The Bocuse Restaurant, Hyde Park, New York

Escoffier, the old restaurant at the Culinary Institute of America, in Hyde Park, New York, was a fusty, dated affair. Or so I’ve read. I never went; no one was really going anymore. In February, The Bocuse Restaurant took its place. You step off the CIA campus and into a polished dining room designed by Adam Tihany, who also did Per Se, Daniel and any number of places to which the students here aspire. The menu offers fresh takes on French classics; the 2,100-square-foot kitchen is state of the art. Paul Bocuse, the father of nouvelle cuisine, flew out for the opening, which coincided with his 87th birthday. Think of Bocuse Restaurant as the culinary equivalent of a CBGBs showcase circa 1970; these kids are the future rock stars of the food world, and this is your chance to enjoy their work before Yelp catches on. At 1946 Campus Dr.; 845-471-6608; ciarestaurants.com. —Stan Parish