Restaurant review: Wm. Farmer and Sons in Hudson

A spit away from Hudson's pretty brick train station stands this 1830s corner building, a former guesthouse now impeccably transformed into a modern-vintage boardinghouse and tavern, complete with mercantile and coffee shop.

[...] bartenders in rolled shirtsleeves, collarless shirts and suspenders round out the bespoke appeal of the barroom.

The split-level interior is all exposed brick, black wood, tufted banquettes, domed brass lights, pretty vintage china and polished horn votives set on every table.

Cocktails are poured over large ice spheres or tiny ice pearls; a stiff spear of orange peel tricks olfactory senses in an old fashioned to waft orange tang ahead of the sweetly viscous bourbon.

[...] the Southern-flavored menu momentarily jams the gears of a brain expecting New England clam chowder but finding Gulf shrimp in gravy over speckled Geechie Boy grits ($26.30), the creamiest e'er found this far north.

Espresso and molasses find their way into slow-baked barbecue heirloom beans — a toothsome trio of cattle, kidney and purple-veined Christmas lima beans — pinioned by a Brobdingnagian smoked pork shank ($28.25) and dusted with the bashed-up crumbs of southern pork rinds.

Getting down and dirty, those boiled peanuts show up stewed with glistening Beluga lentils, adding heft to delicately breaded skate wing smarting with caper mustard ($25.50).

A signature hand-formed cast-iron bar burger ($16.75), seared in seasoned hand-me-down Griswold pans, is proof despite the pricetag of a determination to offer blue-collar mainstays.

A spectacular tomato relish harnesses canned Italian tomatoes, apples, sweet onions and spices with enough clout to shame anyone requesting ketchup for their hand-cut fries.