The “Bites” family is growing with the new to Instagram @HudVbites. The account will serve as a launchpad for deeper coverage in the Hudson Valley, NY area, and is spearheaded by CTbites writer, Kristin L. Wolfe. @HudVbites will join @MIAbites and @CTBites.
After falling in love with the Hudson Valley—writer/professor Kristin L. Wolfe is taking what CTbites has done for the culinary world of CT and applying it to her new hometown. With countless farms, orchards, markets, restaurants, distilleries, breweries, bakeries, and confectioners Wolfe’s goal at @HudVbites is to replicate the bold cheerleading support CTbites has had for its community. From areas like Beacon and New Paltz, to Kingston and Rhinebeck, to Hudson, Woodstock, and so many more, the Hudson Valley has no shortage of historic spots and brand new locations to explore. @HudVbites will bring readers and foodies the inside stories on chefs and their inspirations; details on craft and technique; info on grand openings and collaborations, and much much more. Like, Follow, and Please Stay Tuned.
A posh five-star inn located in “the country” of Connecticut may be the last place you’d expect to stumble upon a former two-time Michelin star chef doing her thing in the kitchen.
Expect it. And expect to run into April Bloomfield.
Yeah, THAT April Bloomfield. The April Bloomfield who won a James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: New York City in 2014. The April Bloomfield who owns the British gastropub The Breslin. And the same April Bloomfield of the now shuttered, but acclaimed West Village haunt, The Spotted Pig.
And since mid-September she’s been spending her time away from the concrete jungle as the chef-in-residence at the Mayflower Inn & Spa where she’s firing up the refined pub fare that she is so lauded for and marrying that style with the bounty from local farms.
If you visit—and you absolutely should—there are a few dining experiences to be aware of.
There’s a seasonal, constantly changing four-course dinner tasting in the brightly lit, plant enshrined Garden Room. The $150 tasting’s polar opposite has been the occasionally offered bonfire experience where Bloomfield comes out to chat over cocktails, savory snacks, and gooey s’mores.
Then there’s the meal I elected to have, a lunch in The Tap Room. If the weather obeys, it’s a great idea to dine out on the back deck that overlooks the Shakespeare Garden, equal parts beautiful and haunting on an overcast autumn day.
Readers, Diners, New Quarantine Couch Potato-Turned-Chefs! Tune into our new IGTV Weekly Series COOK THE BOOK.
On Wednesday July 1st @8PM, join trained chef and beloved Connecticut Cookbook author, Anna Francese Gass (Heirloom Kitchen 2019) & Guest Chef Emily Mingrone from award winning Tavern On State, as they cook Emily’s recipe for Chicken & Dumplings from our recently released CTBites e-cookbook: Connecticut Chef Recipes for Restaurant Relief
Follow us on Instagram and tag #CTbites on your favorite food shots in & around Connecticut. We may just repost them, or include them in a weekly Instagram roundup on CTbites.com.