By Jill Nagy
A late May opening is planned for a new restaurant in the old Washington County courthouse in Hudson Falls.
Called forged, it will feature “new American cuisine,” according to general manager Bill Dingman, along with craft beers and a variety of imported and domestic wines.
The courthouse itself is owned by the organization Phoenix Rising Hudson Falls, which is overseeing the renovation of the building. So far, forged is the only tenant but plans call for community meeting spaces and a youth center.
Locally sourced ingredients, fresh seafood, and gourmet fare will be offered in a menu that changes with the seasons. The kitchen will be supervised by Certified Executive Chef AJ Richards.
Richards has cooked at several area restaurants and trained at a Chicago restaurant with a three-star Michelin rating, Dingman said. Christina Ostrander, a local resident and Richards’s fiancée, will be involved in the operation of the restaurant.
forged will have a main dining room seating about 50 people and a pub area seating another 30 or so. The two sides of the restaurant will have separate menus with fine dining in the main room and more informal pub fare in the other area. There are also plans for a small room for private parties, wine tastings and similar events.
Dingman, who has managed several Glens Falls eateries, has extensive wine knowledge and will oversee the wine cellar and wine tastings, with the assistance of a wine consultant. He said that forged will combine “unique cuisine” with “a beautiful wine and beer experience.”
Another feature of the new restaurant will be an art wall, featuring work by local artists. Various farms that supply ingredients for the forged menu will be featured in other exhibits.
The restaurant plans to have live music in the future however nothing is scheduled at this time.
A staff of 15 full- and part-time employees has been hired. Dingman said he expects to hire a few more people during the summer.