My husband and I went on a date night to the new local hot spot: Valette. It’s a charming, welcoming wine country restaurant: Manhattan chic meets wine country rustic. Booth like tables with gorgeous white leather seats, metal top tables to compliment the old school butcher style open kitchen with the meat fridge above.

The bar is long and masculine with a big carving of “Valette” lit up down the center.

The service is friendly, informative, and on top of things. Each course is brought out with detailed explanation of the plate, some elegant dishes have a table-side component to add to the experience.

We started with a beautiful charcuterie board with two meats and two pressed meats alongside three delicious mustard’s. Then because the best way to go is to let the Chef guide you through your meal, we went with the Chef’s Tasting Menu. It’s a four course minimum but you can do as many as you’d like and each course is only $15. It’s a great deal for an amazing experience.

Garden lettuce with blue cheese and a pecan glass. Simple and full of flavor.

Celery root bisque with beet and a goat cheese meringue.

 

Iron Horse Cuvee to pair with the seared Foie Gras, then we shared the J Rose to pair with our meal. It was perfect.

Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras. Nuf said.

 

 

 

Sea Scallops en Croute with squid ink on top. The scallops are tender and melt-in-your-mouth good, mixed with a soft yet slightly crispy dough. The squid ink adds just a hint of earthiness- a great compliment to the fennel inside. This has always been one of my favorite dishes created by Chef Dustin.

Smoked lamb shoulder that has been sous vide for 36 hours. It’s tender, incredible, worth the calories.

Valette does an impeccable job. Everything is top notch. It’s a must visit for anyone looking for good, fresh food, and a fun experience.