Hudson Valley Restaurant Week  Report No. 4: The Bird & Bottle Inn
I’ve been hearing about this restaurant since way before I ever even started writing about food, but I’d never been. That’s why I booked it for my fourth evening of dining out for HVRW.
In case you’re stopping by Small Bites for the first time, I’ve been covering Hudson Valley Restaurant week, where retaurants offer $16 lunches and $26 dinners, by going to five places for the first five nights. There are 22 restaurants in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam, but even more in the other counties. Visit www.hudsonvalleyrestaurantweek.com (Click!) to find them. Anyway, I’m writing about my visits, and I hope you’ll tell me about yours, too.
The Bird & Bottle Inn is in an old building (1761) that used to be a stage coach stop on the Albany Post Road. It underwent a renovation in 2004, but the Colonial feel is still very much a part of the experience. (Hard to see in this photo, but if you look at the restaurant’s Web site, you can get a better feel for the outside of the building.
It was a little awkward when we got to the restaurant. One of the staff (or the owner?) called out a welcome and asked if we had a reservation. She seemed ready to seat us, but then suddenly made a fuss about the table not being ready. So we were just kind of standing there in the hallway. Then someone offered to let us look at the restaurant week menu while we were waiting. I stuck my head in the dining room to take a peek (having never been there), and a man asked if he could help me. I said I was just looking at the dining room while they were getting the table ready. Then he asked if we’d like to have a drink at the bar. To which I replied, well, yeah, if it’s going to be much longer. And he said, no: your table is ready right now. It was all just a little confusing.
The crowd was much different than the other restaurants I’ve been visiting for restaurant week. More subdued. I knew the instant I walked in that it wasn’t going to be like my dinner at Le Fontane, where I left the restaurant feeling like Norm from “Cheers”  I’d made friends with everyone in the restaurant.
So here’s the menu:
Appetizer
The Bird & Bottle Inn Black Bean Soup: served wtih black bean salsa and sour cream
The Bird & Bottle Inn House Salad: field greens, warm crisp goat cheese, cranberries and roasted apple-balsamic vinaigrette
Escargot: jumbo snails sauteed in butter, garlic, spinach-mushroom ragout served in a pastry cup
Beet Timbale: served with gorgonzola, rome apples, watermelon and balsmaic-port reduction
Entrees
Free Range Chicken Breast: pan-roasted, served with roasted shallot mashed Yukon Gold potatoes, chicken jus and seasonal vegetables
Hanger Steak: grilled, served with cherry-port reduction, potatoes au gratin and seasonal vegetables
Wild King Salmon: grilled with golden raisin glaze, served with wild mushroom risotto and seasonal vegetables
Pork Tenderloin: grilled, sliced, with apricot jus, served with sweet mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables
Dessert
Pumpkin Cheescake, grand marnier anglaise and spiced tuille
Apple Pie: black walnut caramel sauce and apple chip
My date for the evening was my friend Melanie, a new mom who lives in Cold Spring.
Melanie got the beet timbale:
The flavors were really nice: a great combination, but very summery. Watermelon will do that, I guess.
When I saw black bean soup on the menu, I couldn’t help but exclaim: “I haven’t eaten that since the 80s!” (OK maybe it was the early 90s.) After that, I had to order it.
I didn’t see any black bean salsa with it. I liked the soup, but the texture seemed like it couldn’t make up its mind if it wanted to be smooth or chunky. I’d come across a big chunk of onion one taste and a smashed bean the next. When I saw the salad land on another table, I wished I had that instead.
So between courses, I got to know our neighbors. I’d overhead the table to my right discussing HVRW, so I butted in. May I present Susan and Bob.
Susan said she’d been to Monteverde at Oldstone Manor earlier in the week and found the menu to be very nice. (Duck and venison were two of the choices.)
To my left, Joey and Dawn:
Here’s Melanie. She asked me to point out to you all that she has a four-month-old at home. Hi Lilly!
On to our entrees. Kudos to the B&B for putting steak on the HVRW menu. Because frankly, I’m getting tired of salmon! Melanie got the hanger steak. It came with mashed instead of the promised au gratin, but the steak itself was really flavorful.
It had some bite, which was good. And the sauce was a good match. This was the winner of the night, IMO. (And that’s not just because I’m tired of salmon.)
Here’s my dish. The pork:
The sweet potaotes were very nice with the ginger. And the pork was pretty tasty, but a couple of the pieces were dry.
After dinner I visited with Donna and Kathleen from Yorktown, who teach the son of one of the owners of the restaurant. They had never been to the Bird & Bottle and were quite impressed.
Here’s another look around the restaurant. We were in the room with the lace curtains and banquettes. There’s also a little room with a cozy fireplace.
And a medium sized one with a big fireplace:
Time for dessert. Since there were two choices, we got both.
The apple pie was not just cold. It was freezing. And brittle. Just 5 minutes at 350 would have done this a real favor.
And the pumkin cheesecake was pretty flavorless, except for the crust, which tasted of flour and salt.
The tuille was good. After dessert, I headed over to this group, who at first confused the Journal News with the Poughkeepsie Journal. That’s OK, they’re from Poughkeepsie.
Clockwise from left, Sherry, Elaine, Alan and Mark. (Sorry ‘bout chopping half your head off there, Mark.)
Despite the disappointing desserts, I was impressed with the Bird & Bottle’s HVRW menu. For one, they offered four apps and four entrees  including escargot and steak. The beet timbale was definitely time-consuming to put together, too. So they’re not taking the easy way out here. They’re definitely trying to put on a good show in hopes that we’ll come back. And it’s a true bargain. That steak is worth a trip alone!
What say you all?
Photo Caption: library-14083.jpg
> What say you all?
You should have eaten across the street
.
Hi Liz,
Lunch on Thursday was at Restaurant X and Bully Boy Bar in Congers in Rockland County. The restaurant didn’t look like much from the street but inside was a different story. The restaurnat has varying levels, high ceilings, and much glass so diners get a view of the pond in back which has a fountain in the middle, paths around it, and benches to sit on. It must be pleasant dining outside in the summer. There are also many willow trees.
We started with our usual martinis which were $10 here ( as opposed to the $14 kind at Mighty Joe’s). Peter Kelly seemed to incorporate in his fall menu the use of apples and cranberries. My husband had his usual Bombay sapphire gin martini, but I decided to try the special martini they had for restaurant week. It had a piece of apple, a slice of lime and two cranberries in it and the rim of the glass had graham cracker crumbs all around. It was good. We both had Ulster County greens with a dressing that contained cider as an appetizer. The other choices were a custard and a mushroom bisque. For our entree we had the organic chicken and julienned squash served over risotto. The chicken was moist and the risotto creamy. For dessert my husband had the apple/cranberry crisp. It was served very hot in a small cast iron skillet. I had the three chocolate terrine.
Every was perfect here. The food was delicious, the ambiance pleasant, and the service excellent. Our waitress Jennifer was pretty and attentive. Dishes were removed as soon as we finished each course, water glasses were never empty, and someone was always there to fulfill our needs without seeming to hover.
We had eaten at the Freelance Cafe in Piermont in the past and had an exquisite brunch at the Garrison Country Club when Peter Kelly ran it. We can’t wait until the Yonkers restaurant opens in the spring.
We will definitely go back to Restaurant X with friends.
Marti
I love it when places use restaurant week to, as you said, “put on a good show in hopes that we’ll come back.” It always suprises me when R.W. menus (be it here, NYC, Philly, or whereever) have only a couple options, and they’re chicken and pasta. It’s almost like they’re downgrading the menu to meet the price. Seems like those restaurants are totally missing the point.
Anyway, it sounds like you’ve been fortunate and all the restaurants you’ve been to haven’t skimped. Is that right?
Liz,
Did you check out the regular menu while you were here? If so, how did the RW menu compare?
I was especially interested in this review because we’ve never been to the B&B but I’ve always thought it was a cute place and wanted to try it. We looked here for our wedding reception but it was too small.
I’ve enjoyed all the posts so far! Great job!
Tracey,
I was so rattled by the confusion at the door that I forgot to play the “what WOULD we have ordered” game. I can tell you that I saw things like rack of lamb and escargot and that there was a prix fixe menu on the left side of the regular menu and a la carte on the right. I believe  but don’t hold me to this  that the prix fixe was $54, and that the entree prices on the a la carte were high-$20s, low-$30s.
I’m sorry I let you down on this one!
The B&B seems like it’d be a nice spot for a wedding.
> What say you all?
You should have eaten across the street
.
Bill, That’s what you’re here for! Everybody wants to eat at Valley, Restaurant X, Iron Horse! For those, I’ll let you be the judge. Go and report back!
Ted,
All the restaurants I’ve been to really did get it. My only complaints have been 1. Not featuring the style of food the restaurant is known for; and 2. Running out of stuff too soon.
For the first year, I think we’re doing pretty well. I just hope more restaurants will do it next year. In our part of the Hudson Valley, the showing wasn’t so good. (Check out the other counties: http://www.hudsonvalleyrestaurantweek.com.)
Marti! Your meal sounds great. See, Peter has a new customer in you!
> We had eaten at the Freelance Cafe in Piermont in the
> past and had an exquisite brunch at the Garrison Country
> Club when Peter Kelly ran it.
FYI, Restaurant X does the old Garrison brunch, although it probably not as special given the different setting. I loved that brunch, but I have trouble with $38.
> Go and report back!
Tonight!!!
Since Liz insisted…
We ate at Valley tonight (hi to everyone we spoke to, including the nice couple who sat next to us). I will start with the only negative thing I will say about the place. The road sign is about 20 feet past the entrance when coming from the south on Route 9 and the entrance road is not lit, which caused me to zoom past it and have to turn around about a mile down the road.
OK, with the negative out of the way let me say something else—these folks get it. They understand what Restaurant Week is all about. Put your best foot (oops, I initially typed food, that works too) forward and serve real food from the regular menu so people will WANT to come back. Treat people the same way they would if they were ordering at regular price. We were greeted in a friendly manner and our server Ashly (that’s what the receipt said) could not have been better. I had wanted to try this place for a while, and had been looking forward to tonight’s dinner since I saw the skate dish pictured in the Journal News last week (and even more once I realized that the ravioli on the cover of the section were also from here).
The menu:
Appetizers:
Valley Garden Mixed Baby Greens
Roasted Butternut Squash Bisque
Sheep’s Milk Ricotta Cheese Ravioli
Entrees:
Horseradish Crusted Skate Wing
Herb Roasted Free Range Chicken
Braised Shank of Colorado Lam
Desserts:
Warm Sticky Toffee Cake
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Fresh Baked Madelines with chocolate, lemon and raspberry dipping sauces
My wife and I got one of the corner tables for 2, very cozy. The bench had cushions behind it, which was handy when relaxing after eating too much. I didn’t notice it until we were almost finished eating, but the flower vase on the table had a spring of rosemary. But, let’s get to the food.
After ordering, they brought an amuse bouche to the table—a seared scallop covering a couscous lobster mix, with some sort of sauce on the side. I don’t eat shellfish, so my wife got to eat both of them (and I thought it would be crass to ask for something else). She’s not generally a scallop lover, but she said this was great. A very nice touch considering the price we paid. As I said—they get it.
My wife ordered the soup and I ordered the ravioli. Both were superb. The soup was a darker color than I’ve seen in butternut squash soups, it was almost bronze. But it was amazingly rich and the tender potato gnocchi couldn’t have been better (even my wife loved them and she is not a gnocchi fan). It also had toasted pumpkin seeds which made for a nice crunch.The ravioli were light and tender with a Parmesan cream sauce that still had bubbles in it. The dough was so thin, the filling so light, I could have made a meal of these.
The bread is two types of focaccia. One was olive, I’m not a big olive fan but it was ok. The regular one had a nice sweet/salty taste to it. I ate too much of it.
As for entrees, my wife had the chicken and I had the skate. The portions were huge. I hadn’t noticed initially, but there were two pieces of skate. I ate the one on the top and could not finish the second piece so I took it home. But I should have eaten the bottom one instead because it was sitting on top of this amazing cauliflower puree, and the top one would travel better. Nevertheless, it was superb. I haven’t had skate in several years but I never remembered it being this tender and sweet. I see from the menu that it says it is horseradish crusted.. I must admit I didn’t notice the horseradish but it was nicely crusted. The Cabernet marinated beet cubes had an interesting flavor.
As for the chicken, at first it looked like it was just the breast with the wing sticking out. But closer inspection showed that there were two other pieces hidden underneath. The chicken was crisp yet moist. It comes with a ragout of broccoli rabe, sausage and beans. My wife asked (before ordering) if she could get a different side because she doesn’t eat sausage. Ashly asked the chef, and rather than switching to another side, he said he could make a batch without sausage! Wow, talk about being accommodating! And Ashly was correct, the ragout really made the dish.
Now for dessert. We weren’t all that hungry at this point, but that didn’t stop us. My wife had ordered the pumpkin cheesecake, and I ordered the madelines (I asked the server if she recommended those or the sticky toffee pudding and she said definitely the madelines—excellent recommendation!). These are also from the regular menu. We did decide that since the cheesecake would likely travel better than the madelines, my wife would just take a couple of bites of it, and we’d work on finishing the madelines. Both desserts were wonderful. The cheesecake was a small round cake, topped with a thin lace cookie with more of those pumpkin seeds (I ate that when we got home, it was great). It had a great pumpkin flavor. The madelines are served in a cone shaped napkin sitting in something like a glass (I didn’t look carefully). They are bite sized and to die for. The chocolate, strawberry and lemon sauces were perfect. It seemed like there were a couple of dozen but Ashly said there were 16. In any event, eating them there made sense since there’s no way they would have been as good reheated.
OK, so by now we’re stuffed, and waiting for our check, and we’re brought ANOTHER dessert, this time two huge chunks of homemade fudge (vanilla and chocolate) on a marble slab. We ate a little of each (tasted great) and asked for another container to take them home.
So I think you’ve got the idea—I HIGHLY recommend this place, and I’ll definitely be back for their regular menu. We might even make a return RW visit next Friday if they can find a table for us—they’re currently booked but have room on Thursday. But we’re planning to have dinner at the Kittle House next Thursday.. decisions, decisions.
Wow Bill. Sounds like you’re in love! I know you how feel. I’ve really enjoyed my meals at Valley. It is so worth the drive. Cold Spring-Garrison people are really lucky! You’ve got Valley, Tavern, Cathyrn’s, Le Bouchon (I heart Le Bouchon. I wish they’d participated in HVRW), Cafe Maya in Fishkill… the list goes on!
Le Bouchon is the best! I stopped in for a mid-afternoon lunch a few weeks ago and was reminded how charming and delicious I’ve always found this little spot on Main Streeet in Cold Spring. We just had soups and salads, and came away completely satisfied.
I had wild mushroom, the special soup that day, and a frisee salad (big knot of greens drenched in a heavily Balsamic vinaigrette and topped with lardons and a piece of toast slathered in a blue-cheese mousse).
My friend had the traditional French onion soup and salad nicoise. I would have dinged them for the canned tuna, but he said that’s what he preferred.
I also remember a great dinner there with Judy Hausman when she was reviewing it. Very French, very satisfying.
Hey Liz,
When dining in Cold Spring please don’t forget about the Plumbush Inn! I got married there 2 years ago and the new owner has kept up the great tradition there and an awesome menu! If you’re looking for a pretty place for a romantic dinner, do check it out.
After the lunch review from Marti, I’m looking forward to my dinner Thursday at Restaurant X even more! I’ll be sure to report back.
Danielle,
Thanks for the update on Plumbush Inn. My husband & I got married there 8 years ago and it was wonderful! We haven’t been back in a couple years, but now I’m definitely going to make reservations soon.
Donna and Kathleen, who are featured in the photo above  Would you please shoot me an email at ewjohnson@lohud.com? I have question for you.
Thanks
We enjoyed Change, the new restaurant in Nyack. They have a small plate meal, just enough for those of us trying not to eat too much. The scallops were delicious, their version of Chef Salad with shrimp avocado, grapefruit and a great sauce, truly refreshing. Even their burger was unusual but delicious; soup was tasty. Pastries are devoon including one we shared:ice cream sandwiches. Taste wasimportant everywhere. Something different in wines and bottled beer also made this a treat.
Wow, Liz, thanks for publishing part of my Valley review in last week’s Line! Yet another 15 minutes of fame
. We ended up going back a second time during Restaurant Week and it was just as good. Sadly, they are now closed until April (they are seasonal)!!!
thebedroomdesignThe bedroom furniture bedroom sets and bedroom furniture collections below are priced as groupsBedroom FurnitureBedroom Furniture is the premier retailer of bedroom furniture in the worldKids Bedroom FurnitureBedroom Furniture is the premier retailer of bedroom furniture in Discount Bedroom FurnitureBedroom Furniture is the premier retailer of bedroom furniture in Bedroom Set FurnitureBedroom Furniture is the premier retailer of bedroom furniture in Cheap Bedroom FurnitureCheap Bedroom Furniture Pine Bedroom FurnishingsGirls Bedroom Furniturebabys furniture bedroom furniture for girls girls bedroom furniture boys Modern Bedroom FurnitureModern Furniture including modern bedroom furniture contemporaryYouth Bedroom FurnitureYouth Bedroom Furniture including modern bedroom furniture contemporaryBedroom Furniture DirectBedroom Furniture Bedroom Furniture including modern bedroom furniture contemporaryBoy Bedroom FurnitureBedroom Furniture Bedroom Furniture including modern bedroom furniture contemporaryikea bedroom furnitureikea Furniture Bedroom Furniture including modern bedroom furniture contemporaryBedroom SetsBedroom furniture sets If you have any questions about are quality affordable bedroom setsBedroom SetsBedroom furniture sets If you have any questions about are quality affordable bedroom setsCheap Bedroom SetsCheap Bedroom furniture sets If you have any questions about are quality affordable bedroom sets Kids Bedroom Setskids furniture sets If you have any questions about are quality affordable bedroom setsGirls Bedroom Setsgirls furniture sets If you have any questions about are quality affordable bedroom sets Youth Bedroom Setsyouth Bedroom furniture sets If you have any questions about are quality affordable bedroom setsFull Size Bedroom Setsfull size Bedroom furniture sets If you have any questions about are quality affordable bedroom setsCheap Queen Bedroom setscheap queen furniture sets If you have any questions about are quality affordable bedroom setsModern Bedroom Setsmodern Bedroom furniture sets If you have any questions about are quality affordable bedroom setsKing Size Bedroom Setskids size bedroom furniture sets If you have any questions about are quality affordable bedroom setsContemporary Master Bedroom Sets FurnitureContemporary Master Bedroom Sets furniture sets If you have any questions about are quality affordable bedroom setsBedroom DesignsBedroom Designs read modern bedroom designs Bedroom Furniture & Accessories reviews and check onlineBedroom Designedroom Design read modern bedroom designs Bedroom Furniture & Accessories reviews and check onlineboys bedroom designsboys bedroom designs bedroom designs Bedroom Furniture & Accessories reviews and check online Kids Bedroom Designskidss bedroom designs bedroom designs Bedroom Furniture & Accessories reviews and check onlineGirls Bedroom Designsgirls bedroom designs bedroom designs Bedroom Furniture & Accessories reviews and check onlineBedroom Closet Designsbedroom bedroom designs bedroom designs Bedroom Furniture & Accessories reviews and check onlineMaster Bedroom Designsmaster bedroom designs bedroom designs Bedroom Furniture & Accessories reviews and check onlineBedroom Interior Designsmaster bedroom designs bedroom designs Bedroom Furniture & Accessories reviews and check onlineBedroom Wall Colors Designsbedroom wall colors designs bedroom designs Bedroom Furniture & Accessories reviews and check onlineTeenage Bedroom DesignsTeenage Bedroom Designs designs bedroom designs Bedroom Furniture & Accessories reviews and check onlinePictures Of Bedroom DesignsBedroom Decorating IdeasBedroom Decorating with ideas for children teens from budget decor to romantic bedroomsBedroom Decoration IdeasBedroom Decoration a bedroom with ideas for children teens from budget decor to romantic bedroomsCheap Bedroom Decorating IdeaDecorating a bedroom with ideas for children teens from budget decor to romantic bedroomsModern Decorating Bedroom IdeaBedroom Decoration a bedroom with ideas for children teens from budget decor to romantic bedroomsFree Bedroom Decorating IdeaBedroom Decoration a bedroom with ideas for children teens from budget decor to romantic bedroomsMaster Bedroom Decorating IdeasBedroom Decoration a bedroom with ideas for children teens from budget decor to romantic bedroomsTeenage Bedroom Decorating IdeasBedroom Decoration a bedroom with ideas for children teens from budget decor to romantic bedroomsBoys Bedroom Decorating IdeasBedroom Decoration a bedroom with ideas for children teens from budget decor to romantic bedroomsRomantic Bedroom Decorating IdeaBedroom Decoration a bedroom with ideas for children teens from budget decor to romantic bedroomsDecorating Bedroom Idea PictureDecoration a bedroom with ideas for children teens from budget decor to romantic bedroomsPrincess Bedroom Decorating IdeaPrincess Bedroom Decoration a bedroom with ideas for children teens from budget decor to romantic bedrooms