The menu at Nines, which opened in Germantown this month in the former Gaskins spot, leans heavily on coastal Italian and French dishes like these swordfish skewers.
Katie Arias/Courtesy of Avery Jannelli
Welcome to Quick Bites, our regular roundup of restaurant openings, closings, pop-ups, special events, trends, and other happenings in the vast and vibrant Hudson Valley dining scene. Look for it every other Wednesday online and in Flavor, our Hudson Valley food newsletter.
Want to share some food news with us? Email maria.silva@timesunion.com.
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Openings
Spring is in full bloom and with it comes a new crop of restaurant openings. Here are some recent debuts you might have missed, along with a look at what’s on the way.
Nines in Germantown debuted this month, breathing new life into the former Gaskins location with a menu that blends French and Italian cuisine with produce from Columbia County farms.
Veteran restaurateurs Avery Jannelli and Ryan McLaughlin have opened Nines, a casual Italian and French restaurant at 2 Church Ave. in Germantown, in the space that formerly housed Gaskins.
Katie Arias, Courtesy of Avery Jannelli
Nines’ menu leans into coastal and rustic flavors, with ingredients sourced from Hudson Valley farms.
Katie Arias, Courtesy of Avery Jannelli
Veteran restaurateurs Avery Jannelli and Ryan McLaughlin, who are friends of Gaskins’ former owners Nick and Sarah Suarez, closed on the building last year and spent the winter renovating the dining room. The menu leans into coastal and rustic flavors, with offerings like mackerel crudo in a butternut squash and aji amarillo vinaigrette ($23), lamb meatballs ($25), swordfish skewers ($23), roast chicken fricasse ($34) and more. Cocktails are $16 or $17, alongside a selection of Italian and French wines. For dessert, there’s rice pudding with saffron honey and fennel crunch ($10), olive oil cookie served with almond cream, blood orange curd and poached rhubarb ($12), crème caramel ($11) and chocolate buckwheat tart ($13).
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Nines is open 5 to 9 p.m. Friday through Wednesday, with plans to add weekend lunch in June.
Since March, Sixside Market in Poughkeepsie has been bringing local farms and businesses together twice a month inside The Academy, which closed its food hall in 2023 to transition into a cafe and events space. The market was co-founded by Jordan Schinella and Sundaze Burgers’ co-owner Damel Harrison, who are now running operations of the large mixed-use residential and commercial project as a collective alongside four other businesses.
Sixside Market made its debut at The Academy in Poughkeepsie in March and, beginning May 9, it will expand to a weekly market on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Courtesy of Jordan Schinella
The indoor market currently has almost 60 vendors, from nearby farms like Titusville Farm and Fishkill Farms to bakers and artisans, many of whom accept SNAP benefits. The team has big goals for it, hoping to bring DJs, bouncy castles, cartoonists and activities to make it “more elevated than the average farmers market,” Schinella said.
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Saturday, April 25, will be the last biweekly market before it shifts to Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. beginning May 9.
Hole in the Wall Donuts opens Kingston pop-up: In 2023, Brandy Walters closed her Midtown Kingston bar, The Anchor, and sold the building to pivot to her new business, Hole in the Wall Donuts, bringing her creations to farmers markets and pop-ups. She eventually found a commercial kitchen and, last year, a permanent storefront in New Paltz. But she kept looking for a storefront in the city she calls home.
The search paid off last month, when Walters opened a pop-up at 580 Broadway in the former Ollie’s Slice Shop space. While it’s a temporary opportunity, Walters hopes it can lead to a long-term home.
At its Kingston and New Paltz locations, Hole in the Wall Donuts serves a plethora of round sweets at $4 a piece, from classics like Boston cream to more avant-garde flavors, like strawberry matcha mochi, along with breakfast sandwiches and coffee. The Kingston spot is open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays except Tuesdays and Wednesdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends, with plans to expand hours in the future.
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Wunderbar Bistro is back from the ashes: On Tuesday, six months after a fire displaced Wunderbar Bistro from Hudson’s Warren Street, owners Jaclyn Albizu and Lyle Lentz reopened the restaurant in Bia’s former space at 22 Garden St. in Rhinebeck. The new location features the same staff and menu, including schnitzel, fish and chips, steak and several gluten-free options.
Looking ahead, the couple aims to have two locations in Rhinebeck and Hudson. Rebuilding the original 23-year-old Columbia County restaurant, however, will be a “heavy lift,” Lentz told the Times Union in January.
Closing: Moonrise Bagels’ Kingston location
Moonrise Bagels is going back to basics and streamlining its menu to focus only on the stuffed bagels it became renowned for. As part of that shift, owners Jeremy Rhodes and Ali Chetkof Rhodes are shutting down their Kingston space, which opened in October 2024 as a pop-up before quickly becoming a permanent fixture due to its popularity.
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The Kingston shop will have one final day on Saturday, April 25, from 8 a.m. to noon, featuring a limited menu and giveaways throughout the day, Chetkof Rhodes said.
Moonrise Bagels’ forthcoming location on Broadway in Kingston, pictured Oct. 16, 2024.
Phillip Pantuso/Times Union
“The Kingston community has been incredibly supportive and we’re so grateful for the experience there,” she said. “As a small business, we’re focusing our time and energy on our long-term brick-and-mortar locations and making each of them the best possible version of Moonrise. We’re committed to making the menu and guest experience consistent across our locations and that’s just not possible within the Kingston takeout window.”
Beginning in May, Moonrise Bagel will serve only stuffed bagels at its three remaining locations in Woodstock, Poughkeepsie and Manhattan. The shops will also offer a full espresso bar with matcha and chai and customizable seed toppings, including sesame, poppy and onion.
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Chetkof Rhodes said a new tenant has not been confirmed for the 746 Broadway space, though there has been much interest. She encouraged anybody interested to reach out to the NightSwim team next door, Rebecca Kush and Tiffany Themens.
Other news: 2 bartenders arrested in Poughkeepsie bar raid
Numerous community complaints about underage drinking led to a police probe at the Poughkeepsie bar The Derby over the weekend, carried out in coordination with the state Liquor Authority and the city’s fire and building departments.
The investigation found that roughly 20% of the patrons inside the establishment at the time were underage, according to a release from the Poughkeepsie Police Department. Two bartenders were arrested and charged with misdemeanor first-degree unlawful dealing with a child.
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The city’s fire and building departments also identified multiple code violations at the 96 Main St. bar, deeming it unsafe and closed until all violations are corrected, authorities said.
The closure was brief. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, The Derby said it had resolved the public assembly and fire department “issues” and would reopen later that day.
“Sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for all your support,” the post reads.
When reached by phone on Tuesday, Joe Rabasco told a Times Union reporter he is the general manager and declined to comment, directing any questions to the owners. He told Mid Hudson News that underage patrons had gained entry using fake IDs that were scanned by security with a Liquor Authority-approved device.
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The state Liquor Authority’s portion of the investigation remains ongoing. An agency spokesperson said Tuesday it does not comment on investigations or complaints, including confirmation of pendency or status.
Food events
Tofu & Tease: Get a dinner and a burlesque drag show at Little Loaf Bakeshop in New Paltz on Friday, April 24. The $35 prix-fixe menu includes sweet corn dip, mushroom calamari, lemon Parmesan risotto and a buttermilk fried seitan sandwich. For dessert, there’s a tiramisu cup and mixed berry crumble. Doors open at 6 p.m. for the 7 p.m. show. Admission-only tickets are $30; with dinner, it is $67.30. Tickets are available online.
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Concert and dessert tasting: Catskill’s coffee shop Citiot will host vocalist and chocolate entrepreneur Vivienne Aerts at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 24, for a performance of original songs from her new album, “Typuhthâng,” which comes with a bar of chocolate. Aerts will also share stories about her philanthropic work to empower female cocoa farmers in Virunga State Park in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Guests will receive free desserts by Eleven Madison Park Alumn Ted Steinebac. Tickets are $45 per person.
Build your own charcuterie board class: If your charcuterie boards always end up looking like a scattered mix of things, Beacon Cheese Shop is here to help. Learn the art of cutting, styling, pairing and board design and take home your own creation at a hands-on workshop on Saturday, April 25. The class starts at 6:30 p.m. and covers the basics of cheese and charcuterie styling, perfect for beginners, home entertainers, or anyone who wants to level up their hosting game. Tickets cost $55 and can be purchased on the shop’s website.
Dining and Cooking