Insider’s Guide: The Hudson Valley
A crop of exciting new destinations alongside beloved favorites draw foodies and design aficionados to the Hudson ValleyThere’s no place quite like the Hudson Valley for nature lovers and foodies alike. The towns north of New York City—such as Hudson, NY; Kingston, NY; and Great Barrington, MA—offer some of the most picturesque settings on the East Coast. Reinforced by a culture of farming and food that has supplied New York City since colonial times, the area is bolstered by some of the finest dairy, meats, and soil available not only in the country but the world. Naturally, these wonders are best enjoyed closest to their source, and the Hudson Valley has been honing its offerings of restaurants, lodging, and shopping for generations, with exciting new spots always ready to be explored. Below, some of our favorites—both fresh on the scene and long loved:
STAY
Little Cat Lodge
For the past two decades, New Yorkers have been able to rely on the savvy of Matt Kliegman and Noah Bernamoff for the heights of comfort food and nightlife at spots like Black Seed Bagels and the Jane Ballroom, among others. This year, the duo partnered on Little Cat Lodge—a 14-room Alpine-inspired hotel and restaurant, at the base of Catamount Mountain, a ski resort in the Catskills. The pair transformed a century-old Swiss-style motor inn into a rustic main house and two guest houses fit for Rip Van Winkle, by way of Wes Anderson. Tones of auburn and caramel, custom-built beds crafted from milled and kiln-dried maple trees, and a mix of modern and vintage furniture characterize the space. Helmed by a James Beard–nominated chef, the dining room offers classics like a bone-in pork schnitzel with warm potato salad, against a wood-burning fireplace blazing in the background. The Tavern, the lodge’s smaller restaurant, is a testament to après-ski relaxation and features perfect pairings, such as herb-roasted steelhead trout with white beans, alongside a glass of burgundy.
Hotel Tivoli
Ever wonder how artists live? Come to Tivoli and find out. Owned by painters Brice and Helen Marden, Hotel Tivoli is a testament to their singular and eclectic tastes at every turn. Bright, modern seating is further enlivened by museum-quality paintings and quirky, beautiful ceramics—from which you can enjoy award-winning meals at their accompanying farm-to-table restaurant, The Corner.
Rivertown Lodge
Built in a former movie theater, the Rivertown Lodge is 27 rooms (and a communal kitchen) of utter coziness and great design from local craftsmen in the heart of Hudson. Use it as your home base to explore the Hudson Valley as you relax among wood-burning stoves and screened-in porches, with bikes to borrow and a charming Ping-Pong table in the backyard (we love the attached retail store as well; it’s way too cool to be called a “gift shop.”)
Inness
For fans of the links, or just upscale lodging, there’s Inness, which features a 12-room farmhouse and 28 cabins, with startling views of the Catskill and Mohonk Mountain ranges, in Accord, NY. Attached to a stunning nine-hole golf course, Inness is a modernist masterpiece with a shop offering rare goods that rival anything you’ll find in New York City, and a spa opening in 2023.
The Maker Hotel
As boutique as boutique gets, the Maker is an intimate collection of 11 utterly unique rooms—evoking a writer’s studio, classic Hollywood, and a gardener’s paradise. Located in Hudson, from the founders of the beauty brand Fresh, there is no detail about the Maker that is not elegant. From its antique rugs to the local food served in its restaurant, the space is a testament to the artists, artisans, and cultural ambassadors who populate the town of Hudson and its valley.
EAT
Gaskins
Husband-and-wife team Nick and Sarah Suarez left Brooklyn in 2016 to create the farm-to-table experience in a simple (though not plain) country bistro setting. Here, a changing daily menu riffs on classic comfort food—mac and cheese with bread crumbs—and local superstars, like kale and delicata squash salad. For drinks, there’s the classics like you’d expect, a negroni or a mai tai, rejoined by beers by Suarez Family Brewery, operated by Nick’s brother.
Talbott & Arding
“We’ve been in business for almost eight years. The thing that’s been a through line is honoring our regional landscape,” says Kara Chadbourne, marketing manager for Talbott & Arding, a Hudson shop for cheese and other foodstuffs that’s endorsed by chefs and foodies all over New York State and beyond. Founded by Kate Arding, who worked at the legendary Neal’s Yard Dairy and Cowgirl Creamery, and Mona Talbott, whose background includes Chez Panisse, Talbott & Arding is a treasure chest of local, richly flavored delicacies. One not to miss? The shepherd’s pie. “It’s a very beautiful example of our honoring our local producer,” Chadbourne says. “We work seasonally with a local lamb producer. It’s only available if the meat is available from that farm. Plus, it’s just yummy and it’s cold out there.”
Cafe Mutton
Found on 2022’s “Best of” lists in both Bon Appétit and The New York Times, Cafe Mutton is spoken about by foodies in near-mythological terms. Nestled just off the beaten path in Hudson, the casual dining mecca is best represented by the spot’s famous fried bologna, which takes what sounds like a pedestrian Midwestern calorie party and transforms it into a texturally blissful, richly satisfying sandwich. Other items that Chef Shaina Loew-Banayan has augmented from mainstream to marvelous include freshly stuffed sausages (a recent favorite has included both pork and foie), served with hearty slices of Tomme de Savoie, cabbage, and apple.
Stissing House
Every nation has a version of country cooking—for a perfect sample of America’s, head to Stissing House, where residents of Pine Plains, NY, have been warming themselves since it was a tavern in 1782. “We have three fireside dining rooms. We’re surrounded by orchards and farms. We have apple pies baked in our wood fires. What we seek to recreate at Stissing House is that same convivial feeling of sitting at home in the country,” says Clare de Boer, the owner. Recently, she’s added rabbit pie to the menu, “made the old-fashioned way, with a sweet crust and served with a mustardy-green salad.”
DRINK AND BE INSPIRED
Village Coffee and Goods
At Village Coffee and Goods, it’s all about quality and locality—which can be one and the same. “All of our ceramics that people drink out of are by local ceramicists—it’s community-minded and approachable,” says Mark Palmer, the Sydney, Australia–born proprietor of Village Coffee and Goods, the premier destination for coffee in Kingston and beyond. The cups he’s referring to are handmade by Andrew Molleur just down the road, and Palmer had them designed specifically to accommodate the heat and volume of his specialized drip coffee and to match his cafe’s minimal but friendly aesthetic. The coffee itself comes from Partners Coffee in Brooklyn, a small roastery he admires for their consistency. As for the maple syrup in his Chocolate Maple Cold Brew, that comes from trees tapped a stone’s throw away. “We add organic raw cocoa,” he says. “Rather than being sugary, it’s maple sweetened.”
Familiar Trees
When Stephen Rudy and Susana Gilboe built their bookstore in 2021, they wanted not only the books to focus on the arts—painting, sculpture, cinema, design–but the shop itself. The space boasts a gallery program that shows work from New York City artists, as well as locals. The shop also boasts an impressive collection of art and design books. Lately, Mr. Rudy’s eye has been gravitating towards Danish and Japanese design. “The book that I’m most interested in is a first-edition Noguchi monograph,” he says. “It’s a rare book and I’m a huge fan. Having a nice, clean first edition of it is pretty special. We have a ton of great Japanese photography from the 1960s and 1970s. And some great architectural monographs: Alvar Aalto, Richard Neutra, Le Corbusier.”
Kingston Wine Co.
“Kingston Wine Co. focuses on wines, ciders, and spirits that are made with intention and a point of view, ideally with little added and little taken away in the process,” says Sophie Peltzer-Rollo, the shop’s owner. The less-is-more approach creates space for authenticity, which tends to be better “for our environment and our palates,” she says. For the coming cold weather, Peltzer-Rollo is looking to dry Rieslings, like Peter Lauer No. 4 Ayler Feinherb, which is herbaceous, earthy, and a bit smokey. As we look towards Christmas, with heavy foods and big portions on the menu, “It’s also important to have a good amaro around for digestive purposes,” she says. “We have a sizable and varied selection, but the honeyed bitterness of Amaro Sibilla from the 150-year-old Italian distillery Varnelli, makes it a perennial favorite.”
STAY
Little Cat Lodge
For the past two decades, New Yorkers have been able to rely on the savvy of Matt Kliegman and Noah Bernamoff for the heights of comfort food and nightlife at spots like Black Seed Bagels and the Jane Ballroom, among others. This year, the duo partnered on Little Cat Lodge—a 14-room Alpine-inspired hotel and restaurant, at the base of Catamount Mountain, a ski resort in the Catskills. The pair transformed a century-old Swiss-style motor inn into a rustic main house and two guest houses fit for Rip Van Winkle, by way of Wes Anderson. Tones of auburn and caramel, custom-built beds crafted from milled and kiln-dried maple trees, and a mix of modern and vintage furniture characterize the space. Helmed by a James Beard–nominated chef, the dining room offers classics like a bone-in pork schnitzel with warm potato salad, against a wood-burning fireplace blazing in the background. The Tavern, the lodge’s smaller restaurant, is a testament to après-ski relaxation and features perfect pairings, such as herb-roasted steelhead trout with white beans, alongside a glass of burgundy.
Hotel Tivoli
Ever wonder how artists live? Come to Tivoli and find out. Owned by painters Brice and Helen Marden, Hotel Tivoli is a testament to their singular and eclectic tastes at every turn. Bright, modern seating is further enlivened by museum-quality paintings and quirky, beautiful ceramics—from which you can enjoy award-winning meals at their accompanying farm-to-table restaurant, The Corner.
Rivertown Lodge
Built in a former movie theater, the Rivertown Lodge is 27 rooms (and a communal kitchen) of utter coziness and great design from local craftsmen in the heart of Hudson. Use it as your home base to explore the Hudson Valley as you relax among wood-burning stoves and screened-in porches, with bikes to borrow and a charming Ping-Pong table in the backyard (we love the attached retail store as well; it’s way too cool to be called a “gift shop.”)
Inness
For fans of the links, or just upscale lodging, there’s Inness, which features a 12-room farmhouse and 28 cabins, with startling views of the Catskill and Mohonk Mountain ranges, in Accord, NY. Attached to a stunning nine-hole golf course, Inness is a modernist masterpiece with a shop offering rare goods that rival anything you’ll find in New York City, and a spa opening in 2023.
The Maker Hotel
As boutique as boutique gets, the Maker is an intimate collection of 11 utterly unique rooms—evoking a writer’s studio, classic Hollywood, and a gardener’s paradise. Located in Hudson, from the founders of the beauty brand Fresh, there is no detail about the Maker that is not elegant. From its antique rugs to the local food served in its restaurant, the space is a testament to the artists, artisans, and cultural ambassadors who populate the town of Hudson and its valley.
EAT
Gaskins
Husband-and-wife team Nick and Sarah Suarez left Brooklyn in 2016 to create the farm-to-table experience in a simple (though not plain) country bistro setting. Here, a changing daily menu riffs on classic comfort food—mac and cheese with bread crumbs—and local superstars, like kale and delicata squash salad. For drinks, there’s the classics like you’d expect, a negroni or a mai tai, rejoined by beers by Suarez Family Brewery, operated by Nick’s brother.
Talbott & Arding
“We’ve been in business for almost eight years. The thing that’s been a through line is honoring our regional landscape,” says Kara Chadbourne, marketing manager for Talbott & Arding, a Hudson shop for cheese and other foodstuffs that’s endorsed by chefs and foodies all over New York State and beyond. Founded by Kate Arding, who worked at the legendary Neal’s Yard Dairy and Cowgirl Creamery, and Mona Talbott, whose background includes Chez Panisse, Talbott & Arding is a treasure chest of local, richly flavored delicacies. One not to miss? The shepherd’s pie. “It’s a very beautiful example of our honoring our local producer,” Chadbourne says. “We work seasonally with a local lamb producer. It’s only available if the meat is available from that farm. Plus, it’s just yummy and it’s cold out there.”
Cafe Mutton
Found on 2022’s “Best of” lists in both Bon Appétit and The New York Times, Cafe Mutton is spoken about by foodies in near-mythological terms. Nestled just off the beaten path in Hudson, the casual dining mecca is best represented by the spot’s famous fried bologna, which takes what sounds like a pedestrian Midwestern calorie party and transforms it into a texturally blissful, richly satisfying sandwich. Other items that Chef Shaina Loew-Banayan has augmented from mainstream to marvelous include freshly stuffed sausages (a recent favorite has included both pork and foie), served with hearty slices of Tomme de Savoie, cabbage, and apple.
Stissing House
Every nation has a version of country cooking—for a perfect sample of America’s, head to Stissing House, where residents of Pine Plains, NY, have been warming themselves since it was a tavern in 1782. “We have three fireside dining rooms. We’re surrounded by orchards and farms. We have apple pies baked in our wood fires. What we seek to recreate at Stissing House is that same convivial feeling of sitting at home in the country,” says Clare de Boer, the owner. Recently, she’s added rabbit pie to the menu, “made the old-fashioned way, with a sweet crust and served with a mustardy-green salad.”
DRINK AND BE INSPIRED
Village Coffee and Goods
At Village Coffee and Goods, it’s all about quality and locality—which can be one and the same. “All of our ceramics that people drink out of are by local ceramicists—it’s community-minded and approachable,” says Mark Palmer, the Sydney, Australia–born proprietor of Village Coffee and Goods, the premier destination for coffee in Kingston and beyond. The cups he’s referring to are handmade by Andrew Molleur just down the road, and Palmer had them designed specifically to accommodate the heat and volume of his specialized drip coffee and to match his cafe’s minimal but friendly aesthetic. The coffee itself comes from Partners Coffee in Brooklyn, a small roastery he admires for their consistency. As for the maple syrup in his Chocolate Maple Cold Brew, that comes from trees tapped a stone’s throw away. “We add organic raw cocoa,” he says. “Rather than being sugary, it’s maple sweetened.”
Familiar Trees
When Stephen Rudy and Susana Gilboe built their bookstore in 2021, they wanted not only the books to focus on the arts—painting, sculpture, cinema, design–but the shop itself. The space boasts a gallery program that shows work from New York City artists, as well as locals. The shop also boasts an impressive collection of art and design books. Lately, Mr. Rudy’s eye has been gravitating towards Danish and Japanese design. “The book that I’m most interested in is a first-edition Noguchi monograph,” he says. “It’s a rare book and I’m a huge fan. Having a nice, clean first edition of it is pretty special. We have a ton of great Japanese photography from the 1960s and 1970s. And some great architectural monographs: Alvar Aalto, Richard Neutra, Le Corbusier.”
Kingston Wine Co.
“Kingston Wine Co. focuses on wines, ciders, and spirits that are made with intention and a point of view, ideally with little added and little taken away in the process,” says Sophie Peltzer-Rollo, the shop’s owner. The less-is-more approach creates space for authenticity, which tends to be better “for our environment and our palates,” she says. For the coming cold weather, Peltzer-Rollo is looking to dry Rieslings, like Peter Lauer No. 4 Ayler Feinherb, which is herbaceous, earthy, and a bit smokey. As we look towards Christmas, with heavy foods and big portions on the menu, “It’s also important to have a good amaro around for digestive purposes,” she says. “We have a sizable and varied selection, but the honeyed bitterness of Amaro Sibilla from the 150-year-old Italian distillery Varnelli, makes it a perennial favorite.”
- COURTESY OF Little Cat Lodge
- COURTESY OF Hotel Tivoli
- COURTESY OF Rivertown Lodge
- COURTESY OF Inness
- COURTESY OF The Maker Hotel
- COURTESY OF Gaskins
- COURTESY OF Talbott & Arding
- COURTESY OF Cafe Mutton
- COURTESY OF Stissing House
- COURTESY OF Village Coffee and Goods
- COURTESY OF Familiar Trees
- COURTESY OF Kingston Wine Co.
