The beloved Hudson Valley restaurant has a cookbook that's just as colorful., Von Diaz writes.
Diners at Lil’ Deb’s Oasis. Clockwise from left: Suranga Samarakoon, Sangeeta Chadha, Valerie Chadha, Matt Way, Medha Chadha and Rishi Samarakoon. HUDSON, N.Y. — Lil’ Deb’s Oasis sits at the edge of downtown in Hudson, a peaceful Upstate New York town best known for antiquing, vintage clothing, proximity to apple-picking and bucolic riverside views.
Deb’s is not a gay bar; it’s a restaurant. Food is the focus, and the menu is innovative, experimental and incredibly memorable. And as its name suggests, Deb’s is a place where people from all walks of life convene, where the only thing that’s illicit is how sinfully sumptuous the food is, where the staffers can take pride in preparing meals that are as unique as they are and where deliciousness becomes an extension of queer resistance.
On this particular night, Perez-Gallardo steps behind the line to prepare a new side dish. They blanch sugar snap peas, which are at peak season, shocking them in ice once they turn verdant green, then blistering them on a flat-top griddle. They transfer a few scoops to a shallow plate and sprinkle them with a housemade furikake of toasted nori and coconut, nutritional yeast and salt. Then comes a second layer of snap peas and another layer of furikake, because, more is more.