Little Goat Delivers Big Flavor in Rhinebeck
By Christopher Stella
“Little Goats are whimsical and playful,” says Erin Winters, co-founder of Little Goat. “It reflects the atmosphere we want to create.” Newly opened by hospitality veterans Taavo Somer and Erin Winters, the bakery, pantry, and cafe offers comfort, convenience, and plenty of charm.
This is not Somer and Winters’s first collaboration–they have worked together on standout upstate destinations including INNESS in Accord and Lola Pizza Kitchen in Kingston.
Both boast rich legacies in hospitality. Winters—raised in a family of chefs, farmers, and foragers—began her career in fashion before bringing her aesthetic sensibility to the service industry. Somer, initially trained as an architect, has created some of New York City’s most iconic dining destinations, among them Freemans Restaurant, before relocating to Rhinebeck. Little Goat marks his 14th opening.
The restaurant is set inside a charming 18th-century townhouse (formerly home to The Amsterdam), replete with a welcoming porch and back garden. The new owners embraced the building’s inherent charm and feminine qualities, employing a palette of layered creams punctuated with warm wooden accents, vintage French ceramics, and carefully curated art work. It feels inviting at any time of day.
“The location should design itself,” notes Somer. “My job is to just listen to the space, and let it tell me what should be there.”
For all its aesthetic delights, Little Goat offers an abundance of utility: grab-and-go food, pastries, and breakfast, lunch, and dinner service.
“I was inspired by beachside restaurants in Europe,” says Somer. “People use those spaces differently at different times of day—getting a coffee in running shorts, and returning later dressed for dinner.”
The cuisine is of a versatile, vegetable-heavy Mediterranean variety. Local sourcing is central to the menu: baked goods come from Sparrowbush Bakery in Hudson; fresh vegetables are sourced throughout the region. The menu is expertly crafted by executive chef Brian Paragas, whose experience was honed at NYC farm-to-table mainstay Hearth, and at Philadelphia’s iconic Vetri Cucina and Zahav; and consulting chef Brian Arruda, who has worked under culinary luminaries as José Andrés, Thomas Keller, and Daniel Boulud.
Among the standouts: The mezze platter is as bright in flavor as it is in color; the ricotta gnudi in a verdant, peppery sauce of nettles and watercress is perfectly pillowy; and the steelhead trout is buttery, and perfectly complemented by pickled greens. The dessert pavlova stuns with a custardy mascarpone center, and is topped with seasonal fruit. The cocktails are outstanding as well, offering fruit forward takes on the classics.
Even with their myriad successes, Somer and Winters remain involved in every aspect of the restaurant. In fact, they painted the walls, and Somer built many of the tabletops. “When you aren’t hands-on in a space, there is something tangible missing from the experience,” says Somer. From my experience, Little Goat isn’t missing a thing.
Little Goat, 6380 Mill Street, Rhinebeck—littlegoatny.com