The Times Herald Record

Bull's Head Inn
A Hudson Valley Treasure

Visiting the Bull's Head Inn is an elegant affair. The restaurant is housed in a gorgeous old mansion that harkens back to a simpler time.

It's huge, with a spacious parking lot and beautifully manicured grounds. Behind the restaurant is a formal garden with a stylish fountain at the center. Two archways add architectural touches. A tiny waterfall increases the ambiance, and small benches provide a place to take it all in. Flowers, herbs and plants are well tended and neatly trimmed. Next door is a dining gazebo that looks out on the pristine scene, a perfect place for a summer repast.

Inside is just as stylish. A lively bar occupies the front room with a dining room off to the right. Upstairs, where we're headed, are two additional rooms done up in mauve with a cream-colored trim. Classical paintings, each individually lit, feature horse scenes from the area; a few depict old-fashioned fox hunts. Tablecloths are starched, napkins are neatly folded, candles are lit and a peppermill on each table shows that this restaurant is serious about its atmosphere.

It is also serious about its food. The menu here is an appealing list of appetizers, small pizzas, pastas and entrees. Additionally, a list of evening specials is presented on a blackboard at the entrance and repeated verbally by the waitress. Even the breadbasket is noteworthy – a small metal container that holds good rolls and herb sticks of bread. A ramekin of butter with the Bull's Head Inn logo on top is a final, classy touch. . .

The Bulls Head Inn is owned by Chef Tom Luedke, a Culinary Institute of America graduate and a lucky man. There are few more beautiful places to dine in the Hudson Valley than here. The building, which dates back to 1786, is absolutely striking, and the outdoor herb and flower garden is a tranquil oasis. The food is creative and well thought out. Service here is as friendly as it gets, and prices are generally reasonable. Add a first-rate wine list and you have one of the county's true treasures in fine dining, a restaurant worth visiting over and over again.