How often do you get a tour of upstate New York by with a local? (Kind of local anyhow). Heidi grew up in Poughkeepsie and knows the Hudson Valley, AND she appreciates good seafood, so knows where to eat. In pouring rain, we pulled into the parking lot of Greenbaum and Gilhooley’s. The windows blazed with neon adverts for the best ales west of Dublin. Her friend Joette owns the place with chef husband Leonard. They offered the traditional Lobster Bake (a “bake” doesn’t mean the crustacean did oven time, rather you’ll get a variety of items with your lobster - clams, mussels, shrimp, or whatever happens to be fresh at the moment. They should actually call it a Lobster orgy). Since I’d had my fill of lobster, Joette suggested an off menu “sampler” of seasonal fair. Clearly her definition of “sample” varies from mine. I got a standard helping of both steamer clams and mussels (both drenched in perfectly spiced marinara sauce), a soft-shelled crab, shrimp sautéed in garlic, and broiled scallops. (Yes I ate every bite – did I mention the heavenly crab cakes I wolfed down as an appetizer?) It was a beautiful meal to accompany a beautiful state. Greenbaum and Gilhooley’s Steak and Seafood House. Route 9; Wappingers Falls, NY (845) 297-9700.
