Cosimo’s: traditional Italian family recipes with farm to table freshness

The Mid Hudson Valley has so much to offer and if you live in the area or are visiting some of the local attractions such as the spectacular Walkway Over The Hudson State Park , you will of course need to dine. Minutes from the Walkway is Cosimo’s Poughkeepsie and it’s the perfect spot to dine. This eatery featuring traditional Italian cuisine is located in a freestanding building that is inspired by an Italian villa. The interior features high ceilings, brick oven, bar, and four separate and more intimate dining spaces. Walls are adorned with photos of scenes from Italy. There is also an elegant private room upstairs that reminds one of a fine wine tasting room. A Vespa scooter is perched high up on a shelf.

If you are hungry, then you have arrived in the right place. Cosimo’s has a full menu for everyone in your dining party. There is a list of 21 wines available in glass or bottle and reasonably priced at $7-11 per glass. If beer is your preference then there are 17 types of beer available at $5-$6. There are even pitchers of Sangria for the table. The menu relies on sourcing as many ingredients as possible from local farms in the Hudson Valley.

Appetizers are plentiful with 13 on the menu ($9-$16) with options from Calamari, to Caprese to Crispy Polenta. We sampled the Crispy Polenta which featured cubes of cornmeal polenta, fried and served with pan sauce, local baby kale and parmigiano and was very good. A nice starter to share if you do not want to fill up.

Crispy Polenta

Wood fired Pizza is very big on the menu with 18 types available ($11-16) and you can even make your own from a list of ingredients on the menu. The pizza is made right in the oven near the bar, so you know it will be fresh and hot. We sampled the La Grigliata Pizza, a veggie lovers delight with roasted zucchini & squash, local Kale, roma tomatoes, garlic, and EVOO. It was excellent and so healthy and the crust was light and crispy.

La Grigliata Pizza

We also ordered two pasta dishes including the Eggplant Sicliliano, a delicious blend of brick oven Roasted Eggplant, pepperoncino flakes, plum tomato Sauce, garlic and fresh mozzarella. The use of the brick oven to roast the eggplant which was then diced was key to this dish. A real healthy and not too filling entree.

Eggplant Siciliano

The other pasta was the Grilled Chicken Penne which was a delightful mix of grilled chicken, hearty pesto sauce over penne. Another nice and healthy dish. Pastas can be ordered as whole wheat or gluten free.

We could not pass up on some of the classic Italian restaurant dishes so we opted for the traditional Eggplant Parm and Chicken Parm which were both prepared the same with tomato basil sauce, mozzarella, and parmigiano served with penne pomodoro. Both were classic Italian comfort dishes and really hit the spot on the cold January day we visited. The portion was large enough that we were able to take a bit home for another meal.

Classic Eggplant Parm

Cosimo’s delivers a great meal with a wide variety of items for everyone in your party. I would love to see them add some mussles and more clam dishes to their menu. But rest assured, everyone one will leave the restaurant full and happy. If you are local, or are visiting the area, Cosimo’s is a great place to stop with a menu that is reasonably priced and made with traditional recipes and locally sourced ingredients.