Cafe Mutton

The thing that blew me away is the beauty of the menu and people. Everything on the menu works together and against itself. Somehow on 1 menu there is pate, porridge, pasta, bologna, a $15 shrimp, foie gras, and a cocktail with the word poo in it. It's like the rest of Hudson- a group of people doing whatever makes them happy and it's great.

We went here twice in 18 hours.
The menu changed - somehow

The decor is quirky, the staff is friendly and answered everyone of my questions, the food is decadent and incredibly well executed

The kitchen is exposed - and silent. Somehow through a lunch rush and brunch rush everything was spot on and not a single shout from the kitchen - perfectly orchestrated.

The bologna sandwich - velvety and decadent. Only a few ingredients - but well thought out. Couldn't be made any better.

The friggen crepe - fluffy and flat at the same time. Beautiful flavor - maybe buttermilk? Some other acid? Charred and barely cooked at the same time. Makes no sense

The tartare - incredibly flavorful with some crunchy bits of celery? or something. The bread was just very toasted white bread. Simple and perfect

The porridge - modeled as a congee with flavorful chili oil and a barely poached egg

Teccione pasta - mushrooms and chives in a thin butter sauce - so rich but still light

The low-key appearance belies the exquisite cuisine served here. Though portions are modest in size, the dishes are enormously tasty and frequently quite original.
Reservations are recommended and can be challenging to obtain. Staff are friendly and helpful.
Dishes are presented and there is a presumption that they will be shared as extra plates are provided.
We enjoyed the octopus and oyster stew, the mutton steak, roast quail and the rigatoni entrees . The spicy mutton broth appetizer and a Butterscotch dessert completed our dinner menu. Everything was flavorful.

Everything we had for brunch was so good!! The chip omelette was unique and delicious, and the bologna sandwich was simple yet tasty. For dessert, the sticky bun is a must try and I also really enjoyed the crepes that weren't overly sweet and had a dash of salt (maybe from the butter?) which perfectly balanced out the flavors.

- @nyconthetable

This is the sort of cafe whose menu is so straight forward you gotta stare at it for like ten minutes before you can comprehend what it is they're offering you. Because it'll be like some UK pub-ass offerings like "fried bologna sandwich" or "rice porridge" or "cheddar & onion sandwich" and you're like okay, I see this and I get it but it is like $15 so obviously its a bit more than JUST that. But then you order and it is just that but also the best possible version of that? Are you still with me???

Like I had this porridge here that was like... amazing. And I don't remember exactly what it was called but it had like bits of slow cooked pork and sauces and oranges!? and an egg and it was straight forward and warm and delicious and homey and nostalgic and other worldly. I don't know. I DONT KNOW. Then they let me try a sample of the celery soda cause I was loudly saying how I was too scared of it and even THAT shit was great. Like, what!? I dont even like normal celery but here I am drinking this like, salty refreshingly weird beverage that somehow tastes so much better than it sounds. But maybe THAT's the key to this whole menu? Things like "scrapple & eggs" but then you actually try and it you're like "oh fck, OFFAL man shit who knew."

Or maybe I'm just over complicating what is simply a unique and intriguing place that, for me, wins the award for most radiators I've ever seen lining a wall.

Hipster brunch done extremely well. I honestly can't complain about anything when I am enjoying lunch with the soothing tunes of Notorious BIG playing in the background. Seriously, this place is a vibe.

Scrapple, Bologna Sandwich, Country Patê. Honestly, we had to fight over what we wanted to order. Everything sounded delish, simple yet unique. We made great decisions on what to order.

The scrapple was good! It was my first time trying it. It was definitely more bready that I expected, the flavor was nice, and the eggs and potatoes were a great pairing. The Bologna sandwich was simply delicious. Perfectly fried bologna made for a decadent treat. The pate on soft white bread was outstanding. Creamy, unctuous, I wish I had another right now.

All the dishes were perfectly balanced, perfect bites. This spot is great, highly recommend!

I remember when Cafe Mutton opened a year or two ago. Though I visit Hudson frequently, I never went. I suppose it's because we virtually never go out for brunch. My mom had randomly told me that her best friend went there soon after it opened and raved about it, but I still didn't go. I meant to, but it wasn't a priority. But as a longtime visitor of Hudson and an even longer-time foodie, I was honestly shocked to see Cafe Mutton make all of these "Best New Restaurants in the Country" etc. etc. lists. What makes this simple restaurant so special? Its simplicity, as it turns out. Tasty, understated food, a perfectly-curated, casual vibe, wonderfully generous, down-to-earth staff, all situated in a town perfect to appreciate such a place (an artsy, ex-Brooklyn crowd, happy to live upstate but at times missing NYC).

We finally visited Cafe Mutton on our most recent trip to Hudson. We were there this past Sunday, and while I worried there was no way we'd score a table, we did pretty easily. We came at around 2pm -- which is at the tail end of brunch service -- and apparently we missed an earlier rush. Eating late isn't all bad, folks. Anyway, we ordered at the counter and maybe waited 5-10 minutes for a table to open up. One of the nice things about Cafe Mutton is that it's not an overwrought, involved process. Everything is streamlined, and while you may want to sip on some coffee and stay a while, you won't need to wait long for your food or beverages and it probably won't take too long for you to gobble up what's served. But still, on certain days, camping out here and people watching could be quite fun.

We sat at a table near the front of the small space, but when we go back I'm crossing my fingers that we score a table in the partially-enclosed alcove-esque space. It's got a semi-private, European-style cafe vibe going for it. I'm sure Bon Appetit and the New York Times had better lingo to describe it, but I'm intentionally not referencing those articles while writing this in the hopes of not being too redundant. Good vibes, that's all you need to know.

So when we got here around 2pm, sadly they were out of quite a few menu items, including all of the daily specials. So we avoided the earlier crowds but were left with fewer things to choose from. A bummer, but not totally unexpected. Plus it's good to know they're trying to be cognizant of food waste. Plus plus, we come to Hudson a lot, so we'll work our way through the whole menu eventually. We ended up getting the chip and dip omelette (yes, it's filled with potato chips!) and the daily salad, which featured cabbage, fresh crispy breadcrumbs and a sherry vinaigrette. Both were excellent. The dressing on the salad was divine and the cabbage was ever so fresh.

It's not surprising that the folks who started this wonderful venture started their journey in NYC. They serve food that caters both to locals and to other NYC-escapees, and have found a niche I honestly did not think could exist. Is it one of this country's best new restaurants? I have no idea. But it's pretty wonderful.

The food was absolutely terrible! My husband and I ordered omelets that were half raw and the flavor made gag. The service was ok and the people are friendly but the food is just not it. We paid $57 and ended up going to a different restaurant. Would not recommend.

Cute little restaurant in Hudson!

Food:
The food was really well made! My friends raved about the chicken porridge, particularly the chili oil used in the porridge. The sticky bun was also amazing. The honey used was great and it attracted a few bees.

The scrapple and eggs were interesting. I've never had anything like scrapple before. I had originally thought it was a slice of meat but it's mostly cornmeal with some pork scraps mixed in. It wasn't for me and I thought the meal was missing a meaty component but the eggs and potatoes were great!

Atmosphere:
There's a little sun room near the entrance of the restaurant and it's the cutest thing ever. When we went, the room was full but if we ever find ourselves in Hudson again, we would come back just to eat in the sun room.

The art is also phenomenal and I really enjoyed the atmosphere of this place!

I have been dying to try this spot out. I wanted to come for Friday dinner as it is their only dinner slot but couldn't make it. We came in for Saturday lunch instead and were not disappointed. The homemade bologna sandwich lives in my mind rent free. The congee was very good and so were the crepes. The vibe inside is super kitschy and cute. I love thé mismatching plates. Service was nice and helpful in deciding what to order. We will definitely be back.

Overpriced and disappointing. Rude staff who can't handle being busy. I truly don't understand why this place is on best-of-anything lists. Plenty of better options in town - stay away!!