This morning I made a reservation for dinner at the restaurant at the Rhinecliff Hotel. Let me back up a bit; for our 25th wedding anniversary in 2006 our children gave us a gift certificate to this restaurant. The opening of the hotel had been delayed and today was the first time since it opened that we could make it.
The trip to the restaurant should have been rather short however there was a lot going on in Rhinebeck this weekend. The largest event was the Sheep and Wool Festival at the Dutchess County Fairgrounds. I had a couple of routes I could have taken but decided to go down Route 9 which was a mistake. Since it was such a beautiful fall day the attendance at the fairgrounds was heavy resulting in a traffic jam. I suspect the traffic will also be heavy tomorrow since the Sheep and wool festival will still be going on.
Finally, we made it to the restaurant which was filled. We were so glad we had reservations as we were seated immediately. Chatting with the hostess we learned we had just missed a spectacular sunset and this must have been beautiful since the hotel faces the Hudson River and Catskills Mountains. We started with artisan cheeses (from a local farm) and oysters. I then had Pekin Duck and a pumpkin cranberry bread pudding for desert. My son and husband also enjoyed their meals. The food was delicious and if you are ever in the area make sure to check it out for both the food and views.

Even though in the dark...I can see that the view from the balconies would have been grand! Glad you enjoyed your dinner and I am sure everyone will run to make reservations after hearing your review!