Welcome to Quick Bites, our regular roundup of restaurant openings, closings, pop-ups, special events, trends, and other happenings in the vast and vibrant Hudson Valley dining scene. Find it every other Wednesday online and in Flavor, our Hudson Valley food newsletter
Have food news to share? Email maria.silva@timesunion.com
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The Baldwin Speakeasy opens in Pine Bush distillery
The Baldwin Speakeasy opened July 18 as the new tasting room and cocktail lounge inside the farm distillery Liquid Mercantile and whiskey brand Speakeasy Motors Whiskey Co., helmed by Mark Chiancone and Evan Favaro
Housed inside a 250-year-old barn on the former Baldwin Vineyards property, the antique-filled lounge serves New York beer and wine alongside seasonal cocktails featuring spirits distilled on site and from other New York producers. Current cocktails include a cacao hazelnut old-fashioned, clarified whiskey sour, limoncello lemon drop martini and a modern Bloody Mary made with gin, tomato water, fermented vegetable brine and basil hydrosol. Low- and no-alcohol cocktails are also available
Chiancone and Favaro founded Speakeasy Motors Whiskey Co. in 2019 before taking over Liquid Mercantile in 2024
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Music and special events are central to the Baldwin experience, Chiancone said. Upcoming events include a murder mystery night Aug. 22 and a surf rockabilly music weekend from Aug. 28-30. Rotating food vendors serve the property, with Empanada Nirvana on site this weekend
The Baldwin, at 174 Hardenburgh Road in Pine Bush, is open 3 to 5 p.m. Fridays for happy hour, 3 to 10 p.m. Fridays, 1 to 10 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 8 p.m. Sundays
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Pho Panda brings Chinese and Vietnamese to Kingston Plaza
A fast-casual restaurant serving Chinese-American favorites and Vietnamese dishes opened last month in Kingston Plaza, replacing the former Super Bowl Cuisine
Pho Panda serves Chinese-American staples, barbecue, bánh mì, 13 varieties of pho and several vegetarian options for dine-in and takeout. Desserts include house-made caramel flan and mango sticky rice, along with bubble tea
Pho Panda is at 300 Plaza Road in Kingston and is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday
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In Kingston, Sultana’s Cuisine moves back to Broadway
After a brief move across town, Sultana’s Cuisine is returning to its original Broadway location
Parvin Sultana opened a grocery at 338 Broadway in 2020 before expanding into prepared Bangladeshi and Indian meals that quickly developed a following. She reopened July 15 inside the former Blondie’s Trolley Diner on East Chester Street, but soon closed after needing more space and running into disagreements with the landlord
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After reconnecting with her former landlord, Sultana said she’ll return to Broadway in about a month, cooking from a food truck while searching for a permanent home
Alcohol-free bottle shop opens in Hudson
With fewer Americans drinking alcohol, new businesses are popping up to fill the gap. This month, the Hudson Valley got its first zero-proof bottle shop in Hudson Dry
Founded by 2007 Culinary Institute of America graduate Ryan Curran — who himself no longer drinks — Hudson Dry carries nonalcoholic wine, beer and spirits, from national brands to hard-to-find items from international producers. The shop is also stocked with cocktail mixers, including tonic waters, colas, ginger beers, sparkling waters, bitters, cocktail garnishes and syrups. This winter, Curran will also launch a craft ice program
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Born in Connecticut, Curran has worked in management at culinary institutions across the country, including Eleven Madison Park and Big Night Restaurant Group in San Francisco. He worked at Talbott & Arding in Hudson before launching his own hospitality venture
Hudson Dry is at 421 Warren St. in Hudson and is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday through Monday
Pizza stays at former Savona’s Fishkill location
In November, Savona Trattoria expanded to Fishkill with a pizzeria. But the venture was short-lived. Last month, the Savona family announced it was closing the operation to focus on its full-service restaurants in Kingston, Red Hook, Poughkeepsie and Hudson
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“Because of this, we felt it was important to pass the torch to owners who can continue serving the Fishkill community with the same passion and dedication,” the owners wrote in a June 15 social media post
Its successor, Colandrea Pizza King, a longtime Middletown restaurant, took over the space at 17 Merritt Blvd. on July 22. The restaurant serves hand-tossed pizza, pasta and Italian entrees for dine-in and takeout
Colandrea Pizza King is open 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday
Playa Bowls opens in Middletown
Playa Bowls opened its Middletown location in May, becoming the New Jersey chain’s fourth mid-Hudson Valley outpost, joining locations in Central Valley, Poughkeepsie and Lagrangeville
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Playa Bowls serves açaí and pitaya bowls, smoothies, juices and more. Its founders, longtime New Jersey residents Robert Giuliani and Abby Taylor, started the business in 2014 with a single cart on the Jersey Shore. As demand grew, they expanded to over 375 shops nationwide, many in and around coastal communities and college campuses
Playa Bowls’ Middletown spot is located at 425 Route 211 E and is open daily from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m
Food events
County fairs:Fair season is underway. The Orange County Fair continues through Aug. 2 in Middletown with rides, monster trucks, live music and classic fair food. The Ulster County Fair follows Aug. 4-9 with tractor pulls, rides and competitions including a corn shucking contest. One-day general admission in Orange County is $10 for adults, $7 for children ages 7 to 12 and seniors, and free for kids under 6. Tickets to the Ulster County Fair cost $11.33 online or $15 at the gate Wednesday to Sunday. Children under 10 enter for free.
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Book talk: Culinary writer Susi Gott Séguret will discuss her new cookbook, “Adirondack Appetite: 150 Recipes for Cabin, Camp & Beyond,” at 3 p.m. Aug. 9 at The Hobbart Exchange in Hobart. The free event includes a Q&A and book signing
