cajun and jerk seasonings, caramelized to utter perfection. Poughkeepsie, hurricanewings.com
JAR’D WINE PUB: Try one of their creative snacks with your wine or pint of hard lemonade, like Boquerones (Spanish white anchovies) with rustic chips or a serving of Marcona almonds. New Paltz, jardwinepub.com
JESSIE’S HARVEST HOUSE: The pork belly steam buns, served with house-made kimchi, pickled red cabbage, and sesame, will leave you sighing with contentment. Tannersville, jessiesharvesthouse.com
MAIN COURSE :You haven’t lived till you’ve tasted the salads and paninis made fresh here—try a lobster club with avocado, smoked salmon bacon, frisee, and citrus vinaigrette. New Paltz, maincoursecatering.com
MILL & MAIN: You can’t go wrong with any of the ever-changing lineup of yummy sandwiches here, like the savory pulled pork with sriracha slaw; wash down with a superb coffee. Kerhonkson, millandmainstreet.com
OLE SAVANNAH: House-smoked BBQ specials here are an essential Hudson Valley food group in themselves; try the Braised Balsamic BBQ Pork Shank with a signature cocktail, or c’mon down for a Sunday buffet brunch. Kingston, olesavannah.com
OLLIE’S PIZZA: Order a High Falls Margherita pie, crafted with the fresh mozzarella on the bottom topped with grandma sauce and fresh basil; there’s a vegan take on it too, and cucumber mint limeade or Italian ginger beer to go with. High Falls, ollies.pizza
OLSEN & CO: Pick up a fresh Bread Alone Bagel topped with Hawthorne Valley Farms fresh cheese and a latte or an Immuneschein lavender elixir soda and enjoy somewhere with a pretty view. You’re welcome. Saugerties, olsenandcompany.com
ORIOLE 9: Start your day off with sauteed shrimp, green peppers, onions, and two poached eggs over cheddar cheese grits, or build your own grilled cheese from a list of exquisite possibilities. Woodstock, oriole9.com
PARISH RESTAURANT: Order the traditional gumbo, a savory thick brown stew served over rice that blends chicken, Andouille sausage, okra and other veggies; add shrimp or crawfish and be transported to the bayou in a flash. New Paltz, theparishrestaurant.com
PEEKAMOOSE: Enjoy their carmelized sea scallops or oven-roasted Snowdance Farm chicken to dine in or to go for an unforgettable Catskills picnic amid the foliage. Big Indian, peekamooserestaurant.com
THE PHOENICIAN: You can’t go wrong with any of the steaks or chops; choices include dry-aged and grass-fed, all seasoned and cooked to perfection—and there’s a clam bar for starters. Phoenicia, thephoeniciansteakhouse.com
RUNA: Have the marvelous house kathi roll—cumin alloo—and don’t forget to ask about the day’s fresh sweets and housemade desserts. New Paltz, runanewpaltz.com
SPORTSMAN ALAMO CANTINA: You can almost tell just from the name of the place that the nachos are fabulous, and they are indeed, smothered with just the right amount of wonderful flavors. Phoenicia, alamocantina.com
STEWART HOUSE: Feast on delights like their fish and chips with a side of vinegar slaw at this Italianate-style former boarding house that’s now a boutique hotel. Athens, stewarthouse.com
STONE RIDGE ORCHARD: Wood-fired pizza at the Farm Bar amid the heavily laden apple trees of autumn is peak Ulster County joy, and you can wash it down with their very own cider. Stone Ridge, stoneridgeorchard.com
TERRAPIN: Indulge yourself with pan-seared halibut with miso brown butter glaze, ginger cilantro quinoa and asparagus and a jalapeno ginger margarita. Rhinebeck, terrapinrestaurant.com
TETTAS: These folks advertise “eat like a local” and you can find out why on Focaccia Friday, which is Fabulous. Samsonville, tettasmarket.com
TINKER STREET TAVERN: Munch on an order of nachos with queso, pickled jalapenos, radishes, and cilantro; have some live music for dessert. Woodstock, tinkerstreettavern.com
TONY’S PIZZA :There really is nothing like the perfect, classic cheese pizza. Now you know where to go: Tony’s. There, we said it. Poughkeepsie, tonyspizzapitmenu.com
TWIN STAR ORCHARDS: Order up a sweet sausage & broccoli rabe woodfired pizza with San Marzano tomato and wash down with fine Brooklyn Cider House beverage. New Paltz, twinstarorchards.com
YUM YUM NOODLE BAR: The grilled shrimp coconut curry noodle bowl here is out-of-this-world ambrosial; you can also build your own bowl from a long list of lusciousness. Woodstock, Kingston, Red Hook, yumyumnoodlebar.com
