Restaurant Review: Hudson Grille

This past weekend, Todd and I were tasked with finding a restaurant that would satisfy both sets of parents, mine and his, as well as the two of us. After reviewing a ton of website menus and Yelp reviews, we chose Hudson Grille in White Plains, which had a menu that ranged from a standard burger with cheese to fried lobster dumplings. And to our relief, it was a success, and everyone really enjoyed their food, from the appetizers to the desserts.

ATMOSPHERE & SERVICE
The space felt large and roomy, and I was glad to see that people weren’t sitting nearly on top of each other. It was pretty empty when we arrived around 4 p.m., but started to fill up as our meal wound down. There was a bar with some kind of sports game on TV, and that area got a little bit loud at times, but we were seated a distance away and it wasn’t too bothersome. I did think that the lighting was too dim, and it made the glare of the afternoon sun coming in through the blinds even more irritating (but if we closed the blinds, it felt too dark to see our food or each other very well). Our waiter was very friendly and accommodated all of our requests, and the staff refilled our water frequently so we never went thirsty!

APPETIZERS

 

We chose the lobster quesadilla (which came with a mango salsa and sweet chili sauce), the sautéed mussels, and the pear-thyme salad to share. The quesadilla was the star of the appetizers, with tender lobster and a nicely browned tortilla. The sauces worked well with the dish, and we all enjoyed it. The mussels, too, were surprisingly good—not at all sandy, and the coconut milk, lemongrass, curry broth was so flavorful, just the right level of sweet and spiced. The large hunk of bread on top tasted great when soaked in the broth. The salad was tasty, too; I really liked the grilled pears but was kind of unimpressed by the rest of it, and I didn’t taste the thyme much at all.

ENTREES
Since we had six people in our party, we luckily got to sample a lot of different menu items for our main meals. I liked mine (the butternut squash ravioli) the best in the end, but I also really enjoyed the cedar plank salmon.

 

I’ll start with the chipotle shrimp pasta (above), which my mom ordered and asked for it to be not too spicy. The kitchen complied perfectly, and it had just the right amount of kick without being overpowering. The tomato- and pepper-based sauce was good and paired well with the shrimp, but we weren’t wowed by the dish and probably wouldn’t order it again. Todd’s parents both ordered the steak sandwich (above, without cheese or aioli) and said they enjoyed it. It came accompanied by fries, which were good but again, nothing out of this world.

 

Todd ordered the duck breast (above), which had a really nice sear and the right amount of chew without being tough. The julienned vegetables were bright and fresh, and the duck wontons brought a nice sweet yet savory burst to the plate. My dad chose the cedar plank salmon (also above), which was cooked absolutely wonderfully, with a tender, flaky inside and crusty, crunchy exterior. So delicious! And his bok choy and rice looked good, as well. And now, my pasta (below): pillowy tortellacci stuffed with butternut squash puree, served atop a bed of soft spinach, and all doused with a garlic cream sauce, then topped with a sun-dried tomato pesto. It was seriously out of this world, and I was so glad to have run 11 miles earlier that morning so that I could eat it without feeling guilty about how creamy and decadent (and calorie-laden) it was. Definitely worth it.

DESSERTS

We chose three different desserts: the banoffee pie, the almond coconut ice cream cake, and the flourless chocolate cake. We enjoyed all three, but I think the ice cream cake was my favorite, with a subtle hint of coconut and enrobed in a rich chocolate ganache. It also came with a mango sauce that paired nicely, and I wish there had been some more of that. Here’s a pic of the pretty plating:

The flourless chocolate cake was also really good, super dark and rich and thick. I don’t think I would have been able to eat more than a few bites if it were the only dessert I’d ordered, though, because it was so heavy and filling. It came with vanilla ice cream, but we asked for chocolate instead.

Lastly, the banoffee pie. I loved the bananas and the whipped cream and the chocolate sauce and the toffee glaze….but I did not like the tart shell at all. It was a pretty flavorless puff pastry that just didn’t go with the rest of the dessert; I would have preferred a flaky buttery pie shell, a graham-cracker crust, or even a chocolate cookie-like crust.

Overall we really enjoyed our desserts, and our entire experience at Hudson Grille, and would definitely return!