296 Main St, Poughkeepsie
845.392.9900; cafesweetspot.com
Café Sweet Spot doesn’t do basic. The Poughkeepsie eatery, which opened on Main Street in spring, specializes in new takes on classic breakfast and lunch spreads. In every dish, co-owners Ingrid Hernandez and Iakeem Robinson infuse international flavors into modern American cuisine to create crowd-favorite dishes like jerk chicken omelets and ricotta pancakes.
“Most of the inspiration came from the eateries that we love from the West Village as well as dishes we love from our Caribbean backgrounds, The Dominican Republic and Jamaica,” Hernandez reveals. Formerly the assistant controller at New York City’s The Spotted Pig, Hernandez knew she wanted to recreate NYC’s conviviality and street cuisine when she relocated to the Hudson Valley two years ago.
Along with Robinson, she designed Café Sweet Spot as a communal, cozy retreat in the heart of Queen City. Locals can swing by in the morning for a spread that skews toward the savory with breakfast tacos loaded with slow-roasted, orange-glazed pork and crispy fried chicken cradled inside housemade biscuit sandwiches. The lunch menu is where the owners’ Caribbean heritage truly shines, making a flavorful presence in the simple-yet-addictive Cubano and the Chimi Burger with secret sauce. Don’t miss out on Café Sweet Spot’s weekend brunch, either, since you never know when specials like apple pie pancakes and shakshuka will make an appearance.
Mon–Sun 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
