Blue Hill at Stone Barns

Last weekend, Jess and I took a ride up to Tarrytown for a belated birthday lunch at the famed Blue Hill at Stone Barns restaurant. The trip from NYC takes about 60-90 minutes (subway > metro north > cab) but as you'll read it's well worth it.

The grounds at Stone Barns, a non-profit farm, are beautiful, especially in the fall with the foliage in full force. You're free to walk around the farm at your own leisure and we took advantage of this by spotting some cows, sheep, turkeys, and our favorite, pigs!

As soon as you enter the dining room in the restaurant, you know you're in for a special dining experience. The service is the best of the best... it feels like the ratio of wait staff to diner is 3:1. Plus, everyone is dressed up and the restaurant is decorated in a classy, cozy, fall-tastic manner.

There are no menus at Blue Hill. Guests select how many courses they want and tell the waiter about any allergies they have.  No matter what dishes they're serving the day you go, they are using fresh ingredients from their farm, with the goal being to highlight the food and flavors of the surrounding Hudson Valley.

They start you off with a handful of pre-appetizer bites including a shot of Blue Hill V9, potato & leek chips, as well as a pancetta skewer. The shot of V9 immediately brings a smile to your face when you realize the freshness of the veggies you're drinking. The whimsical presentation of the chips illustrates how much fun they are having in the kitchen with these ingredients.

Our first course was a beet salad. The beets were served alongside fresh yogurt and greens. It will come as no surprise that the beets were bursting with flavor and we polished off every bite on our plates.

Course number two was a vegetable soup, but this wasn't just any veggie soup. This soup was topped with a fried egg that oozed yolk as soon as you dipped into it. We weren't quite sure how they were able to bread the egg, hard boil it, and still serve it with a running yolk, but we'll let that remain a secret. All we know is that they hit us with another course that showcased fresh and delicious vegetables with a serious twist.

I believe it was at this time in the meal when they came out with the best bread we've ever sampled. Crunchy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside, baked with onions mixed in, and served alongside creamy butter. Good god this was unbelievable!

Course three was grilled pork that left a little to be desired. While the curried grains served alongside the dish and the flavors of the pork were both great, we felt that the pork was a bit too fatty for our liking.  It didn't 'wow' us the same way the previous courses had.

They ended on a high note with course #4... an apple strudel with lemon ice cream. It had just the right amount of sweetness and texture, and left us with a big smile on our faces.

After a 2+ hour dining experience, our meal at Blue Hill had come to end. We both loved the meal and the experience of Stone Barns and were hopeful that we'd find our way back here in the near future.

Eric's Birthday Weekend!

My birthday was last Saturday (8/28) and to celebrate I had lots and lots of great food with friends and family. Here's a rundown of what this Hopper eats for his bday:

LaPiazza Buffalo Chicken - I headed back home (Plainview) for the pizza that I consider to be the best in the land. LaP's famed pie has loads of buffalo chicken & mozzarella cheese, but the kicker is the creamy blue cheese that is drizzled on top. Each bite is more delicious than the previous one and I won't go home without indulging.

Tipsy Parson's Luther Burger - Jess threw me a surprise birthday brunch with some of my closest friends. We went to the previously blogged about Chelsea brunch spot, Tipsy Parson. This cute little spot is home to the Luther Burger (bacon cheeseburger served between a sliced glazed donut). It's every bit as delicious as it sounds and if you're looking for a clogged artery, this is for you! Sweet, savory, crunchy, it has it all!

Mercer Kitchen - Jean Georges' SoHo spot had been on my "list" for quite some time so it seemed like a logical choice for a bday dinner with Jess' and my families. The atmosphere is a mix of modern & rustic. It's sleek and feels very new, but at the same time there's lots of exposed bricks & pipes. We all agreed that it was a cool-looking spot. The highlight for Jess & I was the Shrimp Salad app. We liked the scallop entree and the tuna spring roll app, but weren't gaga over it. Jess' bro got a chilled pea soup that everyone tried & thoroughly enjoyed!

Jess' gift to me was a day & night filled with all of my favorite activities. We woke up and headed north to Wave Hill. This park is under the radar and needs to be seen! You wouldn't believe how pretty The Bronx can be. We had a lovely buffet brunch (highlighted by home fries & fresh fruit) before exploring the grounds - gardens, greenhouses, ponds, fresh smells, and more - and laying out in the abundant sunshine!

Blue Hill was my dinner surprise and it was incredible. Obama dined here during a recent visit to New York City, so you know its legit. All of their ingredients are fresh from local farms, including their two in upstate NY & Great Barrington. The decor is simple, yet elegant. They start you with warm, soft, crunchy bread and soft butter - a great way to kick off our dining experience.

Looking for a new type of wine? How about a Malbec Rose served chilled? It was delicious & we're already looking into ordering some for our apt. Our server raved about the tomatoes being in season so we ordered the heirloom tomato salad to start. They split it for us (always a nice
move) and upon first bite we were ready for liftoff! The flavors of the tomato are bursting out and with each bite, you are amazed with how tasty a salad can be! The best part is still to come as the tomato juice sitting at the bottom of your bowl is intensely flavorful. Take some of your bread and use it to soak up the juice..... Ahhhh, a lil bite of heaven.

Jess' entree was the veggie special - eggplant. The bite I had was tremendous and she loved it! On the side of this dish was an eggplant spread that we shared. Think of your favorite babaganoush and it's kinda like that only more eggplant-y and fresh. The chicken dish I got was a reco from the waiter, and he led me down the right path. This was oozing with taste and super juicy! Not your mom's chicken (no offense, mom. I love your chicken tarragon!).

All in all, I'd highly recommend Blue Hill if you are looking to celebrate a special occasion. We loved every aspect of our meal, and we think you will too!