Best Restaurants in Dutchess County, NY
What are the Best Restaurants in Dutchess County, NY?
Are you looking for the best restaurants in Dutchess County, NY?
I need to tell you a story it involves a sticky situation, white van, several people, one or two that may be wanted in another country, a celebration, a blunt object, and laughter. Well, maybe some tears but not the big ones that puddle under the ditches underneath your eyes that life and lack of sleep have carved. These tears were the ones that spring forth in laughter and joy.
I guess we should start with the white van. Just so you know that there are good stories that involve a white van. You can see where our white van took us in my post about what to do in Dutchess County if you are interested.
This adventure all started because I was on what they call a “Fam trip” as part of a Travel Blogger conference called TMS or Travel Media Showcase. They select a handful of the journalist to have experiences in locations close to the conference. You can read what I did at the conference location in my post Things to do in Niagara Falls, NY
The conference and the location selected to host a group of people to travel together on a planned adventure so that the location will gain coverage. This trip was thanks to Dutchess County tourism, NY. You can look on my social media using these hashtags to track my live updates #DistinctlyDutchess @dutchesstourism. It is always fun to see who ends up on the trip because we are all so different but we do all usually have one thing in common. That is how we get to the blunt object.
The blunt object, in this case, is a fork and it was used for good the very good purpose of tasting Dutchess County. You see each place I visit lives in my memory because I associate it with something I ate that was so unforgettable that it unlocks the rest of the trip for me. I had my ahh, HA moment. When I had these.
The chips at Heritage Food and Drink, located at 379 U.S. 9, Wappingers Falls, NY 12590, USA were incredible. They had my mouth dancing from the first moment the chip touched my lips. The crisp chip with just enough salt was good but the honey made it incredible. The farm to table approach separates this restaurant from others. We had some of the most visually appealing incredible tasting food. I will admit I was so full it took every ounce of courage I had to dive into dessert. I couldn’t help but allow myself the wood-fired meats, and the house-made charcuterie board, the cauliflower, and the chicken. I can go on and on but you can see below why I couldn’t say no. I said, “yes” to every bite and I couldn’t be happier.
We had lunch at the Hyde Park Brewery located at 076 Albany Post Road
Hyde Park, NY 12538
Since 1996, the Hyde Park Brewery has provided fine handcrafted beer for people in the Hudson Valley. They offer fresh cuisine with an emphasis on seasonal, local, and fresh ingredients which features all natural, antibiotic and hormone free beef and pork from local farms. I had an incredible mushroom sandwich. It was amazing! The rest of my table had some of the best beer they have ever had.
If I didn’t eat enough. I couldn’t resist the food at The Amsterdam, 6380 MILL STREET, RHINEBECK, NY.
The Amsterdam is the passion, and a lifelong dream realized, of husband and wife owners Howard and Chris Jacobs. The Amsterdam opened in Spring 2017 in the heart of Rhinebeck, serving contemporary farm-to-table fare in a beautifully renovated city-meets-country space. You could feel the love in each and every dish. We all shared our food because it was so wonderful we wanted everyone to experience the perfectly paired flavor combinations. I had a steak with grilled peaches and of course the cheese board.
Melzingah Tap House is an all-new gathering place for craft beer enthusiasts, cocktail connoisseurs, and food fanatics located in historic Beacon New York. Located at 554 Main St, Beacon, NY 12508. You will leave full. I had the best brunch ever? I was in love with the portion sizes and variety. I Melzingah Tap House, created a three-egg omelet feasted the fluffy eggs were stuffed full with Feta & Mediterranean mix, chimichurri, peppers, tomato, and onion which all hit the spot. It was the most satisfying omelet I have ever had. This is a great place to take a friend, family, or go alone because the food will keep you happy.
Next, we did a Tour and Tasting at Denning’s Point Distillery I am not a whiskey drinker but I love to learn new things. I had a wonderful time learning up how whiskey is produced and my fellow van riders told me, “This stuff is good.” They choose only the highest quality grains from local farms and strive to create classic spirits of unique character and depth.
You can’t have a vacation without wine. I had no idea upstate New York had wine and it was according to my friend who drinks often good. It was called “the Hudson Valley’s flagship winery” by The New York Times and “a great place to visit” by The Wall Street Journal. Millbrook Vineyard and Winery located 26 Wing Rd, Millbrook, NY 12545 is a glorious place to visit any time of year for a tour and wine tasting. Millbrook Winery has been voted “Best Winery” in the Hudson Valley for the last 20 consecutive years. It is a beautiful place to picnic and visit. They hosted events and I can see why. I enjoyed being part of the winemaking experience and I suggest this place for your next girlfriend getaway or date.
Shadows on the Hudson located at 176 Rinaldi Blvd, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. Their building is perched on a cliff 40 feet above the Hudson River and just 50 feet from its eastern bank which offers one-of-a-kind, truly grand views of the Mid-Hudson Bridge to the north and miles of open river to the south. We had the pleasure of watching the sun dip and the bridge light up. The setting is second only to the menu. I will advise anyone and everyone to save room for dessert. The appetizers were sublime, the dinner was delicious, but the dessert was worth the drive even if you have to come from Virginia as I would.
I would like to thank Dutchess County Tourism and their partners for the three pounds I gained. It was the best three pounds I have ever gained. The people I traveled with were incredible, the people I met while there, the atmosphere, the landscape, and places to eat make your destination one that I will talk about and compare others for a long time. Those are the best Restaurants to eat in Dutchess County, NY.
If you are looking for other ideas in upstate New York try