Our visit to Untouchable was long overdue. Opened by our friends Yukie and Tom Schmitz some months ago, you may know them through their other bar and restaurant and music venue, Quinn’s, in Beacon.
Quinn’s is know for excellent Japanese cooked food, we call Japanese comfort food, which I think some time referred to as Ofukuro no Aji (おふくろの味), “The taste of a mother’s cooking” or “Mom’s home cooking”. Also offers a great selection of sake and beer and cocktail. Not to mention that great live music.
When we heard that Yukie was presenting her Izakaya menu on a recent Saturday night we were set to go.
An izakaya is a type of Japanese pub that serves drinks and a variety of small, shareable plates in a casual, social atmosphere, similar to a Spanish tapas bar
As you might assume I was delighted to see a Negroni on the menu wonderfully prepared by frequent bartender, Patricia Lowden. Made with a delicious Japanese gin, Roku, Campari and as I recall Carpano Classico Rosso Vermouth. Note the other options.
The food was exceptional as always. And of course we had a couple of Sakes.
We first met Yukie in 2015 at Manitoga / The Russel Wright Design Center’s when she and team served at the opening party for the 2015 artist in residence exhibit by Stephen Talasnik, a sculptor known for his intricate drawings and site-specific installations. He created a large-scale, aquatic installation called “Sanctuary,” featuring woven reed structures that floated in the Quarry Pool at Manitoga, a site-specific response to the landscape of industrial designer Russel Wright’s home.
Russel Wright’s Manitoga was significantly influenced by Japan, a connection reflected in the architecture of the Dragon Rock house, the landscape design, and Wright’s professional work. Architect David Leavitt, who helped design the house, had prior experience in Japan, and Wright himself traveled to Japan multiple times, documenting the architecture and working with local officials and manufacturers to adapt his designs. Key Japanese influences include the use of sliding doors, a “borrowed landscape” or shakkei, and a blend of natural and man-made materials to create an idealized yet natural environment.
Untouchable Bar and Event Space
40 Liberty Street Newburgh