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Dining out Party of two Lunch at The Tavern at Diamond Mills — sans kids! As a mother of two young children, I don't remember the last time dining out didn't consist of chicken nuggets and arcade games. When my husband, Joseph, and I were presented with the opportunity to enjoy a lunch together sans children, I knew right away where I wanted to go: The Tavern at Diamond Mills. I have driven past this luxury hotel a dozen times since it opened in January of 2012, always wondering what it looked like inside those brick walls. The tavern was much bigger and brighter than I had expected. We chose to sit inside due to the heat, but any other day I would have chosen the outside dining area, as it overlooks a charming waterfall. Appetizer: We decided to share the grilled steak flat bread. It came heaped with arugula, tomatoes, red onion, Gorgonzola, pesto béchamel and grilled steak. The fusion of ingredients was perfect and more than enough to share between two people. Entrées: For lunch, I choose the "BLT and A&E" sandwich (A&E = avocado and fried egg). This is the BLT to top all BLTs. Smoked bacon, roasted tomatoes, arugula, avocado, fried egg, and roasted garlic aioli on a toasted ciabatta bread. After finishing this gratifying sandwich, I will never be able to have the average BLT, again. Joe stuck to what he knows best: the burger. The Tavern Skillet Burger was topped with St. André cheese, smoked bacon, avocado, and chipotle aioli on a brioche roll. The special blend of seasonings they use is part of what made this burger so delicious. Both meals came with the choice of house salad or hand-cut truffle Parmesan fries. We chose the latter, and the name speaks for itself: AMAZING! Dessert: We shared the Cheesecake Trio and Coconut Lavender Crème Brulée. The trio consisted of three sampler-sized portions of uniquely flavored cheesecake. One of them contained Rogue River blue cheese, sour cherries and almonds. Joe found the cheesecake pleasant, while I preferred the crème brulée. It was very light and without the thick caramelized sugar topping that I'm accustomed too. The presentation of both desserts was almost too perfect to touch. I wouldn't expect anything less, as Chef Giuseppe Napoli is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. We had a lovely time and will take the children with us next time, as they do have a children's menu, plenty of room, and children aged 4 and under eat free. Besides, there are about 10 more desserts that I'm anxious to try! Gloria Darmanin lives in Saugerties with her husband and two sons. The Tavern at Diamond Mills 25 South Partition St., Saugerties 845-247-0700 3 Perfect for date night 3 Perfect for the kids 38 Hudson Valley Parent n November 2013 HUNGRY FOR MORE? Visit our guide for kid-friendly restaurants in your area hvparent.com/restaurants-guide