As a mother of two young children, I don't
remember the last time dining out didn’t consist of chicken nuggets and arcade
games.
When my husband, Joseph, and I were presented
with the opportunity to enjoy a lunch together sans children, I knew right away
where I wanted to go: The Tavern at Diamond Mills. I have driven past this
luxury hotel a dozen times since it opened in January of 2012, always wondering
what it looked like inside those brick walls.
The tavern was much bigger and brighter than
I had expected. We chose to sit inside due to the heat, but any other day I
would have chosen the outside dining area, as it overlooks a charming
waterfall.
Appetizer: We decided to share the grilled steak flat
bread. It came heaped with arugula, tomatoes, red onion, Gorgonzola, pesto béchamel
and grilled steak. The fusion of ingredients was perfect and more than enough
to share between two people.
Entrées: For lunch, I choose the “BLT and A&E”
sandwich (A&E = avocado and fried egg). This is the BLT to top all BLTs.
Smoked bacon, roasted tomatoes, arugula, avocado, fried egg, and roasted garlic
aioli on a toasted ciabatta bread. After finishing this gratifying sandwich, I
will never be able to have the average BLT, again. Joe stuck to what he knows
best: the burger. The Tavern Skillet Burger was topped with St. André cheese, smoked
bacon, avocado, and chipotle aioli on a brioche roll. The special blend of
seasonings they use is part of what made this burger so delicious. Both meals came
with the choice of house salad or hand-cut truffle Parmesan fries. We chose the
latter, and the name speaks for itself: AMAZING!
Find more great restaurant reviews in our Restaurant Guide
Dessert: We shared the Cheesecake Trio and
Coconut Lavender Crème Brulée. The trio consisted of three sampler-sized
portions of uniquely flavored cheesecake. One of them contained Rogue River blue cheese, sour cherries and
almonds. Joe found the cheesecake pleasant, while I
preferred the crème brulée. It was very light and without the thick caramelized
sugar topping that I’m accustomed too. The presentation of both desserts
was almost too perfect to touch. I wouldn’t expect anything less, as Chef Giuseppe Napoli is a graduate of the Culinary
Institute of America.
We
had a lovely time and will take the children with us next time, as they do have
a children’s menu, plenty of room, and children aged 4 and under eat
free. Besides, there are about 10 more desserts that I’m anxious to try!
Gloria Darmanin lives in
Saugerties with her husband and two sons.
The Tavern at Diamond Mills
25 South Partition St.,
Saugerties
845-247-0700
Perfect for date night: YES
Perfect for the kids: YES
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