Page 22 - Valley Table - Fall 2023

nNat’s Mountain House
Upstate camp vibes, elevated comfort food, and inventive cocktails? We’re in.
BY PAULA ANN MITCHELL
atalie “Nat” Freihon had a few goals making themselves at home in her cool and campy when she set out to launch her 120-seat dining room, bar, and lounge, and hanging out novel eatery nestled in the Catskill in the large backyard to melt s’mores over firepits.
Mountains. For starters, it had to be a casual
place where patrons didn’t have to think too
hard. Secondly, the food needed to be fresh, local, delicious, and insanely fun. Finally, she wanted it to be in that delightful corner of the world where locals and tourists could relax and simply be themselves.
She’s gladly checked all those boxes since opening Nat’s Mountain House in Tannersville in late June, the 20th restaurant the 43-year-old has opened during her esteemed career. Others have included Mercat in Manhattan, the Fat Radish in Savannah, Georgia, and her most recent ones in NYC—Nat’s on Bank, Nat’s on Bleecker, and the Orchard Townhouse—all part of her Strange Bird Hospitality group.
Freihon gets a lot of satisfaction watching diners enjoy her elevated New York classics like “Nat’s Fondue,” a creamy blend of gruyère, fontina, and smoked gouda, and whole-fried trout tacos for two. She knows she’s hit the mark when she sees customers
“We want people to say, ‘Oh, wow, this is fun!’” says Freihon. “I feel restaurants should be places where more than just food is provided. Whimsy is a large part of it because food should be fun. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. We try to be inspired by our local communities and be a place where you can have it all in a thoughtful way.”
Nat’s Mountain House, set in a two-story, 7,000-square-foot chateau (just minutes from Hunter Mountain and right next door to Hotel Lilien), has
all the features Freihon was looking for in her latest restaurant project, including a lovely outdoor terrace with mountain views, soaring 50-foot ceilings, a brick fireplace, and the vibes of an old-school upstate summer camp. “I had been coming to Tannersville for a few years and loved it here because I really appreciated being outside of the city, and it didn’t feel pretentious,” she says.
The Tudor Revival-style structure, built in 1960,
20 TheValleyTable | September—November2023
PHOTO COURTESY OF NAT'S MOUNTAIN HOUSE
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