INTEL: WHERE TO EAT IN KINDERHOOK
OK - Off to Kinderhook - might have been President Van Buren’s shorthand for a trip home to Columbia County, but despite being a small town it feels as if every new Hudson Valley resident lives there now. And with good reason. There’s a world famous gallery (The School), the architecture is charming, bagels excellent and a clutch of desirable eateries will feed you from morn’ til night. Breakfast might be Morningbird, OK Pantry or Broad Street Bagels, lunch should def be Hamrah’s Lebanese. And we’ve cherrypicked 3 spots for dinner. Read on…
Where to eat? 3 dinner spots to know in Kinderhook, N.Y.
Words + photos: Susie Davidson Powell
SAISONNIER
11 Chatham St, Kinderhook | Website: saisonnier.us | IG: @ok_saisonnier.
Taking its name from a French word for seasonal field hands, who brewed (and consumed) seasonal farm ales, Saisonnier has run with the idea of curated “craft beer and artisanal cheese shop" driven by seasonality and a passion for local terroir. Owners Kasey and Patrick Kenny transformed the 1830s former post office and Old Van Bleck store into a beer and cheese tasting room and shop with exposed beam and brick and warm yellow walls. Work your way through 10 interesting craft beer taps or scour shelves filled with over a hundred more. There's also barleywine, mead and an entire list of larger-format lambics coming in at the price of a decent bottle of plonk. A snack-heavy menu slam dunks Hudson Valley grilled cheeses, charcuterie boards and sandwiches. Turn up for a beer, stay for the food, and end up chatting with the bartender or other guests. It nails the rustic vibe of a French cave-à-manger and wine lovers can choose from a handful of natural pours.
Why go? If you’re looking for somewhere to while away some hours but still feel like you did something adventurous in the Hudson Valley, Saisonnier checks all the boxes.
ISOLA WINE BAR
16 Hudson St, Kinderhook | isolawinebar.com | @isola_kinderhook.
If you’re on the hunt for a cool little wine bar that feels a coastal European enotica, stop into Isola Wine Bar. The restored historic building has exposed beams and vintage-inspired fixtures that conjure up old-world trattoria vibes without feeling too cute. The wine program is curated by owner-sommelier Hillary Zio whose Advanced Certificate in Wines & Spirits, two decades of experience, and a travel-writer’s eye for coastal, European wines match her passion for inrtorucing guests to less-well known bottles. Her small list leans into low-intervention, mineral-driven wines—think a skin-contact Sicilian orange, a Canary Islands rosé, or a rustic Croatian red—with bottles changing often. But there are curated beers too along with a tapas-style menu, pulling local Hudson Valley ingredients into coastal-inspired plates.
Why go? For the wine, the small plates and the cozy farmhouse style where jeans n’ tees or chunky knits will be at home.
THE AVIARY
8 Hudson St., Kinderhook | theaviarykinderhook.com | IG: @theaviarykinderhook
If you’re down for an elevated night out in the Hudson Valley without stuffy vibes, check out The Aviary. Housed in the historic 19th-century Knitting Mill, the space fuses gallery-minimalism with industrial character: soaring ceilings, pale Venetian plaster, a marble bar and striking murals from co-owner-artist Darren Waterston. The menu is built around local-farm produce and bold flavors: think speckled dragon-tongue beans with pickled radishes and mushroom-confît “drizzle”, pork loin with foraged mushrooms, brown-butter soy and roasted squash, or scallops paired with green apple and sunflower-shoot vinaigrette. Executive Chef Robert Howay honors the founding menu by Hannah Wong (now of the roving pop up Haema Hospitality) but with a more overt Hudson Valley twist. Cocktails are no afterthought: Veteran bartender Nick Ferrandino (New World Bistro, The Argus Hotel) has found a perfect niche here putting together the menu’s popular smoky mezcal “Goldfinch” and signature Aviary martini with fragrant Vietnamese gin.
Why go? Upscale without formality, stylish and artistic but fun enough for a group dinner, date night or solo night out. The details in the menu, the art and bar decor are worth lingering over from tables or corner booths, but with celebrity sightings not uncommon here, a seat at the bar affords a perfect view.
