THE HUDSON VALLEY GETS HIP
Ridge. The American Bounty restaurant, run by culinary students, was flawless. Our waiter was actually studying to be a sous chef, so he was a little out of his element. But he did a wonderful job, and the plates he delivered were so meticulously detailed and flavorful, the CIA proved to be the perfect stopover.
We couldn't resist exploring the building after lunch. The CIA inhabits an old Jesuit seminary, and reminded us of the staid Yale campus, which is funny since the school was founded in New Haven.
Back into the SUV, and 45 minutes later we made it to Hasbrouck House, which is at once historic and hipsterfresh. This is where we first sensed the changeover created by city folk who have planted their flags in the Hudson Valley.
The renovated 1757 country home was rescued by two businessmen from Brooklyn, and they brought a citycool feeling to the entire guesthouse without compromising its history. Rooms are spare, but with bespoke finishes, soft Frette linens and Aesoo bath products. The resulting vibe is relaxed and selfindulgent.
The Butterfield bar and restaurant, run separately, continued proving that the Hudson Valley is a gourmet destination. Each meal was so thoughtfully conceived and carefully composed. I will never again scoff at the term, “farmtotable.” Ingredients were seasonal, and even in late spring we were served locally sourced (another term I'm now going to embrace) ingredients that impressed us.
And it was so cozy having drinks in the fireplace lounge, which was somewhere between the restaurant and our room. If the weather kept us inside (it didn't) a whimsical game room was waiting for us. I could imagine a midwinter visit, being happily snowed in.
Lucky for us, the weekend weather was beautiful, and we were happy when we saw staff setting up tables and chairs on the backyard patio, adjacent to the chef 's vegetable garden and acres of green space. Eating under the stars was an unexpected treat.
Hasbrouck House is old, but feels very young, and is in the country while injected with a city vibe. It's reminiscent of Hudson (the city), farther upstate, where Warren Street for years has been a weekend destination for Manhattan/Williamsburg/Park Slope escapees.
Stone Ridge's recently acquired ritzy quirkiness also comes though at what looks like a Horn & Hardart automat. (Google it if you don't know what that is.) Instead of slices of pie, the Applestone Meat Co.'s 24hour butcher dispenses cuts of chicken, pork and dryaged beef any time of the day or night. We visited one morning and poked around, and never saw a soul.
Of all the excursions we could have made from Stone Ridge, we chose a tiny hamlet called High Falls. We stumbled on High Falls a decade ago, after reading about it in a travel magazine. It's a cool alternative to New Paltz, if the midsummer crowds begin to feel oppressive.
It was still spring, and a lot of stores were still closed, but Field & Barn was open for business and very welcoming. An antique barn filled with a relatively large collection of antiques and artisanal objects. This is where you'd be shopping if you found yourself buying a weekend home here. (And you'd need a SUV of your own to haul away your merch.)
The Egg's Nest, a High Falls standby since 1973, is also still there, but with new owners since 2017.
On the way back to Connecticut the next day, we found Beacon along I84 a good way to break up the trip. The Dia:Beacon gallery is as we remembered it, with largescale art installations that could only fit in a converted Nabisco plant.
On its main street, the city's upscale evolution continues with expensive condos inhabiting old warehouse or factory spaces, and a few newconstruction sites with impressive views. Funky shops are still there, but the most popular spots appear to be new restaurants geared toward younger customers.
The city felt less edgy, but a few cuttingedge art galleries remain. One displayed a portrait in the window, of either Frida Kahlo or a latecareer Joan Crawford. I couldn't tell. But it didn't matter. Beacon, once forgotten and left to rot, is still a vibrant Lower Hudson Valley day trip worth revisiting.