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Columbia County’s Cafe Mutton, located in the City of Hudson, and Semma, in New York City “exemplify exactly how special a restaurant can be,” the outlet said.
Cafe Mutton, which reviewers dubbed the country’s most uncompromising restaurant, was praised for its “decadent, unpretentious cooking” served in a “warm cottage-like” environment.
Owner and chef Shaina Loew-Banayan, who uses they/them pronouns, has been cooking “since circa their bat mitzvah and are super excited to bring casual, happy food” to Hudson, reads the restaurant’s website.
Its menu offers several brunch options, including tortilla espanola with pimenton aioli, and rice porridge with chicken, poached egg, scallions, and chili crisp.
Cafe Mutton also serves dinners on Fridays only, with a menu featuring beer-battered soft shell crab with tarragon aioli, and fettuccine with broccoli rabe and ricotta.
In Manhattan, Bon Appétit praised Semma for “bringing the breadth and depth of South Indian cuisine” to the Big Apple.
The magazine complimented chef Vijay Kumar for his “care and precision” in preparing dishes like spicy-sweet Goanese oxtails, Mangalore cauliflower, and Keralan banana-leaf-wrapped fish.
Semma’s dinner menu features several other dishes rooted in Southern India, like Gunpowder Dosa, made with rice and lentil crepe, potato masala, and sambar, as well as Eral Thokku, made with tiger prawn, green chili, fenugreek, and curry leaves.
“Pair your food with one of the bar’s killer drinks, like the Whistle Podu, a particular favorite that features curry-leaf-infused gin, ginger liqueur, and cardamom,” Bon Appétit said.
Semma was also among 50 eateries nationwide that The New York Times labeled “restaurants we love most in 2022,” praising Kumar for his “deep, lavish flavors.”
Cafe Mutton is located at 757 Columbia Street in Hudson. Find out more on its website.
Semma is located at 60 Greenwich Ave in Greenwich Village. Find out more on its website.
Click here for the complete roundup by Bon Appétit Magazine.
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