Restaurants in Kingston, NY
IF YOU KNOW | JUNE 19, 2021
Sarah Copeland
WHO
Restaurants
WHAT
Kingston, New York
WHERE
About
Sarah Copeland is an award-winning writer, tastemaker and curator of good living. She is the author of the books Instant Family Meals, Every Day is Saturday, Feast and The Newlywed Cookbook, which exemplify her standard for gorgeous photography, luscious recipes, and simple luxuries. The former Food Director at Real Simple magazine and a Food Network veteran, Sarah has spent a decade bringing her live-full philosophy to homes across America.
Sarah spent several years as a chef in New York City and France. She is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Also a trained journalist, Sarah is passionate about storytelling. She and her recipes appear regularly in top publications including Food & Wine, Saveur, Martha Stewart Living, Better Homes and Gardens and Food Network Magazine.
PHOTO BY NICO SCHINCO
This little gem was started by our friends, Kyle Needham, an oyster man (among many other talents) and Tait Simpson, a photographer turned brewer. They’re a nano-brewery, so every pour is a treat. (Hint: if your favorite is on tap, don’t sleep on it.) Kids are always welcome at this low-key spot, but it’s also great for date nights. The menu boasts pizza, Kingston’s best oysters and absolutely perfect sourdough pretzels, made by Frida Kristinsdóttir (Tait’s wife, and my dear friend). For the summer, try the lobster roll of my dreams. It’s the perfect spot to end a casual bike ride, or fuel up before hitting the Rail Trail, just steps from their front door.
It’s hard to narrow down the things we love about Lola: the casual-chic design, the crispy, big-flavor salads or the bonkers good (and never-gets-old) pizza, to name a few. You may recognize the names of two of the masterminds behind this space: Taavo Somer, from his work at the celebrated Freemans in Downtown NYC (among others), or James Beard Award-Winning consulting chef Zak Pelaccio, for his equally acclaimed work at places like Fish and Game. Their talent shines here. LOLA management and staff is one of the warmest and best-trained around. They know your name, they know your kids and they know you definitely want that soft serve at the end of the meal. Don’t miss the outstanding cocktail program or the stunning black walnut bar (built by my husband, Andras Gipp, of Hudson Workshop).
This class-act dining room with a lively mural, cozy fireplace and not-a-bad-seat-in-the-house booths, is our go to for family celebrations, double date nights and brunch. It gives off a super festive feeling in the same way that going for brunch at Balthazar in Soho did back in the early 2000s, and likewise, it never gets old.
Owners Mark Palmer and Anthea White brought their earthy, Australian-coffee-house sensibility with them from their homeland, and they are winning; you’ll find local foraged mushrooms on salads, hearty no-nonsense sandwiches, impeccable coffee and a frothy chocolate milk with maple syrup, which I love. They recently expanded their tiny coffee shop to Little Village (handmade artisan goods, next door) and deeper into Mid-town with Village Grocery and Refillery – one-stop shopping for brilliant pastry, prepared salads and take-away meals and provisions, including refillables for the pantry and bath. I appreciate their huge variety of gluten-free, vegan and traditional pastries, but I love it most as a responsibly indulgent lunch spot, a place to take the kids after school for a treat or to grab some goods on the way to Kingston Point Beach.
This books and beer (and coffee and world-class hot chocolate) spot set on Kingston’s famous four corners, is Kingston’s gathering hub adjacent the farmer’s market, with a revolving door of great works of history, fiction, anti-racism, nature tomes, cookbooks and kids books galore (they have it all). The owners, Anthony and Amanda Stromoski, champion local authors and local brewers, and their shop is a home to anyone who wants to imbibe, gather, read, discuss, work, learn, engage and feel like part of the community. As a family, we go there on weekends to hunt for books and nibble croissants and on the weekdays (pre-covid and hopefully once again soon), it’s my second office/work outpost – a place to meet a friend and hash out ideas. (I wrote the text for my third book sitting at one of their tables!)
This Rough Draft off-shoot (R.D. used to run a Saturday bread and bagel program started by Aaron Quint, called Kingston Bread Lab, before they joined forces on a brick-and-mortar space), is a stand-alone great, with the lines out the door to prove it. They make the best almond croissant I’ve had outside of Paris, amazing sandwiches and weekend specials, on top of their incredible and always reliably fresh, top-notch sourdough and sweet bread programs. They’re always mixing and matching in a very clever way.
Masa Midtown, a new (ish) Turkish restaurant, is my favorite lunch / take-out dinner spot. They have fabulous mezze platters, divine lentil soup, amazing falafels and so much more. (I’m still eating my way through the entire menu.) On the weekends, they make Turkish Simit (like a bagel but a thousand times better!), twisted and with sesame; they’re super crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, served with honey and whipped feta. After living in NYC for so long, with every flavor of the world at our fingertips (here, they’re harder to come by), Masa Midtown is the answer when I want to feel treated. Turkish born, Brooklyn raised owner Ozlem Oguzcan-Cranston (chef Oz) and her husband are the warmest couple, so sweet and dedicated, bringing Kingston Turkey’s finest (and addictive) cuisine.
Lis Bar is a sweet spot in the Kingston dining scene, with a Polish-inspired menu that I’d like to be eating from way, way more often. It has an old-world vibe with good design, wallpaper and dark wood details. Though mostly candle-lit (their two-and-four top tables are built for intimacy), their outdoor garden area is a thriving summer hub. My husband is Hungarian, so Central-European fare is a very rare and special treat for us, and this food from owners Jonathan and Patty Rich, never disappoints. It’s a bit like a vacation from Kingston, in the sense that you feel like you could be in some really old European city. Be sure to order across the menu – you’ll want to try everything.
Little bites and a novel wine list, along with impeccable design, keep us coming back to Brunette, the cult favorite located in Kingston’s Downtown (near the waterfront). It’s teeny-tiny, and everything is so feminine and beautiful, like their marble cafe tables. It’s where I go to have drinks with lady friends, or show off our village’s best to an out-of-town guest. I love their signature bowl of perfect potato chips with bursting salmon caviar and sour cream, but they have lots of playful, inventive small plates, and the new owners are pure charm.
While this technically isn’t a restaurant, everybody loves the Kingston Wine Shop – it’s very important to the food and dining life of the Catskills. The owner, Michael Drapkin, is essentially the Godfather of wine programs here. He sources beautiful natural wines, cider and more – if you’re after an obscure Hungarian or Slovakian wine, and it’s not there, he’s got something equally compelling for you.
This super cool dive bar feels like a favorite old city haunt – the place you want to steal away to with a friend on a slow work day. They have dreamy chicken liver pate, cornichons and pastrami, and that’s just getting started. This butcher-by-day, bar-by-night midtown spot has truly brought something new (and needed) to these parts.
I learned about this dreamy mid-town hero from Julia Turshen years ago, and every time we eat here, my son talks about it for weeks after (it’s that good). They have the most incredible jerk chicken and impeccable, fluffy coconut cake, served in these super thick, chunky slices. Albert and Malenda Bartley, the owners, are just wonderful, and always have a big, welcoming smile to greet us. It’s a weekday indulgence (sometimes we go after school and end up eating a whole meal).
Ah, Diego's. Everyone loves their Al Pastor … I love their smoky beet tacos and deep-fried cauliflower (vegetarians can eat very well here). We’ve been taking our kids here since they were tiny (the rice and bean bowl for kids rocks, and is a great value), and though there’s always a wait, it’s always worth it.
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