Since its opening in 2011, on the site of the old Cantine Paper Mill that burned down in 1978, Diamond Mills in Saugerties has enjoyed a reputation as a fine boutique hotel hosting gala events, weddings and conferences. Online reviews praised the view of the Esopus Falls, the cleanliness of the guest rooms, the radiant-heat floors in the bathrooms, the attentive service.
However, while the cuisine in its Tavern restaurant was generally regarded as adequate to such a venue, it was not primarily known as an outstanding destination for gourmet dining. That state of affairs has changed. Effective April 13, the freshly renovated space has reopened under the aegis of Manhattan’s Blackbarn restaurant, with a new executive chef, Marcos Castro, and we can report that the food is now nothing short of spectacular.
The opening of Blackbarn Hudson Valley is only the first step in a new lease on life for the creekfront venue, with further renovations, upgrades and expansions in store over the next year or so. And this revival almost didn’t happen. “I was going to sell this property,” says owner Tom Struzzieri, best-known around Saugerties for his decades of developing Horseshows in the Sun (HITS) into a major annual series of equestrian events that draw participants and spectators from around the world.
Struzzieri put the Diamond Mills Hotel on the market in April 2022, having sold controlling interest in HITS to investors the year before. At the time he wanted to transfer his focus to other properties, including a marina at 2 Ferry Street – also on the Esopus Creek – where he’s building a spa and wellness center and other facilities.
But COVID was still winding down, the right buyer didn’t pounce immediately, and Struzzieri began rethinking his strategy, in consultation with a business partner: chef/restaurateur John Doherty. Struzzieri and Doherty teamed up to open the original Blackbarn Restaurant overlooking Madison Square Park seven years ago, spotlighting farm-to-table artisanal American cuisine in a cavernous space with rustic design elements by Mark Zeff. The place was a big hit, thanks largely to Doherty’s incredible expertise.
Shortly after graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Doherty was hired at the Waldorf Astoria, where he became that institution’s youngest-ever executive chef at the age of 27. He stayed on for 30 years, authored The Waldorf-Astoria Cookbook, received the prestigious James Beard Silver Spoon Award and can now claim to have cooked for more kings, presidents and heads of state than any other living chef.
As locally sourced, fresh seasonal cooking became a hot draw at high-end urban restaurants, Blackbarn’s success spurred talk of spinoffs in other locations. “Lots of restaurateurs came to us and wanted to use the brand. But we decided to use it with a place we already own,” Struzzieri relates. “We wanted to replicate here what we’re doing down in New York City.”
So, instead of selling Diamond Mills, Struzzieri recommitted himself to making it a truly outstanding venue in the upstate community where he chose to raise his family. Doherty became his consultant and mentor to their new executive chef, Marcos Castro. “He spends two days a week here,” Struzzieri explains. “John’s touch is magical.”
The renovated interior of what is now Blackbarn Hudson Valley has the same “urban farmhouse” vibe as the mothership, featuring rough barnwood siding, a grand bluestone fireplace and banks of floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the falls. But the main draw is Castro’s cooking, with a menu that replicates many of the most popular dishes from Doherty’s signature menu.
Another CIA alumnus, Castro did his first externship at Main Course Catering in New Paltz and eventually returned there as executive chef after several years of working in the hotel industry in various locations. Now fully resettled in the Hudson Valley, he served most recently as executive chef at West Hills Country Club in Middletown before being recruited to the Blackbarn Hudson Valley team at Diamond Mills. “I have spent a lot of time building relationships with local farmers to get the best and freshest foods available to me. We are very lucky to live in the Hudson Valley; some of the best food comes from right here in our backyard,” Castro says. Also on the culinary team is Diamond Mills pastry chef Kerry Hegarty.
HV1’s fact-finding expedition to Blackbarn Hudson Valley unearthed ample evidence that the new approach has raised the bar on this restaurant’s offerings significantly. For starters, we sampled one of Doherty’s signature appetizers: wild mushroom toast, topped with molten Robiola, Taleggio and Parmesan cheeses. It was great, but we liked the seared crabcakes with grainy mustard hollandaise and arugula even better. Castro tells us that his crab mixture uses the absolute minimum ratio of breading needed to hold these savory morsels together, so that the delicate crab flavor comes forward splendidly.
Our entrées were tender filets of black sea bass with roasted tomato on a bed of asparagus and fingerling potatoes, and another Doherty specialty: lovely butternut squash ravioli topped with Swiss chard, pumpkin seeds, bacon lardon and sage butter. Both were amazing. And we had to try another famous Blackbarn offering as a side: roasted Brussels sprouts with apples and bacon, which very nearly converted my doggedly sprouts-averse dining partner. We split an elegantly assembled dark chocolate dacquoise for dessert. All ingredients were fresh, flavorful and locally sourced wherever possible.
Blackbarn Hudson Valley has a big, friendly bar, where you can actually sit and order food if the dining room is too grand for your mood. The craft cocktails are worth a visit in themselves. I had the Blackbarn Margarita (Montaukila, cognac, homemade golden orange syrup and fresh lime, rimmed with black lava salt, agave and chili flakes) and my companion the Midnight Temptation (Owney’s Rum, fresh basil, lime juice, simple syrup with charred rosemary). Both were yummy, but not mixed so strongly as to impair driving home.
Our recommendation: Add Blackbarn Hudson Valley to your shortlist of restaurants for very special nights out. The restaurant is closed Monday and Tuesday, open for brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and for dinner Wednesday to Friday from 4 to 9 p.m., Saturday from 3 to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 3 to 7 p.m. The brunch menu includes several more “lunchlike” dishes if you want to test the culinary waters without breaking the bank. A five-course Mothers’ Day banquet at $95 per person was still taking reservations as of presstime, with service from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on May 14.
Blackbarn Hudson Valley is located at 25 South Partition Street in Saugerties. To learn more or make a reservation, call (845) 247-0700 or visit www.diamondmillshotel.com/blackbarn-hudson-valley.
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