After 20 years running the pioneering SoHo bistro Provence, Michel & Patricia Jean finally moved full-time to their weekend house in Dutchess County and purchased the landmark Stissing House, a quintessential New England inn, which just so happens to be in New York State not far from the Taconic Parkway. You can have a romantic dinner à deux in front of a fireplace in one of the smaller dining rooms or join the convivial crowd in the historic tavern. When you order dishes like Escargots de Bourgogne (16), pan-seared duck breast with cherry port reduction ($29) and shell steak that comes with a choice of luscious Béarnaise or pepper-cognac sauces ($32), you can't imagine anything tasting more authentically French and appropriate to the Hudson Valley. Rtes. 199 & 82, Pine Plains, NY(518) 398-8800 Thursday & Sunday 5:30 p.m. - 9 p.m. (Bar opens at 5 p.m.) Friday & Saturday 5:30 p.m. -10 p.m.
