Millerton’s Tallow changes name to Pasture Kitchen, expands menu

Tallow founder Austin Cornell, right, and head chef Nate Long opened Tallow — now Pasture Kitchen — in May.
Photo by Aly Morrissey
Tallow founder Austin Cornell, right, and head chef Nate Long opened Tallow — now Pasture Kitchen — in May.
MILLERTON — Just four months after opening a fast-food eatery in the former McDonald’s on Main Street, Tallow co-owner Austin Cornell has rebranded the restaurant as Pasture Kitchen and expanded the menu, following customer feedback on pricing and dietary options.
“We had a very small menu that a lot of people came to love, but we realized we weren’t serving the full breadth of dietary needs people were looking for,” said Cornell, who opened the restaurant alongside head chef Nate Long in April.
While the rebrand comes on the heels of the official opening, Cornell joked, “Patience isn’t one of my virtues.” When he realized the restaurant was quickly outgrowing its original identity, he acted with urgency. “I felt like there was no time to waste.”
Early feedback from customers catalyzed the team to rethink their identity as a fast-food brand. With elegant dishes popping up on the menu — like grilled peach burrata salad and steak frites — Cornell said the evolution was natural. “We decided to rebrand according to who we already were, but who we wanted to be in the future.” The duo also expanded the menu to increase options for vegetarian and gluten-free diets.
Cornell describes his partner Long as the creative force behind the menu. The two first met during the pandemic in Virginia, where Long, with 12 years in fine dining, had made a name for himself with elaborate 12-course private dinners. In the summer of 2024, when Cornell decided to open a restaurant in Millerton, he immediately thought back to that dinner — and to Long.
Within weeks, Long agreed to take a chance on the venture and relocated to the Hudson Valley. “He took a huge leap moving here and joining this project,” Cornell said. “I had the ingredient standards and the name, and Nate designed the entire menu from there.”
With Tallow’s original tagline, “Real Food, Real Fast,” Pasture Kitchen will stay true to its founding mission but broaden its horizons. Their commitment to organic, “real food” without the use of pesticides or artificial ingredients persists. The new name aims to evoke nature and scratch-cooked food — sourced from the earth and made in-house.
And made in-house it is. Pasture Kitchen receives a 100% grass-fed cow every two weeks and uses the whole animal to honor its life. Delivered fresh in 80-pound parts called “primals,” the meat is butchered in-house into ground beef, the fat is rendered into tallow and the bones are simmered for bone broth. Premium cuts go into steak frites, while brisket and short ribs make up The Melt. They also make their own buns, sauces and pickles.
A new mural on the outside wall draws attention to the restaurant's rebrand. Texas-based muralist Cade Kegerreis designed and painted the mural depicting a realistic scene meant to honor livestock and agriculture.Photo by Aly Morrissey
That whole-animal approach connects directly to Cornell’s own food journey. His passion developed in high school while working at Subway. “While you can’t classify that as ‘real food,’” he said, “I switched from eating really gluttonous, ultra-processed food to minimally processed real food.” In six months, he lost 60 pounds, alleviated chronic health issues and watched his energy and metabolism skyrocket.
After learning more about the problems with the food system and the impact of ultra-processed foods on metabolic health, Cornell was inspired. “I wanted to play a part in fixing our food system. And I wanted to start small and local, right here where I live.” He considered creating an app or social group but ultimately decided he wanted to make and serve real food directly.
“That’s when I realized I had to start a restaurant because it felt like the highest impact I could have on a local level.”
Asked why Millerton was the perfect spot, Cornell responded passionately. “It’s got a great community and we’re surrounded by regenerative and organic farmers, which is very rare in the country. It’s such a blessing to be surrounded by farmers who are growing according to nature.”
Pasture Kitchen’s roster of farm partners is growing steadily. What began as a 12-farm partnership has expanded to about 30 since April. Two of the main partners, Chaseholm Farms in Pine Plains and Autumn’s Harvest Farm in Romulus, employ 100% grass-fed practices that prioritize both the environment and animal welfare, with regenerative agriculture methods at the core of their approach. Pasture Kitchen sources produce from local farms like Thistle Pass Farm right in Millerton.
In addition to a new name and more diverse menu, visitors will notice a wall-sized mural on the outside of the building. Commissioned from Texas-based muralist Cade Kegerreis, the artwork depicts a realistic scene honoring the animals and the land.
Looking ahead, Cornell says the rebrand is just the first step. “Our long-term vision for Pasture is to have many Pasture Kitchens and to try different variations of restaurant concepts, like Pasture Steakhouse or Pasture Diner,” he said. “We want to sell Pasture goods like beef jerky and frozen tallow fries, and we really want to drive down the cost of real food so we can serve amazing ingredients at a price that’s affordable.”
The LED sign in front of Amenia's Town Hall on Route 22 warns passing motorists of the current temporary burn ban, in effect from Oct. 2 to Oct. 15.
A statewide burn ban is in effect as of Thursday, Oct. 2, the New York State Governor's office announced in a press release.
The temporary ban is in effect until at least Oct. 15, and the statement released by the governor's office said the restrictions will be re-evaluated prior to the Oct. 15 deadline.
Lighting fires for brush or debris disposal and large, uncontained fires for cooking or other purposes are banned until at least Oct. 15 under the statewide order. Backyard fire pits, contained camp fires no larger than 3 feet in height and 4 feet in diameter, and small, contained cooking fires are still permitted under the burn ban.
New York State has faced dry conditions all autumn, triggering drought watches and warnings across most of the state.
Dutchess County, along with the other counties in the Catskills region, are under a drought watch according to the Department of Environmental Conservation's drought condition map.
Dutchess County is currently under a "high" fire danger rating, according to the DEC.
LAKEVILLE, Conn. — Barbara Meyers DelPrete, 84, passed away Tuesday, September 30, 2025.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated Saturday, October 4, 2025, at 11:00a.m. at St. Mary’s Church, 76 Sharon Rd., Lakeville.
A complete obituary will appear in next week’s Lakeville Journal.
To offer an online condolence, please visit ryanfhct.com.
Volunteers were hard at work putting the finishing touches on the crucial creepy decorations for the Haunted Fortress of Stanford on Sunday, Sept. 28.
STANFORD — Greg Arent led a devoted team of volunteers on Sunday, Sept. 28, in a final push to prepare Stanford’s Haunted Fortress for opening day.
Final touches included cleaning the bottomless pit, scrubbing the pirate ship, raking the graveyard and dressing the dolls. By 2 p.m., about 20 volunteers had assembled to creepify the beloved local landmark.
Many of the volunteers have been coming back for years, Arent said, dedicating time and valuable skills to the town-owned haunted house that was constructed by the artist Peter Wing.
Arent has been building sets in his free time for forty years, but he started out volunteering with the Haunted Fortress in 2014 when his children wanted to get involved, he said. At that time he would help out one or two days a year. That grew into a leadership position over the course of a decade.
On Sunday, Arent was touring the decrepit grounds checking light bulbs, soundtracks and other set details to contribute to that perfect spooky ambience.
Nathan Miller
When it’s all said and done, the Fortress will be ready to welcome visitors starting on Friday, Oct. 3, with shows running from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Sundays. The Haunted Fortress is entirely staffed by volunteers, Arent said, including the actors that don costumes to scare visitors. Anybody aged 6 and up can volunteer to act in the horror show, and families often will volunteer to take over a scene.
“I love it because every scene is different every night,” Arent said. “Sure there are going to be vampires in this scene, but this family is going to do it different from these three kids from Bard, who are going to do it different from these three middle school kids.”
The sets themselves were all built from recycled material to be as creepy and decrepit as possible, Arent said. Concrete culverts adorn the sides of a bridge over a stream, stacked vertically with a cone on top to elicit a fortress’s spires. Reclaimed lumber bolted to a fence evokes a dark and scary forest blocking any escape. A rusting tractor with a steel box welded above the seat sits on a set of rails with two cars attached to it, mimicking a wrecked train with it’s inner mechanisms exposed and blowing steam on passersby.
This year the Haunted Fortress is following a haunted circus theme featuring clowns and other carnival staples alongside the classic settings of the Fortress.
The team of volunteers is dedicated and numerous, and the Stanford Highway Department lends a hand too, Arent said, but there’s always a need for skilled labor at the local attraction.
And the group appreciates all the help they can get. “Whatever you’re interested in and capable of doing,” Arent said.
The haunted pirate ship marks the spot where groups of visitors are paired with their ghastly guides for the remainder of the Haunted Fortress tour in Stanford.Nathan Miller
From left, Jim Milton, Spencer Parks and William J. Clark stand with Joseph Olenik on their first day working under him as the head of Public Works on Monday, Sept. 29.
MILLERTON — The Village announced a leadership change at the Highway Department on Friday following the resignation of Superintendent Peter Dellaghelfa. Police Chief Joseph Olenik will step into the role, effective immediately, officials said.
Olenik will continue to serve as Police Chief.
The decision was made Friday, Sept. 26, during an emergency meeting of the Board of Trustees following Dellaghelfa’s resignation.
Mayor Jenn Najdek said the “amicable split” with Dellaghelfa was part of an ongoing annual employee review process, adding that turnover is not uncommon in small municipalities. She expressed her gratitude for Dellaghelfa’s service over the last four years.
The Board went into Executive Session on Aug. 26 and Sept. 9 for “matters leading to the appointment, employment, promotion, demotion, discipline, suspension, dismissal or removal of a particular person,” but village officials could not comment on the specifics of those discussions.
The leadership shift will allow the Village to “better respond to the changing needs of our residents and community,” announced the Board in a press release shared with The News. “The Mayor and Board are excited to see Joe expand his impact on Millerton and we’re confident this change will bring lasting improvements to operations, communications and community engagement.”
Police Chief Olenik, who will continue his leadership role within the Millerton Police Department, said he is looking forward to the added responsibilities.
“I am excited to help move the department forward and rebuild it after the devastating fire,” Olenik said. “I am also looking forward to working with the dedicated staff and helping the residents of Millerton by making needed changes and repairs.”
Though Olenik will assume additional responsibilities as he leads the Highway Department, the Millerton Police Department will continue to operate separately — but with the same shared goals of supporting the village community.
William J. Clark installs the leaf container he and his colleagues built. Leaves from the Village will be delivered to McEnroe’s Organic Farm for composting.Aly Morrissey
Mayor Najdek added that Olenik has extensive supervisory and administrative experience that, given the imminent need to rebuild the Highway Department building, will be critical. In addition to managing the upcoming construction, his first orders of business will include making sure the village is on track for leaf pick-up and snow removal, working to ensure the right equipment and personnel are in place.
Olenik held his first meeting with the Village Highway Department on Monday, Sept. 29 and discussed a new leaf container — built by Millerton’s Highway Department — that will support efforts to collect leaves. The leaves will then be turned over to McEnroe’s Organic Farm for composting. While the team configuration — which includes Jim Milton, William J. Clark, and Spencer Parks — will be new, Olenik said they are not strangers. “They’ve always helped me out and I’m looking forward to working with them more closely.”
The Board said in a statement the Village is in good hands moving forward. “Joe’s leadership style — hands-on, structured, and community-focused — makes him well suited to guide this department through the transition.”