The Tasting Room Restaurant — Restaurant in Town of Rhinebeck

We like to experiment and were looking for a quaint place with great food; and we got just that - for anyone who is tired of the usual restaurant tropes, the place is highly recommended. You know you're getting into something different the moment you look at the website - how many places serve whatever the chef feels like, with an ever changing menu, sometimes with ingredients the chef himself picked? Down a gravel driveway, the parking already tells you you're in for something different: with scant formal parking, we parked on grass by a tree. And the restaurant itself doesn't disappoint - with only 6 randomly placed tables and out-of-place design. But the attentive staff brings you into the world of the chef, whose true passion for food - above financial gain - comes across in every which way. The truffles were good and gentle, the crab cakes were a bit of a miss (the only thing we got that was just "okay"), and the risotto, for a change, was not drowning in tons of broth and allowed the dish's actual - and excellent - flavors to shine through, refreshing compared to other places. The shining stars were the deserts, which once again, were not overly sweetened or buttered, allowing their eater to appreciate their actual textures and taste; now there's a concept. If you're looking for a formal dining experience, this is not it - you can see there's something eccentric happening from the chef's writing, grammatical mistakes and all. And given the ever-changing menu, the food's makers cannot benefit from years of refining one specific recipe. But this willingness to experiment and be different is precisely what turned us on to this spot, and for anyone looking to celebrate gastronomy and passion for food and life in and of themselves, this place is not...

This is "fancy food" in a global style, yet it is quite inexpensive for what it is. The Tasting Room restaurant is very informal in a beautiful woodsy setting. Though the restaurant is open now for eating inside and outdoors, I just got a recent celebration dinner to-go. The food was outstanding. It was prepared with real nuances and attention to detail which managed to come through even in take-out containers. Everything had its own distinct flavor profile, which I love in fine cooking. Some highlights were the spanakopita - surprisingly creamy inside, not too feta-heavy, with a crispy filo crust. Potato canapes- hollowed-out tiny potatoes which each looked like a tiny sculpture, filled with creme fraiche and caviar. Wow! Barramundi fish (which I had never had before), the entree, was grilled with a crispy skin and an incredible Indian-style masala sauce. That sauce was outstanding and totally unique- sort of a kinder, gentler Indian masala. You could taste the subtle spicing and it did not even overwhelm the excellent fish. Did I mention some of the best sauteed kale I've ever had? (which was not at all like chewing cud in a barnyard with grim determination - it was actually really good), and - homemade cardamom ginger ice cream that not only cooled the palate but tucked the brain to bed in a kind of infantile happiness. Obviously diets were well forgotten on this special occasion. Though it has been there for years, the Tasting Room may still be somewhat of a hidden gem, as it is a bit north of the main drag in Rhinebeck. You need to call ahead to reserve or plan your meal. But well...

My boyfriend and I wanted to try something different, and we figured after reading all of the Reviews that the Tasting Room would be a great choice. Unfortunately, it ended up being the wrong decision. The appetizers were good, cocktails were mediocre, but the biggest let down was my entrée. I usually love Wiener schnitzel, however, not in this case. It was atrociously bland (I’m not convinced any salt or pepper was used), and the meat was tough and dry as can be. If that wasn’t bad enough, the sides were just as disappointing. The red cabbage tasted like eating a mouthful of perfume, and the Boursin potatoes were only good as long as there was Boursin on the potato you were eating. I feel terrible my partner brought me to such a place that couldn’t even provide great food for what the bill came to. Next time I would much rather go to Gigi’s, The Beekman Arms, or Terrapin....