Dining Before the Revolution in Kingston

The Brawny Sherpa and I toodle around upstate New York with no specific plan in mind. Just enjoying a seasonal drive, stopping where we like at whim, doing so much of nothing, we get hungry. We are fortunate to stumble upon the Hoffman House Tavern in Kingston, N.Y. where we enter the 17th century.

The place has been around since at least 1679 and was purchased by the Hoffman family in 1707. Thus we learn that Kingston was on the map during the Revolution (makes sense given its name) and burned by the British. The Hoffman house survived and remained in the family until the early 1900s. It became a restaurant in the 1970s.

Sip a martini here and wonder whether you could live by candlelight and firewood alone here in Ulster County. Excuse yourself and head to the restroom and marvel at how low the ceilings and windows are. Consider whether you could have survived the Revolution, and then give thanks for those who did and enjoy your meal.

—Lori Tripoli

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Interested in dining at other places that pre-date the American Revolution? Consider these posts:

• Dining Before the Revolution in North Salem
• Sunday Bloodies
• Beekman Arms: A Weekend in Rhinebeck, NY

 

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