At The Heartwood, a newly constructed net-zero hotel on the Vassar College campus, the onsite farm-to-table restaurant, the Salt Line, is helmed by a CIA-educated local who honed his skills and built his network of local farmers at the elbows of culinary legends. It doesn’t get much more Hudson Valley than that.
The name Salt Line is inspired by our estuary itself: Poughkeepsie is the point where the brackish water that flows up the Hudson from the Atlantic meets the fresh water flowing south from Mount Marcy. Echoing the historic materials of the area, the restaurant is built out of recycled brick and wood, its energy sourced from geothermal wells and solar panels, and the food served to guests aims to elevate the perception of the possibilities of farm-to-table dining.
“We’re trying to establish true farm-to-table at the level of fine casual dining, which is something that didn’t really exist in Poughkeepsie,” says chef Zachary Lovenguth. “It’s a good niche for us to fill, and the potential for creativity feels huge.”
The menu at the Salt Line is evolving and will continue to do so as Lovenguth increasingly executes his plans, but here’s a taste: seasonal starters include a housemade focaccia with locally grown olive oil and seasonal dips; a stone fruit salad with assorted heirloom tomatoes, East Coast peaches, and microgreens; and a kale and prosciutto salad with local kale, aged prosciutto, apples, and a maple vinaigrette. Select mains include a burger with Grafton cheese, lettuce, heirloom tomatoes, and The Salt Line special sauce served on a housemade brioche; Hudson Valley steelhead trout with fennel, Castelvetrano olives, and orange reduction; and the Northwind Farms roasted half chicken with roasted cauliflower puree, salsa matcha, and sherry pan jus.
The dessert program includes carrot cake made using local carrots with housemade vanilla icing, and The Vassar Devil, an angel food cake sundae served with fresh fudge and marshmallow sauce. You can wash it all down with natural wines or local beers and ciders from Hudson Valley producers. Seasonal cocktails include The Seven Sisters with gin, cucumber, black pepper, and lemon; Miscellany with white rum, roasted red pepper, and lime; and Happily Ever After with tequila blanco, amaro, pineapple juice, and orange bitters—all named in tribute to various Vassar College legends.
Lovenguth, who signed on after The Salt Line had been up and running for a couple of months, says he’s been curating the menu to fit his passions. “I tied in a lot more of the seasonal and sustainable approach that I like to provide in my kitchen. Coming into the fall season, we'll be revamping further, probably doing four seasonal menus each year, really highlighting the bounty of the Hudson Valley and the Tristate area.”
To that end, he draws on a network of local producers such as Hepworth in Milton, Blackhorse in Coxsackie, Northwind in Tivoli, and Mx Morningstar in Hudson. “There are lots of local farms that might not get the attention that the bigger ones do, but have really beautiful and unique products to showcase in the restaurant,” he says. “I want to go straight to the source. We’re currently using farmed steelhead from Hudson Valley Fisheries, which isn’t bad, but I’d rather work with fish that was caught using a rod and reel.”
Lovenguth grew up in Kingston, started cooking seriously in high school at Ulster County BOCES, and went on to the Culinary, accelerating his studies with externships in local kitchens, working with Ric Orlando during the grand finale of New World Home Cooking, Gabe McMackin at Troutbeck, and Giuseppe Napoli at Blackbarn, and Kenny Callaghan at the short-lived Capitol Tavern, among others.
At the Salt Line, Lovenguth feels he has found a setting that lines up with his values. “The building is 100 percent carbon neutral, with no impact on the planet, and that’s what I try to showcase in my cuisine as well—using best quality of product and presenting it in a way that imparts a touch of elegance without overcomplicating things. My focus is always on nurturing the consumer.”
The Salt Line Hudson Valley is open seven days a week, Sunday to Monday, 4-9pm with a limited bar menu and Tuesday-Saturday, 4-9pm with the full restaurant menu. Reservations are available via Resy, for more information check out @thesaltlinehudsonvalley and thesaltlinehudsonvalley.com.
