Romantic Farm, Extraordinary Gourmet

About this series "New York Living-- Nature & Countryside":
We often feel fortunate to live in Manhattan-- get to enjoy its rich cultural life and, with a short drive, beautiful nature. This series shares the nature and countryside near Manhattan that we like to visit/do outdoor sports.

Blue Hill at the Stone Barns
In an article in Wall Street Journal a couple years ago, Blue Hill at the Stone Barns was cited as better than Equus in Castle on the Hudson. We've dined at Equus four times, always happy with the food and experience. If Blue Hill is even better, of course, we've got to try it!

I checked out Blue Hill's website first, only three pictures, one aerial shot of the Stone Barn, two food shots. I was immediately intrigued by its beautiful and European look. (The current website has more pictures, but I like the previous design more.) Its "Farm to Table" style sounded very attractive too, I called to make reservation right away, only to find it’s fully booked in the next two months! I tried again a few months later, and got a reservation.

After 5 weeks' wait, finally, we were heading to Pocantico Hills for the dinner. After the highway, K and I were winding through a residential area. An open farm just props up all of sudden, and what a beautiful farm, is this really in New York? Felt like in European countryside.

At Blue Hill, there is no a la carte menu, only three tasting menus. We chose the Farmer's Feast, 6 courses for $110 plus drinks+tax+tips (it’s $125 base charge now). While most tasting menus offer the exact same plates for each party at the table, Blue Hill served 6 different dishes for each of us, so we actually got to enjoy 12 dishes. Plus, there were 4 shared amuse-bouches. It was extraordinary, better than Equus, and many other top restaurants we've been to, such as Thomas Keller's Per Se. Per Se is rated at one of the best restaurants in NY, in the US and even in the World by many. K and I and our friend Echo went there once, Blue Hill is far better than Per Se, and Per Se was far more expensive (about $350pp). It's hard to articulate what makes Blue Hill stands out so much, everything just tasted extraordinarily delicious.

Some restaurants etch long-lasting memories through one or two specialized dishes, some through the overall experience. Blue Hill is the latter, the farm, the taste and service make it a delicious, enjoyable and romantic treat. What's worthy of special mention is its custom designed wood serving ware for the amuse-bouches, they highlight the foods' characteristics smartly, and truly excited the taste buds and showcased the chef’s approach to cooking together with the foods. We recommended Blue Hill to friend Echo, and she tried to go on almost all her business trips to NY (weeknights’ dinner reservations were much easier). And her most memorable dishes were the amuse-bouches after four or five dinners there. She also mentioned to me that Blue Hill recognizes her as repeat patrons and sends more than usual complimentary amuse-bouches each time.


We dined there in 2007. Have tried to return, but had difficulty getting reservation at preferred weekend dates. Blue Hill has another location near Washington Square in Manhattan, never been there yet. But it does not seem to have earned the same reputation as the location at the Stone Barns. Blue Hill at Stone Barns is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Reservation is almost a must unless you just want to dine at the bar counter.