Peter Xavier Kelly has been nominated for a James Beard Award, done barbecue battle with Bobby Flay, and hosted Anthony Bourdain when he suddenly found himself without reservations. He's also completely self-taught. Instead of following a traditional culinary path, the seasoned chef began working in the restaurant industry when he was 14. But while Kelly held positions from the back of the kitchen to the front of the house, his passion was always for food. Today, he owns several noted establishments throughout the Hudson Valley, where he shares his own uniquely delicious take on contemporary American cuisine.

At Kelly's Restaurant X, the chef dishes up plates lauded by Zagat as "extraordinary," "magical," and even "transcendent." Allusions to sorcery are fitting, given the kitchen's near-alchemical blending of New- and Old-World flavors. Elegant mainstays such as duck breast and lamb ossobuco are given flavorful new life with additions of sun-dried cherries and sides of mascarpone polenta, while even humble macaroni and cheese receives a Roquefort makeover. But the artistry doesn't stop at the plate—Fodor's praises Restaurant X's "picturesque ponds and gardens" as well. An airy, rustic design featuring skylights and floor-to-ceiling windows connects these elements of nature with the dining room, and the warm atmosphere extends to the Bully Boy Bar, where cocktails and dinner are served fireside.