New England Travels

Way back in September, we spent time in New England (and that part of New England I'll call New Jersey) mostly visiting friends and family. We're not here to discuss any of that. We're here to discuss...

Roosevelt
Did you know that FDR married his cousin? Did you know that Eleanor (or Elanor or Elinor - we found it cited in all of these different ways) started a furniture factory in the 20's? All of these questions and many more were answered on our tour of Hyde Park, NY (where we ended up after not being terribly wow'ed by Woodstock). This town along the Hudson river is home to many estates including Roosevelt's and Vanderbilt's. If you are interested in the former president and/or the first lady, the tour and grounds are well worth the price of admission.

While you are in Hyde Park (and down the street from where you should be staying at the quaint Roosevelt Inn - free coffee and microwave popcorn!), there is a gem of a restaurant. We probably had one of the best meals ever (and that includes dining in New York, San Francisco, Washington DC and yes Albuquerque (think Jennifer James who used to be Graze but now is at Chef Du Jour) at a restaurant called Twist. The chef and sous chefs are from the Culinary Institute of America which is located nearby and you'll be glad they did not make the trip to one of the eating cities. The food was just good basic ingredients put together in delectable ways. It is also small and intimate enough that the chef came out and chatted us up. We had a cold salad made from a variety of inseason heirloom tomatoes as an appetizer along with cheesy bread twists. The entrees (steak for me, chicken for my gf) were perfectly cooked with not too much sauce or accoutrement. For desert, I had a homemade chocolate chip cookie which you wouldn't normally associate with fine dining but it was the perfect finisher (along with the port, naturally).