Aroma Thyme Bistro serves up creative cuisine the natural way

Drive to Ellenville is well worth the trip

By Daniel Mochon
For the Poughkeepsie Journal

Why Ellenville?

This was one of the first questions I asked Marcus Guiliano, chef/owner of Aroma Thyme Bistro, which opened on New Year’s Day, 2004. It turns out that Guiliano is a native son who came home to Ellenville because he had faith in the future of the small village. Marcus is ably supported by wife and co-owner Jaime, who helps up front or in the kitchen, depending on the bistro’s needs.

The couple wanted to create a health-conscious eatery where both vegans and carnivores could leave fully satiated.

Besides supporting local, organic and sustainable agriculture, Marcus spends hours locating suppliers (50, at last count) that furnish naturally raised, chemical-free products. The chef uses essential oils in about a third of his menu items. Not only do these oils provide tremendous bursts of flavor, but according to Guiliano, they’re incredibly powerful antioxidants.

Olive-green wooden siding frames a couple of large storefront windows on the 1930s-era building. An outside brick wall sports a mural with a huge red lobster that was a fond reminder of those old-fashioned painted billboards. The interior is a fusion of old and new — carmine tin ceilings and vintage wooden paneling are juxtaposed against luminous close-up nature photography in vibrant, neon hues and selenite crystal table candleholders.

We were seated in the small rearmost section, separated from the main dining room by a couple of arches and a narrow wall — it felt somewhat cut off and isolated. Kitchen noise was louder than the background music and some of the heat from the kitchen spilled over into our space, which grew hotter as the evening wore on.

Service was a mixed bag. Debra, our server, seemed competent and aware of details, but our table was overlooked quite often, and we experienced delays between courses. There were a number of apologies for missing silverware, water glasses not refilled and long waits, but at least these things were noticed and acknowledged. Wine service was well handled.

The owners’ interest in wine and beer is apparent. Twenty-seven brews (many off the beaten path) are available by the bottle and three on draught. The 160-bottle wine list is diverse and full of interesting selections ranging in price from $19 to $250. Aroma Thyme also carries about 35 half-bottles, a great option for those who only want a few glasses.

We sampled the Champelou Vouvray ’03 ($18/half-bottle) from France’s Loire Valley; a lovely off-dry wine with ripe notes of pineapple and apricot set against a pleasing dose of minerality.

My companion decided to start with the Rare Sesame-Crusted Sushi Grade Tuna ($11). Four seared-then-chilled slices of tuna loin were fanned out and drizzled with peanut sauce and a spicy vegan mayo. A bright green knoll of crunchy wakame seaweed salad occupied the far corner of the plate, along with a small mound of invigoratingly piquant gari (pickled ginger).

This dish was magnificently executed, boasting a supple succulence that revealed the (high) quality of the fish. Marcus uses albacore tuna that is old enough to reproduce, but doesn’t grow large enough to accumulate high levels of mercury, which can be cumulatively toxic in humans.

Quail special tasty
Quail with Blue Cheese and a Shiraz Reduction ($11) was a tasty special, though a little hard to manage with knife and fork.
Melted Great Hills Blue cheese (raw milk, no hormones) capped the top of the butterflied quail. A bed of arugula was tossed in a pomegranate dressing; unfortunately some of the leaves were yellow.

Only a true fan of molasses will enjoy the Pan-Seared Prawns Glazed with Chipotles, Pineapple and Molasses ($20). A generous portion of medium shrimp (eco-farmed and untreated) was thickly coated in a spicy-sweet sauce that had a tar-like consistency and an ultra-malty flavor. Underneath was a scrumptious reddish-brown pilaf made from five different rices and grains. A crunchy medley of fresh summer vegetables was alive with flavor.

My glass of Robertson Gewurztraminer ’04 ($7) from South Africa was excellent with this; it had enough sweetness to salve the chipotle heat plus a certain smokiness that bridged especially well to the molasses.

Vegan dishes are identified with a (V) on the menu. Housemade Seitan, ($15) was prepared like a stew with roasted peppers, plump sundried tomatoes, basil and pinenuts. The chunks of wheat gluten were fluffier and less firm than the kind you find in health food stores and (with apologies to my vegetarian readers) texturally more like veal than beef. Marcus adds flax meal to the seitan for more fiber and beneficial omega-3 fatty acids.

Desserts are divided into two camps: traditional and those made without dairy, refined sugars or highly processed ingredients.
Local Blueberry Crisp ($6) fell into the latter camp and was topped with a streusel made from house-ground organic spelt, oats, maple syrup, walnuts and safflower oil. A large ball of Haagen Daaz vanilla ice cream topped the crisp (add $1), but if you are a vegan or lactose intolerant, Soy Delicious is also available.

My traditional dessert, the Triple Continental Mousse Torte ($6), was provided by a local pastry chef. A brownie base held chocolate, almond and hazelnut mousses topped with a fudgelike ganache. The chilled wedge was very rich and chocolatey, but the nut flavors were very subdued.

If this column had a category for innovation, conscientiousness and providing good nutrition, Aroma Thyme Bistro would easily receive five stars. This unusual restaurant has a lot to offer and is well worth the journey to Ellenville.

The Poughkeepsie Journal pays for the meals that are the subjects of restaurant reviews and reviewers do not identify themselves prior to the end of the meal. Daniel Mochon graduated with high honors from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park in 2000. He is the director of wine and cuisine at the Hudson Valley’s largest wine and spirits store.