Piermont just may have become the restaurant capital of Rockland. Adding to the already excellent list of restaurants there — Xaviars, Freelance, o lar, Sidewalk Bistro and Portofino, just to name a few — is the new 14 and Hudson.
At the south end of town, where the Harbor House used to be, this is the best gastropub I’ve been to in quite a while. The chef, Eric Woods, keeps things simple but tasty, and the setting is casual but fancy enough to feel like a night out. (The fresh flowers are such a nice touch.)
There’s a little patio and a nice bar, and the dining room is set off with a low banquette. The menu has a few small things to share and more substaintial (but not humongous) portions for entrees.
We went after seeing ‘Boyhood,’ and had plenty to talk about. Yet we were still drawn to what was on our plate. Just kept mm-ing and mmmmm-ing.
Here’s a look at what we ate.
Cornbread muffins to start. Not too sweet; just right.
Pork dumplings with ginger ponzu:
Fresh, good filling; not greasy in the least, with a crispy but soft dumpling skin.
Chicken wings with sweet chili and black pepper:
The table was mixed on these. The chicken was juicy and tasty, but we were split on whether the glaze was too thick. (Boo and I thought yes, a little; Sarah and Hunna said, no: delicious.)
Crispy summer shrimp with cucumber, mint, carrot and toasted peanuts. The red pepper in here was such a nice surprise, giving the salad a jolt of sharpness.
Otherwise, this was like the inside of a summer roll without the wrapper: a little Asian, a little summery, a little salad-y. Just perfect for a July evening.
Chopped Salad with romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onions, chickpeas, feta, parmesan, olives, capers and white balsamic.
What a winner of a salad. All the flavors I love right now, with terrific crunchy croutons.
Steamed clams with fennel, chili and crostini:
Sweet, fresh seafood with a nice aoili on the bread.
Garganelli with broccoli rabe, spicy sausage, tomato, pecorino and egg:
Just what you hope for from this dish: not oversauced or overdone, with a coating of egg yolk to make it rich and delicous.
Roast Provencal chicken with baby vegetables, thyme and natural jus:
Juicy, crispy chicken with a terrific pan sauce and vegetables that were cooked perfectly al dente.
Roasted sliced hanger steak with frites and chimichurri:
Nice char on the outside of the steak and a meaty, juicy interior. The sauce was bright and fun, and the fries were puffy inside and crunchy inside. Just as you’d hope.
We also got the Saturday Night Burger, and, in the evening’s only flaw, it was served quite a bit after 0ur other entrees. (And so I forgot to take a photo.) The patty was the perfect rendition of a roadside burger, with little crunchy bits on the edges but juicy meat toward the center.
At the end of our meal, we decided against dessert, but (probably because of the burger being so late), owner Paula Clemente Woods brought out a creme brulee anyway. We shattered the sugar crust to get to the creamy, cold pudding. It was a sweet ending to a lovely meal.
The 411 on 14 and Hudson: 457 Piermont Ave., Piermont. 845-680-0014, 14andhudson.com
