For anyone seeking an urbane-chic adult experience with all of the culture and style of Manhattan (but none of the hassle and a lot a more heart): Head to Hudson. Just 71 miles from Saratoga Springs, it’s easy to head down for a day trip, or an easy overnight.
Here’s what to eat, drink, shop, see, and where to spend a night if you need an extra dose of adult serenity.
Eat:
Taiga: Siberian forest flavor that’s a rich tapestry of traditional European culinary techniques and ancient recipes from indigenous northern people. Don’t miss the Tsar’s Platter, with blini, Borodinsky bread, three caviars, butterfish, and other pickled and sea-faring accoutrements. 119 Warren St.
Via Cassia: One of the most exciting new(ish) Italian restaurants in Upstate New York, the classic fresh and extruded pastas are technically perfect — while also being highly seasonal and relentlessly creative. Swoon for the lumache with sausage and Swiss chard ragu, black truffle, smoked ricotta salata. 214 Warren Street.
Cafe Mutton: Perched quietly off the beaten path, you will likely still have to wait for a table (it’s worth it). And whatever you do, don’t ask for substitutions: just trust the kitchen and eat that headcheese on a baguette slathered in aioli. Or be beige and order the crepes with butter and maple, a staple for a reason. 757 Columbia Street.
Drink:
The Hereafter: The perfect date night or best friend hang where the bartenders are friendly, the people-watching is epic, and the drinks are well-crafted and zany. Try to resist the Hellcat, a mezcal infused with ancho and pasilla peppers, then toppled up with strawberry amaro, guava, lemon and agave. Killer small plates too. 721 Columbia Street.
Spotty Dog Books & Ale: A place that serves excellent craft beer (plus wine and cocktails), much of it locally sourced, while curating a collection of classic + ultra-progressive books I want to read? You haven’t gone to heaven, you’ve stepped into Spotty. Watch out, or you’ll stumble out, buzzed with a pile of books. 440 Warren Street.
Shop:
Neven & Neven Moderne: Hudson got a shout-out in Billions for its epic antique shopping opps, but their mid-century modern fair is even better. Neven & Neven is the most rigorously curated and silver-sleek fierce of the bunch. 618 Warren Street.
Mel the Bakery: Do I need to make a special stop at a bakery in Hudson, you might ask? You haven’t tried Mel’s sourdough chocolate croissants, nut-brown boules, or perfectly overstuffed Italian sandwiches, I will answer. 324 Warren Street.
Nikki Chasin: Delicious, cozy, urban-country-chic loungy comfort threads that look like the sartorial love child of Eileen Fisher and The Row. 553 Warren Street.
See:
Carrie Haddad Gallery: The first of many fine art galleries in Hudson, the O.G. was launched in 1991. A recent exhibit was dubbed, “Earth Endures, Stars Abide: An Exhibit of Hudson Valley Landscapes,” with works from Tracy Helgeson. 622 Warren Street.
Olana State Historic Site: Today, it’s a historic house-museum in the Victorian / American Exotic Revival style of architecture with 250 acres worth of stunning grounds offering romantic gardens and long-winding paths to wander, with views of the Hudson River. In yesteryear, it was home to Frederic Edwin Church, one of the most lauded figures in the Hudson River School of landscape painting. 5720 NY-9G.
Stay:
The Maker: This is a hotel for anyone who wants to live like a Parisian writer with a rich patron, circa 1921. Think a hotel that feels like a lifestyle, with eclectic, masterfully crafted, bespoke furniture and décor. Edith Wharton, but make it sexy. Get brunch in the dreamy on-site restaurant. 302 Warren Street.
Rivertown Lodge: This is clean, Scandinavian lines, Workstead brass lighting, locally crafted furniture … in a rigorously upcycled movie theater. If you weren’t hip when you arrived, you’ll feel hip when you leave. Grab a sexy dinner at the convivial bar. 731 Warren Street.
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