Chicken dance
Hy's Fried, The Hudson Diner, Olympia Dumbo, Lisbon recs, best rooftops, Julia Baum Interiors, MORE
GETAWAYS • The Berkshires
Newguard club
My first Hy’s Fried experience was at an 18-person New Year’s Eve fried chicken-dinner-turned-dance-party. We didn’t rent out the restaurant; simply calling and asking to push six tables together did the trick. I like to think I’m a relatively considerate diner, but we were a lot. And yet the team at Hy’s didn’t seem to mind when we won all the bingo prizes (chicken magnets), shut down the bar, took over the DJ booth (I’m so sorry), and ate ice cream sandwiches on the dancefloor.
Hy’s Fried opened last August on a windy loop of Route 23 in South Egremont, MA, in what used to be the Old Egremont Club — a 1935 bar that hosted live bands for 40 years, but has been vacant since 2016. Hy’s breathed life into the retro space while preserving some of its mementos, like the big cursive signs borrowed from the music club of yesteryear. It also makes clear its own identity as a one-stop shop for evening fun with outrageously good fried chicken, sides, and contemporary cocktails.
During my second visit, a low-key family dinner, I was much more cognizant of what I was seeing and eating. The restaurant is cherry red from head to toe, from pixels of light reflected by a disco ball to metal chairs and tables, leather booths, and bathroom tile. The food arrives in unassuming red plastic baskets, martinis in chunky goblets. The chicken is crispy and doused in a sticky, sweet honey sambal — somehow reminiscent of the best parts of both Southern and Korean fried chicken. I could shout from the DJ booth (if they’d let me) about the potato salad — light on the mustard, heavy on the vinegar, mustard, red onion, and lemon.
Having enjoyed both extremes of the Hy’s experience, I’d say that the ideal lies somewhere in the middle. Go around 8, get the whole bucket, potato salad, collard greens, and a couple of Sunny Days (vodka, guava, grapefruit, campari, Prosecco), and make a whole night out of it. Maybe you’ll even leave with a pack of chicken magnets to boot. –Alice Gilbert
→ Hy's Fried (Egremont, MA) • 264 Hillsdale Rd • Tue-Sun 5-11p • Walk-ins only.
GOODS & SERVICES • Quicklisting
→ JULIA BAUM INTERIORS: Julia Baum Interiors (NYC & LA) expertly blends the worlds of vintage and contemporary styles by focusing on beautiful textures, angles, and clean palettes to infuse sophistication and warmth into a home. Based in New York City with projects on the East and West Coasts, Julia has developed a reputation for creating elegant and bespoke interiors for her clients. Now accepting fall 2025 clients, contact. [spon]
GETAWAYS • Upstate
Greased lightnin’
The DINER sign is lighting up Warren Street once again with last weekend’s opening of The Hudson Diner. The new spot is the brainchild of Brent Young (of The Meat Hook) and Ashley Berman (of Mel The Bakery), who put some love back into the train car restaurant that was once Grazin’ Diner.
It’s the best type of diner, in that it doesn’t subvert expectations. The food is greasy and fried, with baskets of chicken fingers, disco fries, and steaming mozzarella sticks for appetizers. There’s also a delightfully subtle whitefish dip, served with plastic-wrapped Lance Saltines and pickled jalapeñoes. The salads are generous, like a crispy wedge loaded with blue cheese that could feed at least two. For mains, there’s a half chicken, chopped steak, and spaghetti pie. Pair any of those classics with a side of green peas and onion, and it’s your ’90s New Jersey childhood on a plate.
Cocktails are made by experienced bartenders, but aren’t overwrought. The list includes a goblet-sized margarita with a salty rim and a piña colada that resembles the one at Long Island Bar (high compliments), all at diner-esque prices. There are rotating daily desserts made by Berman, like a chocolate sheet cake, as well as an always available Neapolitan sundae.
It’s exactly what the area’s been missing. Right now they’re only doing dinner service, but they intend to be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, seven days a week, just as it should be. –Sylvie Florman
→ Hudson Diner (Hudson) • 717 Warren St • Wed-Sun 5-10p • Walk-ins only.
GETAWAYS LINKS: Behind the scenes of the revival at Mattituck’s Old Mill Inn • Wildcat strike at Louvre rankles tourists: ‘LET US IN IM HUNGRY FOR MONA LISA’ • Belmond’s storied Splendito reopens in Portofino following elaborate revamp • Next big thing in luxury travel: family therapist • On vacation in France, finding pleasure in the good-enough.
REAL ESTATE • FOUND Development
Grilled on high
Stepping onto the sizable terrace of Penthouse A at the new development Olympia Dumbo on a recent warm Friday afternoon, two thoughts came to mind. One: this is one of NYC’s best views, sweeping from Brooklyn Heights and New York harbor, across the downtown Manhattan skyline, then up the East River. And two: cooking at the grill tucked against the edge on one side of the balcony (above) would be a uniquely vertigo-inducing experience.
This week, the developer dropped the price on this four-bedroom, 3.5 bath apartment from $17.5M to $15M. It’s not the only recent adjustment at Olympia Dumbo: Penthouse B got chopped from $19.5M to $17.5M and then de-listed this week, per Streeteasy, while further downstairs (the two bedroom) unit 23D trimmed its ask from $3.5M to $3.25M. Still, we’re told the building is now 60% sold, up from 50% when we last checked in back in fall 2023. And — for the buyer who must — the private ground-level garage is still available, asking $1M.
→ 30 Front Street #PHA (Dumbo) • 4BR/3.5BA, 4266 SF sponsor unit • Ask: $15M • Developer: Fortis • Sales: Douglas Elliman Development Marketing with Jessica Peters Team and Eklund Gomes Team, and Heyman Team at Sotheby’s.
REAL ESTATE LINKS: Penthouse at One Domino Square sells for $7.45M, setting Williamsburg sponsor unit record • Is reinvented Upper East Side actually NYC’s most interesting neighborhood? • On Bushwick Inlet in Greenpoint, considering proposed Monitor Point development • A mini-forest has arrived on the Williamsburg waterfront.
CULTURE & LEISURE • Still Crazy
Hauser • Radio City (Theater District) • Tue @ 8p • orchestra 4, $208 per (lowest avail, $114)
Dimitri Martin • The Wellmont (Montclair) • Fri @ 730p • upper balcony, $57 per
Blondshell • Brooklyn Steel (Williamsburg) • Fri @ 8p • preferred balcony, $151 per (lowest avail, $312)
CULTURE & LEISURE LINKS: New video art space Canyon to open on Broome St. next year • Can Arrival, the hotel art fair in the Berkshires, change the game? • Can AI tell us how much art is really worth?
CULTURE & LEISURE • Friday Routine
Weekend treats
ANNA SALE • founder • Sunday Gelato
Neighborhood you work & live in: Fort Greene
It’s Friday afternoon, how are you rolling into the weekend?
I run a small business specializing in illustration, handmade paper products, and event stationery. My brand draws influence from my Italian-American upbringing and deep love for food and family gatherings. I wanted to create a brand steeped in the joy of a slow weekend morning: walking around a farmers market, grabbing a sweet treat, and making an elaborate, homemade meal. Thus, Sunday Gelato was born!
I also have a 9-to-5 day job, and on Fridays, I work from home. When I finish my work, it’s time for Sunday Gelato projects. These could include block-printing GRAZIE stationery sets, designing custom menus for a brand event in the city, planning an upcoming dinner party, or prepping for a lino-printing class. (To learn more about my upcoming events, subscribe to my newsletter, The Scoop.)
When I wrap up for the day, I love to take my dog, Lentil, on a walk through Fort Greene Park. My favorite podcast to listen to during this jaunt is Radio Cherry Bombe, where the host regularly interviews female entrepreneurs on how they built their businesses. I’m fascinated with female leadership, financial literacy, and understanding the levels of delulu that make someone successful.
Where are you drinking or dining this weekend?
I have family visiting this weekend, so I’m taking them to some of my favorite local spots.
For Friday night dinner, we’ll dine at Palo Santo, a tucked-away Latin American restaurant in a Park Slope brownstone.
On Saturday, we’ll start the day with a casual breakfast of coffee and pastries at Prima in Clinton Hill.
On Saturday evening, we’re planning on Leo in Williamsburg for a slice, then drinks afterwards at Maracuja, a dive bar with an excellent back patio. We snagged a 10:30p reservation at The Four Horsemen, which is perfect for a nightcap and desserts. (I’m eyeing the sticky toffee pudding.) Finally, we’re hitting Montague Diner for an easy breakfast before they jet. I’m a sucker for diner coffee, and this place feels cozy yet elevated.
Any weekend getaways?
I used to live in Philadelphia, a great getaway — only two hours by car or Amtrak and packed with nostalgia and cheap beer. To me, a perfect day in Philly consists of coffee at Herman’s in South Philly, followed by Machine Shop pastries, then a day at the museum. At night, I love to see a show or hit up one of my favorite dive bars.
What was your last great vacation?
My partner and I spent two weeks in Portugal between Lisbon and Lagos and had such a soul-recharging, creatively inspiring time. We’re both design nerds and constantly stumbled upon so much good design all over Lisbon. Our favorite restaurants were Da Noi, Comadre, and Frangasqueira Nacional, and our favorite bars were Imprensa and Holy Wine. We loved having coffee at Hello, Kristof and enjoyed a leisurely meander down Rua de Pocos Negros afterwards. Finally, if you visit Lisbon, you must take a day trip to Sintra, which was an absolutely unforgettable experience.
What’s a recent big-ticket purchase you love?
When I was in Italy last fall, I splurged on a pair of Gucci sunglasses that I absolutely adore.
Where are you donating your time or money?
As a small business owner, I’m trying to do my part and donate back to my community as often as I can. Over the holidays, I donated 100% of my lino-printing class’s proceeds to local mutual aid funds and community kitchens across Brooklyn. For my past class in February, we donated half the proceeds to Hurricane Helene relief efforts in my home state of North Carolina.
BARS • The Nines
Summer Friday, elevated imbibing
The Nines are FOUND's distilled lists of NYC’s best. Additions or subtractions? Hit reply or found@foundny.com.
Leonessa (Battery Park City, above), vibemaster Ariel Arce’s new 16th-floor terrace of The Conrad for Italian aparitivos, reserve