Schatzi's Pub and Formosa, Poughkeepsie

Have been wanting to stop at schatzi's for some time, their burger has been named best in hudson valley and among the best in the country. We started with frickles (fried pickles) and pretzels with beer cheese. Both were solid with a nod to the fresh, hot pretzels. The burger is composed of a crispy, potato pancake, an 8 ounce blend of pat LaFrieda short rib and chuck, a big slice of pork belly, melted cheddar and a pretzel roll. Everything was great except the pork belly, which was supposed to have been crispy but was soft and without much flavor. The burger comes with thin, hand cut fries which were good but could have been a bit crisper. On end, it was delicious and I had absolutely no problem with the $15 fare for the burger. great beer list and outdoor seating. will absolutely be back!

on the front-end of our trip, we stopped at Formosa, a taiwanese restaurant, first time at their new location.. We had the taiwanese bento box, which I believe are still very popular in taiwan. The popcorn chicken and the fried pork chop were both fried perfectly using fresh ingredients. Would not hesitate to stop in again and explore more of the menu.