Where to Eat and Drink in the Hudson Valley – Poughkeepsie, New York

As most of you know, Kristin and I have recently made the move slightly upstate in the Hudson Valley. We are doing some house flipping, exploring and self-reflection. Since the move, we’ve nailed down so many of our favorite local eating and drinking spots.  All my NYC friends have been asking for the low-down on the food scene throughout the Hudson Valley, so I thought I’d stick a list together of a few places worth stopping into. I’m going to begin with the City of Poughkeepsie because it’s probably the least expected location and we actually where we chose to invest in as well. Each post I’ll pick a new spot within 90 miles of NYC and share our experiences.

Poughkeepsie has always gotten a bad rap. In previous years, it’s become infamous for its high crime rates, shootings and drugs. Putting all of that aside, in recent years, Poughkeepsie, which is also known as the Queen City is seemingly attempting to clean up its act. Since we bought a home here we’ve seen all types of new businesses pop up and there are apparently more on the horizon. As some of you NYC peeps know, it’s the last stop on the Metro North , Hudson-line train from Grand Central Station. So come on up; it’s a very exciting time for Poughkeepsie!

Noteworthy Poughkeepsie, N.Y. spots to check out!

Pizza (and Cocktails) – Lolita’s Pizza

We can’t really say enough about this place. Its crave worthy, Neapolitan-style pizzas are always hot and delicious. They also have some incredible pasta dishes worth trying. We’ve never been disappointed. They have inventive cocktails and, in our humble opinion, probably some of the best we’ve stumbled upon in the area so far. Tim Dooley, is the talented mad scientist behind the cocktails and you can find him behind the bar shaking up well-balanced creative libations. The front of the house staff is always completely sweet and attentive. We’ve also been lucky enough to meet their Chef Craig Carpano, who is also quite the talent. This is not just any ordinary pizza place. These guys are really doing some cooking and throwing down over there. So, if you make it to Poughkeepsie put this at the top of your list. Just an added bonus this place is at the entrance to the Walkway-Over-the-Hudson, so you can walk off all the calories.

Coffee – Poughkeepsie Grind

We are utterly thankful for this husband and wife team caffeinating the city. This is the kind of place you can go into with your PJs on and not get judged (I’ve done this). They normally offer two different daily roasts, both always good. If you fancy lattes or cappuccinos they also have you covered. Added bonus: their food is also really great. They have sandwiches, salads and the best dang homemade waffles we’ve ever had. You can now get a pre-made packaged waffle mix to make at home! Make you slap your grandma good.

Sandwiches – Rossi’s

I hope most of you have heard of the voted best sandwich in New York STATE. Yup, thats right! We actually bought our current property based on the walkability to this old-school, family run Italian Deli. No shame. A huge reason this sandwich is such a standout is their homemade focaccia bread. You can walk by this place and smell the bread baking in the morning! It’s quite the vessel for their imports Italian meat mix. This place is legendary and if you do nothing else in Poughkeepsie come here and get one of these sandwiches. 

Tacos – La Cabanita

If you want a killer mezcal selection and some authentic Oaxacan food, this is your spot. They converted an old historic church into this Oaxacan-eatery so it’s full of history and quite beautiful. We were told they make their chorizo in-house so, naturally, we had the chorizo tacos and a mezcalita and we absolutely loved them. This spot is worth a stop.

Beer – King’s Court Brewery

We had to add more booze to this list. King’s court has been our local favorite in old revitalized hotel. This brewery offers IPAs and sours with unique spins. I’m personally an imperial amber ale gal and I can get one of these here also! Every week you can try something new which is why we love this place the most. We also get a kick out of the creative names and artwork on the cans PLUS bring the pups by! Cheers!

These are only a few of the places that we’ve fallen in love with. We intend to add to this list as more places open up in the area so check back for new stuff! If you like this please give it a share and if you don’t you can follow me on Instagram and tell me about why.

Thanks!