How to Spend a Big Fat Weekend in Hudson, New York
New York City is a fine place to live, but regularly scheduled escapes are required if you want to keep your sanity. One of the easiest? Hudson, New York: a quaint but sophisticated town with a dining scene that could hold its own against Brooklyn’s (which makes sense; many of the chefs and restaurateurs are former citydwellers who headed for the suburbs and just kept going). Getting there is painless: Hop on an Amtrak, enjoy two hours of sparkly blue Hudson River views, then step off the train and straight into the eerily clean downtown. Book a room at the sexy-rustic Rivertown Lodge or one of many AirBnbs, and spend your weekend browsing the galleries, hiking in the Catskills, or just, you know, eating and drinking everything you see. Which is what I did. Here’s where I did it.
Photo by Hilary Cadigan1/6BackBar
If the weather is nice, snagging a picnic table on BackBar’s expansive bricked-in patio is a no-brainer. Order a couple of mezcal-based slushies, then start penciling in your choices from a concise but eclectic menu of Malaysian-ish small plates: green curry hummus, jicama salad with confit pineapple, fish sauce-glazed chicken wings, plump batter-dusted bang bang shrimp drizzled with honey. Built out of a former gas station, the interior is small but funky, its design an extension of the antique shop next door, 3FortySeven, which is worth a pop-in.
Photo by Hilary Cadigan2/6Home/Made Hudson
All clean white walls, marble countertops, and fresh bouquets arranged onsite, this cozy little cafe is pure Hudson, right down to the fact that its proprietors, real life couple Monica Byrne and Leisah Swenson, got their start in Brooklyn. As the cafe’s name suggests, just about everything here is made in-house, right down to the citrus ricotta, which comes dolloped over thick slabs of walnut toast. Grab a seat by the window for a leisurely brunch of soft scrambled eggs with caramelized onions and oozy gruyere, and don’t forget to check under the bell jars on the counter for whatever fresh seasonal baked goods are on deck—we got apple cider donuts, and they were divine.
Photo by Hilary Cadigan3/6The Spotty Dog
To me there are few things greater than a combination bar and bookstore, and this little hideaway in the heart of downtown Hudson is a standard bearer for the form. Located inside an erstwhile firehouse, the interior features bookshelves stuffed to overflow, chandeliers dating back to the late 1800s, and a long wooden bar made from a reclaimed bowling alley. Grab a book (I got Tommy Orange’s There There) and a stool, order from a wide selection of local brews (including the excellent Suarez Family Brewing, which is right down the road), and while away the afternoon.
Photo by Hilary Cadigan4/6Wm Farmer & Sons
The Hudson Valley is known for its verdant soil and strong agricultural history—thousands of small farms remain dotted up and down the river. At Wm Farmer & Sons, surrounded by exposed brick and coppery accent lighting, you can snuggle up beside the fireplace with a plate of some of their best offerings—dry-aged NY strip from JSK Farms in Lagrangeville, locally foraged chanterelles in a black rice perloo. Definitely don’t skip the selection of ham boards, served with mini biscuits and creamy tupelo honey butter.
Photo by Hilary Cadigan5/6Maple Leaf Sugaring
No getaway is complete without a souvenir, and if you’re in upstate New York, that souvenir must be maple syrup. This hidden spot just outside Hudson, in Ghent, is a local secret, but you’ll know you’re close by the sweet smell of freshly tapped syrup. Upon arrival, all you’ll find is a stand of maple trees tapped with bright blue PVC piping and a little wooden building, but inside is the prize: shelves lined with varying sized bottles of that fresh, sticky good-good. Purchases happen through a trust system: grab a bottle and leave your cash in an envelope by the door. Just don’t forget to check the mini-fridge for my favorite part: the leaf-shaped maple cream candies, which taste like heaven.
Photo by Hilary Cadigan6/6Lil Deb’s Oasis
Okay you guys, Lil Deb’s is my soul in restaurant form. The brainchild of artist-chefs Carla Perez-Gallardo and Hannah Black, this tropical refuge is the kind of start-to-finish dining destination that seems at once casually thrown-together and considered down to the tiniest detail: Kitschy vinyl floral-printed tablecloths, swirling rainbow lights, swimming pool blue shingles, design elements made of tennis balls, hand-painted art lining the walls. An excellent natural wine list features tasting notes that read like something out of my middle school poetry journal: “shooting star, mulch, my first period, reflexology, Rude Boy, peek-a-boo ;).” And then there’s the food: cloud-tender scallop ceviche bathed in tangy coconut milk, crispy pork belly bites with pink pickled onions on shiso leaves, spicy chorizo larb scooped into crisp lettuce cups, and quartered mojo chicken served with the creamiest beans I’ve ever tasted (the secret is ghee). Seriously, this place alone is worth the trip.
