The Spotty Dog Books and Ale: A perfect combination

Following a beautiful Labor Day weekend in upstate NY (and then waiting a week to settle in to teaching again) I am devoting the next two posts to a spotlight on Hudson series. The first locale to be reviewed is the Spotty Dog. The Spotty Dog is both an independent book store as well as a local bar and lounge. Since this is a culinary blog, I won’t linger on the literary aspect of this establishment but it is worth noting that the combination creates an intellectual bar crowd (something missing in many of the drinking venues of NYC).

Once you move past the entrance and become comfortable viewing shelves of books to your right and a bar lining the left you may focus on the beers on tap. Should you be like me and a fan of microbreweries, you will be pleasantly surprised by the local and relatively unknown (but very delicious) beer selection.

Like many bars, most of the food items are not prepared on site but as we discovered with their cheese plate, they are prepared by other unique establishments in the area.

In short a combination of books and beer provides an intellectual backdrop enabling literary curiosity while deepening your brewery knowledge.

The Ranking (for an explanation, see “Ranking Key”):

Drinks: 3 Straws (with good prices and a unique selection were I a resident of Hudson this would be my local bar).

Price: $$traw: Moderate (I’ll be honest I don’t remember the specific costs but the final check was far for what we ordered).

Atmosphere: With the growing emphasis on family items the atmosphere can seem somewhat contradictory. I can’t say its not a little weird to be sipping a beer with a baby crawling on the floor behind you ready for a change.

Overall: 3 Straws. A great Hudson establishment and an icon of the goodness that comes from the locally owned.

The Details:

Website: http://www.thespottydog.com/blog/

Location: 440 Warren Street, Hudson, NY 12534

Phone: (518) 671-6006

Reservation: No need.

Dress: Casual.

Hours:

Monday- Thursday: 10:00am- 6:00pm

Friday-Saturday: 10:00am- 9:00pm

Sunday: 12:00pm- 6:00pm

A bad change for the UWS

Why Docks… Why?

Island: Unimposing with more than a touch of genuine

Tucked within the bustling Madison Avenue between 92nd and 93rd street lies this very unimposing restaurant with a small sign that reads: Island. Despite its charming exterior however this is no “island” to be taken lightly. Within the elegance, snobbery, and elitism of the Upper East Side and its private oh I’m sorry “independent” schools, this restaurant stands out with its ability to cater to these difficult crowds while also actually producing a good meal. See I once attended one of those schools and have had the opportunity to eat in that area many times, most times however I have been disappointed with what was offered (cough “Sarabeths” cough). Now there are also gems on this same strip, like Vico, whose truffle menu is unbelievable. But the subject of this post is a second gem in that area, Island. Island is designed like many urban restaurants with its bar filling most of the entrance way, expanding into the restaurant as you walk further and further in. I know the Coffee Straws Team has been throwing around the terms “neighborhood” and “family” or “friendly” atmosphere but we really do enjoy places that exude that type of environment, Island is no exception. The servers are friendly and deeply understanding when you have dietary or allergy needs.

Now before continuing I must give some context, I was with a party of seven and we were there celebrating my sisters high school graduation. There were many dietary and allergy driven requests within our group and each request was followed through by our server including the answer to the question: from which animal did the cheese on one particular dish come from.

Overall the food was good. I ordered a rigatoni dish with Italian sausage and was very satisfied with not just the quality but also the proportions of ingredients. We also livened the event with two bottle of prosecco (Italian champaign). Now there is one concern for us “just-out-of-college” crowd and that is the prices. This is no cheap eats place, but one must remember the neighborhood in which it resides, the Upper East Side, therefore its $20-$30 price range makes more sense, especially considering that what you order will not disappoint. But given the prices this place operates with I would reserve it for the special occasions, such as a graduation dinner.

The Ranking (for explanation, see “Review Key”):

Food: 4 Stars (The food is reminiscent of an elegant restaurant but with a neighborhood feel).

Price: $$$traws, Expensive (minimum $30-$40 for a two course dinner and a drink).

Atmosphere: Friendly and bustling (but can be packed at the bar/entrance).

Overall: Four Straws (Worth the price for special occasions and I have been told by regulars that the food has never disappointed).

The Details:

Website: http://islandnewyorkcity.com/index.html

Location: 1305 Madison Ave, Between 92nd $ 93rd, Manhattan, New York.

Phone: (212) 996-1200

Reservation: We did not need one for seven people, but it was a Wednesday night. For the weekend I might make one just to be safe.

Dress: Casual.

Hours:

Weekdays: 12:00pm-11:00pm

Saturday: 11:30am- 11:00pm

Sunday: 10:30am- 10:00pm.

Buceo 95: When a Tapas and Wine bar combine.

One of my favorite types of cuisine if not my favorite is the Spanish tradition of Tapas. Tapas Bars traditionally offer a variety of small dishes from which a table of say 2 or 3 choose about 5 to 6 different tapas for the table to share. There are many myths for where the tapas tradition originated from, among them and my favorite is the idea that the plate were originally provided to block fruit fly access to the glass of wine in between sips. What has developed since the early days is the care and attention given to what is on top of that plate, the tapa.

Tapas dishes can be hot or cold and can be meat or vegetarian. Some very traditional tapas include gambas ajillo (garlic shrimp), croquettes (deep-fried cylindrical pieces of anything from potatoes to chicken to codfish), albondigas (Spanish meatballs), and of course cheese plates including the very Spanish Manchego cheese.

Buceo 95 located on the Upper West Side delivers on the tapas tradition with the added bonus of being a wine bar on top of a tapas bar. The restaurant itself is very tiny and hides out on 95th street between Broadway and Amsterdam. The environment could not exude a more friendly and familial atmosphere with the tables close together and the south wall exposed to the street suggesting a continuation of the restaurants atmosphere onto the street itself. Though the tables are packed in and when full (which it appears to be many nights out of the week) it gets very loud, the ability to have an intimate dinner is not lost. The food itself is worthy of the tapas distinction and Buceo provides many of the traditional dishes I have come to expect when dining out. One dish in particular was the baby octopus grilled over a potato and olive puree. As a fan of grilled octopus I thought this dish to be done just right and with the added distinction of being presented over a very light and well mixed puree. Unfortunately we ordered one dish that I do not think stood up to the rest, which was their paella. I am a very big paella fan and was not to impressed with the tapas sized paella they served us. Paella should never be cooked or served in such a small pan and therefor cannot exist as a tapas, it goes against the definition of the dish itself. On the other hand I am a big fan of going against definitions and trying new things, but this time it didn’t work.

Before providing the ranking I should also mention Buceo’s commitment to wine and the extensive wine menu the offer. Though I went there for dinner and selected a rather delicious bottle of rose to accompany the dinner, I do see myself returning to Buceo solely for a wine tasting.

The Ranking (for explanation, see “Review Key”):

Food: 3 Straws (With limited options for tapas dinners in New York City this is a good addition).

Wine: TBA (for a future visit, look for the review soon).

Price: $$traws, Average ($15 a person gets four tapas dishes).

Atmosphere: Casual and welcoming (smiles and closely packed tables delivers the neighborhood feel).

Overall: 3 Straws (A solid tapas experience with great potential as a new member of the Upper West Side).

The Details:

Website: N/A

Location: 201 W 95th, between Broadway and Amsterdam, Manhattan, New York.

Phone: (212) 662-7010

Reservation: No need.

Dress: Casual.

Hours:

Daily: 5:30pm- 2:00am.