RŪNA, a Small French-ish Restaurant With a Big Heart

Story by Jenny Wonderling

How might one begin to discover and define that je ne sais quoi of “true success,” which goes far beyond the “bottom line” of any business? One way to start is by getting to know the employees and hearing their stories. In the case of Hudson Valley’s beloved eatery RŪNA, it doesn’t take long to glean that there is much more being cooked up than just incredible French food with an exotic flair created with intention by hand and local ingredients. It has grown into a place altogether inspiring, supportive and fun, even for those creating or serving the unexpected and ever-changing menu. And RŪNA has done so in the most authentic way: against many odds and a bumpy journey that has lent to its endearment and staying power.

Simply put, this is a small French-ish restaurant with a big heart. After speaking to several on RŪNA’s team in both the front and back “of the house,” it seems there are some ineffable spices pervading every aspect of this adorable, resilient New Paltz business. By all accounts, those magical ingredients continually render “staff” into the loving and loyal family they’ve become, each team member gushing about every aspect of what others might consider well…work. In addition to all that, guests can enjoy live music and events, book RŪNA’s lovely dining spaces for private parties, or stay at their charming guest house–the Vanderlyn, a four bedroom lodge right off of main street New Paltz.

INSIDE+OUT recently spent some time at RŪNA savoring all they generously serve up: a kind of nourishment that evokes dedication, connection, fulfillment and not just to those in charge.

Meet Chef McClintock

Chef Ryan McClintock is a Culinary Institute of America graduate and self-proclaimed perfectionist. His attention to detail and creative collaboration with Clare has allowed her to feel supported in a way that had been previously impossible. Together, they continue to dream up unique dishes that keep them and others perpetually inspired. Meanwhile, by all accounts, his positive impact extends well beyond the coveted dishes at RŪNA. His dedication, accessibility and care are obviously felt by all. And, like Clare, that devotion helps shape a culture of employees that feel so deeply connected that some staff even think of Ryan as “Dad” and Clare as “Mom.”

Maybe that inclination has something to do with his Italian roots. Ryan talked about living with his family in Queens as a kid. Although he didn’t learn to cook from his relatives in an overt way, it seems he learned first-hand about the impact of food made with love upon relationships in that family. His great-grandma Lucy and grandpa Louis lived on the floor upstairs. In their kitchen, wrapped in the smells of sauces and garlic, he often spotted homemade pasta passionately rolled out to make endless ravioli, hands deftly moving as they stuffed the small bundles with cheese. “Those and the tripe, meatballs, and sauces were made with equally imprecise precision, ingredients added, or various steps tended to until, as my mother used to say, “you know, til it’s nice.” He couldn’t say what that was precisely, except that intuition and experience converged, and what was created tasted delicious.

While just as invested emotionally in RŪNA’s success as he ever was, he is learning to loosen the reins a bit (without compromising quality), allow others to show up more fully and express their creativity, and even relish his own time off. Ryan said, chuckling, “I’m trying not to be a control freak anymore, not work at least six days a week and come in on my day off to place orders. And while in a swimming hole in the woods, I’m trying not to think about the quiche or how many reservations we have for the evening.” He spoke openly about the unexpected gifts of COVID and RŪNA, how his journeys with and through both helped to inspire greater balance and fulfillment in his life, indeed the most precious ingredients of all. He looked off, contemplating, and then spoke again. “Because of COVID, I finally had the time to stop something I’ve been doing for 20 years and ask things like: “Why do I try so hard? Why am I overworking? Is it ok that not everyone does the food exactly my way if it’s still delicious?” Delicieux indeed.

Meet Dan 

Dan Perez has been working in various kitchens of New Paltz restaurants for 14 years or so, “but for the last eight months, I’ve been the grill guy at RŪNA.” He added, chuckling, “I’m basically Chef Ryan’s right-hand guy, though that’s not an official position.” When asked about his favorite things about working at RŪNA, he answered without delay. “Well, the people here are great and it’s definitely the best restaurant I’ve worked at in terms of food quality. We make everything from scratch, literally. Nothing is frozen. And cooking such good food is really rewarding. Here, we always change the menu, so we’re always doing something different. We work with fresh, seasonal ingredients and many different cultural influences. It’s a French restaurant, but the owner, Clare, puts her spin on the dishes and lends things an interesting little twist.”

His face lit up, and he easily laughed when speaking about Chef Ryan McClintock, with whom he works most closely. Ryan cut his notches as the chef at Gardiner Liquid Mercantile, head chef at 36 Main, sous chef at the Amsterdam in Rhinebeck and Woodnotes Grill at the Emerson Resort & Spa in Mt. Tremper. Dan said, “It’s nice working with people who know what they’re doing, yet it doesn’t really feel like going to work. Chef Ryan and I are just up there cooking…talking about Star Wars and whatever. Often, we don’t even have to talk to each other. We’re just like a nice, well-oiled machine. It makes work easy, as opposed to…well, let’s just say, it can be chaotic.” Dan sang the praises of Chef Ryan’s slow food processes, “like the way he cooks duck with real duck confit, not just something poured out of a bag. It takes three days and many steps. From scratch to table…it just makes it feel good to cook that way.”

Like the rest of the RŪNA’s crew, Chef Ryan, previously at the Gardiner Mercantile, spoke enthusiastically about the ever-changing menu, especially the Bangladesh-infused recipes that pay homage to Clare Hussein’s roots. And if he had to choose something that still has him longing for more? “The kitcheree and masala potatoes. That was really interesting.” Meanwhile, he proudly shared something else that would be echoed again and again by his team members: “How close we all are both inside as well as outside of work.” Dan explained how, no matter the longevity of particular friendships, “It feels like I’ve known everybody for a long time. And Claire’s a great boss to work for. I’ve only known her for less than a year and she’s treated me like I’ve known her for ten.”

Meet Madison

Madison Engler is currently enrolled in an MBA program with a concentration in healthcare management at nearby SUNY New Paltz. She started working at RŪNA this past September as a server. “I’ve been working in food service since I turned 16. It’s always something that I’ve loved to do. I’ve literally worked every position in restaurants: a waitress, hostess, line cook. I’ve been a barista. I just love being in food service.” Her favorite thing about working at RŪNA? “I love the environment that we create. We have a very cozy atmosphere and as soon as you come in, we welcome you and genuinely want to take care of you throughout your whole meal, whether that’s recommending wines or pacing you throughout the menu. This is the first restaurant I’ve worked at where there is very much a culture of inviting guests to take their time as we take them through the courses. We’re not going to rush you. It’s a really cool experience and something I love about working here. Also, we change our menu seasonally, another thing that’s really exciting here. You always get to try something new.” Like everyone on the team, Madison is genuinely passionate about her work at RŪNA, speaking openly about all the details, including the supportive work culture that everyone on the team heralds and friendships extending far beyond when the shifts end.

A dish that stands out for Madison? “We’ve had vegetarian shawarmas, which I think are delicious and something I haven’t experienced before. When I first started working here in the fall, we did a cauliflower and broccoli shawarma, which was so good and then a really interesting winter squash version with a beet hummus and flavors that were definitely exciting. There’s always something new. Right now, we have an eggplant dahl on the menu, which is also delicious and very unique; you can’t find that anywhere else.”

When asked about whether customers were mostly locals or a mix of weekenders and travelers, Madison said, “I would honestly say it’s a mix. We have people that come and visit from the city a lot. We also have an Airbnb next door, so whenever we have guests staying over there, they usually come to RŪNA and they’re from everywhere. We also have plenty of alumni from the college and many regulars, too.”

Madison shared without delay throughout our time speaking, often smiling and palpably inspired. She went on to say, “We have a very intimate bar space, so whenever someone comes and sits at the bar, we’re also welcoming them into where we’re doing all the work and you see the team making your drinks. There are definitely a few customers that come in often, regulars who sit at the bar, talk to us and take an interest in our lives, what we’re doing in school and stuff like that, which is cool. It’s always nice to have people who can give us career advice, too, because most of us working here are here for college.”

Meet Stephanie

Stephanie Jaijairam shared her insights about working in a place that is so braided into the local community, the cross-pollination of support and the actual friendship it fosters. She, too, spoke of the camaraderie between workers who have all become more like family and how they frequent others’ businesses who often dine at RŪNA and are now also close. There’s the local wine merchant and aficionado who sometimes performs music there and shares excitement about new varietals, which RŪNA’s team is soon offering their customers. The proprietors of the thin-crusted, coal-fired brick oven pizza at APizza! around the corner on Main Street, dine often at RŪNA, and their spot is where RŪNA’s team also loves to eat. There are others.

“And we have a board game night which Clare runs, that’s really cute. There are wine tastings here and live music sometimes, all different genres. There’s great music about once a week in the summer because we can set up outside where there’s more space.”

Stephanie’s most beloved dishes? “The menu changes constantly, so we don’t have the Kathi rolls anymore, but, mhmm. That was a kind of ‘Indian street food’ and one of my favorites. I’m Guianese, so having a different side of culture on the menu is nice. Currently, we have these French onion hand pies that are my favorite. And oh my gosh, the escargot! I never had it before working here, but the food here has opened my palate in general.” Then, echoing Madison, she crooned the merits of “the cauliflower shawarma we had months back– it was just too good. In general, though, the food is very untraditional from everything else in New Paltz and what you would usually find elsewhere, too.”

And Stephanie’s favorite thing about working at RŪNA? “Definitely, my coworkers. It is like a family, though a lot of restaurants say that. I’ve been here for almost two years and as a college student, it provides a home base. I can always talk to Ryan about what’s going on and everyone’s always willing to help you out. Claire is like our mom, Ryan’s like our dad.”

Like Madison, she’s also getting her MBA. “I got my bachelor’s in marketing last spring and am finishing my MBA. I’ll be graduating this spring. I’m very sad to be leaving. I’m going to move back to the city for work.”

For any reader here who has worked in the soup of mayhem and divisiveness that can simmer in many restaurants, you too may feel that the rare culture RŪNA offers its staff is refreshing. Obviously, Clare, its owner, has succeeded well beyond just keeping her doors open. Every single person on her staff feels supported by a community (nay, family) of people that they will be sad to leave. So what’s her story?

Meet Clare 

The journey to grow RŪNA into what it is now has not been without challenges and obstacles, including a total closure within the first six months of opening its doors due to COVID. Her recipe? When necessary, serious sacrifice, patience, creativity, resilience, experience and plain hard work. Still, you can’t simply manufacture the kind of appreciation this team holds and expresses…about the menu, ingredients, open communication, and the work culture in general. It seems Clare Hussein is the kind of leader many would only dream of having or being: one with her team feeling like they’re not being “led” at all. Instead, she seems to inspire and embody self-responsibility, dedication, gratitude, and, yes, fulfillment.

While waiting for Clare to share her story at a quaint table in the dining room, her ruddy, confident voice, with its warm Irish accent and no-nonsense approach to life, sailed in from the other room. She was doing a wine tasting with the staff at the bar, but drifting above her quips, descriptions of appellations, and a chorus of laughter, two things she said flung themselves across the black and white checkered floor and rustic tables to where this writer sat, taking in the details. Her words rang out clearly and truthfully, saying everything one would need to know about the dynamics between this particular boss and her “staff.” The context details were lost in the distance but didn’t matter anyhow. “Loyalty means nothing if you’re not being looked after.” The second line was “Hell to the no!” intermixed with uproarious laughter and joyful chatter from everyone else in earshot.

In Clare’s Words…
“We are all like a little small family here, so if someone’s pissing somebody off, we’re not scared to sort it out. I feel like the best thing you can do is be open door policy because I’ve worked in corporate America where it was all subterfuge and all of that nonsense. In that world, even if you go to your immediate boss, they’re loyal to those above. As long as everybody feels equal, they can come to me for anything and have a little “Kumbaya” moment.” She was laughing gently, her deep brown eyes shining. “That’s all we all need, you know? But actually, a lot has changed here. When we first opened, it was all serious, and we had brunch, lunch and dinner. I had these visions in mind then for setting ‘diagnostics and standards’ that I’d learned in corporate America, but once we reopened after COVID, all that got…”

Suddenly, Clare’s sentence fell off without its destination because she had to take a call. Clare’s a working mom of two girls in the New Paltz School District. As if to exemplify all she juggles, the phone’s screen was illuminated with a call mid-interview a mere 1 minute and 30 seconds after she was finally hoping to focus on one thread of thought. Her youngest daughter, who is ten, was reaching out with a question about the school bus. After the call ended, the interview started again. However, Clare would sporadically look at her phone or get diverted by one of her crew members asking a question, always juggling each distraction with good humor, care and a lot of energy.

“Oh yes, about diagnostics and standards. So I’d learned all this official jargon and a particular approach, having worked in corporate America for 15 years as a banquet manager, a banquet beverage manager, a sales manager, an event planner and a restaurant group sales director. So I did everything you need to check off in that career field, but Corporate wasn’t loyal to me. And I kept feeling burnt out. Then we moved up here in May 2017, and this sort of fell into my life.”

Why The Hudson Valley

Clare explained how her family had been in the city for so long “that it was becoming a rat race even for the kids. Commuting to Times Square from Brooklyn used to be a 25-minute affair but ended up becoming an hour and twenty minutes. We were constantly racing against that clock, trying to make it in time for the nanny or to pick up the kids from activities. And it’s such a strict environment in the city. You get overtime fees if you’re late for preschool, blah, blah, blah. For years, we had this little dream that we would rent a summer home and come up for, you know, like downtime. But once we were crunching numbers, reality kicked in and we realized we couldn’t do both, so moving made more sense. I had just given up my job and had a little independence. My husband had recently started his own company, and he had a little more freedom. We moved up in 2017.

“I was a stay-at-home mom for a couple of years and then got curious. Truthfully, I was a little bored and would scroll real estate listings for little businesses. I went to a couple of places to look, but they never panned out. Eventually, stars aligned, an investor got involved and here we are now.”

When asked if Clare had trained to be a chef at any point, she said, “Not really, not a full chef. I’ve worked in kitchens as a salad, appetizer, or dessert chef, but my forté was in front of the house. I went to hospitality school, where everyone did a year of culinary training. I’ve been cooking at home since I was 12 years old. And I think we all learned through COVID that we were expected to make decisions and take steps that none of us had ever done before. So, I put myself in the kitchen for about two years during that time. Finally, I asked Ryan if he wanted to come back.” Ryan had started as the chef at RŪNA when they opened in August of 2019 and had to leave for a stint when she decided to close their doors for a time out of necessity. “In the beginning, basically, it was just Ryan and myself, and we put all of it together, including the menu. It’s very important for me to collaborate because food is important to me.”

Clare had bought the business with old furnishings included. In addition to planning the menu, ordering, hiring, marketing, and getting everything else in gear, she did as much upcycling and refurbishing as she could with what she had. “Like these tables, they were dark brown; I sanded them myself. It’s an important belief for me, working with what we have, not making waste. Ryan was a great resource, but it was tough because we were overly ambitious. When we first opened, we were doing brunch, lunch and dinner. My husband was traveling a lot; he owns a little media production company, and we had a five-year-old and a nine-year-old. My husband wasn’t here much. When I opened RŪNA, I was doing 20 hours a day with two babysitters on rotation with the kids. But when you’re in it, you’re in it. You’re not feeling like a martyr; you just want to get it done. And it was amazing; we kicked butt for five months.

“Then there was talk of Wuhan and all that and business started to trickle off. I closed three days before the Executive Order because we were absolutely frightened and the school had already closed. My staff was living elsewhere and they needed to leave. There was no other option, but at that point, we thought, “We’re just shutting down for two weeks; we’ll be back up and running in no time.” Yet there was something very final about making that first decision to close. It felt like a failure, like, “Shit, this happened so early on in the journey!” Then, obviously, we had to close for more than just two weeks.

“We were closed for four months. In between, we tried to do takeout, just Ryan and me. It was successful for maybe a couple of weeks, but we weren’t established enough. We were competing against the likes of McGillicuddy and P+G’s because people just wanted wings and burgers to go. They didn’t want duck confit and escargot, you know? So, we reopened in June of the next year, which was a complete failure. I ran out of money within two months and had to make a final decision. We had to close until I figured out what else I could do. I had a chat with everybody; it was heartbreaking. But I have a very supportive husband. Thankfully, we’re comfortable enough to ensure that the essential things that matter are taken care of.

“So I closed RŪNA down completely and during the pandemic, the guest house wasn’t up and running yet. Oh, that would have been a game-changer! Bills were still coming in and I just really needed to be up and running. I focused on pushing my contractor, fighting with the village through all the rigmarole for our place to become an actual bed and breakfast or lodge. But the town just kept getting delayed and delayed. Finally, I managed to get it opened in October, just after we closed here in August. Now, it pretty much runs itself.

Stay at RUNA Guest House

“At that time, I was homeschooling the kids because there was no school. And then, around Christmas, I started getting a bit antsy. I’d come in here every couple of days, and it was just cold and gray, lifeless. I guess I had gotten over my grieving or mourning, or whatever you want to call it. I just woke up one day. It was the first week in January, and I said to Perry, my husband, “You know what? I’m going to start up again on my own, just do lunch, coffee, sandwiches, that kind of thing.

“I reopened because I’d had enough. On a Monday, I would post a dinner kit that would be available on a Friday and include a starter, main course and dessert. You could put in the order through Square and then pick it up since, at that time, people still didn’t want to come in. Those months were definitely the most stressful time. Finally, I hired a dishwasher. And I thought, “Oh, this is a little indulgent!” But I got this great guy, Nick, who was a huge resource at SUNY. For a 21-year-old kid, he was just amazing, open to anything, really intuitive and very mature. He helped get me through it. We prepped food together and washed dishes together. He shoveled snow and helped me take care of the guesthouse. He moved back to Buffalo and I’m still getting over it,” Clare added, laughing.

Clare described how she’s been in the food industry for 35 years and giving up weekends for so long “has been a torture.” The real goal all along was to one day be able to join her family on their days off. “I have kids, my husband works Monday through Friday, and I’ve gone through it all: I’ve missed first visits to Santa and so much more. I’ve gone to work at three in the morning, not returning until 11 at night. I’ve done it.”

Yet she went back into the kitchen and thought, “I guess I’ll work Friday and Saturday nights.” It felt like it would be a defining moment. “That summer, we were incredibly successful, but behind the scenes, it was a shit show. I hired two girls with experience (who would eventually become my assistant managers and a general manager who just left.) In the beginning, we were all going a million miles an hour. The food was good, but there was chaos behind the scenes, and we did that for 18 months. Then Ryan popped in for lunch one day when I was working and it felt like the clouds opened up and the sky returned to me. I knew the minute he stepped in that he was seeing if there was any room for him. He subtly asked whether he could help out again. I said, “Yes, definitely, let’s do this!”

She went on to say, “We then decided to introduce Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday dinners. I was still doing lunches, but lunches were dying out at that point. Since there’s more money to have cocktails, we changed the bar around and cut lunch out altogether. Margins are super tight in this business and frankly, you don’t do it for the money, but being open six nights a week for dinner made the most fiscal sense. So here we are now, open six nights a week with a great group of people I’m indebted to because they have allowed me to have somewhat of a life.”

As for RŪNA’s French food seasoned with the influences of Bengali, Moroccan, Vietnamese and a little Moroccan for good measure?

Clare expounded without delay and another good chuckle, “Maybe it’s a little bit controversial, but we like to say it’s French-ish because there are some classics, like escargot and steak, a nice paté now and again, or a nice smoked trout roulette, something like that. I grew up in Bangladesh, went to boarding school and college in Ireland and did an exchange program in France. When we first opened, upon research, Ryan and I found out so much about the origin of French food. The French have colonized all over the place, and that is the controversial part. For example, the essence of a curry has a lot of components of slow cooking from France. Then you have a lot of spices and elements that have made their way into French cooking that came by way of India because the French colonized Pondicherry. Then there’s French Indochina and French North Africa.

“My culture is integral to who I am. My father is from Bangladesh. My biological mom was Welsh and my stepmom is Irish. When I took over the kitchen and was cooking, since food is so important to me, I thought, “Why can’t we just play around with all of them?” We’re not saying that RŪNA is a French restaurant by the book. But I am a francophile, I speak French, my parents have a place in France, I love going there, I love Paris, and lucky enough, I’m privileged enough to be able to have experienced all that. I have always felt like New York City has so many little French bistros that are the neighborhood eateries, so I thought it could be fun. Plus, there’s nothing like this in this area. So even though it was a bit of a gamble, at the same time, we don’t want to do what everyone else is doing! Plus, Ryan has also gone to France. He’s CIA trained, which is classic, so we came to that decision together.”

And what about that large extended staff family?

Clare continued in your usual impassioned way, even about her role as mom to a bunch of adults. “Oh, they’re all incredible, juggling second and third jobs, juggling school, master’s programs, post-graduate programs. I tell them, “We all have lives outside here and I’m not expecting this to be your only priority, but we’re all like little puzzle pieces. As long as we all communicate well, we’ll be ok.” Sometimes, they drop the ball now and again. And while there’s never a moment they’re being reprimanded, there is a moment where we’re having a talk. For the most part, they all do a great job. They’re incredibly responsible and committed for young people; I’m blown away.”

Clare’s hard work is finally paying off thanks to that responsibility and dedication. “Sometimes I’m even a third wheel. I may pop over on a Friday or Saturday night and say hi just to keep an eye on things. But then I watch them all buzzing about, doing their thing. It’s beautiful. Then I actually go home; it’s an amazing feeling.”

These days, many weekends, you may run into Clare hiking with her family and dogs along the Rail Trail or within the Minnewaska and Mohonk Preserves when her little well-oiled machine is chugging along smoothly. “And this May, I’m actually doing Rock The Ridge, a 50-mile running and hiking relay with my girlfriends.” Wherever her team may place in the race, just imagining she will finally have luxury time and freedom seems like the greatest win.

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Photos by Sabrina Eberhard

Book your table • Dream up your private event • Get over your fear of escargot • Book the Guesthouse • Pop in and have a drink with these lovely humans • Go in for game night • Listen to music.

 

Some Fun Upcoming Events at RŪNA for February 2024

Saturday, 24th of February  –  Kyle Miller Live music

Thursday, 29th of February –  Trivia Night Fundraiser for New Paltz Youth Lacrosse

Sunday, 17th of March – Hudson Valley Blue Grass + Irish music for Paddy’s Day