Uptown’s Restaurant Renaissance

June 29th, 2010

The restaurant scene in Uptown is hopping, with two new places opening in the past month: Boitson’s, an American bistro, at 47 North Front St., and the Stockade Tavern, at 313 Fair Street, which specializes in artfully crafted cocktails. The area is definitely having a resurgence, notes Barbara Burns, who has run Stella’s Italian Restaurant, across the street from Boitson’s, with her husband Edward for 36 years. “It’s on an upswing.” The cluster of fine eateries, which serve a variety of cuisines and vary in ambience from friendly family places to elegant French bistro, benefit from a sizable lunch crowd as well as patronage by locals and tourists in the evening.

Boitson’s, whose casually elegant, dark blue and gray décor was the work of Kingston interior designer Brian Early, opened June 4. “It’s been great, really busy,” said owner Maria Philippis. She named the eatery after her Brooklyn landlord, who had always encouraged her to open her own place. Boitson’s has a raw bar, and it’s open for lunch and dinner Thursday through Monday. Burgers, fried chicken, steak, trout, and a beet risotto are served every night, along with five or six specials cooked up by chef Fred Duffus. The prices range from $10 for a burger to $25 for a New York strip steak. Bread pudding, chocolate pot de crème, and lemon tart are among the delectable desserts. There’s a full bar.

Be sure to check out the frescos in the bathrooms, which were inspired by sailor’s tattoos and are the work of New York artist Impala. There’s also a deck in back, with a view of the Catskills. Philippis said she is drawing customers not just from the neighborhood but also Rhinebeck, Stone Ridge, and High Falls—and that’s without advertising.

Giovanna Vis and her husband, Paul Maloney, describe the Stockade Tavern as a traditional American drinking establishment. The federal mantel behind the bar, built- in seating beneath the Tudor windows and vintage frosted glass lights certainly are the perfect setting for a classic cocktail, with a fresh squeeze of lime. Prohibition killed the art of the cocktail, and Vis and Maloney are restoring that tradition. They serve 13 cocktails, ranging in price from $7 to $10, plus have four beers on tap, 20 beers in the bottle, and nine wines. Their Citron Presse—sparkling lemonade—can be served straight or spiked and is a delectable antidote to the summer heat.

The Stockade also has a selection of 15 comestibles to accompany the drinks, including a pickle platter and tin of sardines. Located in the former Singer Sewing Machine retail store—the “S” logo still graces the door—the Stockade opened on Memorial Day weekend. “We’ve had a few big nights,” said Vis. She said the couple love “being on a back street in the heart of Uptown.” The Stockade opens at 4 pm Thursday through Sunday.

Jean-Jacques Carquillat made Kingston a destination for authentic French cuisine when he opened his traditional bistro, Le Canard-Enchaine, at 276 Fair in 1996. The restaurant is open seven days a week, and its prix fixe lunch–$14.95 for an appetizer and entrée—is one of the best values around. Le Canard also added a prix fixe dinner, which is $25 for a three-course meal ($30 with a glass of the house red or white). Specials are available every day. Le Canard is open Sunday through Thursday.

At the Hoffman House, located at 94 North Front in a landmark, 330-year-old stone building, you experience Kingston’s history while feasting on a delicious lunch or continental inspired dinner. “We have a wide variety of appetizers, salads and full course dinners,” said Pat Bradley, who opened the restaurant 33 years ago with his wife, Virginia. “Everything’s fresh, and the menu changes daily.” Dinner entrees are around $22, while lunch is $12.50. Hoffman House is pleasantly intimate, with four dining rooms plus an outside patio and bar.

Pat said the restaurant has a loyal business lunch and city clientele that it’s built up over the past three decades. It also attracts tourists, and word of mouth accounts for many new customers.  Hoffman House is open Monday through Saturday.

Stella’s Italian Restaurant, at 44 North Front, is a family owned and run business, with Barbara and Edward Burns’ five grown children all helping out. They started with Artie’s, the bar next door, eventually expanding to the restaurant, which was named after Barbara’s mother, who was a chef. Sitting down to a meal on its checked tablecloths is like being in the kitchen of an Italian grandmother. “It’s home cooking,” said Barbara. Perennial favorites are the chicken dishes—served sorrentino, marsala or francaise style—lasagna, and eggplant parmesan. Dinner entrees are priced from $11 up. Stella’s is open for lunch and dinner Wednesday through Saturday.

Ugly Gus Café and Bar, located at 11 Main St., across from the County Office Building, is celebrating its tenth anniversary this week, according to owner Chris Seche. The spacious eatery is open for lunch and dinner from Tuesday through Saturday. It specializes in American cuisine, serving homemade soup and specialty sandwiches for lunch and steaks, pasta, fish and chicken for dinner, with specials every night. Particularly popular are the Big Ugly burgers, said Seche.

On Saturday night, Ugly Gus serves prime rib. Tuesdays in the summer it features a lobster bake, and Wednesday is frozen margarita night. It’s open Tuesday through Saturday to midnight (1 pm on weekends). Seche said before opening Ugly Gus he owned another restaurant in Uptown and loves the area. “There’s a lot of business,” he said. “A lot of people who come for lunch are within walking distance.”

Stefan Sanzi opened Maxwell’s @ Community Gourmet at 32 North Front three years ago. The restaurant is offering outdoor seating on the site of the former parking garage, turning a former eyesore into a wonderful al fresco dining experience. It serves lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday, with a great selection of salads, sandwiches, appetizers, and pizzas. Four kinds of pasta are served, and a roasted half chicken, pan seared scallops, and herb roasted salmon are among the regular entrees, which are priced from $15 to $21.

Restaurants Uptown:

Ashley’s Cafe 243 Fair Street 845-331-2043

Gabriels Cafe 50 John Street 845-338-7161

Dallas Hot Wieners 51 N Front Street 845-338-6094

Deising’s Bakery & Restaurant 111 N Front Street 845-338-7505

Dietz Stadium Diner 127 N Front Street 845-331-5321

Dominick’s Café at Dream Weavers 34 North Front Street 845-338-4552

Ecce Terra 288 Fair Street 845-338-8734

Elena’s Diner 51 Schwenk Drive 845-331-2767

Elephant 310 Wall Street 845-339-9310

Gabriels Cafe 50 John Street 845-338-7161

Hoffman House 94 Front Street 845-338-2626

Hudson Coffee Traders Inc. 288 Wall Street 845-338-1300

Kingston Indian Restaurant & Grill 298 Wall St 845-331-3611 & 331-2661

Kyoto Sushi 37 Washington Avenue 845-339-1128

Le Canard-Enchaine 276 Fair Street 845-339-2003

Lucy’s Taco 38 John Street 845-338-2816

Market Basket Deli 308 Wall Street   845-338-2755

Maxwell’s Pizza 31 N Front Street 845-340-1004

Portobella 39 John Street 845-338-3000

Stellas N Front Street 845-331-2210

Ugly Gus 11 Main Street 845-331-5100

Wing Shui Chinese 53 N Front Street 845-339-3397

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The Cutting Edge of Kingston

June 22nd, 2010

With more than 28 hair salons, many of them clustered along the corridor, the city is an embarrassment of riches when it comes to hair. There’s a hair-cutting place for every taste and budget, plus a couple of specialty barber shops where gents are treated to hot towels. Here’s just a tiny sampling of proprietors, to give you an idea of how you’ll be pampered when you go for the instant makeover that’s the joy of a good hair cut.

Alicia Beisel, owner of Avante

Alicia Beisel, owner of Avante, just reopened her shop in an expanded space at 61 Broadway, adjacent to her old location. With twice as much space and a lovely renovation, Beisel has expanded her salon to include full spa service, both massage and facial wraps.  The two-floor space is stunning, reminiscent of the premises of a five-star hotel, with its shiny wood floors, high ceilings, and architectural details. There’s even a secluded, leafy patio in the back.

Avante

Downstairs, there’s two separate rooms, one for hair cutting, the other for manicures and pedicures. Three massage rooms, including a deluxe space with a marble mantel, are on the second floor, which is a great place to get away from it all without leaving the city. Avante also does body waxing, spray tanning, and makeup, with a brisk business in wedding parties.

Beisel has eight employees, including hair cutter—artist might be a better word–Willie Lennon, who trained under Vidal Sassoon. She just hired an extra receptionist and esthetician (skin care specialist) and hopes to hire a female masseuse soon. The business celebrates its 13th anniversary on July 15, by which time Beisel expects to be completely up to speed in the new location. She lived in the Rondout for many years and loves doing business in the area. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” she said. “It’s so quaint, with the river close by. It’s just a beautiful little area.”

Rage

Rage, located at 40 North Front Street, has three owners—Joe Perry, Susan Benincasa and Michael McGowan. They’ve been friends for many years and all worked at the same salon before deciding to open their own business 28 years ago. Rage also has three employees.

Besides hair cutting, hair highlighting and coloring is a big part of their business. Rage specializes in high-quality L’Oreal coloring products, and it is only one of two salons in Ulster County featuring the brand-new color line Inoa, according to Perry. He said that the Inoa line is ammonia free. “It doesn’t dry out the hair,” he said. “It’s an oil-based system and makes the hair healthier.” There also is no chemical smell. “We try to keep up in times,” said Perry. “Inoa is the newest thing in 40 years for color.”

The shop also offers Great Lengths, a service offering 100 percent human hair extensions. The natural extensions are bonded to the client’s hair, adding fullness and body to thin hair. Benincasa and McGowan are the two technicians who do the hair bonding.

Mark Ferraro

Next door, the eponymous owner of Mark Ferraro Hair Design, 56 North Front Street, has styled some famous hair: his clients include Chris Stein, the bass player of 1980s band Blondie, Robbie Dupree, and the CEO for Marc Jacobs, along with many other prominent musicians, including some of the members of Mercury Rev, which regularly tours the world. Ferraro, who trained with Paul Mitchell and worked in the city for some years, is sought out by hipsters everywhere for his creative way with hair. He said before it got popular he did the “upside down shag,” inspired by skater Dorothy Hamill. The sky’s the limit when it comes to hair styling, and Ferraro’s ahead of the game.

Ferraro, whose mom was a hairdresser, began cutting his friends’ hair when he was 12 years old, collecting payment in a coffee can. He said when the Dorothy Hamill wedge got popular—he calls it “the upside down shag”—the 17-year-old haircutter figured out how to do it and was booked solid for six months.

He has been cutting hair at his current location for 21 years and said he couldn’t be happier. “I feel like I’m in a village,” he said. “It’s like St. Mark’s Place upstate. I like that city vibe. I’ll do a homeless person off the street who doesn’t have five cents, then a person whose world famous for their art.”

Suzy Marello

Tangles Hair Salon, at 693 Broadway, is located in the only octagonal building in Kingston, so you can’t miss it. Owner Suzy Marello and an employee cut hair and do manicures and pedicures, earning a following for their reasonable prices. Marello opened the hair salon 11 years ago after she tired of running the Fountain Lounge, a bar owned by her family that had occupied the space for 30 years. (Before that, the building housed an appliance business.)

The building is one of a handful of octagonal structures in New York State, which were built in the 19th century and promoted by phrenologist Orson Fowler, who believed the octagon allowed for better air circulation than the standard quadrangle. “People come from all over the take pictures,” said Marello. She’s open Tuesday through Saturday.

List of Hair Salons along the Kingston Corridor:

Abeel Street Hair Studio     105 Abeel Street     338-2251

Albrecht’s Hair Design      22 Broadway                339-8272

A Razor’s Edge                               290 Fair St                    331-2806

Ashe                                                   688 Broadway             331-2297

Avante                                               61 Broadway               340-4786

Caterino’s Hairstyling                 209 Hurley Ave          331-4314

Class Act Hair Designers            1 Albany Ave               331-8955

Cutting Corner Hair Salon         223 Boices Lane          382-2400

Cutting Crew                                   Kingston Plaza               339-2981

The Cut Off Point                           349 E. Chester              331-9008

Danny Kay’s Unisex Salon         87 St. James St.           338-6853

Dream Weaver’s                             34 N. Front St.             338-4552

Fashinista                                         474 Broadway             340-0672

Finesse                                               388 Broadway             331-1718

Mark Ferraro Hair Design          56 North Front            331-4547

Greenberry Hair Inc.                   275 Fair St.                   338-2100

Hair Affair                                         460 Albany Ave.        339-1111

Leshag Beauty Salon                     276 Fair St.                   338-0191

Joseph Roberts Hairstylist        159 Green                      338-4175

Rage Hair Salon                               40 North Front           331-2211

Secrets Hair & Nail Salon             504 Delaware Ave     338-1339

Anna Sembar Hair Designer       197A Boices Ln          336-4795

Majorie Shorter                               38 McEntee                  338-2413

Stylorama Beauty Salon            62 Guyon St.                   331-1485

Tangles Hair Salon                    693 Broadway                  338-9481

Taylor’s Haircutting                 162 Foxhall                       338-7887

Trends Hair Design 29 West Strand                 340-9100

A Touch of Class                         474 Broadway                 331-5676

Uptown Elegance                       333 Wall Street                338-6595

Village Nails                                 49 N. Front                       339-6323

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Catskill Woodworking Delivers Old-World Craftsmanship

June 14th, 2010

Located in a handsome brick 1890s  building on Field Court, Catskill Woodworking builds crafted custom kitchen cabinets, coffered ceilings, grand staircases, high-end paneling and moldings fit for a robber baron, and even entire libraries, fitted into exclusive apartments and townhouses in New York City. The company works closely with its client architects almost exclusively on residential projects, according to Bob Allen, who owns the company with partner Chris Sell.  All projects are built in Kingston, shipped down to the city by truck, and installed on site by company workers.

The business, which occupies three of the four floors of the 25,000-square-foot building—it was formerly a shirt factory, and judging by an old photo, before that a dry goods store–has a staff of twenty, including draftsmen, cabinet makers, millworkers, estimators and project managers. It also sells, made to order, a finely crafted pool table—so far, 25 have been built—that’s guaranteed to improve your billards game: the piece is crafted of sturdy hardwoods  topped by a piece of premium Brazilian slate which is covered with a special cloth. The rails feature ebony sights and walnut burl corners, the billiard balls are crafted and imported from Belgium, and the cues are fashioned out of fiberglass-reinforced maple.

While Catskill Woodworking’s success is based on old-world artisanship that harks back to the workshops of the Middle Ages, it’s also a cutting edge business that utilizes the latest in green technology. Its roof is covered with 135 solar panels, the key components of a 28.6-KW solar energy system that went on line in January. The system is expected to meet a third of the company’s energy needs, Allen said. The company also has a wood-burning boiler that consumes the sawdust that’s perhaps its most plentiful byproduct.

Business was a little slow over the winter due to the economic downturn, but now things are picking up. Allen said he enjoys working out of a historic building on a quiet street that’s yet near restaurants and other conveniences. Kingston’s convenient access to New York City is another advantage. So if you’ve always dreamed of a having a specially paneled room—or maybe just a beautifully designed shelving unit and bench—where you can read, entertain and loaf but never knew anyone with the skills to build it, consider Catskill Woodworking, a local business that builds world-class products.

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Vintage Kingston

June 8th, 2010

If you’re into vintage stuff and antiques, or just looking for that special item which will transform your house into your own private castle—be it beautifully crafted French doors, crocks for the kitchen, a century-old landscape painting or a sleek mid century coffee table—Kingston’s the place to be, with several outstanding antiques places attracting customers from miles away.

Zaborski Emporium is the king of the vintage/antiques stores, judging by the sheer epic variety and amount of items it stocks. Occupying four floors of a former shirt factory at 27 Hoffman Street, the Emporium attracts movie set people (the film industry represents 10 percent of its business), New Yorkers seeking to decorate their lofts and even celebrities with homes in the area. Restaurants and other businesses come to Stan’s for vintage lights and other fixtures, while the used radiators are a popular item among home owners. Roaming amid the dusty corridors stacked with stuff spanning a century of American material culture–tables, claw-footed bathtubs, mirrors, dressers, columns, signs, doors, Victorian bird cages, rugs, chairs, trunks, vending machines, door knobs—is a trip down Memory Lane. In the basement is an entire room filled with doors.

Stan Zaborski started the business in 1976 and bought the building 13 years ago. The company has four employees and will delivery almost everywhere, for a fee. His prices range from 50 cents to $25,000, for a suite of bedroom furniture that once belonged to Robin Williams and was shipped east in a chartered plane.

“I love Kingston,” said Zaborski, who gets help from his partner, Sandy Balla, who also works as a cruise boat tour guide. “I’ve seen it in its boom times and I’ve seen it depressed. I really enjoy it here.” He is going to put a few tables outside with “really cheap merchandise” for the yard sale. (Stan remembers the first book about yard sales, published in the 1960s, which featured his father, who was a “‘used item business” pioneer.)

Other Kingston businesses that sell antiques are Velsani Arts and Antiques, on Wall Street, and On the Hill Antiques at the Skillypot Antique Center, which features multiple vendors, Mezzanine Antiques Center, and At Home Antiques, all on lower Broadway in the Rondout. Larry Zalinsky, who owns Mezzanine with his wife, B.C. Gee, said his store specializes in “smalls”—vintage items that can at least fit into the back of a Subaru SUV. They include Victorian jewelry, a variety of paintings and prints, and mid-century furniture.

Just up the block, At Home Antiques is the latest entrant, opening six months ago in a capacious, warehouse-like space in a building owned by Judith and James Milne. The Milnes have been in the antiques business for 40 years—they operated a shop on the Upper West Side of Manhattan for many years—and they have an eye, stocking items you’ll see nowhere else, including a coffee table inset with a geometric pattern of linoleum, painted screens from a Parisian café, a deco-painted bedroom set, sturdy farm tables, and a wonderful selection of metal porch chairs, each like a character out of a Gorey cartoon.

Judith said the couple bought the building in 2004 and opened the store after they lost their tenant. “We love Kingston and didn’t want it to have another empty storefront,” she said. “We wanted to help the business community. Kingston needs to become more of a destination.”

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Kingston Businesses Show Art

June 1st, 2010

Galleries aren’t the only place to view art in Kingston. The city is adorned with public artworks, such as Todd Samara’s painting on the front of the Hudson River Maritime Museum and Henk Dikj’s artwork in Block Park. The most recent example is the Habitat for Artists installation at the Kingston Library, a portable studio where you can view artists on site making their work.

Businesses are also showing artists, from opticians and physicians that display local art on their walls to retail shops that are using art to beautify the premises as well as give artists another place to show their work.

Ken Darmstadt, owner of Darmstadt Doors on Cornell Street, has transformed the entire second floor of his business into a series of gallery spaces. More than a dozen artists were featured in the recent show, “The Art of Spring.” The galleries are both large and intimate, with comfy couches inviting people to linger.  Catskill Art & Office Supply began showing work by individual artists in its storefront last April. The watercolors of Nathan Milgrim, a former textile designer who has exhibited in New York City (his works are part of the collection of the State House in Albany) will be displayed in June.   “With the Featured Artist Series, I hoped to establish a better connection between local artists and the community at large,” said store manager Nick Peluso. “By giving artists an opportunity to display their work in Catskill Art’s storefront windows (an attractive setting accessible to everyone in the busy Uptown business district, day or night), we can bring attention to the incredible creative energy happening in our midst.”

Dolce Café and Mint, owned by Alessandra Tecchio, showcase the fauve works of Samara, who is featured in the July-August edition of American Artist. The brick walls of Dolce are the perfect backdrop for Samara’s poetic scenes of the Rondout, which include monumental, birds’ eye views as well as night scenes. The café also displays the lyrical works of Samara’s late partner, Leslie Miller.

The Wall Street branch of Ulster Savings Bank started exhibiting artwork in March, with the display of colorful posters created by elementary school children last year for the Hudson-Fulton Quadricentennial Celebration. For the months of June and July, the bank will be exhibiting the art of Howard Miller, a New Paltz-based artist. “This gives an opportunity for the public to see local artists and introduce ourselves to the community,” said branch manager Bernard Feeney. “We’ve been uptown for 158 years, and we’re an old-style bank,” whose columns and wood paneling are an attractive setting for art.

Other businesses that exhibit local artists are Ship to Shore, Coldwell Banker Village Green Realty, on Fair Street, and Seven 21 Media Center. Everywhere you look, Kingston is blossoming with art!

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New Gallery Opens on Abeel Street

June 1st, 2010

One Mile Gallery, located at 475 Abeel Street, near the railroad trestle, is opening this Saturday with a show by wood turner Josh Vogel. The gallery is the latest entrée to Kingston’s happening art scene. It’s located on the first floor of a charming brick building that was originally purchased a year ago as the weekend house for Janet Hicks, an artists’ agent, and her boyfriend, Eddie Mullins, both of Brooklyn. The couple and their Kingston house were profiled last summer in The New York Times.

Hicks, who holds a master’s degree in art history and previously lived in Oregon, said the gallery was a natural outgrowth of the couple’s interest in the arts.  They plan to show both local and New York City-based artists. Vogel, a resident of Highland, makes drawings and physically imposing sculptures whose sensuousness is heightened by their “woodsy aroma,” according to Hicks. The August show will feature acrylic oceanscapes, followed by an exhibit featuring “the world’s most successful canine artist, Tillamook Cheddar,” which opens Labor Day weekend.  “The dog does amazing work,” said Hicks. “Her process for creating the art is really a treat to watch.”

The gallery is open weekends, 12 to 7 p.m., and by appointment. Hicks said the parking lot across the street at Ulster Marina will accommodate any overflow of cars. She added that she plans to stage events in conjunction with First Saturdays and beyond. “We will be having an event with Tuthilltown Spirits at the gallery in July, and we are hoping to get a vehicle of some kind into the Artists’ Soapbox Derby in August,” she said. “Our dog artist has some ideas up her sleeve for the Labor Day opening that will be really fun.”

Hicks said the couple is spending more time in Kingston than they originally planned. “We fell in love with the city more than we ever thought we would,” she said. “We get a great feeling of being outdoors on the creek. It’s a country feeling yet, has all the conveniences of living in a town. And there’s a tremendous art and cultural scene close by, in the outlying towns.”

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