Here are two of our most recent discoveries.
Gracie’s:
Gracie’s has been in business since 2016, but we were unaware of it until we were heading to Casa Susanna and saw a sign for Gracie’s at the exit from Route 23 to Main St. in Leeds. We took a ride past and saw that it was obviously popular, and now we have been there twice.
This is luncheonette food raised to a higher level. I loved the fish sandwich and the brisket melt. The onion rings are heavenly and come with a delicious dipping sauce. Burgers are very good but our gripe is they cook them to medium (we prefer medium-rare). The milkshakes, with your choice of ice creams, and with or without bourbon, are fun. A nice touch is that with iced tea they don’t just give you the usual packets of sugar that never melts, but instead you get a small pitcher of simple syrup. This is what we do at home and it makes so much sense. They also make their own sodas. It’s like an old-fashioned ice cream parlor and soda fountain.
It’s a cheerful place, tables are well-spaced and the servers are wonderful.
Manor Rock Restaurant:
This is another nice new dining choice in Hudson. Most of the produce comes from the owners’ small farm, and they do creative things with it. The space is attractive and the service is impeccable. We had a short wait for our table so they gave us glasses of sparkling wine, a very nice touch.
Four of us had the following dishes: Smoked beet salad, fromage de tete (tasty but could have been more moist and tender), stuffed roasted leeks, duck confit, sausage with pureed potatoes and veal jus, porchetta, duck breast, and apple sesame cake. A bottle of 2023 Mas des Brousses, was very good if slightly overpriced at $65.
With tax and tip, the total was $487, high but not unusual for Hudson these days. Definitely worth a try.
Robert Rems' Open House 