ENTERTAINMENT

Food fix: Bluestone Bistro

Theresa J. Marquez
Poughkeepsie Journal
Hudson Valley Restaurant Week

In case you haven't already heard, it is Restaurant Week in the Hudson Valley. From yesterday, Monday, Nov. 3, through Sunday, Nov. 16. Restaurants throughout the valley will be enticing guests, new and old, to come into their establishments and dine at a special prix fixe menu price of $20.95 for lunch and $29.95 for dinner.

A prix fixe menu allows a guest to select one item from each of three courses; appetizer, entrée and dessert. Sometimes the menu comes from the standard menu, others may be completely unique, or it could be a mix of both.

So what does this mean to you? Whether dining with your special someone, a group of family or friends, or even solo, chefs have prepared special menus that highlight some of the best of what they do on a regular basis. Maybe you want to go back to your favorite places. But this is also an excellent opportunity to stake out a place you have never visited before.

For the next two weeks I will be taking a tour, if you will, of several of our local restaurants that are participating. While dining, I will be posting to both Facebook and to Twitter so you can get a bird's-eye view of each visit.

Last night I visited Bluestone Bistro, formerly Caffe Pazzo, on IBM road in Poughkeepsie. They will be featuring a prix fixe menu for lunch and dinner.

Bluestone Bistro's prix fixe dinner menu for HV Restaurant Week.

The dinner menu was a blend of standard and new. Saffron Arancini is on their regular menu. Two compact little balls were plated in a small pool of really spicy, but really tasty tomato sauce. It wasn't thick like marinara. It was made from chopped tomatoes and aromatics and was worthy of a piece of bread to sop up the juices.

Braised Beef Brisket is not from the regular menu. Several slices of fork-tender beef were plated with a spattering of roasted veggies. Instead of a creamy pool of potatoes or polenta to base this comfort dish, it was paired with two potato pancakes.

Butterscotch Pot de Crème was a sweet way to end the meal. One of the best features of Bluestone Bistro is their service. Everyone was attentive, courteous, helpful.

Bluestone Bistro is located at 10 IBM Road, Poughkeepsie, NY. To make reservations call 845-462-1100.

Read past reviews of other participating restaurants:

Duo Bistrohttp://pojonews.co/1t8cKzx

Mexicali Bluehttp://pojonews.co/1x7wF5z

The Poughkeepsie Journal pays for the meals that are the subjects of restaurant reviews and reviewers do not identify themselves prior to the end of the meal. Theresa J. Marquez, Web producer for the Poughkeepsie Journal, graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 2005 with high honors. She has worked for Cooking Light magazine and is a local personal chef and culinary coach. Contact her at enjoy@poughkeepsiejournal.com; Twitter: @ChefTheresaPJ; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tmarquez.PoJo