Red Hat on the River

Food was good, the service was great and the sunset and Mario Cuomo bridge were gorgeous.

This French Bistro has beautiful Hudson River views with an exceptional wait staff to match. The food did not disappoint and was very good. We had the baby beet salad that was a delicious combination of roasted baby beets, fresh apples, arugula and creme fraiche. The mussels were prepared in a savory white wine, garlic and shallot broth. The smoked salmon sandwich was light, delicious but had added complexity with the egg salad, fresh lettuce and tomatoes. The quinoa burger was exceptional preparation of a vegan burger with spinach, quinoa which was flavorful and tender without breaking apart with every bite. The pickled onions gave it enough acidity to complement the avocado and spiciness of the aoli of the quinoa burger. The kid's cheeseburger was juicy, not too fatty even when cooked well done. Their housemade shoestring fries were the best! We loved the shoestring fries. The roasted chicken was tender, delicious, and complex with multiple layers of being smoked and then roasted accompanied with a savory and sweet Israeli couscous. The Red Hat burger was juicy and delicious, and now we understand why it is a popular choice. The dessert selection did not disappoint. We had the something chocolate and the key lime pie. The something chocolate was a smooth, decadent flourless chocolate cake. The key lime pie was a light refreshing delicate delight. The cocktails also did not disappoint. We look forward to returning to this Hudson Valley gem.

We ate outside and had beautiful views up and down the Hudson. The Sunday brunch menu is limited but the food was very good. For cocktails we really liked the lavender lane, which was as beautiful as it was delicious and had a purple pansy to garnish, which we were told was edible. The chardonnay was light and clean, very nice for a summer wine. The shrimp cocktail was the starter and we all enjoyed. Two of us had the croque madame and one of us the crab sandwich. We all enjoyed the meal. For dessert we had the flourless chocolate cake (which was decadent), and the key lime pie and the lemon ricotta cake, which were both excellent. The cappuccino was Italian and very good. We were pleased with the service, the parking was easy and we were not rushed at all.