B-Side Grill, located on Main Street in New Paltz is the place for good eats at a price that won’t break the bank.
B-Side Grill owner, Lou Milano, was initially attracted to put an eatery in New Paltz because of the energy the town offers.
“I got started in this restaurant because I had another burger/ice cream stand in Modena but always wanted to be on Main Street in New Paltz, it’s where there is a lot of life and action,” Milano said.
Because of all the street traffic, one of Milano’s favorite aspects of the restaurant is the mystery of who will walk in next.
“We cater to everyone so we get all types of people in here: college kids, travelers, business people, musicians, etc.,” Milano said. “You never know who will walk through the door.”
New Paltz does have a certain energy, and the music scene adds to it. B-Side Grill is filled with music paraphernalia, that is influenced by Milano’s musical background.
“I am a musician so the music theme was a no brainer,” Milano said. “I don’t think we would have been so successful if we simply put up a picture of a burger on the wall instead of Hendrix.”
Much of the New Paltz energy is also attributed to the use of local products in restaurants, which is key to the sense of community.
“We buy our eggs locally from Hudson Valley Eggs in New Paltz,” Milano said. “They are the freshest around and you can tell from the brightness of the yolks. Most of our specials come from local farms too. We try to support as many local people as possible.”
As a local, I support B-Side quite a bit. It’s the perfect place to grab a bite on a Friday night or a great place for breakfast Saturday morning, noon, or night.
“Breakfast has been very popular, especially our omelettes,” Milano said. “We serve breakfast all day long.”
According to Milano, their most popular item is the Hotel California burger. It has pepper jack cheese, avocado, chipotle mayo, lettuce, tomato and onion.
For me, I decided to go off the beaten path. I opted to try two opposites on the menu: a healthy breakfast option along with a cheesy and fried option.
First, I went with the A.M. Banana Split ($5.95) which is a banana split down the middle, with greek yogurt, granola and fruit on top.
I then had to try the grilled cheese because grilled cheese is one of the most perfect sandwich combos ever to be created. And B-Side did not fail to deliver me with a grilled cheese filled with tomato and bacon. For under $10, it was the perfect food to satisfy anyone’s late night eats.
For anyone daring enough to eat a ton of food with not enough time, I suggest to take this “Burger Challenge” and don’t make the mistake of eating mozzarella sticks before.
“The burger challenge was something I had at my other place,” Milano said. “It’s cool to hear a big guy talk up his game before starting and then 25 minutes in, he has 10 excuses. I had one guy so cocky he ordered mozz sticks before he started. He failed.”
More information about B-Side Grill can be found on bsidegrill.com
Check out my Instagram @cheapcollegecuisine for the best cuisine of the Hudson Valley for $10 or less.