Efrén Hernández is no stranger to national accolades: The James Beard Award semifinalist oversees Mexican restaurant Casa Susanna in the Camptown Hotel in the Catskills. There, heirloom masa is nixtamalized and ground in-house, anchoring a food program
built around the expert use of fire. But if you’re looking to celebrate something over seafood, or simply wish to whisk yourself off on a solo vacation over crudo, you’ll head to his newest restaurant, Pez, in Hudson’s Rivertown Lodge.
The focus is entirely on East Coast seafood, paired with hyper-seasonal Hudson Valley ingredients and rooted in regional Mexican cooking, heavily focused on the Yucatán, although the menu hardly stays confined there. Hernández and team make no concessions for diners hoping for a requisite burger or roast chicken. (If that’s what you’re after, cross the bridge to Casa Susanna for Hernández’s dry-aged rib-eye or goat birria.)
What to order
- The Chesapeake Bay blue crab tostada ($22) gets my immediate seal of approval as a born-and-raised Marylander, but regional bias isn’t what’s at work here. A generous mound of lump crab is topped with ribbons of marinated asparagus and dotted with chintextle, the smoky Oaxacan paste made with dried shrimp, vinegar, garlic, and chiles that recalls the savory depth of Chinese XO sauce.
- Much of Hernández’s cooking draws inspiration from the Yucatán region. The razor clam ceviche ($25) features xnipec verde, the bright, fiery salsa with Mayan roots that’s synonymous with this part of Mexico. Finished with serrano ponzu, it’s a dish meant to be savored.
- The dayboat scallops ($25) arrive nestled in their shells alongside pickled cactus, kombu, jalapeños, and creamy bayo beans (the earthy, lesser-known cousin to the pinto).
What to drink
The Rescoldo ($18) layers smoked pineapple into blanco tequila with mole bitters and several vermouths. Add Mexican Coke ($6) to turn it into the restaurant’s playful “spagliato,” a bubbly riff that lands somewhere in the neighborhood of a batanga.
Insider tip
Grab a table outside while the weather holds. Savoring pristine mariscos in the Hudson Valley air is part of the experience. And if you’re staying at Rivertown Lodge, Pez’s host property by co-owners Ray Pirkle and Kim Bucci, all the better — you can simply wander upstairs after one of the best seafood meals in the state.
