Hudson Valley Mediterranean – September, 2026

News from Gigi: 🎉 🥂🍂 🍁 🌾 🍎 🇺🇸

Twenty-Five Years Around the Table

This September, Gigi celebrates 25 years.

In March 2001, I moved from New York City to the Hudson Valley and began building out the space that would become Gigi. After months of planning, construction, and anticipation, we were finally preparing to open our doors.

Then, just days before our opening, September 11 changed everything.

Like so many others, we were shaken and uncertain about what came next. We paused, questioned whether it was the right time to move forward, and ultimately decided to open.

We believed that even in uncertain times, people still needed places to gather—to share a meal, reconnect with family and friends, and find a small measure of comfort and normalcy. Looking back 25 years later, I’m profoundly grateful that we moved forward.

So much has evolved since then. Our menus and spaces have changed, and many talented people have come through our doors—some moving on, while a remarkable few have been with us for decades. The partnerships behind Gigi have changed, too. Today, Cornelius and I operate Gigi together.

Through all of that evolution, one thing has remained remarkably constant: Gigi has always been as much about the people as the food. That’s why this anniversary edition is a little different. Other than spotlighting two upcoming Gigi events—our Women’s Networking gathering on October 14 and our September Sunday Suppers with Chef Rich Reeve, when Table & Place heads back to Spain—there are no recipes or nutrition tips this month. Instead, I want to celebrate the people who have made Gigi what it is—our team, past and present; the guests who have returned year after year; our farmers, purveyors, and vendors; and the neighbors and friends who have become part of our story.

You’ll meet some of the people who represent that journey, including our dear friend Eric Lynch. Eric’s story is especially meaningful to us—not only because of our friendship, but because his own journey to the Hudson Valley reflects so much of what this anniversary is about: community, connection, resilience, and relationships that grow over time.

And throughout our 25th year, I’ll continue sharing photographs, memories, and stories from Gigi’s journey—celebrating the people and moments that have shaped who we are today. Because after 25 years, what stays with me most isn’t simply the meals we’ve served. It’s who was around the table.

This special edition is for all of them—and for all of you who have been part of Gigi along the way.

Laura

Celebrating 25 Years All Year Long! With Great Values for You!

People keep asking me, “Are you having a big party for Gigi’s 25th?” And the truth is, I’ve been thinking about it. After 25 years, there are so many people who have been part of this journey that the idea of one party—and whom to include—feels a little daunting. Maybe we’ll figure that out later this year.

What I am committed to is celebrating this milestone by saying thank you throughout our entire 25th year. Every month, we’ll find a way to offer something special—some fun, some surprises, and some real value for the guests who have supported Gigi along the way.

And for September, we wanted to start with something especially for our locals and regulars—the people who keep us busy during the week, season after season.

Every Tuesday through Friday throughout September, enjoy our original Margarita Skizza for its original 2001 opening price: $8.

Dine-in only • One per guest

It’s our first little thank-you, and there will be plenty more to come.

Twenty-five years deserves more than one celebration. So we’re going to celebrate all year long. Stay tuned.

And please share this email with friends who love Gigi—or who you think might like to get to know us. Encourage them to sign up for our newsletter so they’ll be among the first to hear about anniversary offers, special surprises, and events throughout the year.

And if that 25th anniversary party does happen, newsletter subscribers will certainly be the first to know.

Two Years of Connecting — And a Special Night Ahead! | October 14

September is shaping up to be a very busy month at Gigi—including celebrating our 25th anniversary!—so we’re taking a little break from Women’s Networking Wednesday this month. But we’ll more than make up for it when we return on Wednesday, October 14, from 5:30–7:30 PM.

It’s hard to believe we’ve been gathering for Women’s Networking Wednesdays for two years now. What started as a simple idea—creating a welcoming place for women to meet, connect, and support one another—has grown into one of my favorite Gigi traditions.

October will be especially fun. We’re collaborating with our friends at Oblong Books for a special evening celebrating Helen Jonsen and the release of her new book, This Kaleidoscope Career: Empowering Women to Build Unconventional Careers and Redefine Success. Helen will join us for conversation and a book signing, making this a perfect fit for an evening about women sharing ideas, experiences, connections, and encouragement.

And, of course, we’ll still have everything you love about Women’s Networking Wednesday: plenty of time to mingle, complimentary light snacks, and 50% off wines by the glass.

Whether you’ve been coming for two years or are joining us for the first time, October 14 is a great night to come. Bring a friend—or come on your own.

Wednesday, October 14 | 5:30–7:30 PM. Gigi Trattoria

✨Table & Place: Next Stop, Catalunya 🇮🇹

For our next Table & Place Sunday Suppers, Chef Rich Reeve is heading to Catalunya—and back to his Spanish roots.

Rich will be channeling his Elephant days and longtime passion for Spanish cooking with a four-course menu inspired by the flavors of Catalunya. Expect classic Catalan canelones, a dramatic Mar y Montaña bringing land and sea together, patates braves, and crema catalana to finish.

We’re especially excited to have Jen from Mill Horse Breads joining the table in spirit. She’ll be baking pa de vidre—Catalonia’s wonderfully crisp, airy “glass bread,” especially for the dinner, which we’ll serve as pa amb tomàquet with cured tomatoes, Jamón Serrano, Cantabrian anchovies, and Garrotxa cheese.

And, of course, we’ll have some terrific Spanish and Catalan wines to match, with an optional four-course wine pairing curated by Laura Pensiero.

Table & Place: Catalunya

Sundays, September 20 & 27 at 4 PM

Gigi Trattoria, Rhinebeck

And there’s much more to come. See the Table & Place calendar above for all our upcoming regional destinations and Sunday Supper dates. We have an exciting journey through Italy—and beyond—still to come, and all dates are now live for reservations at tableandplace.square.site.

Come hungry.

🍷 Sunday, August 16

📞 845.876.1007

💌 reservations@gigihudsonvalley.com

🔗 Tix & Info: tableandplace.square.site

Table & Place (Info & Tix)

Eric Lynch: A Life of Service, Friendship & Resilience

This month’s Community Spotlight is a little longer than usual, but this is a story I didn’t want to rush. In this very special September, I hope you’ll spend a few minutes getting to know our friend Eric Lynch and the remarkable journey that brought him into our community and our lives.

This September, as Gigi marks 25 years, we are also mindful of another anniversary that none of us can separate from that time. My own move from New York City to the Hudson Valley—and the opening of Gigi just days after September 11, 2001—will always connect these two anniversaries for me. Twenty-five years later, I wanted this month’s Community Spotlight to be about someone whose life was also forever changed by that day: our dear friend and Rhinebeck neighbor, Eric Lynch.

Eric was born in Germany, where his father was stationed with the U.S. Army, and grew up in Rockland County. After beginning college at the University at Buffalo, he transferred to City College of New York, drawn to architecture and design and hoping eventually to work with a favorite uncle who owned a design firm. When his uncle died during the AIDS crisis, Eric reconsidered that path. While attending City College, he worked nights as a sandhog—one of New York’s underground construction workers—and later built Off-Broadway sets and worked as a carpenter and cabinetmaker. Building and craftsmanship would remain part of his life.

Eventually Eric left New York City, bought and renovated a two-family house in Cornwall, and joined the Cornwall Fire Department as a volunteer, eventually becoming a captain. When some of the younger volunteers decided to take the FDNY exam, Eric took it too. After nearly five years of New York City bureaucracy, he got the call and joined the FDNY in October 1995.

His first assignment was Engine 14 on East 18th Street in Manhattan—a detail that stopped me when Eric first told me. During those same years, I lived just a block away and walked my yellow Lab, Lucy, past that firehouse several times a day. We didn’t know each other then, but our paths were already crossing in ways neither of us could have imagined. Eric later served with Ladder 108 in Brooklyn and Engine 202 in Red Hook before joining Squad 1 in Park Slope, Brooklyn, part of the FDNY’s Special Operations Command. There, he trained for specialized operations, including high-angle rescue and hazardous materials response, and spent the rest of his FDNY career with the company.

Ask Eric what he loved about the FDNY, and he doesn’t begin with the heroics. He talks about family—a big, extended family of people who were, as he puts it, “all my kind of crazy.” Practical jokes, cooking, shared meals, and endless stories. At the firehouse, there was an unspoken rule: you didn’t get up from the table immediately after dinner. You stayed. You talked. You laughed. In those pre-cell-phone days, that time together created an extraordinary camaraderie. And, Eric says, there was nothing quite like going home after a dirty, smoky, exhausting fire knowing you had done something that mattered.

There was another side to the job: devastating calls involving children and innocent lives, and the loss of fellow firefighters.

On New Year’s Day 2001, during a blizzard in New York City, Eric’s own life took an unexpected turn. A car was blocking the firehouse entrance, and when Eric asked the driver to move it, she refused. As he began writing a summons, a friend of the driver got behind the wheel and drove off, dragging Eric for two blocks. He suffered nerve damage to his arms and shoulder and a torn patellar tendon, injuries that kept him out of active duty through much of that year. Eric threw himself into months of physical therapy, focused on one thing: getting strong enough to return to Squad 1 and the firefighters he considered family.

While Eric was still sidelined, tragedy struck the FDNY. In June, three firefighters were killed in the Father’s Day Fire: John J. Downing of Ladder 163, and Brian D. Fahey and Harry S. Ford of Rescue 4, part of the Special Operations Command. Eric knew Fahey and Ford personally.

Then came September 11.

Squad 1 lost 12 members responding to the World Trade Center that day. Stephen Siller may be the name most familiar to many today, but there were 11 other members of this close-knit company who perished alongside him. Their names appear in the photograph accompanying this story, and I hope you’ll take a moment to read and remember every one of them. Across Special Operations, Eric lost scores of firefighters he had trained with, worked beside, and considered family.

Eric reached Lower Manhattan shortly after the second tower collapsed. While working in the rubble, he suffered serious burns to both legs and ended up at St. Vincent’s Hospital late that night. Even injured, he returned to the pile on his off-hours to dig and search while also doing whatever was needed to keep the firehouse going.

Only in retrospect could Eric see the terrible irony: the accident that had injured him and kept him from active duty for much of 2001 had also very likely saved his life.

Before September 11, Eric had been studying for the lieutenant’s exam. Afterward, he couldn’t bring himself to leave his company. His place, he felt, was with them. He remained with the FDNY until 2016, continuing to serve while also teaching and assisting with Special Operations training.

Outside the firehouse, Eric raised two children, Richard and Pauline. Pauline continued the family’s tradition of service, serving in the United States Marine Corps from 2016 to 2022.

In 2014, Eric began dating our friend Pina Martinelli, and Rhinebeck eventually became home for both of them. They spent summers at Interlaken, married in 2016, and bought their home on Garden Street in 2018. Eric returned to the craftsmanship that had been part of his life long before the FDNY, lovingly restoring their house himself. He still takes on smaller construction projects locally, although injuries accumulated over the years no longer allow him to work full-time.

As the 25th anniversary of September 11 approaches, Eric hasn’t decided exactly how he will spend the day. Some years he attends the ceremonies and reconnects with old friends and colleagues; some years it is simply too difficult. “I see people who have aged like me,” he says, “but then the stories are about people who are frozen youthful in time.”

Sometimes the anniversary is better spent quietly with Pina, remembering in his own way. And the losses continue, as the FDNY still loses members to illnesses connected to their work at the World Trade Center site. Yet, what strikes me most about Eric is that his story is not defined by loss. The losses of September 11 remain very real, but so do the friendships, the stories, his years of service, and the joy in the life he has built.

That is the Eric we are fortunate to know: generous, funny, endlessly capable, and always ready to lend a hand. He and Cornelius constantly help each other with one project or another, and I’ve been a grateful beneficiary of Eric’s generosity many times, both at our home and at Gigi.

Eric and Pina are also our longtime Friendsgiving compadres, and some of our most cherished times together have been on Monday nights, when Gigi is closed. We've spent many of those days off plotting menus, cooking together, and inevitably making far more food than necessary. There’s always good food, plenty of conversation and laughter, and the easy familiarity that comes with years of friendship.

Even our dogs connect our families. Years ago, I was following Freddie online, the last puppy left from a litter of German Shepherds. Born at just six ounces, he was a little fighter, and I had already fallen for him. I told Eric and Pina they should adopt him, though they knew all along I wanted Freddie to come home and join our oldest dog, Tasha. When Freddie’s mother, Zena—pictured here—later became available for adoption, Eric and Pina welcomed her into their home and became devoted German Shepherd parents. After losing Zena, they welcomed FeeBee—Freddie’s sister and our Zarah’s aunt. So, quite literally, our families are connected.

This September will undoubtedly bring difficult memories. But it also marks another year of a life filled with family, friendship, service, good food, projects to tackle, and plenty of laughter.

We feel very lucky that Eric—and Pina—are part of ours.

The People Who Make Gigi, Gigi

Over 25 years, so many talented people have come through the doors of Gigi. Some stayed for a season, some for years, and remarkably, some have been part of our family for decades. Every one of them has contributed something to the restaurant Gigi is today, and I’m grateful for all of them.

For this anniversary month, I wanted to turn the spotlight inward—to the amazing team taking care of Gigi and our guests today.

Behind the Scenes: Our Kitchen Team

I’ve worked with chefs and cooks for more than 30 years, and what I appreciate most about our kitchen team is that they are as kind and welcoming as they are talented. That starts with Cristian, Javi, and Ulices, with Javi the longest-standing member of the group. Together, they set a tone of teamwork, patience, and generosity throughout the kitchen.

Tania, a hardworking mother of three, is newer to Gigi but jumped right in and is learning every station. Victor may be one of our most versatile team members, moving from morning porter to afternoon dishwasher to the salad and skizza station—whatever needs to be done. Juan, another recent addition, works evenings in the dish area and somehow leaves the kitchen and prep areas absolutely spotless.

Also relatively new to our kitchen team—but already very much part of the Gigi family—is Chef Rich Reeve, our Chef of Special Projects. Rich and I work closely together on weekly specials, catering, special events, our Table & Place Sunday Suppers, and new ideas and opportunities as Gigi continues to grow. He brings tremendous experience and creativity to the kitchen, and I’ve really enjoyed our collaboration and the fresh energy he brings to Gigi.

From Our Kitchen to Your Table:

Our food runners and expo team—Skylar, Kyle, Yesmy, and Cinthia—are the bridge between the kitchen and dining room, the last eyes on your food before it reaches the table.

Skylar is now learning the bar, adding another skill to the many ways she contributes at Gigi. Kyle, who joined us in 2013, has been part of the Gigi team for 13 years and is also responsible for much of the beautiful calligraphy you may have noticed on our takeout containers. Yesmy has grown from bussing into expo and takes great pride in maintaining our standards there. Cinthia seems able to do just about everything—bussing, running, expo, and serving.

The Faces You Know:

Out in the dining room, there’s another remarkable team taking care of our guests.

Kelly first came to Gigi as a 15-year-old busser and, with a couple of breaks along the way, has been part of our story ever since. Today, you know her for the creativity, personality, and charm she brings behind the bar.

Michelle, an industry expert, moves seamlessly between the bar and dining room and even lends a hand with prep.

And then there’s our other Rich, a precise and masterful bartender who works with lightning speed. His attention to detail, consistency, and ability to keep the bar moving, even on our busiest nights, make him an invaluable part of the team.

Paulo, with us for six years, is a true service professional—thoughtful, experienced, and always focused on sharing our menu and all that Gigi offers with our guests. As a server captain, he also helps lead and support our front-of-house team in countless ways.

Hollie marks four years with Gigi this December. As a server captain, she cares deeply about every detail of the guest experience while also helping me behind the scenes with scheduling and the countless moving parts of keeping Gigi running.

Chaya worked her way from bussing and running into serving and is now an exceptional server on the floor.

Jessica joins us one or two evenings a week, fitting Gigi into an already busy life running her own housecleaning business—and running in the literal sense, too!

Shawn is an experienced hospitality professional with another full-time career who still finds time to join us part-time, bringing his years of experience and easy professionalism to the dining room.

And then there are our bussers, an important part of keeping the dining room moving. Lara, Yesmy’s sister, lends a hand when we need her, while Jeremy, another newer addition and an avid traveler, brings great energy to the dining room whenever he’s with us. Lyal and Rex, both still in high school, joined us this year and have quickly become valued members of our floor team.

And this season, we welcomed another Gigi family connection: Eddy, Cinthia’s son, joined our floor team as a busser and has been a terrific addition from the start. You’ll sometimes find him at the front door hosting, too.

And Then There’s Cornelius:

Cornelius somehow has a hand in everything. Is something broken? He’ll fix it. Payroll, bookkeeping, accounting, troubleshooting, or simply jumping in wherever the team needs him—he’s there. He’s an all-around team guy and an important part of what keeps Gigi running.

And, of course, he’s my husband, too, which makes having him beside me for this chapter of Gigi’s story especially meaningful.

Twenty-five years may be a milestone for a restaurant, but when I look back, I think about the people—the many who have worked here over the years and this wonderful group carrying Gigi forward today.

To our current team, and to every person who has worn a Gigi apron over these past 25 years: thank you. You are part of the Gigi story.

25 Years Together: Meiller Farm

When I think about Gigi’s 25 years, I think not only about the people who have worked here and the guests who have filled our dining room, but also about the farmers and producers whose ingredients have been coming through our kitchen doors since the beginning.

Meiller Farm in Pine Plains is one of those relationships.

We’ve been buying their beef and pork throughout Gigi’s 25 years, and some of the dishes our guests know best simply wouldn’t be the same without them. Our burger starts with Meiller beef. Our Bolognese gets its richness from their beef and pork, and their pork is at the heart of the ragù we serve with orecchiette, red pepper pesto, and broccoli rabe.

I first wrote about Meiller Farm more than a decade ago, after visiting the farm and spending time with the family. Josef and Phyllis Meiller established the farm in 1971, and what struck me then was the pride they took in every part of the operation. Their sons, Mike and Wayne—pictured above a few years ago—carried that commitment forward. I described the Meillers’ approach then as simply “doing things right.” All these years later, that still feels like the right description.

And our relationship with Meiller is anything but abstract. Every Tuesday, Cornelius drives to Pine Plains to pick up our order. He comes back to Gigi with roughly 140 pounds of beef and pork, hauls it downstairs, and from there our kitchen team takes over—prepping it for the burgers, sauces, ragùs, catering, and specials that will make their way onto your plates.

There’s something I love about that weekly ritual. In a world where restaurants can order almost anything with a few clicks and have it arrive at the back door, Cornelius still gets in the car and drives to the farm that has supplied Gigi for 25 years.

That kind of relationship has always been part of what “local” means to me. It isn’t simply a word on a menu. It’s knowing where your food comes from, knowing the people behind it, supporting one another year after year—and recognizing that a restaurant is only as good as the ingredients and people it depends upon.

So as we celebrate 25 years, thank you to the Meiller family for being part of Gigi’s story from the beginning—and for helping us make a pretty great burger, Bolognese, and pork ragù along the way.

Grateful for the Journey, Excited for What’s Next

As Gigi celebrates 25 years, I find myself celebrating a milestone of my own.

I opened Gigi in September 2001, just days after 9/11 and on my 35th birthday, September 17. This September, I turn 60. And remarkably, Cornelius—born on September 11—turns 60 this month, too. September carries more than one significant milestone in our family.

It’s almost impossible to take in everything that has happened over those 25 years—the highs and lows, unexpected turns, challenges and celebrations, and especially the extraordinary people who have been part of it all.

And so many people have helped along the way. They know who they are, and I hope they know how deeply grateful I am. I’m thankful for our family, the marvelous team we have at Gigi today, everyone who has been part of the Gigi team over the years, our guests, farmers, purveyors, vendors, friends, and neighbors. Each has played a part in making Gigi what it is today.

Since there are far too many people and stories to fit into one anniversary edition, we’ll continue celebrating them—past and present—in upcoming e-letters throughout our 25th year.

More than anything, I feel grateful—and excited. I’ve reached a place in my life where I feel genuinely peaceful and happy, yet every bit as energized by what comes next. There is still so much I want to explore, create, and accomplish, particularly at the intersection of food, nutrition, and public health—the work that has been at the heart of my career from the beginning. And I’m incredibly fortunate to have Cornelius beside me for whatever comes next.

Twenty-five years gives me plenty to look back on, but I’m even more excited about looking forward. Gigi continues to evolve, and so do I. New ideas, collaborations, and directions lie ahead, and I feel enormously fortunate to still be dreaming, creating, learning, and going after what comes next.

Thank you for being part of this extraordinary journey!

Laura