click to enlarge
Wood-fired pizza at the Lantern Inn in Wassaic
The Lantern Inn looks deceptively modern for a building that’s 100 years old. At various times it has served the Wassaic community as a tavern, a private residence, and a pool hall. As the longtime local watering hole, the Lantern’s fare has evolved from microwaved bar bites to farm-to-table fare in the eight years since the founders of the Wassaic Project bought the building.
While wood-fired pizza is The Lantern’s mainstay, the menu also features salads, vegetable sides, pasta dishes, and a Angus beef burger that people reportedly travel an hour for. The Lantern sources locally as much as possible, working with producers like Sky Farm in Millerton for mixed greens, as well as local breweries like Dutchess Ales in Wassaic. There’s a handful of beers on drafts, all local with one exception. That tap has been pouring Budweiser for 43 years, and it’s not about to change anytime soon. “The Lantern needs its one tap of Bud,” says Erika DaSilva, part of The Lantern’s leadership team.