Greg’s prayers have been answered: We now have good Chinese food in Nyack. We couldn’t be happier that Baumgart’s, a Chinese mini-chain from New Jersey, opened at the bottom of Main Street across from O’Donoghue’s. Finally! A place that makes Chinese food with fresh ingredients, good technique and lots of care.
But, but… it’s called Baumgart’s, you say? Yes. Here’s the deal: a family owned a soda fountain in the 1950s. Ice cream, floats, sodas, sandwiches, the like. When they decided to sell, a Chinese family bought it, and brought their recipes to the menu. For a while, they operated as a soda fountain during the day and as a Chinese restaurant for dinner. But then they decided to combine the two concepts. To this day, there’s still an old-fashioned ice cream parlor at each of the four Baumgart’s. Well, make that five, now.
The restaurant is big and spacious. It’s actually a little spare and cold. Hopefully that will change as they get more fabrics in the room and also get their liquor license. Right now an empty bar looks pretty lonely.
We started with those dumplings above, and also an order of pork buns.
Pretty good. No, of course they weren’t as good as the ones at Momofuku. No, they weren’t as good as the ones from a little stall in Flushing. But they were still pretty darn good.
We also had Kung Pao chicken:
Juicy chicken, somewhat spicy sauce and fresh broccoli, cooked al dente. What more can you ask for?
And orange flavored chicken:
Also juicy, crispy and very orange-y. Yay! We love Baumgart’s!
The 411 on Baumgart’s: A Chinese restaurant with an ice cream parlor, too, where the food is made with fresh ingredients — and with care. The setting is bit spare, and the space a little cavernous and echo-y, but the place is great for kids and families. 65 Main St., Nyack. 845-353-3318. baumgartscafe.com/nyack.
