46 MAIN STREET
NEW PALTZ, NY 12561
(845) 255-1426
CO-CHEF/OWNERS: NATHAN AND BONNIE SNOW
Before they opened their restaurant, A Tavola, in New Paltz, Nathan and Bonnie Snow both had enviable careers as chefs in Manhattan and Brooklyn. After eight years working for JP Morgan Chase, Bonnie Snow followed her passion and attended culinary school. She became chef de cuisine at Sfoglia; meanwhile, Nathan Snow was helping Andrew Carmellini open A Voce. Nathan later hit Brooklyn to head up the kitchen at Al Di La—absolutely none of which predicts that the pair would decamp for the wilds of New Paltz.
Says Nathan Snow, “Well, there were a number of reasons for us to open in New Paltz. Number one was that we wanted to start a family, and we didn’t want to do that in the city. Basically we wanted to get out and live at a slower pace of life. In the city we were working long, long hours. And another reason is that the cost of opening a restaurant here is so much lower. Finally, a lot of the food that we were cooking in the city actually comes from here, so we were kinda thinking, ‘Why don’t we just move closer to the food?’”
With his experience, Snow was in a better position than most youthful first-time restaurant owners. “I was fortunate enough to have opened a bunch of restaurants in Manhattan—not my own, but working for other people who were opening restaurants. On one of them [A Voce] I was very involved, even though that was on a much larger scale than anything we were interested in doing.”
Though Snow claims that the building that would eventually become A Tavola had “always been a restaurant,” it’s actually so old that it predates official records. Snow laughs, “It’s pretty old—you know, it’s got some Underground Railroad stuff in the basement. Almost every building on our block is connected. I can’t even tell you how old it is because there’s no record in Town Hall. We tried to find out its age and couldn’t.”
The stresses of working so closely together don’t seem to faze the Snows, who not only have a toddler at home but also have a new restaurant, Huguenot (also in New Paltz), on the way. “It’s great. If I can’t be in the restaurant for some reason, Bonnie can fill my shoes. Now we have a fifteen-month-old daughter, so I’ll say, ‘Why don’t you go to the restaurant tonight and I’ll stay home?’”
(SERVES 4)
For the gnocchi:
1 pound fresh ricotta cheese
5 ounces all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting the table)
3 ounces grated Parmigiano Reggiano
1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 whole egg
Pinch of salt
Cracked black pepper
For the sauce:
3 tablespoons vegetable or grapeseed oil
1 pound Hen-of-the-Woods (maitake) mushrooms
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup fresh corn kernels, removed from cob
1 clove garlic
Pinch of red pepper flakes
1 bunch basil
½ cup fresh blueberries
Salt and pepper to taste
Freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, for garnish
To make the gnocchi: In a large bowl mix all the ingredients by hand for several minutes. As the dough begins to form, start kneading it into a ball by folding half of the mixture over itself and pressing. Do this for several minutes. Add small amounts of flour, only as needed, to achieve a firm but still slightly tacky consistency. The final dough ball should “bounce back” when pressed but not be completely dry. Wrap in plastic and allow it to rest in the refrigerator while you prepare the other ingredients.
To prep for the sauce: Using your hands, pull the mushrooms apart into smaller, bite-size pieces. Coarsely cut the basil leaves into quarter-leaf pieces. Mince the garlic clove. Reserve.
To form the gnocchi: On a large, clean table, using a bench scraper or large chef’s knife, cut the dough ball into four equal pieces. Place a small container of extra flour within reach. Dust a portion of the table surface with flour and place one of the dough quarters in the center. Gently begin rolling the ball with your hands, applying moderate (but not hard) pressure. Keep rolling the dough back and forth while moving your hands toward either side to elongate the ball. Continue this process, adding a dusting of flour as needed to prevent it from sticking to the table, until dough forms an even cord roughly ¾-inch in diameter. Once your cord is formed, use your bench scraper or knife to cut the cord into 1-inch lengths. Place the gnocchi on a floured baking tray and repeat the rolling/cutting process with the remaining three balls.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a hefty pinch of salt—water should taste slightly less salty than the ocean.
To make the sauce: Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the oil. Once oil is hot, add the mushrooms and lower the heat to medium, tossing the mushrooms frequently for several minutes. The mushrooms should begin to color and become fragrant. Once the mushrooms have begun to soften, lower the heat to medium-low. Add the butter and allow it to brown and bubble with the mushrooms. Once the butter is slightly brown, add the corn, garlic, and red pepper flakes, then reduce the heat to low. Sauté everything for 2 minutes; the corn can brown and pop a little.
To cook the gnocchi: Drop the gnocchi in the boiling water and cook for about 3 minutes, or until the gnocchi float. Once they are floating, remove the gnocchi using a spider or slotted spoon and transfer them to the pan with the mushrooms and corn. Raise the heat back to medium. The gnocchi should crackle as the water combines with the hot butter. Once all the gnocchi are transferred, add a little bit of the pasta water until the mixture reaches the consistency of a sauce. Toss in the basil and blueberries and allow the gnocchi to simmer for another minute.
To finish: Season the gnocchi with salt and pepper to taste and then transfer it to four plates. Garnish with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and serve.
