Mina, in Red Hook, Dutchess County

[adegiulio]

Although we live in New Jersey now, we are anxiously awaiting the completion of our house, being built in Red Hook, NY. This cute little town is home to more farms and orchards than I care to count. Being a food nut, I am in heaven whenever I head up there. Two towns north of Hyde Park, home of the Culinary Institute of America, Red Hook holds within one of the finest restaurants in the Hudson Valley. The place is called Mina, and it is a few hundred feet west of the center of town, on Market Street. Owners John and Natalie DiBennedeto offer an innovative American menu, often drawing on the rich array of foodstuffs grown and produced right in the Valley. Their place is small, call it cozy, with an friendly and intimate feel. To me, everything in this place works, from the dining room, to the service, to the food.

The evening begins with bread and a small bowl of olives in oil. A tasty treat to get the juices flowing while looking over the menu. The menu has a well focused selection of seasonal dishes, with choices for meat eaters, vegetarians, and fish lovers. Their menu changes often, so don't expect a huge array of specials. This night there was exactly one, a main course of Seared Hamachi with fava beans, cucumber, and shiitakes, with a ponzu sauce. For appetizers I ordered sweetbreads served over haricot vert, Amy ordered squash blossoms stuffed with goat cheese and crab. While waiting for our apps, John brought us a taste of another appetizer, seared scallop with local corn, chanterelles, and fava cream. It was out of this world. A hot, well seared but silky scallop atop a warm saute of corn and chanterelles in a small pool of fava deliciousness. Superb. Moving on to our order, the sweetbreads were stupendous, what more can I say. Natalie really has a way with sweetbreads, and I often find myself comparing other chefs' offerings to hers. The squash blossoms were lightly fried, crisp and flavorful. So far another excellent meal.

We move onto our main courses. I ordered a dish of lamb loin medallions with lamb chops, accompanied by cipollini onions and caponata. Amy order the hamachi special. My lamb was cooked just right, tender and juicy. The caponata was out of this world good, with raisins, capers, pignolis, and of course eggplant. Awesome. The hamachi was light but very flavorful. Another great idea....

John saw I was still hungry (I was stuffed) and brought us a wonderful cheese plate. Three cheeses (caerphilly, chevre, and toussainte) were plated with champagne grapes, figs, truffled honey walnuts, and a small pool of a sweet merlot reduction. As if that weren't enough, we then had a scoop of their cardamom ice cream, just to taste

To go with all of this terrific food is an equally well thought out wine list. It is filled with many hard to find gems and well respected producers. It offers, in my eyes, a tremendous value for some higher quality wines. This night we drank a Rochioli Single Vineyard (I forget which one) Pinot Noir. On other occasions we have had Kistler Chardonnay. All at very fair, almost bargain prices. With top notch Reidel stemware and decanters, it's easy to tell that John knows and cares a lot about wine.

Service was friendly and attentive. Music was jazzy and just loud enough to be heard easily without being obtrusive. Fellow diners were dressed in khakis and short sleeves up to suits and ties. Everyone seemed to be smiling, which I guess is a good sign. My only complaint....it is usually a little too warm for my taste, though this time someone mentioned it and we were comfortable in minutes...

If you live within 45 minutes of Red Hook, you should make a point of visiting Mina.

Mina

[Laksa]

Thanks for the review. I hope to check out the place soon. I live only half an hour away.

This night we drank a Rochioli Single Vineyard  (I forget which one) Pinot Noir. On other occasions we have had Kistler Chardonnay. All at very fair, almost bargain prices.

Can you give us an indication of the price range for their wines?

It was certainly nice of them to offer you a complimentary cheese course.

[adegiulio]

Thats a tough question to answer because they really do have a very large list. There are plenty of choices in the 30-40 dollar range. The wine we drank was around 100 dollars, but is 70-80 in the stores, if you can find it. That, to me, is quite reasonable. There are some wines that are over 100 dollars a bottle. Honestly, it varies too much to give an effective answer...

[markabauman]

Here's their website:

Mina Restaurant

[adegiulio]

Some sad news to report from Northern Dutchess county. Mina in Red Hook will be serving its last meal tonight, Sunday August 28th. This superb restaurant (I have often said "the best NY restaurant outside of Manhattan") has tantalized diners for several years. The owners, husband and wife, have decided to pursue different artisitc opportunities. They are truly leaving on top, with high marks from Hudson Valley Magazine, Gourmet, Zagat's, and other publications. We will miss their locally grown cuisine and creative flair. I personally hope they decide to come back to the restaurant world soon...

[markabauman]

What sad news. They were great supporters of the SlowFood movement and their restaurant truly embodied the phrase "fresh,local,seasonal". They'll be deeply missed.