applesauce23's Profile
cream cheese cakes are back! (dutchess - lagrangeville)
I stopped by Seasons Cafe this morning after a doctor's appointment. It's next to the Billings post office (where Enchanted Bakery used to be). There were some minor renovations to the interior. It's still a very warm and inviting space, perfect for a leisurely lunch over a book or a quick breakfast sandwich on the run.
The baked goods in the display cake all looked great. I saw some red velvet cupcakes, squiggle mini cupcakes (reminiscent of Hostess chocolate cupcakes), carrot cake, cheesecakes, and the famous cream cheese cakes. Initially, I was a little confused because I thought that the cakes that bob gaj was talking about were cheesecakes. They're not cheesecakes, but delicious cakes made with cream cheese that came in two varieties (I think), apple and blueberry. It was reminiscent of coffee cake without the cinnamon streusel topping. All I know is that I bought a blueberry cream cheese cake for my co-workers and it was gone within the hour. Absolutely delicious. They're open from 7-3 on Mother's Day, so I'm planning to pick up one or two before I head down to my in-laws. I also enjoyed samples of the apple version and some carrot cake...fantastic.
From their menu:
egg sandwiches
wraps/omelets
french toast
bagels
various sandwiches that range from $4.50 to $7.25
Description of a few sandwiches:
The Peasantwich: cheddar, fresh apples, red onions and Dijon on sourdough bread
Turkey: w/marinated portobello, roasted red peppers and mustard on ciabatta
Mediterranean Wrap: roast beef (or chicken) w/roasted red peppers, mozzarella cheese, and pesto aioli
soup
smoothies (Caffeine Scream, strawberry banana, Tropical Breeze)
scones
muffins, danish
croissants
truffle cakes
cream cheese cakes are back! (dutchess - lagrangeville)
Is that the bakery that's right next to the Billings post office? Thanks for the heads up.
Coffee and lunch near Dia Beacon?
Yes, definitely. You can get Jane's Ice Cream at several locations (http://www.janesicecream.com/index.php/where-to-buy), but there's only one Zora Dora. Their paletas are fantastic. I'm partial to their Lemon Garden Party (lemon and herbs) and Chocolate Framboise Truffle paletas.
Coffee and lunch near Dia Beacon?
Homespun Foods is great. Crumb has some nice sandwiches and pastries as well. If you want something more filling, I definitely recommend Poppy's. That way you can get a great burger and grab a paleta from Zora Dora across the street afterwards. Seoul Kitchen has a small selection, but their food is good too.
Anyone eaten at a Tavola in New Paltz?
My husband and I had a superb meal at A Tavola last night. From service to ambiance to food, everything was fantastic.
As soon as we arrived, we were seated promptly. Based on our experience, it's not a restaurant for a quiet romantic dinner, but rather for an evening of great conversation and laughs. Our server was warm and attentive.
Now, on to the food...
My husband ordered the glazed pork belly. I was looking for something a little lighter, so I ordered a half order of the spring pea tortilla as a starter. The tortilla was delicious--perfectly cooked pasta, filled with pureed spring peas with a hint of mint, with mushrooms and almonds. I normally hate mushrooms, but this dish really was a winning combination. The spring pea and mint were sublime. The pork belly was delicious, but a little too heavy for me. My husband enjoyed it.
I ordered the arctic char special while my husband ordered the chicken under a brick. I'd never had arctic char before, so I didn't really know what to expect (the inclusion of ramps in the dish initially piqued my interest). It tasted like a light flaky fish, with a slighty heavier texture, somewhat close to salmon. The skin was perfectly crisp. Prepared with ramps (my first time trying them), baby turnips, and baby carrots, I was very happy with my dish. I think I'm spoiled for life when it comes to ramps because this entree was so good. I tried a few bites of the chicken under a brick. A server told us that the skin is prepped with a salt/sugar crust. It was the ideal balance of sweet and savory. It came with charred escarole and potatoes. I am planning to order it the next time I go.
We were pretty full when it came time for dessert, so my husband ordered the affogato (salted caramel gelato, chocolate biscotti crumbles, topped with a small shot of espresso), while I ordered the sorbet (one scoop of blood orange and one scoop of local apple with a touch of maple syrup). When DH's gelato came out, we were blown away by the taste. I love fleur del sel caramels, so it was a thrill to taste it in gelato form. Combined with the biscotti and espresso, it was a great ending to our meal. My sorbet was lovely, light, and refreshing. The blood orange sorbet was delicious, but the apple sorbet was outstanding. My husband kept on sneaking bites of my dessert, even though he is not a sweets person at all.
Our experience at A Tavola was so great that we started thinking of friends we wanted to invite along to our next date there over dessert.
Highly, highly recommend this restaurant. It supplanted Il Cenacolo and Rraci's on our list of Top 3 Italian restaurants in the area (sorry, Aroma Osteria!).
OMG!!! H Mart is opening in Hartsdale, NY!
According to Small Bites in Lohud.com, H Mart should be opening at the end of this month.
http://food.lohudblogs.com/2012/03/05/hmart-to-open-at-the-end-of-the-month-in-hartsdale/
*Breakfast TOMORROW on the way to Fishkill from NYC
I second Rue Des Crepes. I used to go there when they were in Chelsea. Their crepes are delicious.
Hudson Valley Restaurant Weeks 2012
Just wanted to throw in my two cents about Farm to Table. It's owned by the same person who owned Mesa Grill on Rt. 376.
The decor is absolutely beautiful. The atmosphere is wonderful for a nice evening out. My husband and I were definitely impressed and I was already making mental notes to get a few of my girlfriends together for a lovely evening out.
The service was less than stellar. Our waitress was very sweet, but she wasn't that knowledgeable about the menu and had to go back and forth twice to ask the kitchen for clarification when we asked her basic questions about ingredients in the dishes we were interested in.
I started off with the Sformato di Zucchini, which ended up being a zucchini layered tart with a grainy texture (tasted like Parmesan-flavored bread crumbs). It was pretty good.
I ordered the pan seared salmon. It was fine, but not as flavorful as I had hoped. My husband got a medium rare filet mignon, but it was overcooked.
Honestly, I don't remember what I had for dessert, but I remember that I got a chocolate dessert which was cloyingly sweet and my husband did not like his apple dessert at all. He said that it was bland.
After a highly favorable first impression, I was sad to cross off Farm to Table my possible girls'-night-out-venues list.
I wouldn't recommend Farm to Table for a Restaurant Week meal, let alone at full price.
Their dinner menu:
http://www.ftbistro.com/sites/default/files/FT-Bistro-Menu_1.pdf
Somehow, my short response turned into a full blown review, but oh well. Hope this wasn't too long-winded, Solstice!
Blue Hill at Stone Barns Review (Long)
LOL...can I like your comment, roxlet? Westchester is considered "upstate" by some in Manhattan.
Lovely review, btw. Thank you, Aluzmore. I'm still debating whether or not to go there for my birthday.
best restaurant in Poughkeepsie?
I really like Crave (American), but I'm not sure if I would suggest any Italian restaurant as the best. If you're craving good Italian and willing to drive a bit, Aroma Osteria in Wappingers, Il Cenacolo in Newburgh, and Rracis in Brewster are all wonderful.
OMG!!! H Mart is opening in Hartsdale, NY!
I was looking around for some more information about H Mart and saw this little blurb. It is now scheduled to open in February 2012. I hope there aren't any more delays.
http://www.greenburghny.com/Cit-e-Access/news/index.cfm?NID=24686&TID=10&jump2=0
Chinese Food Duchess County?
I think Formosa Cuisine and Dumpling Palace are sorely needed additions to the HV food scene. Have you tried either place, Mike? I would love to hear your thoughts.
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Formosa Cuisine
11 Marist Drive, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
Chinese Food Duchess County?
If you like dumplings, Dumpling Palace in Wappingers Falls is very good.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/778020
Chinese Food Duchess County?
Formosa Cuisine near Marist (back of old Kona Coffee building) is excellent.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Formosa-Cuisine/185111641506989?ref=ts
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Formosa Cuisine
11 Marist Drive, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
October weekend in the Hudson Valley
The Apple Pie Bakery Cafe at the CIA is great for lunch. I just went there a few weeks ago. They had an amazing honey and apple granita and a coconut trifle dessert. The line moves pretty quickly.
http://www.ciachef.edu/restaurants/apbc/
Personal chef in Huntington, LI, area?
My friend is on strict bedrest for the next two months and I wanted to send her a gift certificate for some meals through a personal chef service. She is on a gluten-free diet. Any suggestions would be fantastic. Thanks!
Lunch near Storm King?
Hudson Street Cafe (http://www.hudsonstreetcafe.com/ordereze/1000/Page.aspx) in Cornwall is really good. Citrus (http://www.citrusny.com/) in New Windsor is good, but the ambiance isn't as nice.
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Hudson Street Cafe
237 Hudson St, Cornwall On Hudson, NY 12520
walkway over the hudson
Rossi's is amazing, but they're closed on Sundays.
It's not within walking distance, but Formosa Cuisine (near Marist, around the left side of the strip mall) is great and very reasonable.
You might want to park on the Highland side (it's free) because it's very difficult to get street parking in Poughkeepsie on weekends.
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Formosa Cuisine
11 Marist Drive, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
need help
Are you talking about Diner En Blanc? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/26/diner-en-blanc-new-york_n_938406.html
Kinda divey, in or near Rhinebeck?
You might want to check out Foster's.
http://www.fosterscoachhouse.com/menu.htm
Moxie Cupcake grand opening next weekend - Best cupcakes ever!
Wow, that's great news! I've tried their chocolate cupcakes and red velvet cupcakes. Love Moxie!
SUNY-Binghamton Reunion/Homecoming Weekend
Oh no...that's terrible! The floods were so devastating. I remember going on my first "fancy date" at Number 5 when I was at Bing. So sad...
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Bing's Restaurant
1952 Kensington Ave, Buffalo, NY 14215
Number 5 Restaurant
33 S Washington St, Binghamton, NY 13903
Thyme in Yorktown
At least three of the servers and a manager (I believe) said it. There were a lot of angry diners that night, so I guess they finally ran out of excuses.
Thyme in Yorktown
I know that tonight was an off night (according to our server and the regulars sitting next to us), but I'm just going to say that my visit to Thyme was probably the worst "fine dining" experience I've ever had. The timeline says it all: seated at 6:35 (we were seated promptly, so I guess that was the one good thing), ordered, got our appetizers at 7:15, and finally got our entrees at 8:30. Our server was very sweet, but after three apologies, it was just ridiculous. The couple next to us paid for their drinks and left after an hour to hit the nearby diner. Other tables were complaining loudly about their long waits to order. It was not the relaxing date night I was looking for.
The food was ok, but definitely not worth the wait. I enjoyed my crabcakes (new version of the jumbo lump crab bites on the menu), but DH ate only half of his soup because the bread/croutons were so big, they soaked up all of the broth. The surf and turf special was ok. The lobster was much better than the steak. My shrimp and saffron risotto was tasteless, even after I put a liberal amount of salt and pepper on it. I had to send it back (this was the first time I have ever sent back a dish). My husband was surprised when he tasted it and compared it to bland boiled rice. The shrimp was well cooked, but so flavorless that the whole dish was inedible. Our server comped us for that entree.
Apparently, there was a new chef that was slowing things down, but even that wasn't a good enough reason for the long wait. A party of 6 got half of their entrees and received the other three plates over an hour later. The table next to me on the other side received their soup and caprese after a forty five minute wait. Why did it take so long for them to get their dishes?
The servers and the chefs were very stressed because of the backlog. One of the chefs loudly told a server to shut up as I walked past the open kitchen area to use the restroom. It was so tense that it was uncomfortable.
Even though this experience is clearly not the norm, I will definitely say that I was very disappointed tonight. I might try Thyme again on a less crazy day, but probably not.
Thyme in Yorktown
I'm planning to go to Thyme tomorrow night for a date night with DH. Any recommendations? After reading the thread, the French onion soup and salads sound like winners. Anyone try the Key Lime Pie?
Help with 1 Dinner near Poughkeepsie
I've never been to Brasserie 292, but if Aroma Osteria is offering their roast chicken special (call ahead), definitely go to Aroma. Artist's Palate is really good, but it's a little more casual than Aroma. I love their shrimp pasta dish.
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Aroma Osteria
114 Old Post Rd, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590
The Artist's Palate
307 Main St, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
Dutchess County Fair - anyone been yet, anything new?
I just went today...gorgeous weather. I had my old standby, cheese and potato pierogies. I did see a Vietnamese stand called Lemongrass Grill that served bahn mi sandwiches. I didn't get a chance to try one though (I ended up picking up some pad thai from Aroi on the way home). There was also a place called The Clam Shack that had a pretty long line. I'm always wary of seafood at venues like the fair though. The grilled corn is pretty good. I try to stay away from fried food too, so my options are pretty limited. The kids loved their foot long hot dogs and DH enjoyed his smoked pork chop sandwich.
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Lemongrass Grill
227 Old Country Rd, Carle Place, NY 11514
Cupcakes - ISO Dutchess County
I really like Moxie Cupcakes, sold at The Krafted Cup in Poughkeepsie. Twisted Soul also has amazing dulce de leche cupcakes, but you should call ahead to find out if they have them. They rotate their desserts.
