Sunday, November 29, 2015

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!