Music AND Food at Mezzaluna in Saugerties NY

Good food and good music is a fine way to start off the weekend !   My husband John  had mentioned that his piano teacher was performing at a local restaurant  and would I like to go ?  Hmm, food and music on a Friday night, that sounded quite alright to me.

Off we went to a little restaurant called Café Mezzaluna, billed as a "Bistro Latino."  Ned Hixon and Michelle were scheduled to be the evening's musical entertainment.  Ned is my husband's piano instructor and I had spoken with him on the phone several times, but we had never met.  The mysterious Michelle had no last name given on the website announcement, so she is just "Michelle" to us. 

We were the first people in there for dinner, arriving a little after 5:30 pm.   This place was very small, maybe 6 tables plus a bar and a few tiny tables near it.  However, it is very colorful inside and decorated with local artwork on the walls.  The piano and mikes were set up at the front of the restaurant, setting the mood...

I particularly liked the single unisex bathroom with the purple door, a nice touch !

The atmosphere is very homey and fun, we noticed a checkerboard and checkers precariously perched within reach...

Our server was Cheri (exact spelling unknown), and she  was very friendly and helpful, recommending favorite wines and gladly answering all questions.  Wine is always tricky, as I prefer reds while the husband usually prefers whites.  Cheri came to the rescue recommending a Clifford Bay sauvignon blanc,  not too expensive but a customer favorite in taste tests.  It was very pleasant and liked by us both.  I did manage to drink most of it, as usual...

Both of us decided to try the small empeñada-like appetizers,  John selecting the beef-filled and me the vegetable and goat cheese filled.

These were served with a spicy fresh salsa, very good.   They arrived nice and hot with a flaky good crust, delicious dipped into the salsa.  Here is an inside view of the vegetable one -

The cheese was subtle and not overdone, allowing you to taste the nicely cooked veggie mixture.

For my main entree I opted for the tinga, a mixture of shredded chicken and chipotles in adobo sauce served with rice and black beans.  Surprisingly, my husband ordered the same, a very rare occurrence for us !

I am a huge fan of chipotles in adobo, and this was really tasty !   Tender shreds of chicken coated in the wonderful adobo, served with the black beans and yellow rice with a small side of lettuce, tomato and red onion that was fresh and cool with the chicken.  The menu made it sound like this dish was very spicy and so did Cheri, but to my taste this was very mild.  It had good flavor, but was in no way spicy hot.  Cheri must have sized us up as spice wimps.  Little does she know that my husband has been adding hot sauce to nearly everything he eats probably since he was able to hold his first bottle !

I had the good intention of bypassing dessert, but after downing 3/4 of the bottle of wine,  some dessert and coffee sounded like the right thing before the music was to begin.   It was a double expresso and flan for John, and cafe con leche and an expresso/chocolate dessert for me.  

I foolishly forgot exactly what my dessert was called, but it was like a chocolate truffle laced with expresso and poured into a cup.  You eat it with a spoon, but it is thick like a fudge/truffle.  This was chocolate perfection, the slight bitterness of the expresso was the right complement to the soft sweetness of the chocolate.  I was glad to linger over this and eat it bit by bit while enjoying my cafe con leche.  The coffee here at Mezzaluna is very good,  I need to come back here for more...

This was my husband's first time tasting a flan and he was happy with it.  It looked like a classic fan with caramel sauce and he finished it all ...

By this time the all the tables were full and the music was set to begin.  Ned plays piano and sings,  doing a mix of jazz/pop standards.   He started out with "Georgia"  and proceeded to do some Stevie Wonder and James Taylor.  A highlight for me was a version of Edgar Winter's "Dying to Live", a bit unexpected but a pleasant surprise.  Ned has a smooth singing voice and nice phrasing, but his real gift is his piano playing,  very easy flowing with nice jazz improvisations and runs.  From what my husband has told me Ned is a huge Beatles fan, so I was expecting a Lennon/McCartney tune, but that was not to be.

     Then came the Hudson Valley debut of Michelle !  From the little info I could get about her, she works at a local hospital,  used to do dinner theater years ago  and has just recently gotten back into the singing world. She  joined Ned and she did nice versions of  "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" and "Killing Me Softly."  She and Ned had a good duet with James Taylor's  "You've Got a Friend."  She has a pleasant solid soprano,  and did a strong version of  "If I Loved You" from Carousel, where you could hear more of her theater sound.  She did appear a bit nervous,  not much between-song banter even though a good part of the audience appeared to be friends and family.

 I try not to be intrusive while taking pictures, I used no flash, but Ned caught me taking this one, I guess I was not too subtle...

I did a better job not disturbing him with this shot -

Here is one of Michelle enjoying the act of performing !

My hat is off to her, it is  not easy to get up in front of a bunch of people,  many of them strangers,  and sing your heart out.  By 9 it was all over, and we were strolling back to our car, stomachs full of good food and hearts full of good cheer.  Live music really is the best, and what is better than to sample some of the local talent that is all around us !









                                                                              

I spent the night at New World Home Cooking !

Okay, I am a camera.  A rather nice Sony Cyber shot.  At least, my owner likes me, but she is not very picky...

Here is a self portrait -

I am a nice cool blue, and look pretty sleek , if I do so say so myself !

My owner takes me everywhere, even to work.   I don't get out much at work,  but restaurants and events are a different story, then I  get to come out and play !

I was psyched to find out that she was going to New World Home Cooking on Friday night, and get this, her family from Connecticut were coming up just to go out to dinner!   Ah, surely I  would get to come out and play.

I should let you know that my owner is a real foodie, totally obsessed with food.  She and her family want to try these Chopped dishes made by Ric Orlando.  All I keep hearing about is some kind of chocolate pear taco.  Okay, already, let's go and check this out...

Here we are  -

I  remember this place,  very cool.  This should be fun !

We get a table right near the kitchen, which is nice because this way her family can get a good view of what is going on.  I am thinking, it is only food, people, but whatever floats your boat, I guess...

Her husband and Dad are having some good male bonding talk, nice.

Her Dad and her brother want to try the elk dish from the Chopped show.

Elk ?   Isn't that like a deer ?   I will never understand these people !

Oh boy, my owner is having a glass of wine, always red.  She had better keep her head about her, I don't want to get banged around here ...

Here comes the food.  Whoa, that is one big hunk of elk !

Looks pretty good, even if it is a deer...   My owner is allergic to nuts, so I hear, so the chocolate hazelnut  spread is keeping this off limits for her.  Her Dad and brother seem to like it...

She opts for some risotto, looks really good, I must admit.

There are some pretty awesome mushrooms in there.  Believe me, they ate a lot more food than just his, when she drinks she forgets to take pictures of everything !  They had Cajun shrimp, and blackened string beans, and scallops with figs, brie and pineapple quesadillas, you name it, they ate it !   It all must have been pretty good, because there was not much left once they finished with it.

Finally, it is dessert time, and she gets to order her taco.  I love this woman, she is not embarrassed about ordering a TACO for dessert.

Okay, I guess it really is kind of an awesome taco, on its little pear throne and everything.   Nicely spiced pears inside, with a delicious cardamom crema embracing it, a little herb action on top.  It has some nice bittersweet chocolate inside and out,  to seal the deal.   It must have been good,  because there was nothing left when she was done with it !

I am just starting to enjoy myself when they decide to stop eating and are ready to go home.   I  am in luck, because she thinks that she is done with me and puts me in my case and slips me into her bag, but she misses and I fall out.  Freedom, at last !  She and her family get up and say good-bye to Ric, but she doesn't realize that I am here on the floor.  Score one for the camera !

It isn't too long before someone sees me lying here on the floor and comes to rescue me.  I hope that these people are fun,  I am ready to get this party started !  Things get a little fuzzy from here on out, but I think that they are checking me out at the bar ....

Well, okay then.  Jesus, am I going to be in trouble when she sees THIS !

Thankfully, these people are honest and okay.  I must have blacked out after this because I woke up later nice and snug in my case and in somebody's desk drawer.  Whew, I spent the night at New World Home Cooking and lived to tell about it!  My owner comes to fetch me, all happy and relieved that I am fine and that some honest person turned me in.  Wait until she sees the little gift that they left her ....