Hudson is a great destination for “Foodies” with many restaurants to choose from. My top finds include:
I was sad to hear that Fish & Game, one of the top spots in town and a favorite of mine when in town, closed due to the pandemic in late 2020. But their smaller restaurant, BackBar, a colorful bar and restaurant in the rear of an antique shop, is still open. It offers Malaysian plates and a dim sum brunch on weekends. 347 Warren St.
Le Perche Bakery and Bar: This is a perfect spot for lunch with a good list of sandwiches, salads and other entrees. They also have pastries, great cookies and sweets. 230 Warren St.
Tanzys is a casual breakfast and lunch spot at 223 Warren.
REV Coffee & Tea: At 742 Warren, this is a cafe in a former home that sells coffee, tea and more.
Swoon Kitchenbar: This is a very good farm-to-table restaurant in the heart of downtown. Chef Jeffrey Gimmel was a James Beard Nominee for Best Chef Northeast in 2012. 340 Warren St. I enjoyed a very good meal with local friends. They are the sister restaurant of Le Perche Bakery and Bar.
MOTO Coffee Machine is a great spot for coffee. It is a fun space as they share a space at 357 Warren St. with a Waffle café and a store selling motorcycles and motorcycle gear.
Verdigris Tea: Verdigris Tea and the Hudson Chocolate Bar sell a large selection of chocolates, pastries, teas and coffee. It is a perfect spot to unwind with a pot of tea after a busy day of touring. I loved the dark chocolates as well. 135 Warren St.
Red Dot Restaurant & Bar is recommended by my local friends and is the oldest bar and restaurant in town. 321 Warren St.
My niece recently got engaged while staying west of Hudson in Athens. They celebrated in town, with drinks at The Maker Lounge at 302 Warren St. and a great dinner at the new WM. Farmer and Son Boarding & Barroom at 120 S. Front. Street. She wanted me to pass on these recommendations to all of you.
For pizza Baba Louie’s at 517 Warren St. gets good reviews.
Spotty Dog Books & Ale at 440 Warren St. is a local bookstore that also has a bar featuring local beer, wine, coffee drinks and snacks.
I am already planning my next trip to the area. I definitely want to visit Mel the Bakery in Hudson. It was a 2024 James Beard Award nominee for Best Bakery. They have a menu of breads, pastries, cookies and croissants It is located at 324 Warren St.
Another 2024 James Beard nominee for Best Chef: New York State, was Shaina Loew-Banayan of Cafe Mutton. This is a small neighborhood at 757 Columbia St. It has a seasonal brunch menu and a dinner menu that changes every Friday, the only time it is open for dinner during the week.