When a new restaurant comes to town, there is always a bit of excitement. This is especially true when the restaurant brings something new and different or, in rare cases, unique.
It is especially rare, however, for a pair of venues to engender such excitement; even more so when they are both run by the same talented team and both offer such one-of-a-kind experiences.
Such is the case, however, in Hudson, MA, which has been blessed with the road trip-worthy one-two punch of Rail Trail Flatbread Company (http://railtrailflatbread.com) and New City Microcreamery (http://newcitymicrocreamery.com).
Created by a team that includes a Babson MBA who brought his childhood love for food to fruition and a local carpenter who hand-crafted most of the furnishings, Rail Trail and New City offer a diverse set of offerings based on a common goal- to bring locals and visitors alike a comfortable, affordable place where they can come back again and again and be sweetly (or savor-ily or suds-ily) rewarded again and again.
On one side of Main Street is Rail Trail. As its name implies and as its layout defines, the main focus of the rustic-ly appointed venue is the hand-crafted pizza that comes from the equally hand-crafted oven- an oven that took over 10 masons to design and that offers a balanced heat distribution unlike any other. Among the locally-grown topping options are homemade meatballs, an eggs Benedict flatbread with maple-glazed ham and chilled Hollandaise, the far-reaching Hawaiian with house-smoked pulled pork and fresh pineapple, and the Farmer’s Market, which brings the bounty of area farms directly to your mouth.
While the flatbreads are the titular specialty, however, they take up only one third of the regularly-rotating menu. The rest of it is composed of apps, salads, sides, and mains that are sure to please anyone who has either tried the endless set of flatbread combination (the make-your-own menu includes over 40 items, ranging from sauces and cheeses to produce and proteins) or who is simply in the mood for something else that will be just as fresh, creative, and delicious. Among the highest high points of the other 2/3 are the four cheese-stuffed banana peppers, the perfectly-spiced handmade “Hot Tots,” authentic poutine (a Canadian-inspired dish of fried, cheese curd and gravy which is surprisingly and rib-stickingly delicious), fried ribs, and sesame calamari…. And those are just the apps! In addition to a gluten-free menu that includes salads, burgers and even flatbreads(!), Rail Trail also offers a fresh and flavorful Kids’ menu and plenty of options for everyone else. On the salad side are such fresh faves as the Classic Waldorf, grilled first mushroom and kale, and punky punkin’ salad, any of which can be topped with shrimp, chicken, an egg or even falafel. For those who like to pick up their meals with both hands, Rail Trail’s sandwich selections are sure to satisfy and include a Buffalo shrimp taco, a Bahn Mi, BBQ pulled pork and a Rachel Club that makes you feel you are part of something special.
To feel REALLY part of the club, however, you need to go across the street to New City and then snake your way past the home-made treats and clean, white treat cases that are busting with homemade goodness to a space in the back that is a bit more shady (in a harmlessly fun kinda’ way!). Known as “< >” (i.e., “greater than; less than”), the Speakeasy-styled evening spot comes complete with hand-shaved ice and passwords. You can even take on a nickname, if you fancy! Speaking of fancy, the long and cozy back room takes the clean and classy ice cream store décor to a new level, combining elements of hunting lodges, libraries, and any other cool hangs you may know (or wish to). Whether you belly up to the belly-height bar or tuck into a cozy banquette, you can literally combine the best of both worlds with recipes that draw from both sides of the street such as the barrel-aged vanilla (which combines vanilla ice cream from the front with Bulleit bourbon from the back and garnish made on site), a Caesar salad that includes all the bounty of the Rail Trail region, a tuna poke with sesame, scallion, cilantro, fried garlic, shallots, and ginger with wasabi, and the Mexican trio, which combines smoked octopus, lime sorbet and aged tequila. Behind the extra-low bar (which is so set in order to encourage a peek into the magic that goes on behind), professional and ultra-knowledgeable mixologists use some of the finest and rarest ingredients (many of which they make themselves) to proffer popular potables that are daring but never too “foofy.” In addition to unique turns on such classics as the Martini, Manhattan, Negroni, and Old Fashioned (all of which are mixed according to historically-accurate recipes) the symbol-ic bar offers their own set of spectacular sippers, including the Last Word (gin, Maraschino, Green Chartreuse, and lime), the Blood and Sand (single malt Scotch, cherry Heering, sweet Vermouth and orange), and the BB Flip (Amaro Averna, Demerara, lemon, egg, and clove. The bar also stocks a small but carefully-selected set of wines and beers.
While fans of fine cocktail-ery will revel in the raucously rebellious “< >” true brew crews will want to cross back over to Rail Trail to drool over their impressive set of 20 taps, many of which are unique to the region. On extra special occasions, the Flatbread Co. also offers a regular run of “takeover nights,” during which one brewery has full reign over the entire double decade’s worth of spigots. These special events are amazing opportunities to rediscover old favorites, find new ones, or discover a beer or brewery you may never known had existed, and they regularly bring fans back night after night, beer after beer.
Another offering that keeps people coming back and forth across the street is Rail Trail’s small but mighty dessert list, which includes a peanut butter mousse brownie that would certainly be spectacular with ice cream, but stands its ground admirably, especially for the many who enjoy themselves so much on one side of the street that they simply do not make it…this time.
But for those who cannot live by pizza, beer, peanut butter or mousse alone or who just want to celebrate another day with a special sweet treat, there really is nothing around like the frozen fantasticness that comes from New City. Unlike other “homemade” shops that import pre-flavored bases or use syrupy flavors, New City is truly new in that they hand-mix their bases to ensure equal distribution of the freshest and most natural flavorings (e.g., real cocoa, vanilla, mint, etc.) and then, instead of using ice to cool the cream conventionally, they use liquid nitrogen, which cools the down-the-street-sourced milk so fast that ice crystals have virtually no time to form. The result is the creamiest, smoothest, most deliciously consistent ice cream you may ever taste. And the flavors! From cinnamon nutmeg fudge and fennel pistachio to Ritz cracker pie and Greek tea, what may seem to be off the beaten path is often found to be off the hook. And as the friendly crew encourages tastings (the shop’s Flavor Ambassadors are happy to recommend and even take tasting orders in line when the queue stretches far and wide, as it often does), New City is again a great place to take a well-worth-it “risk” or to simply relish in a ne take on your old reliables. No matter what you order, the list of house-made “gravies” such as “hawt” fudge and blackberry balsamic is enough to make your mouth water on its own. Add to all this a frame of “funk” that ranges from toasted coconut and sprinkles to orange olive oil cake crumble and sesame almond tweel, and you have the makings of literally thousands of your newest favorite flavor combinations! What makes it even more fun and exciting is that, if you time your visit correctly, you can actually watch New City’s Frozen Dessert Technicians work their magic right before your eyes (and watering mouths)!
If you happen by at a time when ice cream does not seem to be appropriate (as if!), New City also offers freshly-ground Counter Culture coffees and creative coffee drinks (the French toast latte is an entire meal in a cup!), as well as a full set of Mem teas (complete with sniffable sample cups) and fresh-baked bagels and pastries that make a trip to the ice cream store socially acceptable at any time of day.
With so much to see, smell, taste, sip, lick, and enjoy, a visit to Main Street in Hudson poses a few questions: Namely, how fast can you get there, where will you start, where will you end up and how soon will you be back. Fortunately, there are no wrong answers and the folks at Rail Trail Flatbread and New City Microcreamery are eager to make you glad you dropped by!