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Nikola's Published December 6, 2002 By Lori Pierce Abendschein You don't have to compete for a view at Nikola's Restaurant and Bistro, where every seat in the dining room mesmerizes diners with a panoramic view of the Hudson River. Having worked in some of Manhattan's top restaurants including The River Cafe and Union Square Cafe, Dederick, thankfully, returned to his native Hudson Valley to set up shop. Don't miss the spring rolls Warm wedges of focaccia and a ramekin of briny olives in an excellent-tasting olive oil give you just the start, providing just enough so that you can focus on the menu. Dederick, assisted by chef de cuisine Ruth Ryan, take a seasonal approach to an eclectic menu that travels across Asian, French and Mediterranean borders. Try a trio of soups and be sure not to miss the grilled shrimp spring rolls ($10) -- a healthy stack of crisply fried rolls that are a sheer pleasure to eat, especially with the tangy, subtly sweet ginger-beet hoisin sauce. Risotto preparations vary, and you can count on a deliciously different preparation every night. On the evening of our visit, we were treated to the essence of pumpkin, which gave the toothsome grain a subtly exotic quality right down to the crisply fried lotus flower garnish ($9). On a brisk night it would be difficult to not be charmed by a beef Bolognaise with spinach over fusilli ($16), or perhaps what sounds like a real labor of love -- pork cutlet with apple spaetzle and sage-roasted root vegetables. I could have easily chosen the coq au vin -- the fanciful name for a simply prepared but no less delicious dish of wine-braised free range chicken accompanied by garlic mashed potatoes, broccoline and sweet caramelized shallots. Instead, Nikola's fisherman's chowder ($19) was the ideal choice, satisfying my desire for seafood but a hearty cold-weather meal all in one with its abundance of clams, shrimp, codfish, salmon and green beans transplanted into a deep bowl of buttery, creamy chowder. Our other entree was another example of Dederick's commitment to simplicity in preparation and ingredients. A healthy cut of tuna ($18) came perfectly seared, accompanied by parsnip mashed potatoes, earthy sweet oyster mushrooms and reduced balsamic glaze. Save room for dessert An experience at Nikola's doesn't cease with dinner and by the end of the meal, we found ourselves truly at ease and relaxed, enchanted by the lights shimmering on the river and eager to take on dessert. In addition to a long list of gelatos and sorbets, the temptation of an assorted cookie plate ($6), chocolate molten cake ($7) or sharing a trio of creme brule ($7) sounded like just the ending we needed. Three petite ramekins teeming with maple, vanilla and pumpkin custard were all quite good, however, not with as much distinguishable flavor as we hoped and the texture of the vanilla was thick and dry. Nikola's location away from the waterfront strand of restaurants encourages the need to pay careful attention to signs to find this hidden gem. Yes, it is ''all about the food,'' however, a treasure trove of fine service and ambience also awaits.
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. Lori Pierce Abendschein is a graduate of The Culinary Institute of America and a member of Women Chefs & Restaurateurs. |
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