Fishkill Prime — Restaurant in Town of Fishkill

Business brought my wife and I to Fishkill around dinner time. We decided to stay and eat out there. We usually go to Trattoria Locanda, a restaurant featuring southern Italian, but wanted to try something different so we walked up and down the block. We paused in front of Sapore, a word that for some reason makes me think Japanese - maybe it’s Sapporo the beer? The restaurant featured northern Italian. The owner was out front and told us that the salmon was great today. We reviewed the menu on our cell phones. My wife saw the rack of lamb and was really in the mood for that, so we went in.

The decor was convincingly atmospheric, like a Coppola or Scorcese … or better yet, like a Franco Rosi film set, except it had me thinking southern Italy, not northern (and the so-called southern restaurant Locanda across the street feels more like Milan, go figure). A waiter greeted us and we had a choice of three places to sit: the large dining room, the outdoor patio, or the one we chose, a smaller more intimate room with booths. 4.5 stars for decor.

The water was uncompromisingly punctual and polite in his demeanor, and he clearly had an excellent memory: he ran through a very long list of specials without missing a beat. The staff get 5.5 stars.

We each ordered a cocktail: a cosmopolitan and a gin martini. Both excellent. 5 stars.

We ordered an appetizer special to share, which was excellent. 5 star. My wife ordered the lamb, and I got the swordfish special. I jumped the gun on desert, and asked if they had ricotta cheesecake. He said yes and pointed it out on the menu but it said NY cheesecake. Ricotta is light and fluffy, NY is dense and creamy. We have been living in the Hudson Valley for 6 years and have yet to find one restaurant with good ricotta cheesecake. He insisted it was the latter, and so it was, and it was perfect! They need to change the name on the menu! The wife ordered a carrot cake. Deserts: 5 stars.

Sadly, the main entrees failed to meet our expectations. My wife’s lamb was bland. My swordfish was also bland, and overcooked to the point that the texture was dried out. Not bad, just not good. The presentation - not something that one used to think much about even only 10 years ago but seems de rigueur these days at most better restaurants - was also lacking. 2.5 stars.

My wife has been to the sister restaurant in Newburgh and says it is excellent, so maybe the chef was having a bad hair day? We will give the place another chance the next time we...

My first date night after having a baby and boy did I make the wrong dining choice. I would take your money and spend it elsewhere. This place is extremely overpriced and mediocre at best.

It struck me odd that there were no salads on this menu. Come to find out there is salad and it is served family style. No where does it indicate that on the menu. Had our waitress told us that we probably would have skipped the appetizers. I ordered the crab cake which ironically tasted like the ones I make for Christmas ( and I am not a chef!) and my husband ordered the lobster bisque which was ok but not great.

For dinner I ordered the filet mignon and a side of mashed potatoes. Nowhere on the menu does it indicate that it is a la carte but it is so for a filet and some basic run-of-the-mill mashed potatoes it cost $40.00. In my book totally not worth it. The meat was served on a white plate...that's it. It was literally a piece of meat on a plate. There were no greens no color no plate decor. I was very unimpressed. The piece of meat was good but not fabulous like I had expected based on reviews and for a steakhouse.

My husband ordered a special. It was swordfish covered and swimming in some red sauce with capers. Now, my husband and I are NOT food complainers EVER ( as a matter of fact this is my first review) ..but this dish was horrible. I was gonna switch with him because I felt bad but I couldn't even eat it. The sauce was so bland. It was like someone dumped a can of Contandina Tomato Paste mixed it with 1/2 cup of water and capers and then drowned the fish in it. I would have told the waitress that it was not good but she never asked how our meal was going.

We skipped dessert. While waiting for the $127.00 check all I kept thinking was how I wish I had gone to Il Barolito across the street.

The ambience was nice except the table next to us with the obnoxious 5 year old ( I have 3 kids of my own) and the dad who kept trying out the ringtones on his new phone.

Bottom Line: you couldn't pay me to...

I had an absolute exceptional experience dining here this evening. I arrived late and sat at the bar. Anthony greeted me and was the epitome of service excellence. His warm and friendly personality, attention to detail, and level of service alone give this review 5 stars. And then I ate and drank. Can I give them 10 stars? More? I had an IPA. I hate IPAs. This IPA was smooth, no bitterness, wow. I didn't even know it was an IPA until I asked Anthony to double check the keg to see what it was. Speckled Pig Restitution NEIPA I believe is what he said. A great beer. I've never said that about an IPA. I'll have to rethink my stance on IPAs, at least from Speckled Pig Brewing. I don't like Kalamata olives. I thoroughly enjoyed their Kalamata olive and olive oil bread dipper and fresh bread. I already enjoyed two things I would normally never have. On to my order. Two of my loves. French onion soup and the bacon appetizer. Their take on French onion soup is classic yet with their own distinct flair. I seriously considered ordering another cup. I could have stopped here and been completely satisfied. The cheese was baked to perfection. Just the right amount of browning of the cheese and the crispiness of the cheese on the edge of the bowl, the soft melted layer adjacent to the decadent broth, the perfect chew of the crust of the crouton within, and the onions that were deep and rich in flavor...all of it, I found absolutely delicious. Now the bacon. I have never had bacon as thick, moist, or as steak-like as this. And as a bacon connoisseur, this was truly the most flavorful that I have ever had. The deep, neverending depth of flavor, the salt, the pepper, the sweetness, the varying textures, all of it came through in every bite. Another absolute wow! Thank you for the type of dining experience I enjoy most: top level service and expanding my horizons with new flavors and textures all in ambiance of class and style that I will savor the memories of for a long...