THE AMSTERDAM REVAMPS
Restaurant adds provisions market
The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily shuttered businesses across the country, but it also gave some like The Amsterdam restaurant in Rhinebeck the chance to revamp the way they operate.
The Amsterdam restaurant now not only features expanded outdoor seating and a menu that utilizes ingredients produced in the Hudson Valley, but it also has transformed its main indoor dining room into a fine food and provisions market.
Co-owner Chris Jacobs said she and her husband, Howard, had always wanted to have such a market in their restaurant. Being temporarily closed during the pandemic gave them a chance to make it happen, she said.
“The original thought when we started The Amsterdam was that we were going to have a little provision section in here,” Chris Jacobs said recently. “But we just didn’t think we could do it justice in this allotted space.”
With the new social distancing and capacity guidelines put in place due to the coronavirus pandemic, though, the restaurant on Mill Street had to remove most of the seating from its main dining room, Jacobs said. She said there were not many seats left and so it provided the opportunity to add the fine food and provisions market. Plus, there is a concern that people will not be comfortable dining inside for quite some time, so the market provides an added amenity for guests and an additional reve
“The new market was designed as a throwback to roadside farm stands and a nod to neighborhood purveyors.”
— From a press release
nue stream for the business, Jacobs said.
The new shop is stocked with local produce and dairy items, as well as the restaurant’s own charcuterie and cheeses, Jacobs said. She said there are also items from all over the world, including olive oils, vinegar, tapenades, and pasta. It will also be offering baked goods and rotisserie chickens, Jacobs said.
The new market was introduced to the community when the restaurant reopened on July 27, after having been shuttered since mid-March. Since then, the market has been well-received, Jacobs said.
“It’s been really great,” Jacobs said. “People really like the space.”
According to a press release, tables in the main dining room “have been replaced by colorful antique wooden bureaus and restored farm-stand shelves, while vintage rugs line the floor and rustic tin buckets and flowers decorate the walls. The new market was designed as a throwback to roadside farm stands and a nod to neighborhood purveyors.”
Jacobs added that recently promoted Executive Chef Randi Jimenez is also offering a daily pasta special, some of which would be offered for sale in the market.
There will also be other grab-and-go food options available, including breakfast items and pastries, sandwiches, soups, salads, and drinks, according to the release.
The market will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.
For those who do want to dine-in, reservations are encouraged so that everyone can maintain their social distance and still enjoy their meals, Jacobs said. She said The Amsterdam is strictly following the health guidelines set by the state. Jacobs said outdoor dining is available on the restaurant’s front porch and under the cupola, as well as under a large tent in the backyard. That is in addition to outdoor seating near the bar area, she said.
And when the weather turns cold, the restaurant’s private dining room upstairs will be used for indoor service, Jacobs said.
The Amsterdam located at 6380 Mill St., Rhinebeck, is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, daily. Currently on the menu are dishes like a strawberry gazpacho and veal scallopini, as well as the Amsterdam burger and the daily “chef’s inspiration” pasta.
For more information, visit www.lovetheamsterdam.com.