Matilda is the restaurant in The Henson hotel, a 16 room hotel recently bought and refurbished  by Ely and Danielle Franko.  They partnered with Chefs Fabián von Hauske Valtierra and Jeremiah Stone, from NYC to bring fine dining to this small town in the Catskill Mountains.  They opened just after Memorial Day, transforming what was Hammo’s Lodge (2015-2021) into a lovely boutique hotel, bar and restaurant.   The 150 year old space has been transformed with art, furniture and personal details.  The dining room had small bare wood tables and some bench seating around the perimeter.  Music was in the background and there was a large window looking into the kitchen on one end of the L-shaped room.  Art was on the walls and the lights were lowered.  Service was excellent in the dining room and at the bar in a different room.  This bar had a much larger counter and very friendly staff but there were also stuffed chairs if you didn’t want to sit at the counter.  There were French doors leading to the patio and the gardens but it was a bit on the chilly side to eat outside.  The hotel is a lovely place to stay and the dining room has wonderful inventive cuisine so I encourage you to head to the Catskills and give it a try.

Set-Up

 

Food

Dauphine Potatoes were accented with Opal basil and topped with Casella prosciutto. These potato puffs were fried to a crunch on the exterior and filled with soft whipped potatoes. The texture was really fun, and the taste was good.

 

Honeynut Squash pieces were topped with brown butter and black truffle and presented on a Comté sauce. The squash and cheesy sauce were excellent, and the blend was lovely.

 

Lentils were mixed with Tête de cochon, walnut and smoked gouda.  They had a good texture, were very flavorful,  but a bit on the salty side.  They made a nice accompaniment to the beef.

 

Dry Aged Highland Hollow Striploin au poivre with puntarelle and sorrel was cooked a nice rare as requested.  The puntarelle was quite a treat, cooked perfectly and mixed with sorrel.  The meat was tender and well enhanced by the sauce underneath.