Best Restaurant in New York State

"Grilled Polenta and Portebello? I have't tried that before."

"Then you should try it."

There are excellent seafood restaurants on City Island. The finest Italian eateries in all of New York City can be found on Arthur Avenue. Queens is the new Mecca of international food. Manhattan boasts hundreds of world-famous restaurants of all kinds.

These restaurants have all deserved their reputation. They also have one other thing in common: None of them can lie claim to the being the Best Restaurant in New York State.

Far away from the hustle and bustle of the big city, far away from the nearest train stop, airport, helipad or even a major highway, sits the Palmer House in Rennselerville, New York. After having the privilege of patronizing this fine establishment for four years now, Nicole and I can confidently say that the Palmer House is the mighty Crown atop the Empire State.



Why do I rate the Palmer House so highly? There are no throngs of crowds, it is not a hipster heaven, nor a place to spot a celebrity. We call these exhibits A, B, and C, respectively. But the Palmer is much more than just the negation of hype.

No other New York restaurant goes through the incredible lengths to provide the best total dining experience as the Palmer. The dining room offers a full view of the kitchen. No secrets here: no pre-made frozen entrees trucked in from Florida. No suspicious additives or preservatives in the food. Only the best ingredients, made in-house, cooked to perfection, served just for you.

The menu changes seasonally, with summer and fall offering the freshest specials. The Palmer has a blackboard near the bar listing all the specials, along with the name of the nearby farm where the ingredients were harvested. Those and Chicken and Biscuits? Ask the waiter, and he'll tell you where that bird came from. Seriously, who else does that?

Maintaining this level of optimum freshness and quality requires one sacrifice: The Palmer is only open four days a week in order to provide its exceptional menu and cooking methods. This commitment to quality of convenience is nothing short of admirable, and another reason why the Palmer is number 1.

Another fringe benefit: This place is so far off the grid, it's not uncommon to find out you don't have cell phone service. That's great. No texting at the table, please!

So there you have it. In my humble estimation, the Palmer House in Rennselaerville is the best--absolute best--restaurant in all of New York State. Don't believe me? That's okay. I welcome anybody to take me out and try and prove me wrong.

But in the meantime, I'll keep saying it to anyone who asks me: Palmer House, best restaurant, hands down.