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“Blue Hill Stone Barns”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	New American	Upper West Side	Break the Bank	Good

While most stories start at the very beginning, I’d like to start our story—the tale of my dinner at Blue Hill Stone Barns—with the way it ends—and that would be with a $400 check and with my friend Steven wearing chef Dan Barber’s pants.

And now, the beginning….

CHAPTER ONE: CLAP AND THE PIGS WILL COME

On a warm sunny Sunday afternoon, my friend Steven and I boarded a Hudson Valley train at Grand Central Station. Our destination—Blue Hill Stone Barns, Dan Barber’s Chez Panisse-styled restaurant, set on a plush 80-acre farm and agricultural center donated by the Rockefellers, littered with magnificently restored 1930s barns, farmhouses, and silos on the rolling Pocantico Hills.

After a short taxi ride from the Tarrytown train stop, we arrived at the main reception area, turning up a long gravel path, driving past sheep and chickens grazing in the pastures. With no one to greet us (not sure why not, as we were there for dinner and were promised a tour of the grounds), we walked into the vast European courtyard, under soaring stone archways that resembled something from an old medieval village. We strolled into the Blue Hill Café, a sweet little coffee and sandwich shop that sells salads, panini, granola, local cheeses, fruit and trail mix for picnicking on the grounds, and Blue Hill’s line of pickled vegetables, jams, and fruit preserves as well as Blue Hill t-shirts and baseball caps. It’s Westchester after all, you’ll need a souvenir.

Not sure where to go next, we started wandering around outside, which is quite an enjoyable activity on its own. Blue Hill Stone Barns is a breathtaking place that is worth a visit just for the views of the exquisite stone buildings and vibrant green hills. The air smells different up there. Sweet and musty; clean and fresh. You feel your muscles loosen under your skin. Ahhh. This is way cheaper than therapy.

As luck would have it, we ran into Dan Barber’s brother and business partner, David and his beautiful wife Lauren (she designed the interior and the great logo and menu) and their two little kids. When we told them that we thought we were going to have a tour but couldn’t find anyone to show us around, they graciously volunteered to escort us through the property. With their gorgeous toddlers in tow, we strolled through the four-season greenhouses that occupy a sprawling 22,000 sq ... [more, click below]

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Posted: May 16, 2004

Other restaurants in Upper West Side :
+ 'Cesca   + Asiate   + Blue Hill Stone Barns   + Per Se   + The Neptune Room   + Spigolo   + Telepan   + Aix Brasserie   + 'Cesca   + Bar Boulud   + Dovetail   + BarBao   + Dinosaur Bar-be-Que   + Kefi   + Bar Luna   + Ed's Chowder House   + Red Rooster, by Rachel Barbarotta   + Loi by Dara Pollak   

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