My Terrapin Experience

Ginger, Leek, and Tofu Potstickers appetizer

If you ever have a free weekend, or just want to try something different, head North to Terrapin Restaurant in Rhinebeck, NY. Terrapin sits towards the end of the bustling Rhinebeck area, but in my opinion it's worth whatever you need to do to get there.


Let me backtrack and say that this dinner was a surprise birthday present from my husband. I had been to the restaurant once before but this time it had a special meaning. I was celebrating with my husband, not my boyfriend or fiancee anymore, and this was one of many more to come.


Seen above are the ginger, leek, and tofu potstickers. Full of flavor in chewy little pockets. Dip them into the sauce and get a sweet and salty mixture of...I honestly don't even know what the sauce was made of. It was delicious. When you bite into the potsticker you can see all the fresh vegetables, and you know for a fact that nothing is processed or previously frozen. Score! :-)

Arugula Salad with Goat Cheese Wontons

The goat cheese wontons on this arugula salad were the best part. Not that the salad wasn't delicious, because it was, but the wontons...I have no words! Or do I? I do! I noticed at the end of our meal that a lot of foods on the menu came as tapas. The goat cheese wontons were one of them. Hmmmmm...a meal full of tapas and a salad next time? I'd say that's what I would do, but the menu is just too amazing. When you go there you'll see.

This was my meal. Orecchiette pasta with English peas, big chunks of buttery-tasting lobster, and herbs & spices in a Pernod cream sauce. I didn't know what Pernod sauce was when I ordered it, but it sounded way too good to pass up. Pernod is apparently a liquor tasting of anise seed or fennel. That would explain why the dish has a bit of a sweet taste to it. My mouth waters just looking at the picture time after time.

And last, but not least, the best Tahitian vanilla Creme Brulee. I have really had a taste for Creme Brulee ever since I went on my honeymoon. We were served a delicious dessert of the creamy concoction one night at a restaurant on the beach. (This restaurant also served us the most enormous Antiguan lobster tail I have ever seen in my life, but those stories are for another blog.) :-)  I did the right thing with dessert by ordering a tapas size, and it was just right. If you've never had Creme Brulee, it is a thick dessert which can be heavy, so small portions are just right. The best part of eating this dessert is when it's first presented to you. They use a torch to solidify the sugar on top. You take your spoon and poke the top crust so it breaks. I don't know what it is, but it's an amazing sound when you break through the sugary topping. I love the whole darn dessert, but there's something about the topping. Maybe one day I'll have the nerve to attempt to make this dessert. Any guinea pigs out there?? :-)