Walk past two green doors and behind the second one, you find yourself in a small patio garden standing before glass pane windows full of soft yellow light. Behold Hudson Clearwater. I heard great things about this place. It’s one of those restaurants known for being difficult to find but the food is also delicious. Cookie Monster came here already once before and said the food was fantastic so for dinner with Half Hopi and Spiderman, I suggested we go there and give the Hungry Korean a chance at it.
They take reservations exactly 2 weeks in advance and thanks to OCD, I called exactly two weeks from the day we wanted reservations and had my pick of the litter on time slots. I picked 8pm. What an adorable place and quite cozy on such a cold October night. The front greets you with a bar and a couple four tops to the right and then down a small flight of stairs to a slightly larger dining area with another bar. The place is warm and woodsy – it reminded us all of Freemans on the LES.
Heard great things about the cocktails here so instead of the standard bottle of wine the four of us usually split, we sipped on cocktails all night.
I started with the Duchess which was gin, Earl Grey tea, blackberries, lemon, agave and a lemon twist:
Deep orange hue that reminded me of blood oranges, incredibly refreshing and not too sweet. The fragrant Earl Grey tea was definitely a standout in this drink among the other flavors. Half Hopi got the Calacas which was like a spicy margarita with beet juice and LOVED it. Spiderman and Cookie Monster both got the Orchard Moon and declared it tasted like a gingery apple cider…so of course I got that as my second drink.
Orchard Moon is a cocktail made up of dark rum, apple jack, apple cider, plum butter, lemon and ginger (they served two rum raisins on a toothpick as a garnish – yum:
Pretty good. Definitely could taste the rum and apple cider but the ginger was the most prominent flavor to this drink adding a spicy kick. The hint of butter added a decadence.
An amuse bouche of a raspberry stuffed with a cheese that tasted similar to blue cheese and a sprinkle of almonds:
The cheese added just enough heft and body to the delicate flavor of the raspberry – cheese and fruit is always a happy marriage.
For appetizers, Spiderman got the special appetizer being offered that night: a delicious short rib and melted mozzarella appetizer. It was a large serving for appetizer and quite delicious but it could have used some bread or something. No joke, it was just a hunk of short rib with some melted cheese on it. He started passing some around the table because it was such a heavy starter course.
Cookie Monster got vegetarian pot pie:
That puff pastry was the perfect accompaniment to the vegetables simmered in a savory bechamel cream inside. And because it’s only a small bowl portion, it’s just the right amount.
Half Hopi and I got the buttered clams with gnocchi, sauteed greens, parsley and lemon vinaigrette (which was more like a lemon infused broth):
Yummy! Sweet succulent clams out of its shells lay alongside puffy little pillows of gnocchi. The vinaigrette which was more like a lemony soup or broth brightened up the entire thing with it’s acidity and let me tell you, after I was done with the clams and gnocchi, not a drop of broth was left in either of our bowls. Quite delicious and a very unique pairing.
For main course, Cookie Monster and I decided to go halfsie on the duck and pork courses. (mainly cuz I wanted both and forced him to go halfsie with me lol)
Duck breasts were served with marinated rainbow chard, sage roasted potatoes and a caramelized onion jam:
I never used to be a duck person but after the way it was served at Locande Verde and the way they prepared it here, I could be converted! Crispy skin with the fat perfectly rendered off – the meat was cooked a beautiful medium and was incredibly tender.
The spice rubbed pork tenderloin was served with roasted mushrooms, cannelinni beans, watercress and house cured bacon:
Doesn’t this dish sound heartwarming and just like winter embodied on a plate? The pork was cooked with a nice pink center and was very very tender. You had the freshness of watercress and the creaminess of the beans but the bacon was the best touch. It added salty smokiness to the entire thing.
For sides, the table shared two. The potato onion gratin with radish salad….
Tasted just like potato gratin and would have been delicious if the potatoes were all cooked through. Some were still crunchy and we missed that lovely crusty almost burnt cheese you usually find on gratin.
…and the melted leek, mushroom & watercress ragoût, cauliflower purée and toasted almonds:
This was delicious and if you like mushrooms with roasted vegetables, definitely get this. This side felt like it belonged at Thanksgiving dinner.
For dessert, the table shared the lemon bar with graham crust, fig compote and lemon crème fraîche:
Very lemon-y – lemon lover’s delight. Graham cracker crust is always a crowd pleaser.
…and the honeycrisp apple tarte tatin with sea salt caramel and chantilly cream:
This meal was delicious. It sort of matched the surrounding decor: it was cozy, warm and inviting. I especially loved the interior of the restaurant. I can see why there’s alot of hype around Hudson Clearwater and will definitely be back for more…if I can score reservations again!
Hudson Clearwater, 447 Hudson Street, New York, NY
