Amenia's Troutbeck restored to its former glory

In both a literal and figurative sense, Troutbeck sits over the river and through the woods, but it’s far from grandmother’s house.

After a decade dormant, the Amenia landmark, dashingly handsome after a makeover by Manhattan-based Champalimaud Design, is once again welcoming guests with locally-sourced cuisine and some of the finest overnight accommodations in the Hudson Valley.

Tucked into 5,000 acres of wilds a rock skip from the Connecticut state line, Troutbeck is a retreat in every sense of the word.

The estate’s first owner, naturalist/poet Myron Benton, was a contemporary and friend of transcendentalist writers John Burroughs, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau, catalyzing the property’s centuries-long association with some of America’s greatest creative and intellectual minds.

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Troutbeck’s subsequent resident was literary personality and NAACP co-founder Joel Elias Spingarn — he and W.E.B. DuBois are said to have conceived the organization right in the Troutbeck library.

The Spingarns entertained an elite coterie of guests over the years including Theodore Roosevelt, who slept in one of the 17 upstairs guest rooms.

Two New York City ad men, James Flaherty and Robert Skibsted, rescued the estate from the brink of abandonment in 1978, lovingly restoring it as an inn, restaurant and conference center that for three decades welcomed guests with old-world country hospitality.

It was well-known throughout the region; if you were a local and hadn’t been there for at least one Mother’s Day brunch, you surely knew someone who did. But as the 21st century came around, the owners were ready for change, and the property went up for sale.

In 2016, Troutbeck found a buyer in redeveloper D.R. Horne & Company, well-known for their work with high-profile land use projects like Westchester’s Stone Barns Center for Agriculture. The fit couldn’t have been better: One of the firm’s principals is Anthony Champalimaud, whose mother, Alexandra, founded the eponymous design practice charged with transforming the property.

The Champalimauds have meticulously re-invigorated every corner of the venerable estate, infusing the sprawling Tudor manse with a fresh, modern sensibility that respects and accentuates its period integrity.

Gone is the dark varnish and chintz, deferring to lighter hues and exciting color profiles that brilliantly brighten the space. Original woodwork and masonry was retained and restored. Carefully-curated decor contextualizes the property’s rich past in the present tense, effusing timeless, low-key elegance.

The dining situation has come a long way too, now helmed by executive chef Marcel Agnez. A seasonal menu showcases largely local bounty, with careful attention to detail evident in every bite.

Starters are strong: The pumpkin hummus, served with grilled za’atar-dusted pita, is not to be missed. Equally standout is the cheese and charcuterie plate, an artful melange of hard and soft cheeses with house grown-and-made quince paste.

Brunch service leans less-breakfast, more-lunch — a salmon Benedict was the only egg item on the menu, spare the almond-crusted cameo on the baby kale salad — but Troutbeck’s breakfast, served until 10:30, Thursday through Sunday, is the sure bet to satiate morning eggheads and carb-inators alike.

There’s whole wheat “soldiers” flanking a three-minute farm egg, delightfully drippy. Buttermilk or millet flapjacks bridge both line-ups. Cold-pressed juice blends vary, and the Bloody Mary is quite possibly the best around, a proprietary recipe brought by the head bartender and topped with a skewered prawn.

Staples of land and sea anchor the dinner menu, all expertly prepared. Grass-fed pork chops. Lobster gnocci in a dashi broth. A venison chop over a celery root puree that pairs perfectly with the setting. Bivalves two ways: In the oyster-leek chowder or on the half-shell with a blood orange granita. Simple, sophisticated and strong.

Complete the evening with fireside drinks, intellectualizing in good company old or new. The bar and taproom, which looks straight out of a Wes Anderson film, features local craft drafts, wine and cocktails with small-batch spirits. Overnight guests can sneak late-night snacks from the communal pantry, loaded with baskets of dry provisions and a stocked SMEG refrigerator.

But be warned: Troutbeck’s enchantment casts a spell that’s difficult to break, drawing you back again and again.

411 on Troutbeck

Where: 515 Leedsville Road, Amenia, 845-789-1555, http://www.troutbeck.com/

Entrees: $11-$37

Noise level: Low

Good to know: The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and brunch. When the weather improves, a seasonal outdoor deck, with a fireplace, includes lounge seating for cocktails and dining for up to 20.

Book a room: Prices start at $225 per night.

This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Amenia's Troutbeck reborn as a destination retreat