Via Cassia, Hudson
This was formerly Ca Mea, which was very good, but Via Cassia is on a different level. Unfortunately the menu is quite limited, but the food is superb.
Dishes we had:
Porchetta tonnato (a variation on vitello tonnato, but so much better)
Prosciutto
Grilled quail “Fra Diavolo”
Skirt steak
Torta Caprese
With wine, tax and tip, the total was $218.
Julia’s Local, Round Top
We absolutely loved Julia’s, a small place with simple decor, in an out-of-the-way location (25-minute drive from Hudson) and is only open Wednesday through Saturday. The food is French-American with Scandinavian influences. Dishes are very creative, and the menu is extensive enough that you could eat there often without repeating choices. All vegetables come from their own garden, and most meat and fish is locally sourced.
Dishes we had:
Rainbow trout tartare
Cured venison
Grilled mocha-marinated rainbow trout
Short-rib Bourgignon
We also got 2 quarts of soup to take home, split pea with smoked ham and trout chowder with trout dumplings.
Service is included in the prices. With wine and tax our total was $207.
Klocke Estate, Claverack
A 10-minute drive from the center of Hudson, this is a distillery where they grow everything they use to make brandies. They recently opened a high-end restaurant, where the decor, view and food are spectacular. I took a few photos but unfortunately they disappeared.
As with too many restaurants these days, the menu is very limited. I hope they will expand and change it more often, as the food was delicious. We were three for dinner, and these are the dishes we tried:
Oeuf mayonnaise
Chicken liver mousse
Duck breast
Pork chop au poivre
Crispy potatoes
Plum tart
Chocolate semifreddo
Almond cake
A bottle of Rioja Reserva was a good deal at $70, only about twice retail.
A 20% “operating charge” is added to the bill. Total for the three of us was $400.
Robert Rems' Open House 