Accidental ramblings in Rhinebeck

The Hudson Valley made national news several times this summer. Most notably for Chelsea Clinton's Rhinebeck wedding, inarguably the "it" wedding of the summer, which has forever left the idyllic village of Rhinebeck a must-see locale in the scenic Hudson Valley.

With the Clinton hysteria settled, the quaint village of Rhinebeck seemed like the perfect Saturday destination for a few Vassar kids looking for a taste of the finer life. As luck would have it, our little Rhinebeck romp fell on the same day as the Hudson Valley Food and Wine Festival, which takes place annually just outside Rhinebeck proper. For two pretentious foodies, it was as if our culinary prayers—our cravings for organic fancies and fine wines—had been answered.

Unfortunately, the festival was far from the gourmet heaven we imagined. Problem number one: the $30 entrance fee. Sure, we had come expecting some sort of cost, but $30? And right off the bat? This was steep.

"But we're student reporters from Vassar's newspaper, The Miscellany News. Is there a press special you might be able to hook us up with?" we haggled.

"No," said the man from within the ticket booth. "You can pay $15 and drink the water. But you don't want to do that."

Puzzled, we forked over the cash, picked up our "free" tasting glasses and, with a spring in our collective step, headed toward the giant tents to let the gluttony begin.

Problem number two: Gluttony was not possible, as there was no food. No food at a food festival, you might ask? Well, save for a few melted cheese samples and subpar bread chunks, there was nothing one might deem edible, let alone something to satisfy the sophisticated palate of two wannabe gourmands.

Alas, we were left with wine. The tasting cups were sizable, and the wine was plentiful, so why not make the most of our $30? Traveling from vendor to vendor gulping down sip after sip of shamelessly sweet "novelty" wines and battling overweight middle-aged women to do so, we discovered problem number three: The wine was bad, really bad. So with a general air of disappointment, we and our two designated drivers headed a few miles south to find a real meal on Rhinebeck's charming Main Street.

After careful deliberation we landed at Terrapin, a Rhinebeck fixture and, the site of the Clinton rehearsal dinner. With the burn of the wasted $30 still fresh in our minds, we opted for the less expensive Bistro side of the restaurant. Thoroughly enticed by the "design your own sandwich" menu option, we made our picks. Mine, organic chicken breast topped with goat cheese and citrus aioli, and my companion's, a duck confit piled atop a French baguette, with Brie cheese, caramelized onions and finished with a maple mustard. The food was serviceable, but hardly offered that head-over-heels, fireworks-on-the-tongue gourmet excellence we had come to expect from our culinary adventures.

With full bellies we sauntered lazily through the streets of Rhinebeck, stopping to admire restaurants and shops we vowed we would try on our next adventure. We were even lured into a gallery opening at Wing and Clover Workshops with a free glass of white wine. (We're cheap dates, what can we say?) The combination gift shop, gallery and art studio was darling; items of note included make-your-own nesting dolls and children's art history books.

We ended our ramble through Rhinebeck with a stop at the Beekman Arms, "America's Oldest Inn," to get a quick history fix before traveling back to our dear, dear Poughkeepsie. The more distance we placed between ourselves and that gem of a town just a ways north on Route 9, the more we wanted to return.