Good news for people who’ve experienced the food, vibes, and community spirit at Ole Savannah on the Kingston waterfront: That warm, fun-loving heart hasn’t gone anywhere. If anything, it’s beating stronger than ever, thanks to restaurateur Dave Amato’s decision to transform the building’s brand into The Cornell Restaurant + Bar, a deeply felt homage to Rondout history.
Some people thought he was a bit crazy to be reinventing something that already worked so well, Amato says. Ole Savannah, a cornerstone of Kingston’s Strand for the last decade and drawing customers from all over the Hudson Valley and beyond, was already much loved. Why fix something that wasn’t broken? But at 10 years old, the restaurant’s interior needed a refresh anyway—and besides hospitality and great food, one of Amato’s primary passions is Kingston history, especially the lesser-told tales of the waterfront people who played a key role in building the wider world.
“Not everyone gets it at first,” Amato says. “They ask if I went to Cornell University or something. No, these are pure Kingston roots.”
Back in the early 19th century, Thomas Cornell’s uncle ran a dock and a thriving general store in Eddyville, where the Delaware and Hudson Canal met the Rondout Creek. Thomas joined the team after high school, started the Cornell Steamboat Company with a single sloop at the tender age of 23, and put together the largest steamboat fleet in the United States, with over 60 vessels. He also founded a bank, bought the local newspaper, did some railroading, and served two terms in Congress, leaving an indelible mark on Kingston as we know it. Amato’s other location, the much-loved Brickmen Kitchen + Bar in Uptown, pays fond tribute to the laborers who shaped and fired the bricks that Cornell’s steamships carried downriver; one of those laborers was Amato’s grandfather.
At 10 years old, the restaurant’s interior needed a refresh anyway—and besides hospitality and great food, one of Amato’s primary passions is Kingston history.
Amato and Executive Chef Anthony Colon are leaning even deeper into innovative global fusion, grounded in comfort food and with a contemporary flair.
In remaking Ole Savannah into The Cornell, Amato worked with the team that crafted Brickmen. The interior and exterior have been reimagined by Jackson Creative Group as a celebration of local maritime history. Coordinator Jessica Mino, a vital part of the success of Ole Savannah, Brickmen, and this latest transition, helped guide the vision and operations.
The name “Ole Savannah” evoked visions of barbecue, despite the restaurant’s wide range of menu choices, Amato says. With the rebrand, Amato and Executive Chef Anthony Colon are leaning even deeper into innovative global fusion, grounded in comfort food and with a contemporary flair. Dishes range from a mini lobster roll appetizer to a fried chicken entree and handcrafted cappelletti bistecca, plus dim sum, sushi, and many other options perfect for sharing.
“What’s great about fusion is that if you’re dining out with even the biggest or most varied group, there’s something on this menu that each person will enjoy,” Amato says. “Asian, Italian, French, American, Jamaican jerk wings—whatever you love, whatever you’re in the mood for, you’ll find something that will make you happy.” Community spirit is another kind of fusion: Amato loves to cook up fresh, and the high-spirited fun—an ice skating rink in winter, fireworks in summer, and community events and celebrations year round—will continue to grow. “None of that is going to change,” Amato says. “Hopefully, we can even expand on it. We love the nonprofits and the community events; we love being a place where people come together to eat great food and enjoy life by the river.”
Community spirit is another kind of fusion: Amato loves to cook up fresh, and the highspirited fun—an ice skating rink in winter, fireworks in summer, and community events and celebrations year round—will continue to grow.
Open 7 days a week, offering lunch, dinner, drinks, and Sunday brunch, The Cornell is the perfect complement to a river cruise and/or a visit to the Hudson River Maritime Museum. Come feast and get a taste of this old town’s younger days that will help you understand how it got to be its fun-loving, soulful self.
the cornell restaurant + bar
100 Rondout Landing, Kingston
845-331-4283
cornellkingston.com
