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. Continue reading →