Valley Restaurant (American) - Garrison, NY - 3/13/08
Hudson Valley Restaurant Week is in full swing. For a two week period participating restaurants in the region offer a three course prefix menu for
$26.09. I have no idea how they came up with that price but it’s a great deal too good to pass up. Most restaurants create special menus just for
restaurant week but you can find regular menu items included at a barging price. I feel it’s a great way to try a new restaurant. Don’t expect lobster
and caviar on the menu but even if you just order chicken you can get a good idea of the quality of the chef and the ingredients.
We have wanted to visit Valley Restaurant in Garrison for quite some time. They are typically closed this time of the year but opened up just for
restaurant week. It seemed like the perfect time to go. I tried to make reservations the same day and the only opening they had was at 8:30 PM on that
Friday night. That’s a really good sign that restaurant week is a big hit once again.
Valley Restaurant is located at The Garrison right along the Hudson River, across from West Point. The Garrison features an inn, resort, golf course,
banquet hall and restaurant all in one location. Within the last several years the restaurant was re-launched. I’m not sure of the timing but I think it
was within the last two years. Executive Chef Jeff Raider is a native of the Hudson Valley and it shows in his menu. The menu featured several local
purveyors include Ronny Brook Dairy and Hudson Valley Duck. Chef Raider is a veteran of the NYC restaurant circuit with stops at Sea Grill as the
Chef de Cuisine and the sous chef at Halcyon Kitchen. Chef Raider is a CIA grad and it’s nice to see him still working in the area sharing his talent with
the Hudson Valley.
The dinning room at Valley Restaurant is in my opinion the perfect size. My guess is that it seats about 50 to 60. The room has a new country type feel.
Think pottery barn but a bit more elegant. That’s the best way I can think to describe it. My wife and I both felt that it was classy but very comfortable.
She even said it reminded her of Gramercy Tavern in the city. The prized asset of the space if the wall of windows and glass doors that overlooks the
Hudson River. The lights of West Point can be seen just across the way.
The wine list was extensive and included local maker Millbrook Vineyards. It also wasn’t cheap. I believe the least expensive bottle was about $45. We
had a very nice 2004 Imagine Cabernet Sauvignon from Chalk Hill Vineyard in Sonoma California. It is an estate wine and I later learned that
proceeds from the sale go to help disadvantages children. Honestly I had no idea at the time but it’s nice to know. The wine notes mention aromas of
black cherry, cassis and cigar spices. All I know is that I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately my palette is not sophisticated enough yet to pick up cigar in
my wine. And I’m not sure I want to.
As I mentioned earlier the menu really takes advantage of local ingredients. My wife and I were committed to stick to the Restaurant Week menu but I
did see some intriguing options on the regular menu including a due of pork, one being pork belly. I think that will have to wait for the next visit. The
Restaurant Week menu included three starters. My wife tried the Cauliflower Soup which was silky smooth with a very rich and satisfying flavor. I
tried the short rib raviolo. Once I saw short ribs I stopped looking at the other option. The raviolo was rather large probably 3 inches in diameter and
stuffed full of tender short ribs. It was a home run in my opinion. A great start to what turned out to be a wonderful meal.
The main course options included a flat iron steak with roasted potatoes, chicken with oyster mushrooms and chorizo, and lastly shrimp with cous cous
and cilantro foam. My first instinct was to select the steak. As I thought about it more I felt that almost anyone can cook a good steak. It takes a lot more
skill to take something like chicken and make it fantastic. So I switched my choice and went with the chicken dish. I was rewarded for my decision. The
chicken was cooked perfectly, very moist and flavorful. The chorizo added a lot of flavor and the jus was rich and fulfilling. I especially liked how they
included the drumstick from the wing.
My wife had the shrimp but honestly I don’t remember much about it since I was distracted by my dish. She enjoyed it and the serving size was the
perfect amount. Too often in American culture we judge value based on serving size. It’s why most of us over eat, at least I do. In this case the serving
side was perfect based on the three courses we were enjoying.
I’m not a desert guy but I liked all three options they had on the menu. My wife tired the Fried Mini Apple Pies. Who wouldn’t like that? It was served in
a very cool mini cast iron skillet probably about 2-3 inches wide. Add that to my shopping list. The apple pies delivered as expected. Next was a rice
pudding semi-fredo. A near by table ordered this desert and it was presented nicely on top of a fishbowl like serving vessel which was filled with ice. I
went with the Chocolate Torte for one reason, it came with Beet Ice Cream. Yeah that’s right, beets. Not surprisingly it tasted like…Beets and I loved it.
Ice cream can take on all sorts of flavors and I’m constantly surprised at how well it can work. The Torte was also very good and I don’t really like
chocolate that much. Beets and chocolate turns out to be a very good pairing.
Overall I have high praise for Valley Restaurant. The setting was upscale and the service was attentive. The menu was interesting while promoting the
ingredients of the Hudson Valley. The food was executed perfectly and presented in an interesting way without being over the top. A real find in
Garrison New York.
The goal of Restaurant Week worked for us. We were able to try a new place at a reasonable price and the Valley Restaurant now has two more happy
customers. We’ll be back soon, that’s for sure.
Hudson Valley Restaurant Week is in full swing. For a two week period participating restaurants in the region offer a three course prefix menu for
$26.09. I have no idea how they came up with that price but it’s a great deal too good to pass up. Most restaurants create special menus just for
restaurant week but you can find regular menu items included at a barging price. I feel it’s a great way to try a new restaurant. Don’t expect lobster
and caviar on the menu but even if you just order chicken you can get a good idea of the quality of the chef and the ingredients.
We have wanted to visit Valley Restaurant in Garrison for quite some time. They are typically closed this time of the year but opened up just for
restaurant week. It seemed like the perfect time to go. I tried to make reservations the same day and the only opening they had was at 8:30 PM on that
Friday night. That’s a really good sign that restaurant week is a big hit once again.
Valley Restaurant is located at The Garrison right along the Hudson River, across from West Point. The Garrison features an inn, resort, golf course,
banquet hall and restaurant all in one location. Within the last several years the restaurant was re-launched. I’m not sure of the timing but I think it
was within the last two years. Executive Chef Jeff Raider is a native of the Hudson Valley and it shows in his menu. The menu featured several local
purveyors include Ronny Brook Dairy and Hudson Valley Duck. Chef Raider is a veteran of the NYC restaurant circuit with stops at Sea Grill as the
Chef de Cuisine and the sous chef at Halcyon Kitchen. Chef Raider is a CIA grad and it’s nice to see him still working in the area sharing his talent with
the Hudson Valley.
The dinning room at Valley Restaurant is in my opinion the perfect size. My guess is that it seats about 50 to 60. The room has a new country type feel.
Think pottery barn but a bit more elegant. That’s the best way I can think to describe it. My wife and I both felt that it was classy but very comfortable.
She even said it reminded her of Gramercy Tavern in the city. The prized asset of the space if the wall of windows and glass doors that overlooks the
Hudson River. The lights of West Point can be seen just across the way.
The wine list was extensive and included local maker Millbrook Vineyards. It also wasn’t cheap. I believe the least expensive bottle was about $45. We
had a very nice 2004 Imagine Cabernet Sauvignon from Chalk Hill Vineyard in Sonoma California. It is an estate wine and I later learned that
proceeds from the sale go to help disadvantages children. Honestly I had no idea at the time but it’s nice to know. The wine notes mention aromas of
black cherry, cassis and cigar spices. All I know is that I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately my palette is not sophisticated enough yet to pick up cigar in
my wine. And I’m not sure I want to.
As I mentioned earlier the menu really takes advantage of local ingredients. My wife and I were committed to stick to the Restaurant Week menu but I
did see some intriguing options on the regular menu including a due of pork, one being pork belly. I think that will have to wait for the next visit. The
Restaurant Week menu included three starters. My wife tried the Cauliflower Soup which was silky smooth with a very rich and satisfying flavor. I
tried the short rib raviolo. Once I saw short ribs I stopped looking at the other option. The raviolo was rather large probably 3 inches in diameter and
stuffed full of tender short ribs. It was a home run in my opinion. A great start to what turned out to be a wonderful meal.
The main course options included a flat iron steak with roasted potatoes, chicken with oyster mushrooms and chorizo, and lastly shrimp with cous cous
and cilantro foam. My first instinct was to select the steak. As I thought about it more I felt that almost anyone can cook a good steak. It takes a lot more
skill to take something like chicken and make it fantastic. So I switched my choice and went with the chicken dish. I was rewarded for my decision. The
chicken was cooked perfectly, very moist and flavorful. The chorizo added a lot of flavor and the jus was rich and fulfilling. I especially liked how they
included the drumstick from the wing.
My wife had the shrimp but honestly I don’t remember much about it since I was distracted by my dish. She enjoyed it and the serving size was the
perfect amount. Too often in American culture we judge value based on serving size. It’s why most of us over eat, at least I do. In this case the serving
side was perfect based on the three courses we were enjoying.
I’m not a desert guy but I liked all three options they had on the menu. My wife tired the Fried Mini Apple Pies. Who wouldn’t like that? It was served in
a very cool mini cast iron skillet probably about 2-3 inches wide. Add that to my shopping list. The apple pies delivered as expected. Next was a rice
pudding semi-fredo. A near by table ordered this desert and it was presented nicely on top of a fishbowl like serving vessel which was filled with ice. I
went with the Chocolate Torte for one reason, it came with Beet Ice Cream. Yeah that’s right, beets. Not surprisingly it tasted like…Beets and I loved it.
Ice cream can take on all sorts of flavors and I’m constantly surprised at how well it can work. The Torte was also very good and I don’t really like
chocolate that much. Beets and chocolate turns out to be a very good pairing.
Overall I have high praise for Valley Restaurant. The setting was upscale and the service was attentive. The menu was interesting while promoting the
ingredients of the Hudson Valley. The food was executed perfectly and presented in an interesting way without being over the top. A real find in
Garrison New York.
The goal of Restaurant Week worked for us. We were able to try a new place at a reasonable price and the Valley Restaurant now has two more happy
customers. We’ll be back soon, that’s for sure.
| Valley Restaurant www.thegarrison.com 2015 Route 9 Garrison, NY (845) 424-3604 |
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