blue hill at stone barns

dan barber has perhaps the most difficult job in the world: to convince people to eat more veg, less meat, and do it all sustainably. he may just succeed yet. a meal at blue hill stone barns is a journey, metaphorical and literal, an educational experience, as well as a restaurant meal – in not so equal parts.

blue hill at stone barns
november 12, 2016

chef & co-owner dan barber
vice president irene hamburger
general manager philippe gouze
wine director charles puglia

accolades:
-#48, san pellegrino worlds 50 best
-#7, oad u.s. best restaurants
-"excellent" rating, new york times
-james beard outstanding restaurant

review:

the excitement and sense of exclusivity begins immediately upon driving up the lengthy driveway as you gaze upon the castle-like stone barns, while the last of the sun's orange rays glow on the horizon as twilight beckons. blue hill at stone barns opened in the spring of 2004 with a working four season farm sourcing nearly all of its ingredients for its innovative tasting menus from the surrounding fields and pastures. the rest, from chef and co-owner dan barber's family owned farm in barrington, massachusetts. the restaurant has without a doubt one of the most beautiful dining rooms i've ever been in. the former barn's tall ceilings lined with stunning dark wood beams look down on the beautiful centerpiece of a miniature oak tree filled with in-season brightly colored leaves reminiscent of chicago's alinea when fall arrives.

"grazing, pecking, rooting". the only three words given to describe your multicourse tasting menu at blue hill at stone barns. the cost is $238 per person and an optional wine pairing is offered for an additional $158. although, you'd be wise to splurge with jean georges alum charles puglia as wine director. the cocktail list is brief, but each and every one of their outstanding concoctions follow the restaurant's seasonal theme and use of the highest quality ingredients. or somehow go the complete opposite direction and make it work wonders. take their "daily bread", which features a house made syrup from stale bread from the bakery along with splashes of whiskey, sweet vermouth, sherry, egg white and nutmeg, all coming together to make a killer finisher to charles' outstanding beverage pairings.

over the course of 3-4 hours, you will be taken on a highly seasonal culinary journey of blue hill's fields and pastures as dozens of courses arrive one by one or two by two, each not far from its primitive form. the experience is less of a meal and more of an art show. skillful cooks turn vegetables into portrait worthy creations and roast the most flavorful and tender chicken you'll ever have, raised just yards from your seat.

 at first, "bites" come out swiftly, almost making you feel rushed, however this initial pace is no accident. as a table captain points out-- at this point of the meal they want you to just be constantly eating and talking amongst yourselves about nothing but what is in front of you. an edible conversation piece, if you will. although this fast pace can definitely make you feel overwhelmed and even have you forgetting what you're eating. intentional or not, it can be a little much, as our server explained that many diners have said to have initially felt that way. luckily, this quick pace does not continue and it was after this point where i became fully submerged in dan barber's cooking.

as the meal continues it becomes even more hands on and theatric. it becomes certain to be a fun time while you drink great wine and are in great company as you crack jokes and giggle like the middle school days while searching for burdock root custard tarts hiding under a pile of bright red leaves that are placed in the center of your table.

at blue hill at stone barns there are no truffles, foie gras or japanese wagyu. their truffles are the ultra-seasonal turmeric broth harvested in full form for only a few weeks a year. as eric ripert of le bernardin says "fish is the star of the plate", stone barns can follow this mantra with vegetables. farm to table in the most literal sense you can imagine. caviar, a rareity for the restaurant, was included in one course during my meal but it was strangely not served with a wooden or pearl spoon, therefore forcing you to use your metal utensils and risk compromising its flavor. you are also given a bundle of utensils wrapped up in cloth for you to choose your own way of eating. "there's no wrong way to dine at blue hill", a server adds. i however, would have much preferred to know how the chef advises his cooking to be best enjoyed.

 if you're lucky, you'll be taken on "an adventure" to their outdoor fire-heavy grill while enjoying a gourmet hot dog made from beets and pork with condiments of green tomato relish, beet ketchup and coriander mustard. then you can wash it down with an ice cold craft beer while a cook tells you the story of how they make their charcoal and how nothing at stone barns goes to waste as he or she opens a bin filled with scraps of charcoaled bones. hopefully, you'll also take a trip to their bakery and enjoy listening to bakers share their passion while you sample several warm breads minutes out of the oven, including the obviously exclusive dan barber wheat.

journey 30 or so miles north of new york city to blue hill at stone barns with close friends, family or an exceptionally romantic date for an epically fun time filled with laughs, great food and drink. expect professional service and a highly educated, talented and luxuriantly dressed staff. your napkins will be folded, your needs will be met and your taste buds will be stimulated. go to blue hill with an open mind and with all aversions left at home. leave yourself in chef dan barber's hands and be immersed in culinary excellence.

3/4 stars.

⭐️ good
⭐️⭐️ very good
⭐️⭐️⭐️ excellent
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️ world class

blue hill at stone barns – a top 50 restaurant in the world and recently named best restaurant in new york by grub street – had been near the top of my list for a long time. but the 2 month wait for a reservation and need to drive an hour north of new york to pocantico hills in westchester left it lingering there for years. until last sunday. my advice to you is don’t let the reservation process or location be your excuse. this is an experience every food lover needs to treat themselves to.

ahhhh, blue hill at stone barns, we finally meet! i have been wanting to go to blue hill at stone barns for years, but scheduling was a bit complicated as we needed to be in new york and we wanted to make sure that pioneering chef dan barber would be in the kitchen that evening. our meal blew us away in every way and we tasted the best vegetables we have ever tried. a must must go to and should be added to everyone's bucket lists....

this was a great restaurant experience from the 2015 james beard award winning restaurant. the tables in the main restaurant require a hard-to-obtain reservation where the only option is the $216 prix fix multi-course grazing, pecking and rooting (tasting) menu. the menu is strictly the chef’s choice (although they ask about dislikes) and the food can vary from person to person. chef dan barber is known for his responsible farming “religion” and the preparations we ate highlighted the natural flavors of the food. although not vegetarian, the menu was vegetable-centric. you can sit at the bar without a reservation (fcfs) and get the full tasting menu or a 3 course menu for $65. however, be aware, they charge an entrance fee to the farm on weekends – which is waived only if you have a reservation. my wife and i arrived on sunday at 3pm without a reservation, and toured the premised for about an hour (which was very interesting tour of a working farm). we were able to get a seat at the bar at 4pm and opted for the full menu. there were about 12 courses that took 3.5 hours. at one point, we were re-seated in the kitchen to watch the chefs work and eat two of the courses after which were returned to the bar. we were told that this happens with all guests in both main restaurant and bar – although some patrons go to other sites besides the kitchen (e.g. outdoor grill, etc.). the food was unique and wonderful, and although the portions were small, there were enough of them to satisfy. the wait staff (at the bar) were wonderful, but not pompous or overbearing. it was an experience we will never forget, but probably cannot afford to repeat.

good food, but don't believe the hype. only a very small percentage of the food comes from the farm on premises. waiters are trained to lie to customers about the ingredients in order to woo them. not worth the price either. if you knew what goes on behind the scenes there, you'd dine elsewhere.

i'm still not entirely sure that a watermelon can be crossed with a cucumber, but i have no other explanation for the fourth vegetable from the left in the main photo. the food, setting, service and ethos incidentally were second to none. post script: i now know after seeing a recipe in  i love ny: ingredients and recipes that the melon is a cucamelon , a native of mexico. http://feeds.feedburner.com/winosapien click here for the original context

love the cafe. favorite weekend stop is the cafe. can't afford the restaurant but will hopefully go some day. it's so cool that they grow most of everything that is served in the cafe and restaurant right on the grounds! so fresh and high quality.

this continues to be an extraordinary restaurant that pushes culinary traditions forward into delicious territory. all the food is farm fresh and treated with great respect by the kitchen. the flavors are clean and balanced, all components are well seasoned and the presentations are modern and justified. this campus is a working farm and there is a reason to get excited when those chilled veggies come out on their little prongs to start you out... additionally, the staff could not be more gracious and attentive. for example, my wife and i had the pleasure of not even being able to eat at the already full bar recently. taking a gamble, we got an early start and tried to arrive in time to grab a seat at the bar on saturday night. apparently people line up at the door before 5 pm to do just the same thing. faced with an x long wait, we made a reservation for later in the fall and r***** took time to call around to other restaurants in the area and book us a table for that evening. all we had to do was sit in the lounge enjoying the sight of the dishes coming out; a jealous pleasure we wanted those fried zucchini flowers, and sip champagne. possibly only per se and the brewster fish house in brewster, ma have ever taken that much front-of-the-house interest in their customers. blue hill at stone barns is a tri-state treasure.

possibly the best meal i've had this year. can't wait to go back. so worth the trip!

by svatzini blue hill at stone barns 630 bedford road pocantico hills, ny 10591 usa website map online reservations menu: normally there is an option for 4, 5 and 8 courses priced at $85, $105 and $135 respectively (the 4-course menu is only on sundays); our 8-course valentine's menu was $195/person (food only) see the entire set of photos from this meal on my flickr after having had a fantastic meal at the restaurant many years ago, our recent meal - which was a set 8-course menu for valentine's day - proved to be a disappointment overall, firstly because the service was awkward; secondly because the portions were in general too small; thirdly because some of the dishes just didn't work; and lastly, because it did not seem to stick to its raison d'être of providing a 'farm-to-table' dining experience. having said this, a few of the individual courses were exceptional, demonstrating that there is talent & creativity in the kitchen - but we felt that the restaurant had slightly lost it

amazing. the best restaurant my wife and i have ever been to. a true dining experience that should not be missed.

i would not mind dying here. we have eaten here a few of times over the past six years and it continues to inspire gratitude. don't go if you are not willing to trust the chef's choices - but go. it is a great value despite the considerable expense.

walk the grounds by twilight or starlight before you are seated. the architecture, decor, and floral arrangements are a relaxing delight in themselves.

dinner at the bar is every bit as delicious as the dining room and the attention we have received is even more personable - if that is possible - and fun. it is a wonderful evening as well as an exceptional dining experience.

if you have the kind of time here that we have you will find this a place to go back to many times if only in your mind.

in the heart of the stone barns center for food and agriculture, blue hill at stone barns is an elegant restaurant that sources its ingredients from stone barns and local hudson valley farms and pastures.

to many, manhattan would hardly be considered a haven for locavores. known as a city of excess, many restaurants routinely source rare and exotic ingredients from across the globe with reckless abandon towards their carbon footprint. but a modest 45 miles