I’m one of those people who whenever I move to a new place, the first thing I do is look up the restaurants around town, go out, and try them all. Since moving here I’ve developed a lot of opinions about the restaurants, as I’m sure many of us have. This is my ranking of the current New Paltz restaurants (of those that I’ve tried, and keep in mind, I tend to go out for the cheap stuff.)
10. Amazin’ Melts
I could never really get into the groove of Amazin’ Melts when it first opened, but my roommate loves the place so I’ve really had a lot of time to come around to it. I’m not one of those people who really likes toppings on her grilled cheese other than cheese, so my only issue with the place is the justification of the price. But their student deal is great. The grilled cheese is so comforting; their soup is honestly one of the best tomato bisques I’ve ever had and those homemade potato chips are amazing.
9. P&G’s
P&G’s is one of those places that I only go to on occasion because I’m not a very big American food fan. There are some things on the menu that are just so good though. Their mac and cheese isn’t the best mac and cheese I’ve ever had, but it’s definitely one of the best I could find in New Paltz. Their fried calamari is great. I’m usually craving that at least once a month, so P&G’s is my go-to spot for it. I haven’t tried a lot of different things here but what I have tried has been really good quality American food.
8. McGillicuddy’s
Again, a place I haven’t tried much from but what I have tried, I swear by. Their chicken and spinach dip in a bread bowl is something I literally dream about. Whenever I’m sick I know that I should have chicken noodle soup, but all I crave is their Irish potato soup and I usually end up convincing someone to go pick it up for me. I celebrated my first birthday in New Paltz here (on a Monday) and that brownie sundae got me through the whole week. Oh yeah, and I can’t forget about wing Mondays, something everyone loves.
7. Kosiner Brothers
So I know that Kosiner Brothers isn’t really a restaurant but their three eateries at Water Street Market offer some of my favorite food choices in New Paltz. They’re one of those places that have a few things they do well, so they only do those things: hot dogs, donuts and fries. I love a good hot dog so whenever I’m craving one I’m glad I have somewhere down the street I can go to. Their donuts are out of this world. No matter what flavor you get they’re always the perfect fluffy texture. I’m also the kind of person who doesn’t usually like stuff on their fries, but their poutine here is so good. The only downside is that the three places aren’t open every day of the week.
6. Huguenot Creamery
Yes, also not a restaurant, but I don’t care— I love this place with my whole heart. It’s a little expensive for an ice cream place but you’re really getting your money’s worth. The owner is one of the nicest people I’ve ever met. Whenever you order one scoop from this place she fills the cup up all the way to the top and always gives a very generous amount of the topping you ordered (for me it’s always marshmallow fluff).
5. Asian Fusion
Asian Fusion isn’t the best food in New Paltz but they’re my favorite place to get Chinese food, and I can’t live without my Chinese food. What I usually get is crab rangoon and lo mein. Recently, I tried their Blazing Chicken and it was surprisingly good. It’s just such a staple in my daily life that it had to be pretty high up on the list.
4. The Bakery
I don’t usually like breakfast, but I do love bagels and The Bakery is my usual bagel place. Their variety of bagels and cream cheese is pretty large so you can always get something different, though I usually don’t. The thing to watch out for though, is that to order your bagel you also have to stare at the cases of pastries. I usually walk out with a bagel plus a brownie, or chocolate rugelach or a cupcake.
3. Gourmet Pizza
I know there are a lot of pizza places in town but my heart belongs to Gourmet. There’s not much they can do wrong. They’re definitely my go-to pizza place when it’s 2 a.m. and I’m stumbling around looking for carbs. But it’s also the place I buy whole pies, usually a white pie with onions and meatballs. Their garlic knots are amazing and my friends swear by their fried dough.
2. iPho
I don’t know how other people feel about pho but I love it. I know iPho might not have as many options as other places in town, but what they do, they do really well. It’s a really nice place to go for a meal that’s not too heavy and it’s always better when it’s colder out. This is definitely my second favorite place to get food because I know it’s always going to be amazing.
1. Tokyo Sushi (the one in town not the one in the SUB)
Whenever people ask me where I want to go to eat, Tokyo Sushi is always the first place I say. Their sushi is really good and they have, in my opinion, the best fried rice in town. They also always have amazing lunch deals so it’s super affordable. I love a bowl of miso soup or udon noodles too, so they can’t really do much wrong in my book.
I know that there are some places left off this list that are really good but not my style, so here are my honorable mentions: Mexican Kitchen, Russo’s Italian Deli and Main Course Marketplace.