292 MAIN STREET
POUGHKEEPSIE, NY 12601
(845) 473-0292
OWNERS: MARK MARGIOTTA, STEPHEN GRUBERG, AND ALEX SERROUKAS; EXECUTIVE CHEF: MARK MARGIOTTA
It’s an arguable assertion to say that the Hudson Valley is the breeding ground for global restaurant culture; after all, graduates from Hyde Park’s Culinary Institute of America go on to create menus in kitchens all over the world. This geographic oddity means that there is a distinct foodie bubble in the towns that surround the Institute—the streets are filled with passionate diners who are both informed and discerning about food.
Brasserie 292 steps in to satisfy this region’s basic need for craveable French standards, the kind of dishes that give the national cuisine its earthy soul. Here, in a long menu, you’ll find brimming shellfish plateaux, house-made charcuterie, and the ultimate in carnal: steak tartare with capers, white anchovies, and sticky, golden egg yolk. Says Brasserie’s Executive Chef, Mark Margiotta, “Being a French brasserie, we’re casual—almost like a French diner, in a way.” He continues, “But we don’t limit ourselves to French cuisine, as you can tell with the tortelloni [included below]. My own heritage is Italian, so we joke with customers who come in and think I’m French. It’s especially funny when they think I speak the language,” Margiotta laughs. “I mean, I’ve been to France, but . . . ”
Margiotta’s Italian-American background has not been a hindrance. “French cooking shares basic techniques with of a lot of cuisines. So, at that point, we just try to make really good food that our local clientele will come in for.” When it comes to local clientele, Brasserie 292 is blessed. “We’re right next to the Culinary, so we have a lot of culinary students and a lot of chef instructors coming in. We also have people who are visiting the Culinary, say, the families of the students or chefs at the Culinary. They, in particular, can appreciate what it takes to make time-consuming dishes like our house-made charcuterie. Also, they’re more geared to the steak tartare or an oddball special.” Is it easy for Margiotta to find customers among the students at the Culinary? “Yes and no—when I was in the Culinary, I was eating a lot pizza just trying to keep it cheap!”
(SERVES 5)
For the tortelloni:
2¼ cups OO flour (all-purpose flour can be substituted) plus more if needed
3 large eggs, at room temperature
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups yellow tomatoes, medium diced (red can be substituted)
1 cup thinly sliced leeks, white and light green parts only
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 cup vegetable stock
4 ounces extra virgin olive oil
8 ounces fresh crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons scallions, chopped
1 teaspoon mint, chopped
Pinch of grated nutmeg
Butter
1 cup ricotta cheese
To make the tortelloni: Mound 2¼ cups of flour on a wooden cutting board. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the eggs. Using a fork, beat together the eggs, then begin to incorporate the flour, starting with the inner rim of the well. As the well expands, push the flour up from the base to keep the well shape. When the dough starts to form, start kneading the dough with the heel of your hand. Once the mass has come together, lightly flour it and knead the mass for 6 more minutes. The dough should be a little sticky and elastic. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and allow it to rest for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a medium-heavy pot over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil and the unsalted butter. When the butter has melted, add the tomato, leek, shallot, and garlic and sweat the vegetables until they are soft but not brown, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper, then add the vegetable stock and bring up to a simmer. Simmer on low for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour tomato mixture into a blender and blend on high until the brodo is smooth. Slowly add the extra virgin olive oil to the blender while it is running, allowing the sauce to emulsify. Strain the brodo through a fine-mesh strainer. Season with salt and pepper and reserve.
Cut the dough into 4 equal portions and, using a pasta machine, roll each section out to the thinnest setting on the pasta machine. Lay each piece on a lightly floured work surface and keep hydrated under a damp kitchen towel. Put the crabmeat, mascarpone, scallion, mint, and nutmeg in a medium bowl and gently mix until incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly dust with flour. Lightly dust a work surface with all-purpose flour and lay the pasta sheets on it. Using a 4-inch cookie cutter, cut out 20 circles, keeping the circles hydrated under a damp kitchen towel. Fill each circle with about 2 teaspoons of filling. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the rim of each circle with water.
Working with one at a time, fold circle in half, being sure to push all the air out and use your fingers to seal the edges. Hold the half-moon with the straight edge facing up and bend the two corners around, overlapping the ends by a ¼ inch and pressing the edges together. After each is done, arrange it on the floured baking sheet. (The tortelloni may be refrigerated for up to 1 day or frozen for up to 2 months.)
When ready to cook the tortoloni, fill a large pot two-thirds of the way with water, salt it liberally, and bring to a boil over medium high heat. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepot, heat the tomato brodo.
Add the tortelloni to the boiling water and cook until they float to the surface, 2 to 3 minutes (if fresh), or 4 to 5 minutes (if frozen). Carefully drain the tortelloni, return them to the pot, and coat them in butter.
In 5 shallow bowls, place a scoop of the ricotta and spread it out with the back of a spoon. Ladle in 4 ounces of tomato brodo. Divide the tortelloni between the bowls. Garnish with fresh tomatoes extra virgin olive oil, basil, and mint.
THE CULINARY INSTITUTE OF AMERICA
NURSERY OF ICONS
What if only 3 or 4 universities drew half of the intellectuals on the planet? This is the sort of math that represents the power of The Culinary Institute of America. With its nearly hundred million dollar endowment and rolling, 170-acre campus, “the Culinary” is—for chefs—Yale, Harvard, Princeton, and MIT rolled into one. Since 1946, CIA has been the entity that shaped the most prominent American culinary minds that range, on one hand, from superstar graduates like Michael Ruhlman and Grant Achatz to, on the other hand, dastardly provocateurs like Anthony Bourdain.
While an education at CIA is expensive and, by all report, prone to cause lasting emotional scars, visiting its hallowed campus is a pain-free way to share in its glamor. Walk among the check-trousered students and enjoy the campus’s stellar river views, or drop into any the four inexpensive, student-run restaurants that are open to the public.
The restaurants, which provide practical, real-life training in every aspect of the restaurant business (from cookery to service and management) are overseen by the CIA’s esteemed Chef/Instructors. In each, you’ll find a restaurant that almost perfectly exemplifies its chosen dining genre. Happily, visitors can choose among them to hit any price and degree of elegance on the spectrum. Culinary Institute in Hyde Park, 1946 Campus Drive, Hyde Park, NY 12538, (845) 452-9600; ciarestaurants.com.
The Bocuse Restaurant
(845) 471-6608; bocuserestaurant.com
While its predecessor in this spot was known as The Escoffier and was marked by eccht-formal (and, some might say, outdated) tableside service, the CIA’s newest take on haute cuisine offers feats of molecular gastronomy in the place of silvery chafing dishes. Look for a stylish, modern dining room and excellent, Hudson Valley ingredients transformed by CIA students into spectacular triumphs of cooking wizardry. Best of all, dining at The Bocuse is a steal compared to non-student-run restaurants of its ilk.
Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici
(845) 471-6608; ristorantecaterinademedici.com
Originated to celebrate the many regional cuisines of Italy, the soaring, all-but-Tuscan dining room of Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici is centered on a fully-scaled olive tree. Here, diners can expect everything from textbook salumi and crudo to perfect pastas and wood-fired pizzas, all paired with carefully-chosen Italian wines. As at The Bocuse, Ristorante Caterina de’ Medici offers stunning bargains and prix fixe menus.
American Bounty Restaurant
(845) 471-6608; americanbountyrestaurant.com
Europe might be the bedrock of a classical restaurant education, but, at American Bounty, the CIA celebrates the land beneath its students’ feet. Look for perfect Hudson Valley ingredients sourced from the fertile region surrounding its Hyde Park campus. The seasonal, a la carte, and prix fixe menus at American Bounty are served by students and paired with an all-American beer and wine list.
Apple Pie Bakery and Cafe
(845) 905-4500; ciarestaurants.com/diningatthecia/applepie-bakery-cafe
Expect this strictly diurnal cafe to feature a casual menu of soups, salads, and sandwiches with Hudson Valley cheeses, beers, wines, and meats taking center stage. CIA bakers-in-training craft all the breads, pastries, and desserts served at Apple Pie Bakery and Cafe; its easy price point means that students are also most likely to join visitors here as diners.