Not kidding around

Little Goat (Rhinebeck)

GETAWAYS • Rhinebeck

The Skinny: This week, off a “busy” intersection in the center of Rhinebeck, Taavo Somer and Erin Winters — the duo behind two upstate favorites, the hotel/club Inness and Lola Pizza — introduced Little Goat, a beautiful new restaurant (and more). For now, it’s a dinner spot, but soon it’ll run all-day café service and a store hawking local provisions, homemade pantry staples, sauces, and bread.

The Vibe: Somer designed the space, transforming an 18th-century townhouse in a style similar to Inness: warmth emerges from subtle textures and tactile details, like soft drapes that hang above the small Calacatta Viola marble bar and a Josef Frank silk pendant light hanging over a large table.

The restaurant that previously occupied the building was decidedly outdated in its design — large displays of wine bottles crawled up the walls and oversized iron metal chandeliers hung from the ceilings, in early aughts suburban fashion. Transformed, the space is now awash in soft country ambiance. French ceramics are displayed on a wall and chamberstick candle holders sit on each table. The space looks intimate, but it’s quite large inside. Still, despite the size, we found tables a bit too close together (especially by Hudson Valley standards). We heard rumors of plans to build a bar and PDR upstairs, and, from the looks of it, back porch seating is also in the cards.

The Food: The “Mediterranean-inspired, farm-driven” menu features a selection of well executed homemade pastas and starters like broccolini with stracciatella and a mezze trio served with a perfectly snappy cracker. Among the proteins, there’s a classic farm-to-table juicy local chicken and Hudson Valley trout served with toasted turnips the table next to us couldn’t stop talking about. A selection of roasted and grilled vegetables are served alongside simple sauces like salsa verde and sesame pesto.

Desserts of olive oil cake and bombolone were underwhelming, given the rest of the meal, but I’m optimistic that once the bakery’s in full swing (and opening-night kinks are ironed out), the pastry program will improve.

The Drink: Like the menu, produce shines in cocktails, as in the herbaceous carrot and sumac tequila drink, which presented almost like a savory rum punch. In addition to the well-curated wine list, there is a small menu of n/a options with as many ingredients as their alcoholic counterparts. In all the drinks, the presentation is half of the fun, with ornate garnishes like a small, tweezer-placed rose.

The Verdict: Rhinebeck was in desperate need of an aesthetically minded dining space, and Little Goat fills that hole with fresh, sophisticated dishes to match. I’m betting once the cafe and market is in full swing, we’ll see long lines daily as the Hudson Valley cool factor finally makes its way down river. –Sylvie Florman

→ Little Goat (Rhinebeck) • 6380 Mill St • Wed-Sun 5-9p (for now) • Reserve.