Fall Tasting Tour in Southern Dutchess

Date Published: August 18, 2021

It’s hard to believe that fall is just around the corner. Inspired by the soon-to-be-open The Barns Art Center’s opening exhibit Tasting Menu, explore autumn in southern Dutchess with a gourmet getaway. This progressive dining experience takes you on a culinary journey through Poughquag, Wappingers, East Fishkill, Fishkill and Beacon. Visit a new location for each course of your meal and celebrate the fall flavors of the Hudson Valley.

Happy Hour

While Barton Orchards in Poughquag is widely known for their pick-your-own apple orchard, you can enjoy a great selection of local craft beer, wine and cider at the Tap Room located onsite. Enjoy a refreshing beverage while listening to live music on the weekends. And don’t miss out on the Hudson Valley Cider Festival and BBQ & Brews events.

A true tree-to-bottle operation, Treasury Cider is made at Fishkill Farms using 80 varieties of apples grown on 50 acres. A unique taste made by the Hudson Valley climate and soil, these ciders are drier and less sweet but maintain bold apple flavors and aromas. Grab a glass or order a 4-cider flight while you take in scenic views of the Catskill Mountains and orchards.

Appetizers & Starters

di'Vine Wine Bar in Wappingers not only offers a sizeable wine menu but who can resist starting off a meal with olives marinated in olive oil with a hint of orange zest or a herbed goat cheese, prosciutto and fig spread crostini.

Tamarind, a newcomer to the Wappingers restaurant scene brings bold Indian spices with hints of Chinese and Thai flavors. Try the Lentil Cumin Soup or the Palak Chaat, crispy baby spinach with yogurt, pomegranate and date chutney.

 

Main Course

When temps cool, turn up the heat with Sloop Brewing Co.’s Dan Dan Noodles made with pork, scallions, spinach, sesame, and of course to spice things up, Sichuan peppercorn and chili oil. Or try the Brisket Rice Bowl, a delicious take on bibimbap, topped with kimchi and sweet and spicy Korean BBQ sauce.

When it comes to comfort food, you can’t go wrong with Jagerschnitzel, a breaded and fried Berkshire pork cutlet with a red wine and mushroom sauce. The Dutchess Biercafe serves up Belgian-inspired dishes and ales. When you can’t decide, try 'The Best of the Wurst’, a sampling of knockwurst, bratwurst and weisswurst accompanied with all the essential sides—amber ale sauerkraut and German potato salad.

 

Dessert

It wouldn’t be a fall without apple cider donuts. Barton Orchards, Fishkill Farms and Meadowbrook Farm are local favorites to get these treats. Or customize your own at Glazed Over Donuts in Beacon with a caramel or maple drizzle or topped with bacon or cinnamon sugar.

At Royal Crepes in Beacon, indulge in a sweet crepe filled with fresh fruit, chocolate and Nutella.  Perfect fall-inspired flavors like the Cinnamon Bun and S’Mores Crepes, are also on the menu. Be sure to sample the pumpkin burek, a Balkan filled pastry made of a thin flaky dough.

 

Nightcap

A gathering place for cocktail connoisseurs, seasonal flavors shine at Beacon’s Melzingah Tap House. Signature drinks include the Smoked Strawberry Old Fashioned made with Beacon Bourbon, house-made strawberry simple syrup, orange & angostura bitters. And talk about presentation—this drink is given in a woodfire smoked serving glass. For the beer enthusiast, take your pick of over 20 brews on tap.

 

Now Open: The Barns Art Center

Engaging all five senses through painting, photography, sculpture, mixed-media technology, and film, Tasting Menu, an exhibit featuring 30 international artists, examines food as meaning, metaphor and material. The Barns Art Center, a 3,000 square foot gallery in Fishkill, is a contemporary art initiative that highlights art and artists in dialogue with food, farming, ecology, and the environment.