You don’t expect to find fabulous food in a small town but it happens all the time if you know where to look. Meet The Roundhouse in Beacon NY, which is roughly an hour and a half drive from New York City. We were lucky enough to be there on a perfect summer evening, so sat outside in their lovely courtyard. Because we’re trying to keep carbs at bay, I stayed away from the one appetizer that spoke to me the most: the Roasted Corn Gnocchi, which is made with Wild Mushrooms, Applewood Smoked Bacon and Sheepsmilk Ricotta Cheese. To die for, right?
Instead, we went for a cheese dish the manager convinced us to try: the Coach Farm’s Goat Ricotta, which is tossed with Pine Nuts, Local Honey, Arugula Pesto and served with warm grilled bread. The combo was just about perfect and made ordering additional dishes a bit tough. The cheese platter was so scrumptious, I would have been happy with a couple of salads and an incredible bottle of wine and to skip the entrees.
That was, until we looked at the entree offerings. Sure, you can get a Maine Lobster roll, an Angus Burger with Sriracha Mayo, Caramelized Onions and Cheddar or how about cucumber and onion slaw? But when there’s Braised Colorado Lamb Ravioli, made with Pecorino Romano, Lemon and herbs on the menu, you need to keep exploring? The exquisite Farro and Wild Mushroom Ragu was next on the list. Ouch! Frankly, we wanted to taste them all. Those who like to keep it light will appreciate our additional small plate dishes: Prosciutto and a Smoked Salmon from Faroe Island with Watermelon, Radish, Cucumber and served in a Mustard-Oil-Lime Vinaigrette — oh so divine!
For meat lovers, don’t miss out on their Charcuterie and Cheese Board which is a great plate to share with friends. It includes house made Pork and Duck Rillettes, Chicken Liver and Applewood Bacon Pate, Prosciutto di Parma, house made Labne Cheese, and Humbolt Fog Goat’s Blue & Old Chatham Sheepherding Camembert. They serve it with House made Pearl Onion Relish, Pickles, Dijonaise and Raw Acacia Honey. Next time I’m there, I’ll definitely go for the Mission Fig Salad with Port Poached Figs, Prosciutto di Parma, French Feta, and Caramelized Pistachio Bread Crumbs. How can you pass that up? If so many other dishes didn’t catch our eye, it would have been my first choice since I rarely don’t order a salad when I’m dining out.
After a few appetizers, we decided to keep it light and went for fish all the way which we paired with a California Chardonnay, which threw us a bit as we had been drinking mostly Rieslings the previous week in the Finger Lakes. They offer a Halibut dish with Braised Lil’ Gem Lettuce, Tomato Escabeche, Israeli Couscous and a Yogurt-Curry-Lime Vinaigrette and a Faroe Island Salmon with Summer Squash, Zucchini Flower Tempura and tossed in a Raw Tomato Vinaigrette.
If it were a different season, I would have happily gone for the Crescent Duck Breast with Red Wine Glazed Endive, Peach Chutney and Duck Jus or the Hanger Steak prepared in a Brown Butter Béarnaise Sauce. They also offer a Brazilian-Style Stew of Black Beans, Black Rice, Linguica Pork Sausage, Pork Spare Ribs and a Citrus-Chile Sauce.
Desserts were also divine and the service was top notch!
The Roundhouse has a bit of history behind it as well. Nestled in a beautiful and peaceful part of Beacon, it has been around for over 150 years. Apparently, these historic structures where the restaurant now lives, also housed an early textile mill, the first of Beacon’s many famed hat factories, and the H.N. Swift Machine Shop, which reportedly manufactured the first lawnmowers in the US. The stunning Beacon Falls, which I love walking past, connected them all by providing power as early as 1800.
They’re also connected to a boutique hotel and an event space which can handle up to 200 guests. Given how great the weather is in upstate New York through the end of October, I’d encourage you to dine on the outdoor patio, which is under the trees and overlooks Beacon Falls. Two thumbs up — we absolutely loved our experience and would definitely return!!
Details:
The Roundhouse
2 East Main Street
Beacon, NY 12508
T: 845 765 8369
E: info@roundhousebeacon.com
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
