DePuy Canal House reopens for weekend brunch, dinner

Thursday June 21, 2012 3:38 PM By Bryan Miller

Photo credit: Sevan Melikyan | Chef John Novi of the DePuy Canal House in High Falls.

DePuy Canal House in High Falls, one of the most romantic restaurants in the Hudson Valley, closed last year after a nearly 40-year run (1315 Main St., High Falls; 845-687-7700; depuycanalhouse.net). Much to the delight of swooning couples who courted by candlelight in the historic 18th-century home, the restaurant is back — although on weekends only. Renowned chef/owner John Novi, whom Time Magazine once called the “Alice Waters before Alice Waters” for his early commitment to organic and sustainable food, serves brunch and dinner.

An aficionado of farm-fresh eggs, Novi’s brunch menu features dishes like poached eggs with beet greens and cheese sauce, or eggs with Bolognese sauce. He also turns out some whimsical egg-white omelets. Typical dinners are beef tenderloin with potato galette and porcini sauce, and pan-seared fillets of dorade over Russian kale risotto with a sauce made with parsnips, peppers, leeks, saffron and Pernod.

DePuy Canal House is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturdays and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays.

In addition to the weekend brunch and dinner service, Chef Novi is also holding weekend cooking classes. The schedule is fluid, depending upon the size of the group — there is a minimum of ten. The day begins with brunch at 11 a.m. and concludes with dinner at 8 p.m. Hands-on classes ($125 per person), which emphasis healthful cooking, cover basic knife skills, salads, entrees, main courses, baking and more.

Chef John Novi is pictured at DePuy Canal House

Tags: Restaurants , Ulster County , High Falls , DePuy Canal House , brunch