There is no better time to be in the Hudson Valley than fall. The fact that I live here definitely makes me biased, but I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now. The crisp autumn air, the beautiful tease of an extended summer, the magnificent colors of the changing leaves, crisp juicy apples (along with the rest of the wonderful seasonal produce), I can go on.

Fall also means it’s time for our annual Hudson Valley Restaurant Week, a celebration of how fortunate we are to have so many fabulous spots to dine out here at home. There are hundreds of participants spanning the entire region, including Westchester, Rockland, Putnam, Orange, Dutchess, Columbia, Ulster and Greene counties. The two-week event runs from November 1–14 and offers customers an incredible deal: a three-course lunch for $25.95 or dinner for $35.95.

I encourage all of you to get out and dine! Plan a date, make reservations, call some friends, and take advantage of this great opportunity to revisit an old favorite or try something new. Remember the joy that restaurants bring to our lives, and how important they are to our communities. These businesses have suffered tremendously over the past eighteen months and continue to face challenges with food costs and labor shortages. They could use some love. I’ll be there, I hope to see you too.

For information on participating restaurants and their HV Restaurant Week Menus, please visit: hudsonvalleyrestaurantweek.com
 

—Michael A. Martinelli, Publisher