Page 22 - The Valley Table - Winter 2022

Warren & Vine
364 Warren Street, Hudson 518.697.6210; warrenandvine.com
Award-winning chef Wes Dier and his wife Bryn Bahnatka describe the menu at their cozy new wine bar as “the way we like to eat.” It includes small, thoughtfully prepared bites, salads, sandwiches, pastries, and artisan cheese and charcuterie boards served with house-made fig jam, pear mostarda, and pickles. We bet it’s the way you’d eat if you had one of the Hudson Valley’s best chefs on speed dial.
Dier is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America
and completed his externship at Rhinebeck’s Beekman Arms with the legendary Larry Forgione, known as the “Godfather of American Cuisine.” He likes to create approachable dishes with “a little bit extra,” to take them from ordinary
to sublime. Some examples: deviled eggs with house
hot sauce and pickled Fresno chilis; blue cheese-stuffed apricots with a sweet and spicy Calabrian chili and Crown Maple syrup glaze; and a gussied-up BLT—the BBBBLT
with Boursin, Benton’s bacon, Bibb lettuce, and heirloom tomato. Charcuterie staples include Uruguayan Bresaola, truffled salami, and local cheeses such as Buttermilk Basque from Old Chatham Creamery.
They offer an extensive wine by the glass program. On the house list you’ll find an easy drinking Verdicchio and a lush Rioja. There’s also a rotating selection of ultra-premium wines like Silver Oak and Kistler available in one-, three-, and five-ounce pours.
Pastry chef Ali Albini, the 2019 champion of Netflix’s Sugar Rush, creates sweet and savory treats from cookies and cakes to quiches and focaccia. Sorry in advance: Albini’s "Milanos" will ruin Pepperidge Farm for you, and her homemade “Pop Tarts” are a must-try.
Once settled in at Warren & Vine, you may find yourself there for hours. The interior has a Scandinavian vibe with
a small lounge and some high tops, while the furnishings
on the patio channel Provence. Outdoor heaters will allow guests to dine al fresco all season. —Robin Cherry
Iron & Grass
3521 Route 9, Hudson 518.751.9908; ironandgrass.com
Mark Fredette’s father worked in the hospitality industry, and as a child he was often around kitchens. Fredette was enamored by the magic behind food and often angled to get a closer glimpse of cooks at work. He always knew he wanted to be a chef.
After enrolling in the Culinary Institute of America in 2010, Fredette became enthralled with the farm-to-table movement. His interest heightened while working as executive chef for Sprout Creek Farm in Poughkeepsie (now closed), where he learned the ins and outs of food sourcing.
But it was at Clermont Café—at Germantown’s Tousey Winery—where he fell in love with beef and customers fell in love with him. For such a small restaurant, the
café garnered a massive fanbase. But Fredette had bigger ambitions, he wanted to open a proper steakhouse. There aren’t many in the Hudson Valley, and even fewer with a focus on sustainability. Enter Iron & Grass, Fredette’s new Hudson-based restaurant that features locally sourced and sustainable meat, produce, and seafood.
On the menu, you’ll find the aptly named “The Burger,” with grass-fed, grass-finished beef from Dirty Dog Farm in nearby Germantown. Fredette tops each burger with Swiss (locally made) and pairs it with crispy smashed fingerling potatoes. Other sides include grill-charred Hudson Valley broccoli and roasted sweet peppers with garlic.
Iron & Grass serves up other beef cuts from Gulden Farm in Germantown and Grimaldi Farm in Ghent, and duck from La Belle Farms in Sullivan County. Fredette takes special care to preserve the integrity of local flavors. He dry-ages his tomahawk steak for 21 days.
Eventually, Iron & Grass will open a retail butcher shop. Fredette wants to buy larger cuts from farms, break the meat down himself, and work with similarly passionate customers to offer the best service possible. He’s planning to launch a dry-aging program in 2022. —Raphael Beretta
20 the valley table dec 2021 – feb 2022
PHOTOS (LEFT TO RIGHT) COURTESY OF WARREN & VINE; BY MARK FREDETTE