The Rambling Gourmand
Text & illustraton by Bernard Greenwald

Perhaps it is the sensuous deprivation of a long winter, but sometimes during the spring in the Hudson Valley it occurs to me that I am living in paradise. Driving through the countryside on a recent spring evening on my way to meet my wife Elena for dinner, the landscape saturated with the pellucid golden light an hour or so before dusk, was like driving through a wonderland. The trees and shrubs were newly fledged, bundles of blooms hung upon the ornamental plum, cherry and apple trees, and the slender trunks of the aspens were a light cool blue against the delicate salad green of their tender foliage. Was our ancestor Adam as impressed with the beauty of Eden?

It happens that on this particular evening I was headed for dinner at a restaurant in Tivoli open only two weeks called Coast. Coast specializes in tapas--small richly flavored dishes usually served as an accompaniment for wine and conversation. The room is large and airy, light admitted from wall-sized windows on three sides. With a bar running its length down the center, it is simply furnished. On the walls hang huge maps of coastlines I couldn't identify.

The menu is organized around the several coastlines that inspired the dishes. Included under the Gulf Coast is Jamaican jerk pork on skewers with pineapple salsa. From the Pacific Rim: lemongrass-scented salmon spring rolls with Szechuan pepper sauce. Among those from the Arabian Sea: Ethiopian-spiced lamb. And from the Mediterranean: warm calamari salad.

The food was freshly prepared, beautifully presented and very flavorful. I could see the poached salmon and vegetables of the spring rolls through their translucent rice wrappers. The jerk pork on skewers was spicy and tender and the pineapple salsa, punctuated with black sesame seeds, a pleasant, cooling foil for the racy meat. The fiery Ethiopian lamb was served on a round, deep dish and featured, I believe, a hint of cinnamon. The warm calamari salad consisted of whole white puffed blossoms of fish with pan-roasted tiny potatoes and onions with whole caper buds and olives, glistening with olive oil.

Brock Purdy, lately of the Stewart House in Athens and New World Home Cooking, is the host and manager of Coast, while Matt Ifkovits, a young man for his experience and competence, is the chef. They collaborated with owner Stu Hannon to invent the concept behind the new restaurant. When their liquor license arrives shortly, they will serve at least ten wines by the glass. The cellar will be eclectic but modestly priced. They will also host live jazz, blues and folk musicians. In the mood for some racy, zippy food in a relaxed and gracious environment? Try Coast.

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Lunchtime choices have recently become more interesting in Red Hook. Across from the Village offices on Route 9, in the Firehouse Plaza, tucked into a long sliver of space, is the Red Hook Rotisserie. It holds four or five tables arranged single file against large windows that afford a good view of village life as it promenades along its major road. Towards the rear, the space opens up in to a kitchen and takeout area with large cases for deli meats, cheeses, salads, Arthur Avenue breads and pastries and the large glass-fronted roasters where beef, turkey breasts, pork loins and free-range chickens are prepared daily. Fresh gravies are made from drippings and stock. The meats are sliced, vegetables sauteed, salads organized, and sandwiches put together as you watch.

The space may seem unsubstantial, but neither the proprietor/chef Tim Callahan nor his delicious meals could be called such. Each day brings a different homemade soup. My favorite is Italian wedding soup, a rich beef broth with pasta, white beans, spinach and tomato. A few of the sandwiches are: "The Hook" (sliced rotisserie beef topped with caramelized onions, mozzarella cheese and roasted garlic mayo on a crusty wedge); "The Cuban Pork Sandwich" (thin sliced pork loin with ham, pickle, melted Swiss cheese and spicy mustard); "The Whatchamacallit" (warm turkey breast topped with mushroom-sage dressing and cranberry mayo); and "TheVegetarian's Dream," my son Isaiah's favorite (marinated, grilled portobello mushroom topped with artichoke salad, roasted peppers, and balsamic dressing with lettuce, tomato and onion).

There are also classic Italian combos and hot sandwiches. At dinner time the menu changes to hot entrees including seafood specialties, ribs, chicken and strip steak, perfect to take home and pass off as your own cooking. Family sized deals on meats and side dishes are also available. When the warm weather arrives, barbequing will be moved outdoors to the deck.

Tim Callahan, whose repartee can sometimes be as spicy as his food, was formerly chef and proprietor of Callahans in Woodstock. He does a great job with parties as well.

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Germantown seems to have "roused itself from its rustic torpor," as Henry Fielding liked to say. I visited recently and was impressed again by the beauty of the landscape and the architecture, especially two extraordinary churches in the village. A new restaurant has also appeared along Main Street, called, simply enough, Restaurant. The only exterior evidence when I arrived for lunch in mid-May was an antique sign above the door and a string of colorful Buddhist prayer flags strung above its three parking spaces. But the atmosphere inside, newly renovated in fresh pine surfaces and cool mint green paint, was light-filled and inviting. The furnishings consisted of simple tables covered with white butcher paper, and original photographs and paintings hung on the walls.

The chef-owner, Marissa Scali, said the menu was still evolving, but would be based on Italian/Mediterranean rustic cooking: lasagna and other pasta dishes, pizza, simple roasts, chickens, whole fish, all baked in the 3000-pound stone, woodburning oven, imported from Italy

When I visited Ms. Scali was only serving lunch: individual pizzas, sandwiches and salads, but said she would be open for dinner starting Memorial Day Weekend. Among the dinner offerings planned: littleneck clams with chorizo in garlic herb broth; warm fig pancake with Parma prosciutto and aged Asiago rigatoni with sweet sausage in a light tomato-cream sauce; grilled salmon with escarole; and Tuscan grilled strip steak. Heirloom tomatoes and herbs have been planted on the deck, where canine companions will be welcome to dine with their families. The wine list will offer 12 to 14 wines and Marissa expects to further refine the menu to appeal to local people. It certainly appealed to me already.