Community Comfort & Cowboy Chic: New Rhinebeck Dining
by Cait Johnson
When a friend first saw the sign for Phoenix Rising, one of the newest additions to the Rhinebeck restaurant scene, proclaiming it "An Innovative Eatery," he said with forgivable sarcasm, "They could make it affordable. That'd be innovative for Rhinebeck." Turns out that's exactly what they did.
We checked out Phoenix Rising for dinner and found the place filled with families that included teens and young children, elderly couples, and groups of friends. It felt, despite the somewhat cavernous interior, like a community place, welcoming and refreshingly the reverse of chichi. The menu features "new comfort cuisine" which, while not haute by any stretch, is perfectly acceptable: although I've heard reports that the quality varies, my potato-crusted salmon was tasty, and my date dubbed his crabcake po-boy sandwich "outstanding." You can get some intriguing burger combinations (all named for Rhinebeck streets, like the Livingston, for example: sliced sirloin with charred onions, cheddar, and house steak sauce on a ciabatta roll), flat bread pizzas and big-bowl salads, several straightforwardly tasty-sounding pastas (I want to try the spinach and ricotta ravioli with Coach Farm goat cheese and pine nuts) all for--gasp--around $7 to $12 Entrees like pistachio-n-lime-roasted rack of shrimp or trout amandine are priced only slightly higher. They do takeout and local delivery; I have visions of curling up in my jammies on a chilly night when I don't feel like cooking with a pot pie or a bowl of mac and cheese (I'm all for comfort food, "new" or not) that has been delivered right to my door.
Phoenix Rising uses local purveyors, which warms the cockles. They have cozy booths (for which I am a total pushover), and they accept reservations. It's located in the new Montgomery Row complex next door to Upstate Films; the outdoor tables overlook a parking lot, but it's a heck of a lot better than sitting next to Route 9, which is like trying to eat on an airline runway. They're open seven days a week, from 11 am to 10 pm. Call 845-876-8686.
Also in Montgomery Row is the new Olde Hudson Imported Cheese, Gourmet Food, Kitchen Accessories and Bath & Body Shop, an offshoot of the popular mother ship on Warren Street in Hudson. A cursory glance revealed some very pretty little kitchen gadgets, candles, and napery, while the selection of imported cheeses looked worthy of several weeks of devoted sampling. The co-owner, Dick Moran, told me they truck in fresh-baked bread daily from the city (although buying locally always feels better to me; let's save on those fossil fuels and, besides, the Pandemain bakery right across the street is nothing short of fabulous) but the freezer case was stocked with large boxes of artisanal pastas for a song. The broccoli rabe ravioli, in particular, caught my eye. For more information, call 845-876-3933 or visit online at www.oldehudson.com.
The owners of 40 West have opened a new place in what used to be Cripple Creek (on Garden Street across from the health food store). After Rhinebeck residents spent the summer watching the progress of renovations with breathless anticipation, El Toro Guapo (subtitled "Cowboy Latino") celebrated its opening and was instantly booked solid. Co-owners Tommy Turck and Wesley Dier, also the chef, definitely know what they're doing.
While your average Latino cowboy might be a little strapped by the prices, the rest of us can be pleasantly surprised: entrees average around $15, and they include abundant and flavorful side dishes. My date and I shared an appetizer of Dos Equis beer-battered calamari with ambrosial chipotle-lime aioli, then I tried the blackened catfish which was delectably moist and spicy, while he sampled the chile rellenos (always his litmus test for good Latino food) and pronounced them "fabulous." Cheese grits, Portland hot slaw, and cornbread, as well as some very authentic-tasting black beans and rice, were enjoyed by all. And we've only scratched the surface of the possibilities.
All of the wines and beers offered are Hispanic in origin, the margaritas are superb, and they have a selection of sipping Tequilas (the one we tried, on Tommy's recommendation, produced total tequila euphoria). You can eat comfortably inside (very simple stripped-down industrial chic with galvanized steel and muted colors) or in the charming back yard with its picnic tables and park-like ambiance.
El Toro Guapo is open from 5 to 10 (11:30 on Fridays and Saturdays) every day except Wednesdays; call 845-876-8688 for reservations. They also do take out. Check out the centerpiece of the very pleasant bar: it's a 1972 pinball machine called El Toro. "El Toro Guapo," for those of us who took French instead of Spanish in high school, means "The Handsome Bull." That's a satisfyingly virile name for this successful new venture.
Speaking of successful, the Garden Street Café in the Rhinebeck Health Food Store is under dynamic new management. Talented chef and Culinary grad Chris Fotta is kept plenty busy devising imaginative, nourishing, and totally delicious soups, salads, sandwiches, wraps, and chilis along with the blender drinks many of us crave. He and the lovely Faith Fotta, the other half of this dream team, introduced me to halloumi--a luscious brined Greek cheese that you can grill and pan-fry--for which I will be eternally grateful. You can eat in, but they also do take out and local delivery, and the prices are the best in town, especially considering this is the healthiest food around. The Garden Street Café is absolutely the way to go for lunch, bar none, and most of Rhinebeck appears to be beating a path to the café's door. Serving lunches Monday through Saturday from 11 to 4; call 845-876-2005.
