HudsonRW: Clinton Social

RER 7.30.13

Hudson Restaurant week started on Monday, and we were already behind. Clinton Social was our first stop this time. Clinton Social is right around the corner and I had never been until Tuesday night. The front room has the bar and some tables and there is seating area in the back, so the place is bigger than you would think. The hostess sat us where we asked to be seated which was nice, but it was also empty and early. She told us about Restaurant Week and the happy hour specials.

RER 7.30.13

The $35 prix fixe menu was short and sweet— three or four options for each course. First course choices consisted of appetizers like a fresh salad, pierogies, macaroni and cheese, and mussels, while mains included a pork chop, a veal, a fish, and a chicken dish. However, dessert was far less imaginative and involved, including the usual suspects like gelato, sorbet, and an almost obvious chocolate cake.

RER 7.30.13

The artichoke and cheese pierogies were good. They were pretty to look at; glistening with oil, topped with honey colored caramelized onions, punctuated with dark green chives, and separated by pale artichoke hearts. They were not very flavorful, but they were rich and heavy. The tangy cheese was not quite enough to bring out much life because of the heavy dough. Care was put into the shape and presentation of the dumplings, but they were missing that crunch.

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But the mac and cheese kind of looked like childhood, with a little fancy cheese to try to elevate the dish. It tasted like childhood too, too cheesy, too smooth, almost artificial.

RER 7.30.13

The Chilean sea bass dish was attractive. The fish was sitting on a bed beginning with a creamy light layer of mojo, followed by deep purple black beans, and white basmati rice. A flourish of color from the fruity and light mango salsa topped the fish. The flavors converged nicely, a mix of tart, sweet, fruity, and meaty, though with a hefty dash of salt. The sea bass had an almost crisp crunch, but it was a shell of salt, which ended up plaguing every bite.

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But the salt did not stop there. The roasted chicken dish also had the same malady. Everything was laden with salt; the chicken skin, the spicy sautéed corn, the leek au gratin, even the pool of juice that accumulated on the bottom of the plate. The only thing that was not salty, surprisingly, was the purple and yellow candied potatoes. The salt made everything taste almost the same, and the only differences were texture and the intense spike of heat in the corn.

RER 7.30.13

Dessert was not too exciting, though the typical flourless chocolate cake came with some popcorn crumbles, which added a little crunch and a little salt to the deep cake. If the popcorn played a larger role the predictable chocolate cake would have been more innovative and playful.

RER 7.30.13

It was nice to try out Clinton Social, so I think Hudson Restaurant Week did its job: opening local restaurants to their community in effort to increase patronage and exposure. It was the exciting deal and event of the restaurant week that brought me in, but I think happy hour drink specials and appetizers might be the only things to bring me back.

RER 7.30.13

Only 44 restaurants to go and 10 days to do it (I totally wish this was realistic, because I really would love to try them all). Stay tuned and see where I head to next. Or for those a little less patient, follow me on twitter or instagram to keep up.

RER

7.30.13

RER 7.30.13