Henry’s at Buttermilk Falls is a super-chic resort in farm country in Ulster County. Right near Milton, N.Y. — almost adjacent to Locust Ridge Farm, where we once purchased 30 pounds of sour cherries to make preserves for our wedding favors — and along the bank of the Hudson River, Henry’s is a restored old inn with a spa, restaurant and hair salon on the property. There are also several private cabins that can be rented for overnights.
We met our friends Janet and Jerry, the publishers of The Valley Table magazine, there for lunch Friday. The drive, the property and the company were terrific. The food, unfortunately, was just average. But there’s a new chef in the kitchen, so our fingers are crossed the menu will get better as he settles in.
That’s the seared shrimp over braised red cabbage. The cabbage was quite tasty, but the menu promised a combination of cabbage and fennel, and the fennel was missing. At least we couldn’t find it.
The property is really very beautiful. The view from the parking lot looks over the river:
More buildings on the property:
The entrance to the restaurant:
The room is very tastefully done, with lots of beautiful wood, smart-looking light fixtures, big windows and earth tones to match the outdoors.
These enormous blown-glass globes with Edison bulbs inside are stunning chandeliers.
The first thing we shared was the wild mushroom cake, made with shiitake and portobello with arugula pesto and roasted red pepper coulis.
It was earthy and rich without being over-the-top. Very nice.
Next we had the shrimp, which was good, but average.
The salmon salad. Well, for a restaurant with farm-to-table in its name, it was kind of a shame. The salmon was undercooked and the lettuce, a bagged mix, no doubt, was wilted and underdressed.
We also tried some staples. Margherita pizza:
Eh. The sauce tasted like faux garlic, for some reason. It wasn’t well balanced. The crust was OK, nothing to write home about.
The burger was fine.
Nothing spectacular. Another ingredient was missing: we had asked for onion jam on the burger — and a little extra on the side. We did get the side of onion jam, and it was really quite good (perhaps one of the best things about our lunch) but, alas, it was not on the burger.
We did have a lovely time at lunch. The servers and the chef chatted with us, and we enjoyed their company. We also enjoyed catching up. It had been since before Sam was born that we’d seen each other. So yes, Janet was happy to hold the new baby!
Walking out to the car after a lovely Friday afternoon lunch:
The 411 on Henry’s Farm-to-Table at Buttermilk Falls: A destination restaurant in an inn that scores big on decor and views, but lacks a home run on the food side. Worth a visit if you’re in the area, especially for the tranquility and serenity a walk around the property can deliver, but until the chef settles in, we wouldn’t travel too far — unless it’s a good meeting place for friends from afar. 220 North Road, Millstone Farms, NY. 845-795-1500; henrysatbuttermilk.com
