After outgrowing their space at the Heirloom Cafe in Germantown, owners Stephanie Fitzpatrick and Chef Caleb Kimble have moved to Red Hook. The new restaurant, Cider Bros Roadhouse, opened in May on Route 199 in Milan, between the Taconic and the town of Red Hook, previously the restaurant Another Fork in the Road.
The newly renovated space is lighter and brighter with a warm color scheme, welcoming communal table, comfortable banquettes and smaller window tables. Upfront there’s a café space with grab-and-go options including breakfast staples such as homemade muffins and “exotic” pastries that are brought in from a local baker (who also does time at the CIA). And while you’re welcome to stay and enjoy them, everything can be packaged to go.
You will also find Lettie's Ice Cream, Fitapatrick's other business, and many other local products.
The menu is interesting and varied, with an emphasis on Southern Comfort food. It makes sense as Kimble, is a Florida native. He’s bringing his spin on his favorites all using local meats and produce. As you would expect from a CIA grad, all sauces, salad dressings and soups are made fresh and in house.
Stephanie treated Janet and I to lunch recently and we it was well worth the drive.
We shared Brussels sprout chips to start. They take the leaves left from trimming (lots of) Brussels sprouts, toss them in olive oil and salt and roast—really good!
Then we were going to split a cup of New England clam chowder, but they were nice enough to give us separate small cups. It was loaded with clams and had a slightly different taste chowders we had before, almost as if there was cheese in with all those clams.
I went for lunch, enjoying their Southern Cuban with Smoked Pork Belly and Tasso Ham. It was by no means a typical Cuban, but boy was it good! A potato bun smeared with yellow mustard and pickles held some hefty slices of pork belly that almost melted in my mouth. The saltier tasso ham, was a nice contrast and the cheese held everything together. It came with a small pile of fries, that were so dark we thought they could be sweet potato fries. Turns out that Caleb roasts the potatoes before frying them, a great idea!
Janet stuck to the breakfast side of the menu and ordered the gravlax platter. It was a plate loaded with house-cured gravlax, toast, horseradish cream cheese, chopped red onions and capers. Very tasty and the salmon was done perfectly.
They tried to tempt us with Bananas Foster for dessert, but we were good and resisted their attempts.
Dinner is coming soon—they’re hoping August and if a preview menu we saw is any indication, it’s going to be special!
I’m looking forward to buttermilk fried quail but that’s not all Caleb has planned. There will be shellfish and grits, duck confit and vegetarian specials based on what’s in season. He’s also planning a hot smoked sirloin steak, fried green tomato BLT with pork belly, and another I can’t wait to try--chicken fried steak tartare (steak tartare with fried chicken skin bits). Comfort food for him—delicious for the rest of us!
Besides the restaurant and shop for local goods, Stephanie is planning all sorts of events from “clean” comedy nights to tarot card readings, farm to table dinners, etc. to draw people all year long. Beginning in July, they’ll be hosting a local farmers market too.
They also offer catering, so if you’ve got a party coming up, or just don’t feel like making dinner, give them a call.
1215 NY-199, Red Hook, NY 12571
(845) 758-2437
Open daily 7-3 except Mondays when they’re closed.
