FEATURES

Restaurants and revitalization
There was time when business on the riverfront was bustling; then for a long time it wasn't. Now, Newburgh and Yonkers are seeing a resurgence of new businesses--mainly restaurants--on once-blighted river property. The big question is whether this localized economic growth will help business "uptown"--where there is no river view.
text by Abby Luby; photos by David Handschuh

About the business: Tim Zagat
It's a pretty safe bet that people who eat out more than once in a lifetime recognize the name Zagat, and may even own a copy of the Zagat Guide--although Tim and Nina Zagat may have started the guides as a hobby, they sold more than five million of them last year. Tim Zagat told us a few things about dining out in the Hudson Valley, Restaurant Week, and about the business of reviewing restaurants.
a Valley Table interview

Special section: Hudson Valley Restaurant Weeks 2008
It's baaaaack! Get ready for two weeks in March when the question on everybody's lips from Albany to the Bowery will be not whether to go out to eat but where to go out to eat. This year's epicurean celebration includes more Hudson Valley restaurants offering a broader range of cuisine than the inaugural event in 2006 did. You can enjoy prix fixe lunches or dinners to your heart's content and still have money left over for a tank of gas (well, half a tank, anyway).


Once, there were shad
For the last few centeries, when the shad swam up the Hudson River to spawn--usually in late April to late May--it was cause for celebration all the way upriver to Troy. For a few weeks, shad fisherman ruled the water and brought in enough "herring most delicious" (and roe) to feed just about everybody. Now, most of the shad and shad fishermen are gone, and there are strict, new regulations designed to help restore the population--of fish, that is.
text by Dan Shapley; photos by Helanna Bratman

DEPARTMENTS/COLUMNS

Good Stuff: Eat out, do good for Parkinson's; Kudos.
Seasonal Beer Picks: Weihenstephaner dunkel; Flying Dog doppelbock; Dogfish Head barley wine.
Seasonal Wine Picks: Cabernet Franc from Millbrook; Gewurztraminer from Lenz; Manzanilla from Hidalgo; Riesling from Chateau Ste. Michelle; plus Kosher wines for Passover.
Eating by the Season: Spring's ephemeral treasures. by Anne Dailey - READ IT NOW
Sustainable Staples: Wild rice; flour. by Anne Dailey
Locally Grown: The Global Warming Sweepstakes. by Keith Stewart
By the Glass: Meritage Heritage. by Steven Kolpan - READ IT NOW
The Kitchen Garden: The Ethnic Garden. by Barry Ballister - READ IT NOW
On the plate: Baby chicory and prosciutto salad with balsamic-poached egg.

Events: March-May 08

Openings: Fox and Hound Wine & Spirits; Red Devon Market; La Tasca; Starr Place; Cafe Spuntino.

CSAs in the Hudson Valley

RECIPES

Salsa cruda (Barry Ballister);
Salsa diabla verde (Barry Ballister);
Huevos rancheros (Barry Ballister);
Roasted sweet red peppers (Barry Ballister);
Asparagus and ramp soup (Josh Kroner/Terrapin);
Wild ramp and goat cheese tart (Barbara Bogart/The Locust Tree);
Asparagus nage with sauteed shrimp (John-Michael Hamlet/ John-Michael's at Purdy's Homestead);
Baby chicory and prosciutto salad with balsamic-poached egg (Chef George DeMarsico/Relish)

YOU CAN QUOTE US...