March 11-24 is Hudson Valley Restaurant Week, where restaurants in the area offer special pre-fixe menus to highlight some of their tasty dishes at a great price. For $20.95 per person for lunch or $29.95 per person for dinner, this is a great time for diners to indulge and enjoy a delicious appetizer, a main course, and a dessert. Curious about a restaurant you have never tried? This is one of the best times to go! The Hudson Valley Restaurant Week website, www.hudsonvalleyrestaurantweek.com, has a list of all of the participating restaurants and also includes a link to most of the restaurant’s menus. If you notice that one of the restaurant’s does not have a menu on the Restaurant Week site, check out the restaurant’s homepage for more information.
You can make reservations for many of the restaurants through Open Table, www.opentable.com. This is a great site to use because it allows you to acquire points, which eventually turn into savings at restaurants. For a list of all of the Hudson Valley Restaurant participants that use Open Table, visit here:http://www.opentable.com/promo.aspx?m=8&ref=7420&pid=417.
Last night, my fiance, Matt, and I went to one of the participating restaurants, Half Moon (www.halfmoonhudson.com). The restaurant is beautiful and spacious and sits right on the Hudson River in Dobbs Ferry, NY. The large windows capture stunning views of both the Manhattan skyline as well as the Tappan Zee Bridge. You feel like you are in a boat as you dine and watch the water ripple right outside your window. The dim lighting also contributes to the chic yet cozy ambiance of the restaurant. In addition to the lovely decorum, the staff service as well as the food were both excellent. We both ordered food off of the Restaurant Week Menu, http://www.halfmoonhudson.com/restaurantweekdinner.html, however, you still do have the option to order from the regular menu.
The bread that they put on the table is fresh out of the oven and served with a side of fresh grated cheese to top it.
This is certainly a delicious start to a great meal. We also really enjoyed the appetizers, entrees, and desserts…everything was wonderful! Here are a few pictures of what we had. I apologize for the low quality images…I didn’t want to distract others with a camera flash. However, you can get an idea of what their food looks like and see that the portions are a great size and the presentation is lovely!
From top left to bottom right: Roast Tomato Bisque; Guajillo Rub 1/2 Boneless Chicken with carrots, smashed potatoes, and natural jus; Skirt Steak Chimichuri with fingerling potatoes & roasted leeks; Coconut Risotto Pudding with caramelized pineapple; NY Cheese cake with fresh berry compote
(not pictured but still enjoyed by Matt: pastrami spring toll with spicy pineapple slaw, Russian dressing, and spicy mustard)
I hope all of my readers in and around the area take advantage of Hudson Valley Restaurant Week. I would love to hear your recommendations and experiences at other places!
-Jessi
the elegant hudson 