This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Business & Tech

Lock Me Up and Throw Away The Key: The Hudson House

With an authentic jail-cell-turned-wine-cellar and a reception room upstairs where a proper Judge once held court, this novel Nyack dining spot is 20 years old.

Hudson House owners Matt Hudson and Amy Lehman admit it's ironically fitting their restaurant be located in Nyack's former jailhouse.

Coming into this business with nothing more than a dream, bar-tending skills and a passion for baking, Hudson felt more an imposter in someone else's restaurant than a legitimate owner himself during the early years of his business.

"With way too little knowledge and three small children to be raised, buying this place was more a blind leap of faith then anything else," Hudson explained.

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

But as business increased, Hudson stopped feeling like he was fooling everybody and settled into the many hats he's required to wear.

Hudson coupled his bartending savvy (earned from years spent as the head keeper at Benny's Seafood restaurant in Irvington) with his homegrown talent for baking (thanks to personal coaching by his sister Kaye Hansen of The Runcible Spoon and now The Riviera Bakery).

Interested in local real estate?Subscribe to Patch's new newsletter to be the first to know about open houses, new listings and more.

Matt and his then-wife Amy (still his business partner, though they are no longer married) pride themselves as both the front and back faces of the restaurant. Come in on any given night and watch him single-handedly greet and see off his guests.

The atmosphere is an augur for the meal to come. Simple, high-top tables allow for a quick bite a stone's throw from the bar. Wood carvings—made by Hudson himself—adorn the restaurant's front house walls.

Entry into the main dining room puts you in the center of what feels like an old fashioned jewelry box: there are ornate gold-gilded tiles from walls to ceiling, original pressed tin dating from the 1800s and large and panoramic photos of the Hudson River skyline in various stages of crescent moon light (captured by Hudson, by the way).

Continue down the hall and take in the jail cell, still standing. And while once I'm sure was an ominous sight,  it now innocently warehouses an impressive collection of wines. Directly across from the black jail bars, the walls are adorned with complimentary black and white snapshots of the Hudson's children.

In warm weather, the large front doors open to sidewalk dining. There is also a back patio, for more private meals.

As for the food itself, executive chef Christopher Dunn prides himself on creating daily, innovative offerings of fish, meats, pastas and poultry (Hudson himself does most of the baking).

The Potato Gnocchi was first chosen—it's their signature dish. The bowl of petite potato-filled pasta was served coated with flecks of basil pesto. Next came a salmon and tuna tataki drizzled with a soy, sesame ginger lemon and garlic along with a perfectly seared diver scallop with jicama slaw spring greens drizzled with a worthy soy vinaigrette. A plump and crisp crabcake was garnished with a light endive and apple salad, curried tomato in cumin oil.

I enjoyed a main course of whole Branzino served atop whipped potatoes and broccoli rabe. While the dish was deboned, I did have to take care not to swallow  remaining bones down. It was worth the challenge—the white flaky fish was delicate and moist and was complimented nicely by the crisp outer skin. 

I finished the meal with the Hudson's blueberry pudding cake, a light and moist confection floating in a slathering of blueberry compote. A plum upside down cake and a sticky toffee pudding accompanied for tasting. A shot of espresso cut the sweets nicely and was a good choice for final punctuation.

The Hudson House offers upscale dining in a beautiful yet casual atmosphere, at moderate prices. And, potential diners: the restaurant's storied history is a plus, too.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?