River Tavern Blog

We had a very special visitor appear in the Athens Waterfront this weekend, an 85-foot replica of the ship Henry Hudson sailed while exploring the Hudson River in 1609. The ship was built in Albany, N.Y. in 1989 to commemorate the Dutch role in exploring and colonizing America.

We are quickly approaching the 400th Anniversary of Henry Hudson's Voyage along the river. From the Canadian border to New York harbor, a wealth of events and activities are being planned in commemoration of the Quadricentennial. The celebration is expected to draw people from all over the world.

The original ship, called the Halve Maen, was commissioned on March 25, 1609 for the Dutch East India Company. The company hired Hudson, an Englishman, to search for a passageway between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. He thought he had found that passageway when he sailed up the river that was later named for him.

In making his trip up the river, Hudson claimed the area for the Dutch and opened the land for settlers who followed. His voyage came 10 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock.

The replica of the Half Moone was built in Albany, N.Y. in 1989 to commemorate the Dutch role in exploring and colonizing America. Plans are being developed to make the Half Moon the first exhibit of the proposed New Netherlands Museum, which would tell the story of Dutch colonization of North America and the founding of the states of Connecticut, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania.

With much excitement we are anticipating the arrival of one of the Half Moon's sister ships to be stationed here this summer. Check back as we will be announcing details soon!

Click here for more on Henry Hudson & the Half Moon.

Also see the Explore NY 400 site for more on the upcomining Quadricentennial Events.

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Our dedicated crew has been working around the clock getting things back in tip-top shape after our brush with the swell of the Hudson! We feel very grateful that we only had to deal with water in the basement and our lovely new mural came out unscathed.

We will be open regular business hours, SEVEN NIGHTS A WEEK and invite you stop by and enjoy this marvelous weekend weather over a meal. Enjoy!

We are happy to report that the flooding of the Athens Waterfront has, as yet, only come into the basement of the Tavern & Hotel. We are in communication with NYS authorities for updates on the condition of regional dams which could add to river swelling. We've got our finger's crossed that the River Tavern, as well as other waterfront homes and businesses remain safe!

For now, we've got a boiler to replace and some cleaning up to do, so we will not be open for business until later in the week. Please check back for Grand re-Opening details in the coming days.

Here is what our waterfront garden looked like today...

We are now open during our regular business hours and invite you to stop by! You need'nt wonder when we are open... we'll be bringing you your favorite dishes 7 nights a week.

We hope to see you soon!

This weekend we got a chance to test out our new dishes on some friends and neighbors when we held three evenings of pre-opening tastings here at the River Tavern. A selection of Chef Matt's creations, as well as a sneak peak at our wine selections were available for sampling. We are happy to report that we had a full house all three nights and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive!

Now, the countdown is on for our Grand Opening, which will take place on Thursday. Please stop by to check out our new decor and stay for a meal from our brand new explorer-inspired menu.

We'll see you at the waterfront!

With the official River Tavern Opening is less than a week, its time for a little sneak peak into what has been going on in this beautiful old tavern.

A few months ago we were fortunate to have acclaimed artist Nora Johnson and visionary restoration specialist Reggie Young come aboard the project of re-conceptualizing the Stewart House. It all started with the idea of the river, of creating a place where its "story" could live, breathe, and be experienced through a sampling of the cultures that have drifted upon it.

Reggie, Nora & Owen needn't look far to set this concept into motion... the inspiration just started flowing. Soon the stories were telling themselves through the creation of the menu and the decor.

To watch Nora doing research for the historic images and landscapes for the mural was a fascinating glimpse into the mind of an artist. Each piece was chosen with the utmost consideration to historical accuracy as well as aesthetic concerns for the project as a whole. In the staging process, everywhere you looked were vibrant color copies of navigational symbols and century-old photographs of Hudson River landscapes taped to the walls. Even at this early stage, one could see that this was going to be a spectacular transformation.

Now complete, I would love to take you on a pictorial tour of each square inch of the walls, but you will just have to come in to the new River Tavern and take a look.

Stay tuned for Grand Opening details!

Things are really underway way here, the electrical work is done, wires tucked in and walls patched... so I think its time for another hint! Nora has been working her magic on these lovely old walls and set the foundation for their transformation, assisted by Nikki, a very talented young painter from Chatham. We aren't ready to spill the beans just yet but here is a visual clue...

Well, the work is coming right along and we are having a lot of fun doing it... so we thought we'd share this weeks highlights with you all.

Reggie, our hardworking and ever-tasking project manager, and his lovable toddler Jack Russell Blossom have been keeping us all busy (and entertained) as we push along through the project.

Chef Adam and Matt have had their hands in nearly every aspect of the project from refinishing to electrical to menu creation.

Kim has set to work on stripping paint off moldings like nobody's business! Although, she was the only one to have built-in hand warming!

These guys are troopers, although really, it seems they pour their heart into just about everything they do. By opening day it will have all paid off... and then some!

In the midst of two late winter storms, we were able to get set to host our very special guest artist Nora Johnson, who joins us despite her talents being sought, literally, all over the map (hint, hint!)

*For more restoration images click here.

You may not realize it… but amidst the howling riverfront winter winds of Athens, there are some very exciting changes being made to our fair Stewart House. With the help of local Historic Restoration specialist Reggie Young and our regular restaurant crew doubling as laborers, we are giving the restaurant a whole new look, feel, and menu.

We are about midway through the project, which is going swimmingly! Although, if you are expecting to find out what the fuss is all about, you’ll have to stay tuned because we will be bringing you weekly updates including status reports, tales from the cast of characters involved, hints about our new look & menu, details on pre-opening tasting events, and most importantly announcements regarding our Grand Opening!

Check back often for upcoming video interviews with our crew and clips from an extraordinary project related to our historic walls!