New Paltz is a town known for its unique array of shops, proximity to the great outdoors, and the youthful, granolay, nature-loving population it attracts. The Main Course is one culinary hotspot that has placed New Paltz at the vanguard of the Hudson Valley’s local agricultural movement and contributed to the town’s trendy vibe.
Located at the head of Main Street, Main Course is a farm-to-table restaurant and catering business that was started 26 years ago by chef Bruce Kazan. The menu features an eclectic mix of fresh salads, sandwiches, soups, and entrees that are made with seasonal foods and locally sourced meats. Since its opening, Main Course has been committed to providing customers with quality local ingredients and has sprouted up as a dining hotspot within the New Paltz community.
On a spring afternoon, I visited Main Course to get a taste of the Hudson Valley’s fresh produce. After enjoying a delicious eggplant sandwich that combined roasted red peppers, Portobello mushrooms, and mozzarella cheese, I had the opportunity to chat with Hogan, the Assistant Director of Catering. Hogan is a graduate from the Culinary Institute of America and a self-declared foodie, so working for Main Course has been a perfect way of combining his culinary skills and passion for quality food. Hogan emphasized the restaurant’s dedication to sustainability, consistency, and community.
Main Course depends on a number of purveyors that stretch across the valley for its meats and produce, including Sprout Creek Farm in Duchess County, Russell Farms in Rhinebeck, the very local Phillies Bridge Project in New Paltz, and Baldor, a company that distributes local produce throughout the Northeast. While the restaurant does not require purveyors to don the organic label (mostly due to the fact that the term “organic” has become a liberally used buzzword that is no longer indicative of quality or freshness), they do ensure that each vendor has high standards in terms of animal welfare, low environmental impact, and sustainability. Hogan made it clear that The Main Course only uses food that is local and “sourced responsibly.”
The catering business is just as dedicated to serving local, low environmental impact food as the restaurant. Kazan and his team prepare seasonal custom menus for each venue they cater, which typically include weddings, corporate events, and banquets. According to Hogan, they are already set to cater nearly 30 weddings in 2017.
The Main Course’s popularity can be accredited to its commitment to cultivating a more intimate relationship between people and the food they eat. The restaurant values open communication and transparency as necessary elements of every step of food production, whether that means maintaining a dialogue with each purveyor or visiting the farms for a first-hand look at where their ingredients are coming from. By supporting local farmers and providing consumers with the confidence that they are eating in a more sustainable way, The Main Course creates a unique foodie environment where people can enjoy a delicious, locally sourced meal and feel more connected to the agricultural communities that sustain the Hudson Valley. As Hogan beautifully summed it up during our conversation, with all of the negative environmental and social impacts that stem from the industrialization of agriculture, eating local is simply “the right thing to do.”
