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.

McGillicuddy’s in New Paltz on Friday Night - 11/7/2014

Cuddy’s

Meg: 4 Crabby Patties

It all started off with some pink lemonade - I was asked by the waiter if I cared whether it was pink or not. Surprisingly, I did not care! The next part of my meal was the wings. I decided to go up a step, and order Three Alarm instead of Volcanic. I am going to go back down a step - they were so hot, I cried! Although they were very tasty.

Then, I ordered a cheeseburger - PLAIN - with French Fries. The French Fries were very good - although they did NOT calm the heat from the wings. Also, they were not salty enough at all! I then proceeded to actually tasting my burger. I picked it up and the hot meaty juice fell on my lap and burned me. It actually hurt a lot! But after I recovered from my injury, I highly enjoyed the burger - and thought that the cheese was the best part. A little “overly grilled” for my liking - but definitely not the worst I’ve seen under that label.

All in all, it was very much a decent meal. Slightly better than average. My lemonade, French Fries, and cheese were DEFINITELY the best part - not to mention the buns on the hamburger. Despite being burned, eating some charcoal, and crying of wing sauce, I’d say it was quite a good meal - and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Glenn: 4.75 Crabby Patties

Our family has been going to McGillicuddy’s on Friday nights as our go-to place in New Paltz since we moved here in 2000. Nothing has changed. It was awesome then - and it is awesome now!

After a long week of professoring, there’s nothing better than some wings, a burger, and a beer at this perfect pub. Meg insisted on three-alarm wings - and yeah, they were HOT!!! We actually left one on the plate without finishing it - this is not typical for Meg or me! But hey, Meg wanted to see what life was like beyond volcanic - so now we know!

Our waiter was cheerful and efficient - and my food was perfect Friday Night comfort food. The burgers at Cuddy’s are always just about perfect - and my burger tonight was no exception. It reminded me of a small version of the giant 2-pound burger that I finished at Cuddy’s this past summer in my effort to beat the Cuddy’s burger challenge - juicy, tasty, and delicious - except not quite as daunting! (oh, and by the way, while I did finish the burger in my attempt to beat the challenge in summer, I left about 4 fries on my plate, thereby failing to beat the challenge - but hey … I tried!).

In any case, while the wings were a tad hot, the food was pretty near perfect overall. And the ambience - classic pub in our classic upstate town - was even better. And the company, my favorite restaurant-reviewing companion, was the best!

I expect to be at Cuddy’s for many more Friday night meals in the years to come!

Ruth and Wimpy’s – 10/11/2014 - a taste of Downeast!

Ruth and Wimpy's - Hancock, ME

Meg: 3.5 Krabby Patties

I did only send back one item … my chocolate milk. It might have been considered “regular milk” for it was paler than I am! The waitress was very nice – and got me completely new “bottled” chocolate milk. AKA – the real deal! And she was not at all offended that her chocolate milk was really just milk.

As for the appetizers, I must admit that it was some of the best garlic bread that I ever had! And it wasn’t burnt or crunchy – like some garlic breads are. It was soft, and slightly underdone. The Buffalo chicken dip was fine. “Decent” at best. Although it did taste good, and did have what some would call a “kick,” it was not legitimately spicy – or hot at all! Buffalo chicken dip is supposed to be an item that makes you run into the kitchen for more water or milk. But THIS Buffalo chicken dip was only slightly above average on the hotness scale – about where “mild” wings are.

When my meal actually came, I was surprised at the size of my cheese steak. It was nowhere NEAR the size of the ones you get in Philly. Everyone else at the table gasped at how BIG it was – but I remember my visit to Philadelphia – and this one was simply not as big. It was really an exceptional cheesesteak, though. And everything from the cheese to the bread was better than average. The French Fries were also pretty good. But they tasted a little bit TOO MUCH like “potato” because of how thick they were. French Fries are not supposed to taste like potatoes – they are supposed to taste fried. The French Fries were really good, though – especially as steak fries.

The wait staff was very quick and helpful. And the restaurant itself was very unique and distinctive – with the huge lobster outside, which made this restaurant have a very rustic feel that most would enjoy.

There were signs all over the ceiling with hypocritical messages that were not funny, in my opinion – but I just wanted to take the opportunity to correct them. An example was a sign that said this: “No pets allowed” - with a sign just under that said “please keep your pets on a leash.” I didn’t like how this was supposed to be a joke. It was obviously a mistake and I just wanted to cover one up. And I couldn’t believe that people were taking it as a joke.

Besides that, the restaurant had a great feel – and pretty good food!

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Glenn: 4 Krabby Patties

Well I have to say, I love this place! The ambience, the location, and the clear “we are really in Downeast Maine” thing going on are just awesome. And the giant lobster out front – apparently named Wilbur – really speaks to me! We went there for my mother-in-law’s birthday with a party of 8. The kids and I had snuck in the restaurant earlier in the day to deliver a great chocolate cake – to be delivered as a surprise!

Well I have to say, from the appetizers to the meals – and great candle-lit cake, this evening was a win! Everyone enjoyed the classic appetizers such as the Buffalo chicken dip and the thin-sliced and crispy onion rings. Yum! The wait staff was prompt and helpful and the ambience, characterized by hundreds of license plates from all over the place - covering the walls – was perfect.

For the first time ever, I ordered stuffed baked lobster. I was in Maine – so I felt that lobster was necessary – but I wanted something a little bit easy to eat. This was a nice compromise! And the lobster was perfectly done. Yum!

Others at the table enjoyed items such as a great Autumn-themed sandwich and a huge dish of chicken parm – that was very filling (for my son), but looked barely touched!

If you want a fun and easy restaurant experience – with solid food and decent drinks – in Downeast Maine – then Ruth and Wimpy’s is for you!

(and big thanks to my awesome father-in-law, Bob, for footing the bill – and to my awesome mother-in-law, Gill, for providing the cause for celebration!).