Shadow 66 — Restaurant in Town of Ghent

I had a mixed experience at Shadow 66. The food, overall, was quite good flavor-wise, and the quality of ingredients was high. I should say that I cleared every plate. The tomato soup especially had a lot of flavor and a delicate consistency, I enjoyed it. On the other hand, the potato slices in the gratin were somewhat undercooked. The house-made fries were fresh and excellent, but in need of salt - I would have liked to have been brought salt and pepper with the fries by default. Underseasoning certain offerings is certainly a wise choice for the chef to make, especially for something like fries. But when doing that, providing condiments is then necessary. The confit was very satisfying. Then again, I have not had a confit that hasn't been, even that which comes out of my own kitchen as an amateur. The issue I had there was, for the price point on the menu ($33), I received only a single small-ish leg/partial thigh. Perhaps this is the new reality given the inflationary times that we find ourselves in, but I was still disappointed not to see more duck on my plate than that. I don't know the economics of the restaurant business, but I know that I would have preferred to pay a few to several more dollars and have had two pieces. The reduction that it was situated in was very tasty.

There's a (very obvious) section on the menu that states "Please let your server know if you have any allergies or dietary concerns" - this seems to imply that accommodations can be made. Well, when I expressed a dietary concern to my wait staff on behalf of my dining partner, I was told that no entrees could be changed to accommodate that concern (which is a very common one), and that they'd be relegated to appetizers and sides. This particular issue is not the wait staff's fault, so then ownership and management ought to be asking themselves why they're printing this section on the menu when all that will result is an opportunity for their wait staff to tell diners "no". As someone who travels and understands and accepts that traditional French cuisine can be rather inflexible, this was still an acutely negative part of the experience given that the words on the menu strongly imply flexibility in this case.

The service, while attentive but (thankfully) not overly, was unfortunately casually dismissive and insensitive in a manner that was both generally inappropriate and far from the expectation out of a dining establishment trying to set itself apart, and soured the experience further. Fine French food ought to be paired with fine, professional, and deferential French service. One individual on your wait staff in particular is in dire need of some training.

I'm a vintage automotive enthusiast, this is what piqued my interest in Shadow 66. Both vehicles on exhibit in the dining area are meticulously, painstakingly kept, which is even more impressive given that they're clearly both driven. The food and the service, while good, are not yet on par with the level of attention given to the cars. I probably won't be back, though I do hope they get...

It all starts when you call to make a reservation and the is a friendly Frenchman who is on the recording who recommends that you put your request in and he will return your call…. Sure enough the did (same voice) and charmingly invited us to what seemed to be his home as a vibe!!!

Loved the country side utility chic south of France meets the hudson valley with a big surprise of a collection of lit antique cars that were an exquisite backdrop! The menu was edited to a great array of Choices… the skate special was delicious and was bathed in a dreamy sauce that was a great contrast to the delicate fish.

The family who runs the kitchen, front of house, and even looks after the tables adds a human sophistication and taste to the region that would not be the same without them!

I did not want to underestimate that the bar was a hidden gem of incredibly done drinks that we requested and off menu medley called a “paper plane” and they gracefully accommodated! Now comes the punch…. They causally recommended the espresso martini at the close… we open mindedly said “yes” and found ourselves ordering 4 more and noting it might have been the best one chilled perfectly with a foam topping that would have been a desert in and of itself but actually led to a profiterole plate that again I never would have ordered but because things were going soo well…..and sure enough it was EPIC and that was from a non lover of the kind!

Have fun and enjoy this place and keep an open mind as it might...

Deeply satisfying French bistro food. Classics done well, in a classy but casual setting, and fairly priced. I don't think I've ever had a better rendition of what was essentially a variation on skate meunière. Certainly not one better plated.

There are of course fancier places serving more luxurious food with more impressive wine lists, but this place gets five stars from me on the basis of what it is and what I think it's trying to be.

Two minor nitpicks are that the bread is not at a level worth charging for (as they do), and at least one of the servers could be a little less casual and a lot more attentive. Trying to get a server's attention when they're just standing idly at the bar with their back to the room is one of the most frustrating things. But I realize it can be tough to find experienced servers in less populated areas. The bread though - seems like it might be baked in house, which is laudable, but I'd take higher quality bread from an excellent outside bakery over mediocre in house bread.

The motor touring memorabilia is endearing. Some may misinterpret the Michelin Man appearances as a cheap attempt at drawing critical attention without understanding the restaurant guide's roots in motor touring, but I suppose the crowd will mostly self-select towards sophistication. The place is, as they say,...