I’ve recently hit up a few more restaurants in New Paltz. I’ve got 6 or 7 left to hit.
Gomen Kudasai
Gomen Kudasai is located within the antique store located opposite the middle school and short ways up the road toward the highway. You could be forgiven for not knowing where it is or what it’s called, because until recently the only sign was a small post-in-the-ground flyer that said ‘Japanese Noodle Place’.
The name ‘Gomen Kudasai’ is apparently a colloquial term roughly corresponding to ‘noodles please’. Being the contrarian that I am, I didn’t actually have noodles. I ordered turkey dumplings, which came with a mound of rice, house pickles, a bowl of miso soup, and a salad in a sort of sour vinaigrette. I had a cup of oolong tea to wash it down and finished the meal with Mochi ice cream, a rice based desert that almost looks like a dough mushroom.
The building itself is a bit haphazard, so I wasn’t sure whether to expect overly formal or chaos. Instead, I found the atmosphere quiet, but functional. The service was excellent and the food even better. My oolong tea was appropriatelystrong with a subtle sweetness in the aftertaste. The turkey dumpling were more filling than their ornate arrangement would have suggested. I wasn’t quite sure how to take the desert, there is a rather particular texture to mochi ice cream, but after dutifully trying to cuisine, I wasn’t going to botch the trip with a slice of apple pie.
In relation to a national average, Gomen Kudasai is maybe a bit expensive, but in relation to New Paltz it is actually quite competitive. My meal, with tea and desert, came to $25, which gave me some amount of sticker shock, considering the environment, the food, and presentation it was actually very reasonable. I won’t be making this noodle place a day adventure, but it’s a solid addition to my dinner retinue.
Main Course
I can’t seem to find a proper link for Main Course. The website goes to their catering business and doesn’t seem to include their current menu. Main Course used to be located next to Subway, which has recently been taken over by the 8th pizza place in town. Main Course’s new location right near The Indian Restaurant is much more inviting.
Entering Main Course, I found myself somewhat confused. There is a counter directly ahead and a spattering of small tables, but no waiters or waitresses to be found. Instead, the counter area is a segmented portion of a larger cooking area where they have their ingredients and dishes in various states of preparation. A cook with full chef regalia frits about making the orders directly as they come in.
In final tally, Main Course has become a sandwich shop, albeit a classy sandwich shop. I had the Northwind which was salad and grilled portabello on a panini with a side salad garnished in a house dressing that I should remember, but don’t. The whole thing came to about $8. More expensive than subway, yes. Excellent price for what you get: definitely. I’ve never had a fairly fancier meal any cheaper. I suppose ditching the waiters paid off…for me, it also saves on the tip.
Ahh, and I think I have the right menu! That’s a great way to end my review.
Both restaurants were phenomenal. At current the remaining list is:
Beso
Harvest Cafe
Mudd Puddle
Picnic Pizza
Hokkaido
New Paltz Tea House
Locust Tree
