Brasserie 292 - A bit of France in Poughkeepsie

The city of Poughkeepsie is slowly becoming the food mecca of the Hudson Valley. I have been hearing and looking at pictures of friends dining at Brasserie 292 on Main Street and finally went there on Thursday for dinner.

The decor was very upbeat and lively.  For a moment I thought I was in a Brasserie in Paris, or in NYC in the 1920's.  It was a great feeling, one of nostalgia, where you can get caught up in the atmosphere and forget that you are in downtown Poughkeepsie.  I liked the white tiled walls.  (the only drawback is it reminded me of my grandmothers bathroom in her NYC apartment that was built in 1908 and still had the original tiling in it when she passed 5 years ago).  The staff at the restaurant was friendly and the service was very good.

We began our experience with sour dough bread and french baguettes, a Chardonnay and a Syrah.  Although the oyster specials sounded fabulous, I love oysters, but they don't love me, we ordered the Warm Camembert wrapped in phyllo with arugula, apples and a fig-balsamic vinaigrette and spinach salad with grilled asparagus, red onion, poached egg and lemon-caper dressing. Unfortunately I forgot to take a picture because the plate was so inviting, I just began to eat.  My dinner could have been compete after the Camembert course.  I really enjoyed that.

Along came my main course which was the Rib Eye special with cannelloni in a sage sauce.  The steak was the tastiest I've had in a long time.  Cooked to perfection, juicy and savory with lots of flavor. The pasta was equally as good, with hints of fall spices in a incredible sauce.  The pasta alone could have been a dish.  I can't leave out the greens that accompanied it.  I wasn't that thrilled with my wine of choice, it seemed a little grapy, but overall went well with the rib eye.

I was so busy with my plate, I never asked Paul for a taste of his Salmon.  However, he did clear the plate and left nothing.  He said it was very good as was his Chardonnay.

Even though I had absolutely no room for dessert, It was my birthday, so I had to order something.  The Milk Chocolate Creme Pot de Creme sounded fantastic, but I knew I wouldn't be able to eat it by myself.  Being that Paul isn't a dessert person I ordered the Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee.  I don't know where I found the room, but I ate it all!

I am looking forward to returning to Brasserie 292.  I thoroughly enjoyed my meal.  One note...if you ask for a "doggie bag" they hold it in the back until you are completely finished.  Just make sure you remember to ask for it when you receive your check. I left and figured they tossed my leftovers.

I also want to applaud Brasserie 292 for their use of social media. Not many local restaurants actively use Facebook and Twitter.  Being the Social Media junkie I am, I get annoyed when restaurants have a FB page or twitter account and don't interact with the public.  They use it as a one way medium.  NOT Brasserie!  I posted on their FB page about my doggie bag, but tweeted to them that I had a wonderful dinner.  They tweeted back that they were sorry about the doggie bag and offered to make me lunch and deliver it to me.  That is going far beyond any call of duty. (although I really wanted my leftover steak and pasta)  I felt that the customer service went far beyond any other local establishment. (No I did not take them up on their offer.)

You can find Brasserie 292 at 292 Main Street in Poughkeepsie on the web, facebook and twitter