Bistro Mashriq Brings Arab-Inspired Flavor To Lower Hudson
Owner Christopher Knable says his chef is “turning out Middle Eastern food that’s better than I’ve had there."
The visually stunning and delicious offerings at Bistro Mashriq
NOTE: THIS RESTAURANT HAS CLOSED.
Bistro Mashriq is the newest restaurant in Hudson, taking a chance opening in December on lower Warren Street, deep into the pandemic. Launching with a takeout menu, Mashriq's owner is leaning on his wealth of hospitality experience to stand out at this problematic time and bring in new customers with a feast of classic Middle Eastern dishes.
The latest creation of international hospitality executive turned local pie-maker Christopher Knable, Mashriq offers dishes and flavor profiles not often found in the area. Knable made a name for himself in Chatham in recent years, opening Main Street Goodness and Pieconic. He has also taken over The Columbia Grill at the Columbia County Golf Course and is behind the forthcoming reopening of the classic Kinderhook staple The Carolina House. Knable lives in Chatham and is a volunteer firefighter.
Though Knable grew up in Texas, he fell in love with the local cuisine while working in the Middle East during the early 2000s for some pretty illustrious employers. But he started his career washing dishes and he says he figures he’s worked every food service job there is. When he was 19, Knable picked up and moved from Austin to New York City to see if he could make it. He did. Starting at The Pierre on Fifth Avenue, he worked his way up to be, he believes, the youngest assistant manager at the hotel.
“It’s one of the top hotels in the world, so it was a great way to break into New York. Then I worked at the Plaza, traveled overseas with Peninsula (hotel) throughout Asia, then came back to New York and became the general manager of Regency on Park Avenue, then the Regent, then everything changed. After 9/11 the hotel was sold, and I made a bit of money from the sale and began building hotels with other investors — in Mexico, Uruguay, what is now the Waldorf Astoria in Chicago.”
He then took a job in Dubai for three years as a manager of HRH Prince Al-Waleed bin Talal's Kingdom Hotels, and then for the Qatari Emir's hotel company, Katara Hospitality. It was while working in this high-end and high-profile position that Knable fell in love with the regional cuisine and the way of eating.
In 2016 he came back to New York to open the Public Hotel on the Lower East Side, and spent more and more time at the Chatham home he purchased back in 2002. “After that, I was tired of traveling, and my weekend house had turned into my permanent home. My wife says that I ‘woke up one day and decided I was going to bake pie for a living.’”
What started as one little Chatham culinary enterprise became another than another and another. Now Bistro Mashriq takes Knable out of Chatham and into downtown Hudson.
“Most of my experience is in ultra-luxury hospitality,” Knable said. “Why not take what I know from my service experience and big-city sensibility and put it in a local setting? I always like to lead with kindness and get good people who are super friendly and make sure everyone who comes through the door is getting a special experience.”
“The Mashriq” refers generally to the geographical region of Arab countries east of Egypt and north of the Arabian peninsula, including Iraq, Palestine, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon and Syria. The term’s root meaning is “east of sunrise."
“Around here there’s nothing close to authentic,” Knable said. “The real challenge to me was finding a chef who gets it.”
While looking to staff the Columbia Grill, Knable found Jereme Keough. The chef was eager to learn the recipes of the Middle East and work with the intoxicating ingredients and spices of the traditional recipes. “He’s turning out Middle Eastern food that’s better than I’ve had there,” Knable said.
Knable says Keough is staying faithful to the regional pantry but has also been creative with it, creating dishes that express his culinary voice, including the shockingly bright beet hummus ($8) and the fried halloumi (coming to the menu soon).
Other dishes that shine out of the to-go box include lamb meatballs infused with fresh mint and served with creamy feta and olive oil poached tomatoes ($14); falafel accented with fresh herbs, lemon, garlic and a creamy yogurt dip ($12); charred aubergine (eggplant) with tahini, green chile sauce, soft-boiled egg ($12); and quite a bit more. Mashriq also serves Turkish coffee ($3) and fresh juices with unique combinations ($7.50 for 16 ounces).
Knable says he’s eager for the end of the pandemic so they can transform Bistro Mashriq into the dine-in destination he envisions, with the warm hospitality he says intrinsically accompanies the Middle Eastern dining experience.
“I definitely think there will be pent up demand. We are social creatures,” Knable said. “Breaking bread together is one of the oldest human interfaces in the world. To be able to create an environment with a sense of community is an extraordinary thing.”
Bistro Mashriq
136 Warren Street, Hudson, NY
(518)-697-5600
Wednesday - Friday, 4-8 p.m.
Saturday and Sunday, noon to 8 p.m.
