Swoon Kitchenbar

[adegiulio]

On the recommendation of a local restaurant owner, we decided to try Swoon Kitchenbar, in Hudson. I had never been to Hudson before then, but I was pretty surprised that there would be any fine dining up there. Well, I was wrong. Not only was Swoon terrific, the main street in Hudson, Warren St., is quite handsome. I'm already looking forward to going back, this time a little early, so we can stroll around and check the place out...

But on to the restaurant. It's a fairly sizeable place with a tall, airy feel capped off with a stamped tin ceiling (not sure if it was real, or even tin, but you know the type) The bar itself was nice and big, with an attractive crew and a lot of bottles. It's a very nice room, accented by what appears to be a rather cosmopolitan clientele. To me, Swoon would fit in more in Rhinebeck, or Manhattan. I'm glad it's here, only 20 minutes from home, versus in Manhattan, which is an hour and a half, if I could get a reservation. In my opinion, this place would be packed every day in the Big Apple.

The menu was a nice seasonally driven selection. In the Hudson Valley, restaurant owners (at least the smart one) like to flaunt what the surrounding area puts out. I won't bore everyone with long descriptions of what we ate, just be assured that everything we ate was fantastic. You can look at a menu (its a little out of date, but it will give you an idea) on its website here. Combined with a well thought out wine list offering a nice array of grape, this menu is a winner.

I could go on and on about the food, service, decor, and so on. I think the better thing to do would be to jump in the car and try it yourself. With Swoon, Mina in Red Hook, le Petit Bistro in Rhinebeck, and a few other secrets, I can sell my stove now...

Anyone else been??

[Daniel]

Sounds great.. I am a fan of Hudson.. Its a little sketchy in certain parts at night.. And its surprising because it looks so quaint.. I will definately give this place a shot.

[rooftop1000]

Sure Anthony I have to see this menu when I am about to head to the pub for a cheese steak...ok so its a killer ribeye cheese steak with melted swiss on garlic bread but

Damn your place looks great, we still need to finish the route plans for a club outing to Rheinbeck so might get to try this.

tracey

[suzilightning]

cool.... another place to try.

guess you guys are up there to stay now.

check out mexican radio and the organic farmers up in the valley.

ant and daniel - warren street is CONSIDERABLY cleaned up from 25 years ago when the only things on the street even in the middle of the day were hookers and i don't mean bad bowlers(i worked at columbia-greene community college near the correctional facility).

heard there's a new place on 9g in germantown that has an interesting menu(sorry can't remember the name at this time)

[adegiulio]

cool.... another place to try.

guess you guys are up there to stay now. 

check out mexican radio and the organic farmers up in the valley.

ant and daniel - warren street is CONSIDERABLY cleaned up from 25 years ago when the only things on the street even in the middle of the day were hookers and i don't mean bad bowlers(i worked at columbia-greene community college near the correctional facility).

heard there's a new place on 9g in germantown that has an interesting menu(sorry can't remember the name at this time)

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Yeah, we are here for good...Anytime you want to ressurect the Mina thing (it is THAT good, believe me) we can do that. Swoon isn't on par with Mina, but it is quite good, and something to add a little variety to the mix.

A new place on 9G in G-town? I'll have to look for it this weekend and report back.

BTW, isn't Lk Hopatcong to Hudson a long trip for you? I'm thinking 2- 2 1/4 hours..

Ant

[Daniel]

cool.... another place to try.

guess you guys are up there to stay now. 

check out mexican radio and the organic farmers up in the valley.

ant and daniel - warren street is CONSIDERABLY cleaned up from 25 years ago when the only things on the street even in the middle of the day were hookers and i don't mean bad bowlers(i worked at columbia-greene community college near the correctional facility).

heard there's a new place on 9g in germantown that has an interesting menu(sorry can't remember the name at this time)

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I have been to Radio Mexico a couple of times.. The first time i went I was so unhappy with the service i didnt leave a tip.. The second time i went, i sat at the bar and had a queso fundido and some shots of tequila..The queso fundido was ok. The drinks were better.. My girls weekend house is in between Hudson and Great Barrington.. I really see no need to go back to this place besides taking a shot of tequila before going to the movies.

[JGreen7292]

I second Swoon joining Le Petit Bistro (Rhinebeck) and Mina( Red Hook) as area restaurant's worth the trip. Jeff Gimmel at Swoon is not just lip service in supporting local agriculture and farmers - buys local pork, cures his own meat, in season product, etc. etc. Good restaurant and good chef.

[suzilightning]

[heard there's a new place on 9g in germantown that has an interesting menu(sorry can't remember the name at this time)

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[gestalt768]

I noticed that the last posting about Swoon was a year ago and since I ate lunch there last week and dinner this past Sunday night I figured I'd add to the thread with the good news that the restaurant remains excellent. Lunch was tasty although not extraordinary....they were out of the tempeh rubin which is what we wanted and the grilled vegetable plate for my vegetarian daughter was fairly ordinary although my grilled chicken sandwich was very good.

Dinner on the other hand was fabulous. For the vegetarians they created a plate out of a large selection of their sides which presented beautifully and tasted wonderful. My salmon on a puree of fava beans with peas was also very good. The salads were great and the desserts were very unusual..

The atmosphere was great, pretty floral arrangements, flattering lighting and friendly, polite, knowledgable service. In addition the cost came to significantly less than it would have in the city. Dinner for 4 including two appetizers, four entrees, two desserts, three cocktails and four coffees came to around $130 before tip for a sensational evening....

[adegiulio]

Yeah, Swoon continues to put out good food in a terrific atmosphere. This time of year is special in the Hudson Valley, as the baby produce starts showing up and chef can really begin to showcase what makes this area so special...

[greenwich st]

Have eaten at swoon for 2 lunches and 2 dinners this year -- always enjoyable, but I find the desserts are by far the best things on offer -- sophisticated and special. Desserts last night were lemon verbena creme, mini strawberry canoli, and an amazing warm chocolate orange cake with homemade peppermint ice cream. Lunches are mostly sandwiches/salads/soup with very little by way of dessert -- good, but I wish there was a more elaborate menu, since we're big lunchers. We've also enjoyed the charcuterie plate. The room is festive and comfortable and prices are reasonable, even a bit underpriced, I think, by city standards.