Sukho Thai

friday night take-out.

maybe i'll start a special post for that. maybe not. we'll see.

nevertheless, this was the second to last stop on the short hudson valley tour.

After becoming cultured to Thai food during my time in DC over the past five years, I was always sad when I went home that I could not engage in the delicious Thai cuisine. However, I was definitely mistaken because Sukho Thai has been in Beacon for a while now, but it was only until a year or so ago that I had went for my first time.

This review, however, will only be about my Sukho Thai take out experience, but I will remark that the restaurant itself is located on the Eastern end of Main Street in Beacon (both Chill and Homespun were located on the western end) and it is adjacent to many of the well known antique shops in town. The restaurant does feature a nice modern decor and it is a really good spot for a small group of friends or a nice date night with your significant other.

For take out, I ordered the Fried Golden Tofu to start which was served with sweet chili dipping sauce. After having delicious golden tofu from Sticky Rice and decent tofu from Malaysia Kopitiam, I was expecting something at least in between. Unfortunately, I got something that was not really close. The Golden Tofu had absolutely no flavor and even with the dipping sauce which was standard, I was not off to a good start with my meal. However, my entree, the Penang Curry, a Thai panang curry with red bell peppers, snow peas, green beans, topped with a coconut sauce and Kaffir lime leaves, was a completely different situation. You can order it with your choice of chicken, beef, pork, tofu, vegetable, or shrimp. I had my version with a mixture of tofu and vegetables and it was really really really good. I was almost shocked that two things, one with no flavor and another dish with such tasty flavors could come from the same restaurant. You are able to choose the spiciness of your food and I like some heat to my meals, so I chose the "medium" option which was the perfect amount of spice to give it some kick but I was still able to enjoy the other flavor profiles of the dish.

Despite the poor appetizer, my entree more then made up for the meal. Having also been to Sukho Thai a few times prior, I also know that they usually serve up really solid and delicious Thai food, but they definitely need to redo that Fried Golden Tofu.

Grade: B+

Chill Wine and Tapas

Back home for a couple of weeks before the big move, I decided to meet up with the BOOF buddy that I have known the longest (about 18 years!), Ash. We were originally planning to get coffee earlier that evening, but I ended up having to take care of some things, so she threw out the idea of heading to the newish Wine Bar in Beacon, Chill.

Chill is located on the Northern part of Main Street in Beacon and has a very cool hipster/dive vibe to it. In the evening, it features live acoustic music that still allows you to carry on a conversation, dim/little to no lights and an overall relaxed atmosphere.

The bar features exposed brick walls, slightly elevated seating on the side opposite to the bar with small lamps on each table. In the back of the restaurant, there is more seating with big leather chairs and a similar intimate and relaxed feel.

For being a winebar, there wine list is somewhat short but it covers all grounds. Ash ordered the German Dr. Loosen Riesling and I ordered the South African Indaba Shiraz. Both wines were tasty and had a nice body to them. The red was served at the perfect room temperature which is always a necessity. Chill also features a nice food selection with food plates, grilled panins and hummus platters. I opted to order the Pesto Hummus which was served with toasted flatbread and it was really quite tasty. I wish that the flatbread was not as crunchy as it was but because the hummus had such a weight to it, it might not have held up otherwise.

Overall, I really enjoyed my time at Chill. I would definitely go back when I am in time, and I think it is really the perfect way to end your day. I would also go back and try their paninis because who does not like a panini? Chill definitely has the possibility of becoming a Beacon main stay.

Grade: B+

Homespun Foods

Yea Man. First post outside of the DMV. Booyah.

I am from this really gorgeous part of NY (not the city) but the Hudson Valley which sits right along the Hudson River smack dab between NYC and Albany. If you really want to know more, just wiki it but needless to say, it is a really awesome part of the country (and NY state) that is filled with beautiful landscapes, mountains (or "hills" for you westcoast folks), and plenty of historic sites to see (West Point, Vanderbilt Mansion, FDR Estate, Samuel Morse Estate-- to name a few) and a plethora of other outdoor activities.

Only home for a few weeks before I made my big move out to PA (more on that in a later post), I decided that I would delve into more of the local cuisine, which I hear is actually quite delicious. Although I am not in NYC, the food from the area must be doing something right because Anthony Bourdain has highlighted our area on his show "No Reservations". Therefore, we are legit. I had never actually ate a meal at Homespun before but I did have a delicious cookie from there and best buddy of BOOF, Mo, is always a big fan of homespun because of their amount of gluten-free items on the menu.

Homespun is located right on Main Street in Beacon, NY, a little historic city sitting in the mid-hudson valley. Beacon has seen its share of ups and downs but it has recently been undergoing a transformation back to its former glory with the entrance of nice cafes, good cultural cuisine options, more antique shops (it has actually ALWAYS been known for these) and just more things to do. Homespun features nice warm colors, exposed brick walls and a nice but smallish dining area in the front but more seating in the back. It is definitely a cafe/lunch spot, but their lunch meals are absolutely delicious and they also serve breakfast, so why not? A major perk to Homespun is there large outdoor garden patio which is where I opted to sit on that beautiful summer day which has the perfect mix of shade and sun and I never felt as though there were too many bugs bothering me.

I ordered the Goat Gouda Pecan salad which featured goat cheese, grapes, dried cherries, toasted pecans and salad greens with a balsamic dressing. As you probably can figure from the ingredients, this salad was delicious. It had the perfect touch of fresh ingredients with the nice but simple balance of the sweet grapes, cherries with the more salty and sharp taste of the goat cheese and the pecans. Furthermore, the dressing was also nice light and refreshing and complemented but did not overwhelm the ingredients in the salad. I could eat the salad all the time but so many other salads, sandwiches and deliciousness on their menu look so good, I would have to try something else out first.

I also treated myself to a large chocolate chip cookie which was so delicious. The perfect balance of chewiness with that nice outer edge crisp. The owner/head chef of Homespun formerly headed a bakery in Seattle, so desserts and pastries are her thing, and she does it so well. As previously mentioned, they offer gluten-free desserts as well as vegan, and you can also put in order for specialty items to be catered or cakes for special occasions.

I would definitely go back to Homespun for a nice afternoon lunch and I would be hard pressed to find another better option on a nice day to eat lunch outside, then either go antiquing or hit up DIA: Beacon, the popular art museum.

Grade: B+

-- No dinner makes Karri a sad girl.

Mahoney's Smokehouse

I've got a couple of more posts from the good ol' hudson valley before i hit you with scranton. wa bammmm.

yeah yeah yeah, these events happened almost a month ago (oh man, i've been living in scranton for almost a month! when did that happen), but grad school is hard and time consuming so clearly i just don't have time to post that often. sad day. however, with a small lull, i am trying to get caught up as much as possible.

back to the food. for the birthday of one of BOOF's aunts, some of the fam bam headed to Mahoney's Smokehouse in Wappingers Falls. The intention of heading to Mahoney's was that we had heard word that they boast some of the best bbq in the hudson valley and although this is no memphis, who does not want some good bbq to wrap up the summer? I was fully aware that I was going to be hard pressed to find something on the menu for me to eat, but at least I knew I would be able to get some fries...or something.


Mahoney's Smokehouse (not to be confused with its sister restaurant, Mahoney's Irish Pub in Poughkeepsie) is really nothing to look at from the outside or the inside. Frankly, if we would have not heard through the grapevine about Mahoney's SH, I am sure that we would have never found our way to it. It sits in a mini strip mall on Route 9 in Wappingers Falls. When you walk in, there is nothing really to mention besides the fact that it appears to be pretty much a hole in the wall with some food. So let's get to the food.

There are various bbq options on the menu from chicken to pulled pork to st louis ribs to baby back ribs and a few others. Mom and Auntie ordered the St. Louis and Baby Back Ribs respectively and luckily, they had some fish and chips on the bar menu because if that had not been the case, i would have been eating sweet potato fries for dinner. I ordered the fish and chips but substituted the chips for the sweet potato fries. Both types of ribs came with a two sides so everyone essentially ordered the corn on the cob and sweet potato fries on the side. Looking back, mom wish she would have tried the Baked Beans, and I had actually asked about these but found out that they do cook them with their meat...sad face.

The reason why Mahoney's SH is very good and well known is because they literally have a smoke house out back where they cook and cure their meat throughout the day. The St. Louis came with a dry rub and the Baby Back Ribs were slathered in barbecue sauce. The Fish n Chips was just a standard cod. The fish and Chips were fine but the Sweet Potato fries were really quite delicious. I mean, the fish was really just standard and nothing special at all. From what I gathered, both types of Ribs were really really tasty and worth the hoopla. Because the St. Louis was a dry rub, depending on your taste, you may have wanted to add some additional barbecue sauce (as did my mom), but the smokiness and tenderness of the ribs were stellar. The seasoning was good and the flavors were there. Additionally, the corn on the cob was cooked on the grill and that IS the best way to eat corn on the cob. Really fresh and sweet.

Despite its appearance and lack of vegetarian items, Mahoney's did not disappoint in the cuisine that is its staple. Nevertheless, I do believe that if Mahoney's wants to become a mainstay of the area, it definitely needs to up its decor and service because it's food, definitely backs it up.

Grade: B- (A- for the ribs; C for everything else)