Rock and Rye Tavern - Fine Dining on the North Edge of New Paltz

Megan: 3 Krabby Patties

When we first arrived, the restaurant looked like the oldest building I'd ever seen! But when we went inside, it was a very CUTE old building. Sitting next to the fireplace was very good because of how freezing the winter in New Paltz is.

When I first looked at the menu, I was very concerned. There were NO items that I would typically order. But I saw a pork-and-veal bolognese which seemed like something that I might like. But, being the not-risky person that I am, I asked for the sauce on the side.

I also ordered a lemonade, which the waitress had said that they make fresh. I don't typically tend to like fresh-made lemonade because usually it has real lemon in it. But THIS lemonade was actually very good!

When the bolognese came, there was a beautiful-looking bowl of plain pasta, my favorite food ... and a very-nice-looking bowl of bolognese sauce. So I dipped a piece of pasta into the sauce and ate it. What I tasted next was not, to my mind, a bolognese sauce, but, rather, was simply and fully an onion. I HATE onions in every form. So I wasn't that happy with the bolognese.

But the plain pasta with cheese was fantastic!

Overall, the meal was very good, although all I ate really was plain pasta and lemonade and bread. The pasta was very good - but it's not that hard to make plain pasta. Maybe next time I'll save us some money and just ask for plain pasta in a bowl!

 Glenn: 4 Krabby Patties

Tucked away at the north end of New Paltz's historically significant Huguenot Street, the Rock and Rye Tavern sits in a cozy 1750s-era tavern adjacent to the golf course. History oozes out of the pores of this place.

The Rock and Rye is, how do we say ..., not cheap. It's one of those places that you usually only go to for job candidates and the like, if you know what I mean. But the three of us - my wallet, Megan, and I, decided to brave it - and I have to say that we were not disappointed.

The ambiance of this place is first-class. The dining room, adjacent to the old bar, feels like it's unchanged since the pre-revolutionary days when this place was bustling with Huguenot descendants. We sat next to the perfect fireplace in this cozy room - waited on attentively by a team of waitstaff.

The restaurant boasts that it has the best drink selection in the valley. With this in mind, I stretched a bit from my typical draft beer order, and went for a vodka martini - with Tito's, no less. The result was pretty perfect, I'll admit.

For dinner, I used my standard ordering algorithm when going to a high-end place - I ordered the burger! I have to say, even the burger was a bit costly - $17 - or $21 with fries. Was it worth it? I'd say it was close! The chef had "rare" down - and the seasonings, with a good hint of hot peppers, were on-target. This was a nice burger! Were the fries worth an additional $4? Well, let's just say that the burger was great!

Overall, the meal was thumbs-up - and the ambiance made for a perfect place to spend Saturday night with Megan!

Gilded Otter - Fine Food and Drink Near the Walkill

Megan: 3.5 Krabby Patties

My mother, un-named here in this situation, has rejected our family dinners to be held at the Gilded Otter for many years now. Even though it is one of MY personal favorites! Since I haven't been there in so long, when I was little I would get stuff off the kids' menu, so I didn't really know what was on the "real" menu.

Unfortunately, the options on the "real" menu do not, apparently, match up with my taste in food. All I wanted was spaghetti and meatballs. But it said in the menu that the meatballs were "cooked in hambone" - and I know that I hate ham. So I KNEW that I would hate the sauce ...

I asked the waiter if I could "get any other sauce on the meatballs." To which he replied, "there's one with olives" ... and I hate olives even more than I hate ham! My dad asked the waiter to bring out a sample of the sauce that would be on the meatballs - and when the waiter brought it, it (the sauce) was absolutely terrible! I'm not sure what was wrong with it, but it's just not something that I'd want on my meatballs.

I only eat meatballs with sauce - and I only eat pasta without sauce. But I didn't even like the sauce for the meatballs. So my dad just said that HE would eat the plain meatballs instead.

I got a chocolate smoothie to drink - like I did when I was little. And it was even BETTER than I'd remembered. It was really good. Even my mom would have liked it!

The pasta was fantastic - I couldn't have imagined it being any better! The garlic bread was fine - I mean I don't really even like garlic bread - so considering the fact that I ate even some of it was a good thing.

I tried one of my dad's wings and thought it was one of the best in town.

Overall, the food was very good - EXCEPT the TERRIBLE SAUCE and the trouble with ordering meatballs.

Glenn: 4 Krabby Patties

When I first moved to New Paltz, I was delighted to find so many things. The Shawangunk Mountains? The Rail Trail? Ulster County Pool? Split Rock? Awesome stuff. And I have to say, "Brew Pub!?" stood out for me. Having the Gilded Otter right in town struck me as such a perk when I moved here in 2000, and to this day, I still see things this way. My town has an awesome brew pub - and this fact adds to my quality of life.

This evening, Megan and I had a long-overdue date night. Meg's in 10th grade now, and she's a force - date night with Megan is always a great time!

Megan has been going to the Otter her whole life - including when Kathy was pregnant with her some years back - so this is kind of a comfortable place for us.

DRINKS:

Beverage-wise, I decided to go with the Biergarten - a sample of 8 beers (although only seven were available). In terms of the beers, I find the Otter's selection hit or miss. I have to say, I am not a fan of any pumpkin beers - so "#6" in the selection was not the best. Today's selection was sort of lacking - with nothing like a porter or stout to be found. My fave? The three pines IPA - a simple, classic IPA - not bad at all. Next time, I'll go straight to a pint of the IPA.

FOOD:

As far as the food, I started with the vegetable-and-beef soup, and I have to say - it killed! With an awesome broth base, a great mixture of salt, pepper, and spices, and a healthy ratio of beef to veggies, I'm giving this one a big thumbs up!

For my entree, I went with a Glenn classic - wings! Meg wanted some of them - and she requested that we get "mild" this time - so I went for it. And I have to say, they hit the spot. Classic wings, not too drizzled with sauce, but with just enough to provide the hot, savory suite of flavors that we come to expect in our wings. A winner.

AMBIANCE:

As for the ambiance, the Otter has it! Situated in a beautiful, airy building with a great combination of the modern and the rustic - the physical setting sets the stage for the evening. Patrons run the gamut from locals like Meg and me to college students, professors, hikers, cyclists, rock climbers, musicians, city slickers, Long Islanders, and a random assortment of hippies. And friendly, familiar waitstaff (who often are among my list of SUNY New Paltz alumni), and the classic New Paltz air of "it's all good," help the Otter capture the vibe of this special part of the Hudson Valley as well as any place in town.

Have time to hit up only one restaurant on your visit to New Paltz? Interested in one that captures the ethos of this place that Megan and I am fortunate to call my home? You'll be hard-pressed to beat The Gilded Otter.