A Special Night at Walker Valley’s Third & Company Lakeside Restaurant

That is the beauty of the dichotomy which defines 3rd & Co. Rustic design and modern cuisine. Or a sense of isolation in an environment that brings people together. This restaurant is special in so many ways, and it makes an impression from the second you walk through the door.

Rustic design is something we have talked a lot about in Hudson Valley Style Magazine. In Maxwell’s piece, “How to Design Your Kitchen Like a Millennial,” he says, Modern Rustic, Industrial Style is hot, especially with Millennials who appreciate reusing and recycling while staying classy and sophisticated. If you squint your eyes in Millennial’s kitchen, you’ll see a lot of grey-ish, brown-ish, black-ish and whitish colors reflecting in natural light.” 

These are the colorways that engulf you as you enter the premises, and it has a quaint but elegant vibe that evokes a one-of-a-kind atmosphere fit for a wide spectrum of demographics. Millennials and baby boomers can both appreciate the unique decor that 3rd & Co offers, making it great for date night or family night all the same.

One feature that Max and I loved was the collection of shadow box tables in the main hall. It was essentially an exhibit of antique table games that rotated every week or so. It presents a fresh interior design accent every time you come in. And the lighting design also changes now and again to make the experience feel fresh. In addition to the interactive decor, much of the furniture is crafted from 17th century reclaimed barn wood, giving it an authentic and historically-charged feel. The atmosphere is incomparable to anywhere Max and I have been in Walker Valley, and the same can be said about Third & Company’s food.

To kick off our experience, Max and I started with the French onion soup. The sweet and savory flavor of this classic, aromatic dish was perfectly balanced by the rich layer of gruyere with a carefully browned outer rim. We also enjoyed 3rd & Co’s Thanksgiving egg rolls; a unique twist on the Chinese appetizer stuffed with oven-roasted turkey, bacon & sausage stuffing, roasted garlic mashed potatoes, corn, carrots, and cranberry mayo.

For our entrees, Max and I decided to go tapas style and split a couple so we could experience the full range of creativity 3rd & Co brings to the table. First, we had the Buttermilk chicken and waffles with house made maple syrup, garnished with scallions. 

We also shared the panko-crusted crab cakes with chipotle aioli, red cabbage-carrot coleslaw, and herb oil crispy corn tortilla. The presentation was great and the coleslaw had chunks of potatoes in it which was unusual and very delicious. 

Finally, the house provided us with delicious desserts to round out our amazing experience including Hudson Valley-famous desert cookie sandwich.

Executive Chef and Owner Joseph Russek says that everything in his restaurant is made from scratch. He is a master at transforming classic comfort foods to thrive in the world of fine dining. And his creativity shines through in his menu’s unique medley of inspirations from all corners of the globe. No matter how different each dish is in name and origin, Chef Joe ties them together with unique flavor profiles and seasonal/American twists. 3rd & Co is worth its weight in gold, so if you’re ever in the area, this place is a must!

About 3rd & Co.: 

Located at 3649 route 52 walker Valley/Pine Bush NY 12566 was originally built in the mid 1850’s. It was owned by many families and served as a church, stable, ice house, soda shop, rest stop, grocery store, gas stations, deli, pizza places and more. It had caught fire in 2013 and cause significant damage to the property as well as smoke damage to the apartments. In fall of 2015 Joseph Russek III of Third Generation Homes purchased the property and started a massive project of restoring the building. Third and Company Lakeside or 3rd&Co for short has been a lifelong dream for Joe. His background was in the restaurant business starting in Pine Bush high school & The Orange-Ulster Vo-Tech culinary program (class of 1996) then attending The Culinary Institute of America (class of 1998) in Hyde Park NY. He was able to travel the world cooking his way to executive chef with restaurants and hotels like The Mansions at MGM Grand Las Vegas NV, The Shore Club South Beach Miami FL, Mi Casa Puerto Rico, Cafeteria NYC, The Peninsula Hotel NYC, Brasserie 360 NYC as well as time spent in Asia. Joe left the restaurant business to raise capital towards opening his own place; he did this through real estate development. Often asked what is the meaning behind “THIRD”? Joe’s grandpa died when he was born and a dying wish was for his grandson to be called third… Joseph Charles Russek III. He has always been honored and humbled by this and maybe part of his live life to the fullest attitude. Third and Company Lakeside literally means Joe and his friends at lakeside