A welcome addition to bustling Bedford Street. Hudson Grille, Stamford, CT

On July 2, amongst a sea of restaurants on Bedford Street, opened a contemporary American restaurant named Hudson Grille.  We knew that there was a Hudson Grille already in White Plains, so we weren’t sure if they were going to be one of those subpar, chainy kind of restaurants.  When we finally tried it, we were happy to find this wasn’t the case.

Starting off, the dining area is well designed and makes you sort of feel like you’re somewhere else, maybe in Europe even, so much so that we kind of forgot that we were even in Stamford.  The bar is huge too, if you just feel like having some drinks with friends and snacking on some food.

The menu is on the smaller side right now, but will soon be expanding to even include a sunday brunch.  If you want to know what Hudson Grille is all about, think contemporary American with some flavorful Asian influences from Chef Yoichi Saito. Here’s what we had:

Shrimp Crackers

As we looked at the menu, we were given shrimp crackers with a dipping sauce.  While that doesn’t sound amazing, it was such a fun start to the meal.  The crackers, made with shrimp paste, tempura, and corn meal, are light and fluffy.  When you dip them in the coconut milk and chipotle spice dipping sauce, you actually can hear them crackle.  Shrimp. Crackle. Pop. Yum. lol

Mac & Cheese

Okay, it does seem like we order Mac & Cheese at every restaurant that we go to.  Well, the truth is that it’s a great judge of the chef’s ability.  This dish had Jim Beam smoked bacon and roasted jalapeno.  It was gooey and cheesy, the pasta was perfectly al dente.  While it was just a bit greasy, we don’t mind it that way.  The smokiness of the bacon and the crispiness of the breadcrumbs on top made this dish awesome.  One thing we hoped for was more of a kick from the peppers.  So, we’re sadomasochistic. So what?

Creme de Wasabi Oyster

To our table came a few oysters that were baked with creamed fennel, spinach, crispy potato, kaffir lime powder, and a wasabi crust.  This seafood dish was rich, creamy, and had just the right kick from the wasabi.  The oyster itself was delicate and was cooked just right.  A really great app. Much richer than you might expect.

Teriyaki Burger:  Dan

This dish really showcased Yoichi Saito’s skills in fusing American with Japanese.  The burger itself had an onion salad on top, lettuce, tomato, teriyaki a homemade tomato demi-glaze, and a Japanese red pepper aioli served on a brioche bun.  The burger was cooked perfectly and was juicy.  The teriyaki added great flavor and depth, but it needed just a bit more salt to really pack in the right punch.  On the side was a cute little tub of thickly cut and crispy french fries.  They had the required “crispy outside and potatoey inside.”

Blackened Sea Bass:  Kristien

A sucker for sea bass, this decision wasn’t tough:  seared fish with a poblano chili pepper crust, served with heirloom cherry tomato confit, shimej mushrooms, and a brown butter demi-glaze.  While the mushrooms brought a nice earthiness to the dish, the tomatoes brought a bright acidic contrast which is always the best!  The sea bass was soft, flaky, and–like everything else here–cooked nicely.

Coconut Orange Crème Brûlée:  Kristien

Served with candied orange peels, toasted coconut flakes, and berries sitting in a sugar syrup, this was a great dessert.  When you smack your spoon down you get that required *crunch* from the shell.  When you dig in, you get a creaminess, a light orange flavor, and a tropical smokiness from the toasted coconut.  We were also pleasantly surprised to see real bits of vanilla bean in the creme brûlée, no artificial flavoring here. A little bummed it was cold on the inside.

Trio of Ice Cream or Sorbet:  Dan

When faced with the choice of a fun ice cream dish, always chose it. It’s the Danny way.  Plus, the chef picks the flavors for you making it even more exciting.  With a sigh, our waitress informed us that there was no ice cream, that it was a sherbet special that day.  So, out came three scoops of sorbet served on a huge block of ice.  The mango had great flavor, the lemon was tart and refreshing, and the raspberry was yummy and even had bits of berries inside.

Thoughts

So, we came into Hudson Grille a bit unsure of what to expect.  We came out thinking Hudson Grille was a solid addition to Bedford Street and Stamford. We’re ready to head back for more when they extend their menu too. Definitely worth giving it a shot, though we have heard of some people experiencing problems with service and the waitstaff.  But, maybe the kinks have all been worked out?

Hudson Grille

Noms:  3.5

Cost:  $$$

Address:  128 Bedford Street

Stamford, CT

Phone:  (203) 883-8600