Hudson Valley Soup Kitchen at Aroma Thyme on Christmas Day

Aroma Thyme Bistro
Ellenville NY

We are open for regular business on Thanksgiving day from 1-6pm. Take-out also available from turkey, sides and the complete meal. Call 845 647 3000

But Christmas Day we are open as soup kitchen and give away 300 plus meals. It is a no questions asked Christmas Dinner.
The video explains it all.

Plan Your Holiday Party from $7.99 per person | Hudson Valley Restaurant

Have Aroma Thyme Bistro in Ellenville cater your holiday party. The Hudson Valley's first Certified Green Restaurant. Call to get you personalized quote today at 845 647 3000.

Sit down options

$7.99 per person
Organic Spaghetti, Organic Tomato Sauce & House Salad

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$29.99 per person
Appetizer choices
Puree of Organic Sweet Potato & Yellow Curry Soup
Bistro Salad, Organic Mesclun 6. V
Pomegranate, Tarragon or Balsamic Vinaigrette

Entrees choices
Grilled Free Range Chicken Breast Cutlets, Roasted Garlic Sauce
Spaghetti & Clam Sauce
Long Island Little Neck Clams, White Wine, Garlic & EVOO
Local Meatloaf

Dessert
Bananas Foster

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$39.99 per person

Appetizer choices
Grilled Asparagus, Pine Nuts & White Truffle Essence
Rare Sesame Crusted Albacore Tuna, Spicy Sriracha & Peanut Glaze
Hummus, Marinated Olives, Roasted Red Peppers, Roasted Garlic, Dolmas & Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Entrees choices
Pan Seared Mahi-Mahi, Cilantro Chutney
Sautéed Calamari, Roasted Tomatoes & Spaghetti
Grilled Hanger Steak, Keegan Ales Hurricane Kitty Marinated

Dessert
Blueberry Crisp, Ice Cream

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$49.99 per person

Array of our Thin Crust Gourmet Pizza

Appetizer choices
Grilled Asparagus, Pine Nuts & White Truffle Essence
Rare Sesame Crusted Albacore Tuna, Spicy Sriracha & Peanut Glaze
Hummus, Marinated Olives, Roasted Red Peppers, Roasted Garlic, Dolmas & Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Entrees choices
Pan Seared Sea Scallops, Roasted Fennel & Herbs
Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon, House Made Teriyaki
Grilled Filet Mignon, Pineland Farms, raised on small family farms from New York to Maine

Dessert Tasting Plates, includes all three
Blueberry Crisp
Chocolate Torte
Coconut Chocolate Brownie

Buffet Options

$20.00 per person
Grilled Vegetables
Hummus Platter
Greek Salad
Romaine Heart & Pear Salad
Assorted Gourment Pizzas
Pasta Salad



$25.99 per person
Edamame Soy Bean
Olives
Grilled Vegetables
South-West Black Bean Salad
Organic Penne of the Day
Hummus
Greek Salad
Romaine Heart Pear Salad
Assorted Pizzas
Pasta Salad
Shrimp Curry
Grilled Chicken with Mushroom
Cocktail Franks

Life At Aroma Thyme Bistro In Ellenville, a fresh approach | Kinston Daily Freeman

click on images to enlarge

Published: Wednesday, November 17, 2010
By ANN GIBBONS
Freeman staff

Thyme has a distinct aroma and has lent its piquant flavor to many a fine dish, but, for an Ellenville couple, the fragrant herb was the impetus for an entire restaurant whose keystones are fresh, local, healthy.

Marcus and Jamie Guiliano opened their Ellenville restaurant, Aroma Thyme Bistro, on New Year’s Eve 2003 with a purpose to which they have been faithful, even messianic: As chef, he, deliberately and consciously, has mastered the skills necessary to turn natural, whole food into something beautiful to behold and delicious to eat.

Marcus began his career as a cook in various upstate hotels and restaurants in 1990. And, even though his next path was chosen with profound purpose, it also derived from necessity, he recalled during a recent interview in the charming eatery on a quiet downtown street.

“I was so ill, my health so compromised, from years of cooking with butter, white sugar and other toxic ingredients,” he said. “I was taking five or six medications for high cholesterol, high blood pressure and other ailments. Every time I went to the doctor, it was one more thing.”

Then, he said, Jamie became pregnant. “I revamped my way of living, not just for myself, but because I was now responsible for someone else,” he said, adding that he made massive changes — to organic, wholesome food — and has never looked back.

“About four years ago, the discovery of holistic cuisine changed my life,” he said, adding that the challenge then became how to meld gourmet, five-star cuisine, for which he already was renowned, with the holistic ingredients he was discovering.

Aroma Thyme, ultimately, came about because of that dramatic decision and because he realized that he just could not cook for anybody else anymore. “My health-based, ‘green’ cuisine style had evolved so much that I either had to work for Alice Waters (a California-based chef prominent in the organic food movement) — or do it myself,” he said, adding that they came to Ellenville so he could be his own boss.

Their return to Ellenville, from the West Coast, was actually a homecoming, Jamie said. “I grew up here, and Marcus came when he was 9,” she said. “We met in high school and we’re high school sweethearts,” she said.

Jamie said, at first, she was opposed to her husband’s change of culinary course. “I told him he was a great chef, but was ruining his career,” she said. “He told me, ‘Yes, but I’m healthy.’ I fought the healthy food approach, because I didn’t understand it. Then, our son was born, and I was on board.”

Ulster County Comptroller Elliott Auerbach, at the time village manager and Marcus’ running partner, said Ellenville needed young people like them to bring the tiny village back to better times. “I looked at this building three or four times before we decided to buy it,” he said.

Marcus said he came to food from his ethnic heritage. “For Italians, food is the center of everything,” he admitted with a laugh. “Even as a kid, I was fascinated by food.”

Aroma Thyme has earned the coveted Green Dining Association’s certification as a “green” restaurant, one of only two privately owned eateries in the mid-Hudson Valley to be so designated. Bell’s Café and Bistro in Catskill is the other.

Describing the food he conceives and serves as “eco-lectic,” Marcus said his goal is to offer an innovative menu of focused, natural quality that reflects the ideology of balance and well-bring. He added that he he has never wavered from his continuing objective of creating meals from products that are fresh and pure and need no manipulation to achieve exceptional taste.

“I am anti-white sugar,” he explained with an unapologetic grin. He said he achieves his culinary end by avoiding butter, heavy dairy products and white flour products that mask food’s natural goodness.

The couple’s biggest challenge is also its greatest asset, he added.

“We cater to vegans and meat eaters alike,” he said. “We believe we can please both ends of the food spectrum with a well thought-out meal that not only tastes great, but also educates our customers’ palates.”

Marcus also said many carnivores have told him they only eat meat at Aroma Thyme, because they know it’s is sourced locally from Hudson Valley Cattle Co. in Stone Ridge. “Claude Osterhoudt’s cattle never leave the ranch, never receive antibiotics or vaccinations. The herd is healthy and *grass-fed and he slaughters only two per week,” he said. *correction: Oserhoudt's beef is not grassfed, it raised on grass pasture and fed supplemental grain. Sorry for any confusion. We promote truth in menu and do not want to mislead anyone.

Marcus said he likes to take advantage of what’s fresh, so he keeps the menu flexible. In addition, he likes to introduce new products or ingredients that he’s found or that have found him.

“I find the ingredient first, then figure out how to present it on the menu in a recipe,” he said.

Marcus looks far and wide for the best and purest ingredients, he said. As an example, he said he uses only Himalayan crystal salt that is hand-mined so it contains no nickel.

His best-selling salmon, which is always on the menu, is purchased from only one source, he said. “They are line-caught, not in nets that can harm or drown them. That adds to the cost, but I am looking for balance: Is it wild, is it sustainable?”

The veggies, of course, come from local farms and some herbs from a small chef’s garden in back. Naturally, thyme plays a starring role.

The restaurant offers six artisanal cheeses, most of which are produced in the Hudson Valley from raw, i.e. unpasteurized milk. The legal requirements for homogenized and pasteurized milk and milk products are being challenged in almost every state, according to Marcus.

Both Jamie and Marcus commended their phenomenal staff, two of whom have been with them from the beginning. He said both Kevin Burns and Danielle Fox have worked at Aroma Thyme since high school and both are now teachers.

“We’ve known them since they were young, and it makes us proud to see how they’ve grown up,” he said, adding that Burns has set up a beer review web site, www.foaminghead.com, for beer aficionados.

The couple said they believe a significant part of their mission is educating their customers. There is a blog at www.marcusguiliano.com and a website, www.aromathymebistro.com, as well as monthly beer and wine tastings. He also presents videos at marcusg.tv in which he uses his name, but not the restaurant’s, because the purpose is information and education, not promotion.

They are considering opening another restaurant in the future that won’t be a replica of Aroma Thyme, but will share the same principles of fresh and local, Marcus said. He added that’s he’s also working on a book. For now, however, the forefront of everything is education.

Aroma Thyme Bistro is located at 165 Canal St., Ellenville, and is open Thursdays from 5 to 11 p.m., Fridays from 3 to midnight, Saturdays from noon to midnight, Sundays from 4 to 11 p.m., and Mondays and Tuesdays from 5-11p.m. It is closed Wednesdays.

More information may be obtained by calling (845) 647-3000 or by sending an e-mail to info@aromathymebistro.com.

RECIPE: Aroma Thyme Bistro Meatloaf Slyders with Keegan Ale’s Hurricane Kitty and Great Hills Blue Cheese

2 pounds of ground beef

1/2 small diced onion

1 pound of Bread Alone’s Miche made into bread crumbs

12-16 ounces of Hurricane Kitty IPA

1 teaspoon of chopped thyme

1 teaspoon of chopped rosemary

2 teaspoons of sea salt

Sliced whole wheat Miche from Bread Alone

Ewe’s Blue Cheese from Chatham Sheep Herding Company

Mix breadcrumbs and beer, then mix bread crumbs and beer well with the rest of the ingredients.

Bake in a loaf pan at 375 degree for 45 minutes, or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees on thermometer. Let meatloaf cool and remove from pan.

Slice the meatloaf and sear it crispy on both sides in a pan. Toast the slices of bread and place meatloaf on top with slices of cheese. Bake or broil until cheese melts. Other serving suggestions: Sautéed onions.

RECIPE: Yellow Curry Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients

2 1/2 pounds of peeled organic sweet potatoes, each potato cut in four

2 quarts of filtered water

1 tablespoon of yellow curry paste (try to find one without sugar)

1 cup of organic coconut milk

salt to taste

Slowly cook the sweet potatoes in the water with the yellow curry paste. Cook until the potatoes are soft. Check for doneness by passing a knife through the potatoes. When they are cooked, there will be no resistance.

Let the potatoes and water cool for a few minutes, then add the coconut milk. Blend the cooked ingredients and add salt to taste.

This soup will hold 4-5 days.

Thanksgiving Dinner in the Hudson Valley | Hudson Valley Restaurants

Aroma Thyme Bistro was Featured in Hudson Valley Magazine for places to eat on at Thanksgiving.

Hudson Valley Restaurants that are open for Thanksgiving seems to be rare these days.
Aroma Thyme Bistro, Ellenville NY, is serving Thanksgiving Day from 1pm. The Menu will feature Murray’s Free-Range Turkey with traditional sides. Regular menu options will be available as well. “In addition we also have great vegan options”, explains Marcus Guiliano chef/owner. “And of course we always have gluten-free patrons covered”. Expect to find a rice bread stuffing and plenty of desserts options that are gluten-free. And their regular stuffing is made from Bread Alone Whole Grain Miche with local apples.

With 300 wines the wine lovers are in heaven. In fact ,there are more half bottles here than most restaurants have full bottles on their list. Every price point is covered. And most regions are represented.

Beer geeks are not overlooked here. Aroma Thyme has over 150 amazing craft beer selections. Just like their wine list, every price point is covered. The bistro has an amazing American list with just as an impressive import list. And if you are a Trappist beer fan then you will be speechless.

Reservations can be made by calling (845)-647-3000.

Aroma Thyme is one of 150 restaurants nationwide to be certified Green from the Green Restaurant Association. They also boast a 26 from Zagat for food.

Slow Roasted Free-Range Turkey $29.99
Mashed Yukon Potatoes, Organic Butternut Squash
Cranberry Sauce, Creamed Corn, Sautéed Vegetables
Whole Wheat & Local Apple Stuffing
*Vegan Turkey option available*

November Artist

David Munford - Recent Paintings

Mountains, farms, and water, are some of the themes in this exhibit of recent paintings by David Munford, depicting rural scenes from the Catskills to the Hudson River.

The exhibit, "David Munford - Recent Paintings" runs from November 1st - 30th at the Aroma Thyme Bistro, located at 165 Canal Street, Ellenville, NY. There will be an artist reception on Sunday, Nov. 7, from 1-3 p.m.

Munford, a resident of Grahamsville, NY, is a member of the Catskill Art Society, the Wurtsboro Art Alliance, and the Wallkill River School. Many of the paintings in the exhibit were done during "plein air" outings with the Wallkill River School, a nonprofit artist's cooperative, in Orange County, whose mission includes helping to "preserve dwindling open spaces and promote small scale farms."

"It's important that we try to preserve areas of natural scenic beauty, local farms and open spaces, and to protect the quality of our water" says Munford. "With these paintings, I've tried to capture some of the beauty of these places, in paint, in order to impart some of this experience and share it with others so they can enjoy it also."

David C. Munford

P.O. Box 255

Grahamsville, NY 12740

(845) 985-7663

dcmunford@earthlink.net

Aroma Thyme Referenced in the Chronogram November Issue

Aroma Thyme Bistro is happy to announce that we have been mentioned in this November's issue of Chronogram, in the article "The Last Best-Kept Secret: The Rondout Valley."
Here is an excerpt from the article:

"Cropping up around the Shadowland are other unique local draws: Across the street from Gaby’s Mexican Café, opened in 2008, is Marcus and Jamie Guiliano’s celebrated Aroma Thyme Bistro. Ellenville native Guiliano returned home from his culinary journey to open on New Years’ Eve, 2003, and has since carved a name for himself with an “eco-lectic” whole food-based menu, in which he draws heavily from local suppliers. “Food is powerful. My own health revolution may have saved my life, and it’s a passion for me, both personal and professional.” In addition to its healthful selection, Aroma Thyme’s popular appeal certainly helps keep Canal Street hopping on a summertime Friday night."

To read the rest of the article about all that the Hudson Valley has to offer click on the link above!

Open Mic AT AROMA THYME- ALL WELCOME!

Hudson Valley Open Mic at Aroma Thyme Bistro

It's Open Mic Night again at Aroma Thyme Friday Nov. 5, 2010

It's that time of the month again, for the ever so popular Open Mic Night at Aroma Thyme Bistro. All are welcome to open mic nights on Friday, Nov. at 10 PM. This become a monthly tradition at Aroma Thyme for the past three years. We have seen some incredibly talented acts. we are constantly amazed from locals to people ...that travel up to an hour to perform. Of course we have our regulars which we love. And there's always a new act of some sort to welcome each month.

The kitchen is open until midnight for everything from small bites to a full dinner. Plus the bar is well stocked with Small Batch Bourbon's, elegant Single Malt Scotch, almost 200 beers, over 250 wines and a trendy martini menu.

AROMA THYME BISTRO, 165 Canal Street, Ellenville, New York, kicks off November with the highly successful "Open Mic Night."

Open mic night's creator Joe Bevilacqua says, "A third season! I am excited! Based on the talent we had the first two years, the audience is in for areal treat! Where else can you get free entertainment and healthy food and drink in a cozy, friendly atmosphere?"

You can hear the best of of an "Open Mic" online at:
www.prx.org/pieces/23037