City Limits, White Plains
This isn't a review for a specific day, more over a collective opinion on the vast amounts of times I've been to this place.
Without a doubt, it is one of my favorite "go to" places when I'm in the mood. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, I have never been disappointed (well, we WERE disappointed when they took their fried chicken off their menu a few years back) in all the times we've gone there.
Breakfast has a huge amount of offerings. For the longest time their boar sausage quesadilla was frequently ordered and has now been replaced on their menu w/a chorizo quesadilla. I'm overly fond of their veggie frittata, and on occasion have splurged w/their crab cake eggs benedict. All their baked goods are baked fresh on the premises, so any meal involving that is worthwhile.
Usually for lunch, I'd opt for their BLT on foccaccia or their burgers; the husband enjoys their shrimp wrap sandwich. A friend of mine who I meet with frequently for breakfast or lunch is fond of their ruben (which I've had at least once and loved its massiveness:) on potato bread.
Dinner for me usually is either their hanger steak, or their chicken paillard salad, or something off their prefixe menu. My husband usually gets their Bell and Evans chicken or their soba noodles, or tagliatelli. All delicious, and hearty sized portions (we love leftovers in our house).
Their service is top notch, and from what I can tell (in all the times I've been going there and a "regular" since 2001) they don't have a tremendous amount of turnover in their wait staff or their runners, so their service and quality is consistently good.
Location is convenient, and even on days when they are jam packed, there is "spill over" parking on Central Ave (metered) as well as a municipal lot across the street (also metered).
I tend to shy away from there on Friday or Saturday nights (especially if there is a big event at the County Center across the street); however, now that City Limits has a feature where you can place your order online, it's no problem to call in an order after leaving work and picking it up on my way home. I love this feature, as if there is a substitution to be made or an omission (as in no dairy for the husband), it's clearly in black and white, and rarely have we had a problem where we get home to discover there's cheese or sour cream on something that shouldn't. Very little margin for error this way. And on the rare occasion where after I've placed an order online and they ran out of something, they're very quick to call the number I provide, to let me know, and to arrange for an alternative. Terribly convenient!
I was sad to learn they closed their location at the Westchester Mall; but was immensely grateful that the Central Avenue location is open for business as usual. It truly would break my heart if this place closed up. If not for any reason I've listed above, but their chicken soup is the only thing that makes me feel better when I am sick, and is usually the first thing I attempt to eat after being sick.
Given how fond I am of this Livanos Restaurant Group endeavor, I'm now curious about Molyvos, which is in the neighborhood I frequent for appointments every two weeks. Perhaps I can convince the husband to meet me there for dinner one of these days. I have no doubt it'd be just as good!
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Chiboust, Tarrytown
Chiboust
Not too much to say just from a brief lunch at Chiboust. Will post again once I've experienced more from their menu.
However, that being said, a few weeks back, I was in Tarrytown, showing some friends around, and we stopped at Chiboust for lunch.
Though I cannot comment upon the deliciousness of my friends' lunches (one had the Waygu Burger; the other friend had the soup of the day); I can only comment on what I ate.
Lunch on this particular day was the Roasted Beet Salad from their "Small Plates" section of the menu.
It was what I have come to expect for a basic beet salad: beets, walnuts, greens/micro greens (in this case, mache and arugala), goat cheese and a vinaigrette.
In short order, lunch was delicious.
The location is great for foot traffic on Main Street in Tarrytown, and is across the street from the Music Hall and the local yarn shop.
I am hoping to go back again, and taste more items off their menu, such as: the petite tarte of spinach/yellow bean/asiago, and truffle essence, the Pate of chicken liver and pistachio, the pulled pork spring roll, and possibly the pan seared squid Santorini style.
To be blunt, I think it's a bit on the pricey side, but the service is nice, the location is convenient, and the quality of the food (granted my limited experience thus far) is enjoyable.
I'll be back to taste more, and I'm hopeful that my next visit or two will be similarly enjoyable.
Not too much to say just from a brief lunch at Chiboust. Will post again once I've experienced more from their menu.
However, that being said, a few weeks back, I was in Tarrytown, showing some friends around, and we stopped at Chiboust for lunch.
Though I cannot comment upon the deliciousness of my friends' lunches (one had the Waygu Burger; the other friend had the soup of the day); I can only comment on what I ate.
Lunch on this particular day was the Roasted Beet Salad from their "Small Plates" section of the menu.
It was what I have come to expect for a basic beet salad: beets, walnuts, greens/micro greens (in this case, mache and arugala), goat cheese and a vinaigrette.
In short order, lunch was delicious.
The location is great for foot traffic on Main Street in Tarrytown, and is across the street from the Music Hall and the local yarn shop.
I am hoping to go back again, and taste more items off their menu, such as: the petite tarte of spinach/yellow bean/asiago, and truffle essence, the Pate of chicken liver and pistachio, the pulled pork spring roll, and possibly the pan seared squid Santorini style.
To be blunt, I think it's a bit on the pricey side, but the service is nice, the location is convenient, and the quality of the food (granted my limited experience thus far) is enjoyable.
I'll be back to taste more, and I'm hopeful that my next visit or two will be similarly enjoyable.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Strike Two: Full Moon Asian/Thai Restaurant, White Plains
Against my better judgment, I tried my luck and ordered lunch from Full Moon Asian/Thai Restaurant. Let's just say, my gamble "crapped out."
This time, someone whose first language is English answered the phone and took my order. I knew I would have trouble when I ordered the fried squid (which was supposed to come w/pineapple, ginger, peanut and sweet chili sauce). I specified twice, nearly thrice, that I wanted the FRIED appetizer.
OVERALL IMPRESSION THUS FAR: DISAPPOINTED; WON'T RECOMMEND TO ANYONE.
I had a reasonable expectation of some squid rings and tentacles to be either lightly battered or merely dusted w/cornstarch and deep fried, not to mention the pineapple et al in the appetizer I ORDERED. You guessed it, the order was INCORRECT, and I ended up with the GRILLED squid appetizer, no pineapple, and was unsettled by the pork patty. There had to have been enough rings and tentacles from two small squids. They were cooked until barely opaque (stay tuned if I get sick from this), and it wasn't as substantial as I hoped. As a result, I had to raid the vending machine here at work.
I also ordered up the Tom Khar Gai, a chicken soup w/coconut milk and fresh lime juice. Flavor wise it was nice enough; the color was murky (as if it were made perhaps YESTERDAY), and despite me asking for it to be "spicy," it was dishwater bland. Tasty, but blandish for tom kha gai. This was the least expensive thing in today's lunch, at $5.
COST: $$: The squid appetizer mix up was $9, not inexpensive for an appetizer. Their spring roll selection is just as pricey--$7 for the least expensive spring roll type appetizer. For $9, I hoped to have gotten a hopper of fried squid deliciousness dripping in chili sauce and studded with pineapple and peanuts; and let's just say I got the antithesis of that.
When asked how business has been their first week since opening, the gal (who rang me up) quipped about business being poor, and suspected it was due to the Jewish New Year holiday. Funny thing is, where the restaurant is located is in the heart of a rather depressed part of White Plains, as it's near: transitional housing, family court & probation, Open Arms men's shelter; a few blocks from the old "drop in center" around the corner, and about two blocks from the projects.
They obviously have not done any market research in: what their projected clientele would be (subtext: predominantly business folks, and city/county/and state workers within walking distance); and they haven't searched out what the market should bear in regards to pricing the items on their menu.
White Plains is not completely without Thai food; as on Broadway we've got Reka's, an established Thai eatery (plus Reka gives instruction via classes thru the local college etc, or HAS in the past), with quality products, good service. I would visit Reka's MORE; however, I'd need to drive to get there from my office.
If I am going to pay $15 (like I did just for this soup & appetizer I had for lunch), I'd just assume to go Reka's for one of their $9.95 COMPLETE lunches (price might be higher, as I have an old menu on hand here), which includes: Soup of the day or Rekka's Green Salad, a main course, dessert of the day, and hot tea or coffee.
Despite their intention to make the restaurant itself really beautiful--and IT IS quite nice to look at while you're in there; the kitchen hasn't gotten its act together.
The only GOOD thing I can say about today's lunch experience is that it got me to take my take out menu out of my file, and I think I'll be going to Reka's this week to enjoy some truly wonderful Thai food, and to rinse the Full Moon disappointment out of my mouth.
On second thought, I think my time and money would be better spent patronizing businesses which are established, respected and present delicious food (and are not affected by constructive criticism). Here are a few spots I will continue to spend my money:
Reka's Thai Restaurant
(914) 949-1440(Thai)
2 Westchester Avenue, White Plains
Siam Orchid Thai Restaurant
(914) 723-9131(Thai)
750 Central Park Avenue, Scarsdale
Swaddee House Of Thai Food
(914) 769-8007 (Thai)
886 Franklin Avenue, Thornwood
Thai House . . . (914) 674-6644(Thai / Vegetarian)
466 Ashford Avenue, Ardsley
This time, someone whose first language is English answered the phone and took my order. I knew I would have trouble when I ordered the fried squid (which was supposed to come w/pineapple, ginger, peanut and sweet chili sauce). I specified twice, nearly thrice, that I wanted the FRIED appetizer.
OVERALL IMPRESSION THUS FAR: DISAPPOINTED; WON'T RECOMMEND TO ANYONE.
I had a reasonable expectation of some squid rings and tentacles to be either lightly battered or merely dusted w/cornstarch and deep fried, not to mention the pineapple et al in the appetizer I ORDERED. You guessed it, the order was INCORRECT, and I ended up with the GRILLED squid appetizer, no pineapple, and was unsettled by the pork patty. There had to have been enough rings and tentacles from two small squids. They were cooked until barely opaque (stay tuned if I get sick from this), and it wasn't as substantial as I hoped. As a result, I had to raid the vending machine here at work.
I also ordered up the Tom Khar Gai, a chicken soup w/coconut milk and fresh lime juice. Flavor wise it was nice enough; the color was murky (as if it were made perhaps YESTERDAY), and despite me asking for it to be "spicy," it was dishwater bland. Tasty, but blandish for tom kha gai. This was the least expensive thing in today's lunch, at $5.
COST: $$: The squid appetizer mix up was $9, not inexpensive for an appetizer. Their spring roll selection is just as pricey--$7 for the least expensive spring roll type appetizer. For $9, I hoped to have gotten a hopper of fried squid deliciousness dripping in chili sauce and studded with pineapple and peanuts; and let's just say I got the antithesis of that.
When asked how business has been their first week since opening, the gal (who rang me up) quipped about business being poor, and suspected it was due to the Jewish New Year holiday. Funny thing is, where the restaurant is located is in the heart of a rather depressed part of White Plains, as it's near: transitional housing, family court & probation, Open Arms men's shelter; a few blocks from the old "drop in center" around the corner, and about two blocks from the projects.
They obviously have not done any market research in: what their projected clientele would be (subtext: predominantly business folks, and city/county/and state workers within walking distance); and they haven't searched out what the market should bear in regards to pricing the items on their menu.
White Plains is not completely without Thai food; as on Broadway we've got Reka's, an established Thai eatery (plus Reka gives instruction via classes thru the local college etc, or HAS in the past), with quality products, good service. I would visit Reka's MORE; however, I'd need to drive to get there from my office.
If I am going to pay $15 (like I did just for this soup & appetizer I had for lunch), I'd just assume to go Reka's for one of their $9.95 COMPLETE lunches (price might be higher, as I have an old menu on hand here), which includes: Soup of the day or Rekka's Green Salad, a main course, dessert of the day, and hot tea or coffee.
Despite their intention to make the restaurant itself really beautiful--and IT IS quite nice to look at while you're in there; the kitchen hasn't gotten its act together.
The only GOOD thing I can say about today's lunch experience is that it got me to take my take out menu out of my file, and I think I'll be going to Reka's this week to enjoy some truly wonderful Thai food, and to rinse the Full Moon disappointment out of my mouth.
On second thought, I think my time and money would be better spent patronizing businesses which are established, respected and present delicious food (and are not affected by constructive criticism). Here are a few spots I will continue to spend my money:
Reka's Thai Restaurant
(914) 949-1440(Thai)
2 Westchester Avenue, White Plains
Siam Orchid Thai Restaurant
(914) 723-9131(Thai)
750 Central Park Avenue, Scarsdale
Swaddee House Of Thai Food
(914) 769-8007 (Thai)
886 Franklin Avenue, Thornwood
Thai House . . . (914) 674-6644(Thai / Vegetarian)
466 Ashford Avenue, Ardsley
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Mix It Up: A Salad Boutique, White Plains
Though I had designs on having Thai today for lunch, that fell through, so I had to get something reliable from an established eatery. I ran some errands and popped into Mix It Up on Mamaroneck Avenue in the downtown area of White Plains to get a salad.
Normally there is a crowd/line right up to the door, but today, I lucked out and there were about six people ahead of me in line. Luckily at my "knit night" last night, my friend and I were discussing local eateries for lunch, and Mix It Up came up in conversation. So I already had a taste for their City Center salad (arugala, dry cranberries, goat cheese, grilled chicken). While I stood in line, I decided I wanted a few more add ins: candied walnuts, croutons, red onion, and their raspberry vinaigrette dressing.
I've been to Mix It Up more than one or two dozen times. They're consistently good salads with fresh ingredients.
Cost:
I'd put it on the higher end (for salads locally). My City Center salad with the extra add ins (3) and one peanut butter cookie cost me nearly $13. I don't have it in my budget as an every day expense, but it's nice that it's available.
Quality/Quantity:
They offer a good variety of "designer" salads (i.e., chef; "bistro"--which is a take on a traditional Nicoise; Calabrese, Cobb, and Greek, to name a few) or you can design your own with the assortment of greens and add ins and dressings. All delicious. Quantity, to me is a great selling point. I have often joked with friends and co-workers that these are some hefty salads. I've threatened to bring my kitchen scale into work one day just to WEIGH one of these salads. Easily I guess there's about 1-2 lbs of stuff in each salad. I could be wrong, but they are really hearty portions.
Offerings:
Salads are their primary focus, however, I do believe there are paninis and even soup on their menu. Some baked goods are offered up by the front register (i.e., choc chip, oatmeal or peanut butter cookies, as well as their chocolate cheesecake brownies, which I have on good authority are quite good). Today I ordered up a peanut butter cookie and it lived up to my expectations.
Location:
The "boutique" is conveniently located on Mamaroneck Avenue, easily accessible on foot for the many folks who work in the downtown area, and there's metered on street parking in front. The decor isn't much to speak of, but a nice attempt was made to make the interior cheerful and modern. There are about two tables located as soon as you enter the boutique, so needless to say their focus is heavily on take out customers.
Note:
This place is only open during the day, and appear to close up towards the late afternoon. So their focus is on the lunch rush.
Overall opinion:
Good solid, dependable, delicious, hearty. This is a place I have gone to many times in the past, and plan on continuing to keep it in my "lunchtime rotation."
Normally there is a crowd/line right up to the door, but today, I lucked out and there were about six people ahead of me in line. Luckily at my "knit night" last night, my friend and I were discussing local eateries for lunch, and Mix It Up came up in conversation. So I already had a taste for their City Center salad (arugala, dry cranberries, goat cheese, grilled chicken). While I stood in line, I decided I wanted a few more add ins: candied walnuts, croutons, red onion, and their raspberry vinaigrette dressing.
I've been to Mix It Up more than one or two dozen times. They're consistently good salads with fresh ingredients.
Cost:
I'd put it on the higher end (for salads locally). My City Center salad with the extra add ins (3) and one peanut butter cookie cost me nearly $13. I don't have it in my budget as an every day expense, but it's nice that it's available.
Quality/Quantity:
They offer a good variety of "designer" salads (i.e., chef; "bistro"--which is a take on a traditional Nicoise; Calabrese, Cobb, and Greek, to name a few) or you can design your own with the assortment of greens and add ins and dressings. All delicious. Quantity, to me is a great selling point. I have often joked with friends and co-workers that these are some hefty salads. I've threatened to bring my kitchen scale into work one day just to WEIGH one of these salads. Easily I guess there's about 1-2 lbs of stuff in each salad. I could be wrong, but they are really hearty portions.
Offerings:
Salads are their primary focus, however, I do believe there are paninis and even soup on their menu. Some baked goods are offered up by the front register (i.e., choc chip, oatmeal or peanut butter cookies, as well as their chocolate cheesecake brownies, which I have on good authority are quite good). Today I ordered up a peanut butter cookie and it lived up to my expectations.
Location:
The "boutique" is conveniently located on Mamaroneck Avenue, easily accessible on foot for the many folks who work in the downtown area, and there's metered on street parking in front. The decor isn't much to speak of, but a nice attempt was made to make the interior cheerful and modern. There are about two tables located as soon as you enter the boutique, so needless to say their focus is heavily on take out customers.
Note:
This place is only open during the day, and appear to close up towards the late afternoon. So their focus is on the lunch rush.
Overall opinion:
Good solid, dependable, delicious, hearty. This is a place I have gone to many times in the past, and plan on continuing to keep it in my "lunchtime rotation."
Full Moon Asian/Thai Restaurant, White Plains
Today is their opening day, and as far as my lunch, it didn't even "make it out of the gate."
I called Full Moon Asian/Thai Restaurant to place an order. After the phone rang for up to ten rings, I was speaking with someone who hardly spoke English, who then put another person on the phone who spoke only marginally more English than he, to inform me that (despite it being on their take out menu) there was no tom kha gai, and rushed me off the phone, as if I didn't have other things I wanted to order.
Not a good first impression. But afterall it IS their first day, and rarely do restaurants get their act together for their opening day.
I wasn't feeling well today and knew that a hot steaming bowl of tom kha gai would have made me feel a bit better, a bit more human (assuming of course, it was authentically made).
I'm not going to harp on the disappointment. But it was their first day. However, I will not further frustrate myself, and will give it a week or two to get its "sea legs" before I attempt to order lunch from them.
Stay tuned.
I managed to salvage my lunch by running errands and picking up a "bucket" of salad from Mix It Up: A Salad Boutique. SEE ALSO: Separate review for Mix It Up.
I called Full Moon Asian/Thai Restaurant to place an order. After the phone rang for up to ten rings, I was speaking with someone who hardly spoke English, who then put another person on the phone who spoke only marginally more English than he, to inform me that (despite it being on their take out menu) there was no tom kha gai, and rushed me off the phone, as if I didn't have other things I wanted to order.
Not a good first impression. But afterall it IS their first day, and rarely do restaurants get their act together for their opening day.
I wasn't feeling well today and knew that a hot steaming bowl of tom kha gai would have made me feel a bit better, a bit more human (assuming of course, it was authentically made).
I'm not going to harp on the disappointment. But it was their first day. However, I will not further frustrate myself, and will give it a week or two to get its "sea legs" before I attempt to order lunch from them.
Stay tuned.
I managed to salvage my lunch by running errands and picking up a "bucket" of salad from Mix It Up: A Salad Boutique. SEE ALSO: Separate review for Mix It Up.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Tarry Lodge, Port Chester
One place I've been to repeatedly so far has been Tarry Lodge in Portchester. It's owned by Bastianich and Batali, and it's become one of my favorite rituals. After the husband and I go for our chiropractic visits, we then head off for our lunch date at Tarry Lodge.
Between the two of us, we have tried an assortment of things on both, the regular menu as well as their lunch/brunch menu specials. Things that have been "repeats" for us have been the gazpacho w/lump crab meat (for him), the beets agrodolce (for me), and sharing the chocolate cake w/blood orange marmalade and house made pistaschio gelatto.
My favorite starters have been (as mentioned above) the beets agrodolce, the lump crab w/piquillos, the melon w/shrimp, and this weekend, I had something off their brunch menu, which was mussels and baby clams in a garlicky broth--of which, I needed more bread (to NOT sop up the broth would be a total waste. It was great.).
We have tried the lion's share of their pasta offerings, with our favorites so far being the black tagliatelli w/lobster, and this week's take on tagliatelli which was plain tagliatelli (non black) w/a buttery affectation (I wouldn't call it a "sauce" as it wasn't really saucy). The dish had a buttery taste to it, with slivers of garlic and fresh parsley, a light hand of julienned jalapeno (not really overly so, trust me, it was nice) and roasted sweet corn. Not a kernel was left in the dish, trust me.
We've also tried an assortment of meat dishes, ranging from hen, and branzino, to pork, with our favorites so far have been the variations/offerings of lamb (especially the one w/a puree of fava beans!), and this week we had the pork chop, which came with sauteed Swiss chard (I believe) and sweet peaches.
And bucking our habit for the chocolate cake (which I believe we've had three times; the other times we've had the panetone bread pudding, lemon cheesecake, and gelato), we opted for the peach crostino (peach cobbler/buckle/brown betty. It was crunchy on top, hot and bubbling full of peach slices below, and was topped with a scoop of house made vanilla gelatto. Delicious, but still, I think next time, we'll go back to the chocolate cake! It truly is the best dessert of the lot.
Cost: An affordable luxury. I wish I could afford to eat there every day, but I am glad that it is accessibly priced for a good lot of people. Your meal can be as pricey as you want it to be, whether you come in for drinks and appetizers; come in for one of their lovely pizzas; or a multi-course dinner. I believe it's reasonably priced, not overly or underly so. It is priced JUST RIGHT.
Quality: The food is, in a word: EXCEPTIONAL. We have gone perhaps a half dozen times so far, and they are consistent, without a problematic meal in the bunch.
Quantity: No "nouvelle" or "haute" cuisine sized portions here. Hearty sized portions.
Service: Exceptional, agreeable, helpful, prompt, courteous, and un-intrusive.
Location: Corner of Mill and Abendroth in Port Chester. On street metered parking, with a lot across the street in two locations.
End Result: I've gone about a half dozen (or more) times, and was satisfied each time. I'm already planning my next trip there. I am ALSO planning on making that corn and tagliatelli dish here at home. It was delicious, and I can't wait to try to duplicate it!
Between the two of us, we have tried an assortment of things on both, the regular menu as well as their lunch/brunch menu specials. Things that have been "repeats" for us have been the gazpacho w/lump crab meat (for him), the beets agrodolce (for me), and sharing the chocolate cake w/blood orange marmalade and house made pistaschio gelatto.
My favorite starters have been (as mentioned above) the beets agrodolce, the lump crab w/piquillos, the melon w/shrimp, and this weekend, I had something off their brunch menu, which was mussels and baby clams in a garlicky broth--of which, I needed more bread (to NOT sop up the broth would be a total waste. It was great.).
We have tried the lion's share of their pasta offerings, with our favorites so far being the black tagliatelli w/lobster, and this week's take on tagliatelli which was plain tagliatelli (non black) w/a buttery affectation (I wouldn't call it a "sauce" as it wasn't really saucy). The dish had a buttery taste to it, with slivers of garlic and fresh parsley, a light hand of julienned jalapeno (not really overly so, trust me, it was nice) and roasted sweet corn. Not a kernel was left in the dish, trust me.
We've also tried an assortment of meat dishes, ranging from hen, and branzino, to pork, with our favorites so far have been the variations/offerings of lamb (especially the one w/a puree of fava beans!), and this week we had the pork chop, which came with sauteed Swiss chard (I believe) and sweet peaches.
And bucking our habit for the chocolate cake (which I believe we've had three times; the other times we've had the panetone bread pudding, lemon cheesecake, and gelato), we opted for the peach crostino (peach cobbler/buckle/brown betty. It was crunchy on top, hot and bubbling full of peach slices below, and was topped with a scoop of house made vanilla gelatto. Delicious, but still, I think next time, we'll go back to the chocolate cake! It truly is the best dessert of the lot.
Cost: An affordable luxury. I wish I could afford to eat there every day, but I am glad that it is accessibly priced for a good lot of people. Your meal can be as pricey as you want it to be, whether you come in for drinks and appetizers; come in for one of their lovely pizzas; or a multi-course dinner. I believe it's reasonably priced, not overly or underly so. It is priced JUST RIGHT.
Quality: The food is, in a word: EXCEPTIONAL. We have gone perhaps a half dozen times so far, and they are consistent, without a problematic meal in the bunch.
Quantity: No "nouvelle" or "haute" cuisine sized portions here. Hearty sized portions.
Service: Exceptional, agreeable, helpful, prompt, courteous, and un-intrusive.
Location: Corner of Mill and Abendroth in Port Chester. On street metered parking, with a lot across the street in two locations.
End Result: I've gone about a half dozen (or more) times, and was satisfied each time. I'm already planning my next trip there. I am ALSO planning on making that corn and tagliatelli dish here at home. It was delicious, and I can't wait to try to duplicate it!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Red Hat on the Hudson, Irvington
For my birthday, I wanted to go to Red Hat on Hudson. I noticed the signs for the bistro when we went to Chutney Masala, just across the street (kinda), and looked online and their menu appealed to me.
Some of the reviews were out of date, and one can only deduce that they were written when the bistro first opened up and was trying to get its footing. The husband was reluctant to go, thinking our enjoyment was not a sure thing; I, however, held out hope.
Some of the reviews were out of date, and one can only deduce that they were written when the bistro first opened up and was trying to get its footing. The husband was reluctant to go, thinking our enjoyment was not a sure thing; I, however, held out hope.
Location: Nice location, making use of a former industrial building. Beautiful view of the Hudson River. We opted to eat inside, as it was a warm evening. We sat upstairs at a table which overlooked the main floor. This gave my impression of THIS TABLE as a mezzanine seat in a theater. I had a great view of everything.
Nice Touch: We happened to be there on an evening when they had live jazz performers. There was a trio, a guitarist, a key boardist, and a bassist. Lovely touch for a birthday evening.
Service: Attentive and solicitious (but not overly so), and food was slow to arrive at the table. Granted, we've traveled abroad and have experienced the "snail like pace" of dinner at restaurants in Barcelona (wait from 1-2 hours before food ever arrives at the table), and though the food WAS slow to arrive, it wasn't a prolonged wait of 1-2 hours! We were hungry, damnit!
Dinner: Mind you, this is being pecked out nearly a month after the fact (I've been on vacation, real, mental, and otherwise), so forgive if I've overlooked a few items. I recall the husband having the soup of the day (perhaps a gazpacho), and I opted for a salad on the specials which was a Panzanilla of local grown tomatoes and goat cheese. He opted for a loin of pork w/swiss chard and I believe polenta which was supposed to contain some jalapeno (tho such a light hand you really could not detect), and I had the Spice Crusted Crescent Duck Breast (on the regular menus) which ame with sauteed Swiss chard, sauce poivrade and rhubarb-cherry chutney. And lastly dessert for my birthday consisted of the Coconut Milk Brioche Bread Pudding with cashew praline, mango sorbet.
Overall first impression: Enjoyable. Nice for a special occasion. Classy without being pretentious. Nice take on a French bistro. Good food, romantic vibe, nice location, great music, good service. I would like to go back and try a steak and frites, the backbone of bistro menus.
Complaint: I thought the pricing was higher than other eateries in the Westchester area. The food was great, though, I can't justify the high price for everything we had. Will this prohibit me from returning? Not likely; however, it will relegate its status (in MY mind, and for me personally) as a place to go for special occasions, and not for my semi-monthly dining out rotation of places I dine at habitually.
I look forward to returning there!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Haiku, White Plains
Just a quickie post devoted to my first visit to Haiku, located along Mamaroneck Avenue, in downtown White Plains.
Overall first impression: Great location. It's occupying the same space that Acapulco Mexican restaurant once did. Convenient location for plenty of foot traffic for the many folks who work for the state and county offices right here in White Plains.
Where we ate: Me and my lunch companion did not eat-in; we opted for take out. So we availed ourselves of the lounge area off to the right of the entryway. Everything is ultra modern and comfortable, and I can easily see being unable to get inside on a Friday or Saturday night. The bar area sports several big screen TVs, and in the lounge there's an LED type screen of bamboo which streams out the name of the bistro, in an artistic fashion. Comfortable seating in the lounge, to boot, too.
Service: The hostess was attentive and took our orders without hesitation.
Cost: Haiku offers several delicious lunch offerings which are pretty reasonable, ranging from $7.25 to $10.95. Chinese, Thai, and Malaysian food are all represented on the lunch special menu, and the lunch specials all include a choice of rice, and soup or salad. Affordable enough to become a regular haunt.
Eaten: My friend opted just for some shrimp shumai (which were delicious, but nothing "out-of-the-ordinary" as far as special. It was your basic shrimp shumai. I ordered up the Szechuan Crispy Shredded Dried Beef lunch special, which I got with brown rice, and wonton soup. The soup was good, if not basic, though the broth was not overly salted dishwater broth; it was light and pleasant with some greens I suspect were baby spinach in it, and two tasty wontons. The crispy shredded dried beef was just that. It was not dripping in sauce, but the strips of beef were fried to a crisp, tossed with some mildly sweet sauce and served w/a sprig of cilantro and some shredded mango. Both my friend and I agreed this was worth a return trip back just to get this dish again.
Portion size: As the Szechuan crispy shredded dried beef lunch special was $8.25, I found it to be a bargain. With the soup and the rice, it turned out to be quite filling, and I've saved half of it for lunch tomorrow. All I need is more soup, and I've got another full hot lunch!
Suggestion: Serve this dish with a small wedge of lime. While the dish wasn't overly sweet, the lime can really do wonders with perking up the mango shreds and bring a new layer to the dish. It'd be nice to have the option of lime.
I am already planning a return trip back there. What do I get? Do I get the tempura appetizer of battered shrimp and veggies with an order of miso soup? Or do I opt for the crispy calamari salad with a few pieces of sashimi or sushi to start (scanning menu... sea urchin! my favorite!)? Or do I go in another direction entirely and opt for the Malaysian style red curry with jumbo shrimp?
Result: I can't wait to go again, I'm checking off my take out menu of all the things I want to try next.
Thanks for a great lunch!
Overall first impression: Great location. It's occupying the same space that Acapulco Mexican restaurant once did. Convenient location for plenty of foot traffic for the many folks who work for the state and county offices right here in White Plains.
Where we ate: Me and my lunch companion did not eat-in; we opted for take out. So we availed ourselves of the lounge area off to the right of the entryway. Everything is ultra modern and comfortable, and I can easily see being unable to get inside on a Friday or Saturday night. The bar area sports several big screen TVs, and in the lounge there's an LED type screen of bamboo which streams out the name of the bistro, in an artistic fashion. Comfortable seating in the lounge, to boot, too.
Service: The hostess was attentive and took our orders without hesitation.
Cost: Haiku offers several delicious lunch offerings which are pretty reasonable, ranging from $7.25 to $10.95. Chinese, Thai, and Malaysian food are all represented on the lunch special menu, and the lunch specials all include a choice of rice, and soup or salad. Affordable enough to become a regular haunt.
Eaten: My friend opted just for some shrimp shumai (which were delicious, but nothing "out-of-the-ordinary" as far as special. It was your basic shrimp shumai. I ordered up the Szechuan Crispy Shredded Dried Beef lunch special, which I got with brown rice, and wonton soup. The soup was good, if not basic, though the broth was not overly salted dishwater broth; it was light and pleasant with some greens I suspect were baby spinach in it, and two tasty wontons. The crispy shredded dried beef was just that. It was not dripping in sauce, but the strips of beef were fried to a crisp, tossed with some mildly sweet sauce and served w/a sprig of cilantro and some shredded mango. Both my friend and I agreed this was worth a return trip back just to get this dish again.
Portion size: As the Szechuan crispy shredded dried beef lunch special was $8.25, I found it to be a bargain. With the soup and the rice, it turned out to be quite filling, and I've saved half of it for lunch tomorrow. All I need is more soup, and I've got another full hot lunch!
Suggestion: Serve this dish with a small wedge of lime. While the dish wasn't overly sweet, the lime can really do wonders with perking up the mango shreds and bring a new layer to the dish. It'd be nice to have the option of lime.
I am already planning a return trip back there. What do I get? Do I get the tempura appetizer of battered shrimp and veggies with an order of miso soup? Or do I opt for the crispy calamari salad with a few pieces of sashimi or sushi to start (scanning menu... sea urchin! my favorite!)? Or do I go in another direction entirely and opt for the Malaysian style red curry with jumbo shrimp?
Result: I can't wait to go again, I'm checking off my take out menu of all the things I want to try next.
Thanks for a great lunch!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Chutney Masala, Irvington
Just a quickie post devoted to my first visit to Chutney Masala, which is along the waterfront in Irvington.
Overall first impression: Great location. Nice building. Great environ. Close to the water, but not RIGHT on the water (as my previously blogged about Xaviar's X2O is). But close enough to get that vibe. Down by the water, warehouses are being repurposed into retail spots and restaurants. I wish I could find a condo nearby to settle into. It's an ideal location for a walker (or in my case, a walker who wishes to walk more).
Note: We had difficulty finding the restaurant. So those intending on enjoying Chutney Masala who are not familiar with Irvington should make note that when you follow Main Street down to the crossroad of Astor, make a right on Astor (this apparently is West Main Street). Go up over an overpass, and follow down. The restaurant will be on your right after about 50 yards or so.
Where we ate: Main dining room downstairs. Very clean, very nicely decorated. Plenty of visual eye candy, pictures, good color on the walls, and comfortable seating; yet nothing was over the "over-the-top-typical-Hindustani-kitsch." Sure there were old timey photos dating back nearly a hundred years, of men in turbans in front of buildings or driving sporty coupes of the day. But lacking were the over-done paintings and prints of women in saris or representations of Hindu deities or religious sagas. The place was nearly sequin and spangle-free.
Service: Attentive without being obtrusive.
Cost: Roughly $17 per person for brunch. Affordable enough to become a regular haunt.
Eaten: The buffet featured the expected butter chicken and channa masala, and a lamb curry. But what we went there for was to experience the Chettinad style fish curry. We were happy that there was a red cabbage dish on the menu, a thuial, or some-such; a simple subzhi (veggie stir fry) with toasted split channa, coconut, and cabbage being the main features. I was very happy with this and the bread. The lamb curry was pleasant.
Note: For dishes which could have been a bit more "garam" or spicy-hot (the channa masala; and especially the Chettinad style fish curry) things fell a bit flat. Rather than opting for something closer to an authentic taste, the cook dumbed down the flavor for the American palate. This is unfortunate, but did not completely mar our experience. The naans were fluffy and pleasant, and the behl puri (an Indian chaat containing chopped tomato, onion, cilantro, chile, tamarind chutney and puffed rice crisps and sev crispies, was very fresh, very authentic, and very enjoyable.
We shared dessert of gujar halwah (carrot halwa) and gulab jamum (little fried dough balls made of milk powder, served in a sweet rosewater and cardamom syrup). Both were delicious.
Result: I would like to go back and try to order off the menu next time, and be able to request the spicing to be "authentic." I look forward to my next trip there!
Overall first impression: Great location. Nice building. Great environ. Close to the water, but not RIGHT on the water (as my previously blogged about Xaviar's X2O is). But close enough to get that vibe. Down by the water, warehouses are being repurposed into retail spots and restaurants. I wish I could find a condo nearby to settle into. It's an ideal location for a walker (or in my case, a walker who wishes to walk more).
Note: We had difficulty finding the restaurant. So those intending on enjoying Chutney Masala who are not familiar with Irvington should make note that when you follow Main Street down to the crossroad of Astor, make a right on Astor (this apparently is West Main Street). Go up over an overpass, and follow down. The restaurant will be on your right after about 50 yards or so.
Where we ate: Main dining room downstairs. Very clean, very nicely decorated. Plenty of visual eye candy, pictures, good color on the walls, and comfortable seating; yet nothing was over the "over-the-top-typical-Hindustani-kitsch." Sure there were old timey photos dating back nearly a hundred years, of men in turbans in front of buildings or driving sporty coupes of the day. But lacking were the over-done paintings and prints of women in saris or representations of Hindu deities or religious sagas. The place was nearly sequin and spangle-free.
Service: Attentive without being obtrusive.
Cost: Roughly $17 per person for brunch. Affordable enough to become a regular haunt.
Eaten: The buffet featured the expected butter chicken and channa masala, and a lamb curry. But what we went there for was to experience the Chettinad style fish curry. We were happy that there was a red cabbage dish on the menu, a thuial, or some-such; a simple subzhi (veggie stir fry) with toasted split channa, coconut, and cabbage being the main features. I was very happy with this and the bread. The lamb curry was pleasant.
Note: For dishes which could have been a bit more "garam" or spicy-hot (the channa masala; and especially the Chettinad style fish curry) things fell a bit flat. Rather than opting for something closer to an authentic taste, the cook dumbed down the flavor for the American palate. This is unfortunate, but did not completely mar our experience. The naans were fluffy and pleasant, and the behl puri (an Indian chaat containing chopped tomato, onion, cilantro, chile, tamarind chutney and puffed rice crisps and sev crispies, was very fresh, very authentic, and very enjoyable.
We shared dessert of gujar halwah (carrot halwa) and gulab jamum (little fried dough balls made of milk powder, served in a sweet rosewater and cardamom syrup). Both were delicious.
Result: I would like to go back and try to order off the menu next time, and be able to request the spicing to be "authentic." I look forward to my next trip there!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Xaviar's X2O, Yonkers
Just a quickie post devoted to my first visit to Xaviar's X2O, which is along the Yonkers waterfront.
Overall first impression: Great location. Nice building. Great environ.
Where we ate: Main dining room. Reminded me of the grand dining rooms you see on cruise ships. To date, I've been on three cruises (all three, different lines) and this room reminded me of the dining experiences I've had on board. The dining room has great river views and the building is on a pier, jutting into the river.
Service: Exceptional. I wish I took down the names of who waited on us. They kept the mimosas flowing and took very good care of us.
Cost: $38 per person for brunch. Pricey? Yes. However, I've eaten brunch at the Bellagio and the Venetian in Las Vegas, and those were on par, price wise, and quality wise, with Xaviars X2O.
Eaten: The husband had a asparagus and shrimp tempura starter and the pork loin entree w/swiss chard and polenta. The polenta was supposed to have jalapeno in it, however, when we tasted it, it didn't even have a hint of chile pepper in it. I ordered up the seafood bisque (which was lovely), and the garganelli w/rock shrimp and broccoli rabe/rapini in a light tomato cream sauce. Lovely meal.
Portion Size: Healthy without being heavy-handed. Enough to eat until sated, but not so much to be wasteful.
Special Feature/Note: In addition to the bottomless mimosas and bread assortment (highly recommend the pumpkin bread!), is the fact that the waiters come around with "tasting" portions of about four or five other items being offered. The day we were there, the "tasters" were: mushroom ravioli, lamb chop, coconut shrimp. I don't remember what else was offered. It was all truly delicious.
We ordered desserts. The husband had the Belgian Chocolate Dome, and I opted for the Warm Chocolate Souffle Cake. Both were lovely, inundating us with chocolate in different forms.
What I was surprised by: Mr. Kelly, to my knowledge, is not Asian; however, the few Asian items we enjoyed (tempura, mushroom ravioli--really seemed more like mushroom gyoza, and coconut shrimp) seemed to be executed with good intent. I look forward to trying out more Asian items the next time I visit.
What I regret: That I did not try out one of Mr. Kelly's steaks (though I don't recall if there was one on the brunch menu). I look forward to coming back and trying out more of the menu options.
Result: Definitely will be back!
Overall first impression: Great location. Nice building. Great environ.
Where we ate: Main dining room. Reminded me of the grand dining rooms you see on cruise ships. To date, I've been on three cruises (all three, different lines) and this room reminded me of the dining experiences I've had on board. The dining room has great river views and the building is on a pier, jutting into the river.
Service: Exceptional. I wish I took down the names of who waited on us. They kept the mimosas flowing and took very good care of us.
Cost: $38 per person for brunch. Pricey? Yes. However, I've eaten brunch at the Bellagio and the Venetian in Las Vegas, and those were on par, price wise, and quality wise, with Xaviars X2O.
Eaten: The husband had a asparagus and shrimp tempura starter and the pork loin entree w/swiss chard and polenta. The polenta was supposed to have jalapeno in it, however, when we tasted it, it didn't even have a hint of chile pepper in it. I ordered up the seafood bisque (which was lovely), and the garganelli w/rock shrimp and broccoli rabe/rapini in a light tomato cream sauce. Lovely meal.
Portion Size: Healthy without being heavy-handed. Enough to eat until sated, but not so much to be wasteful.
Special Feature/Note: In addition to the bottomless mimosas and bread assortment (highly recommend the pumpkin bread!), is the fact that the waiters come around with "tasting" portions of about four or five other items being offered. The day we were there, the "tasters" were: mushroom ravioli, lamb chop, coconut shrimp. I don't remember what else was offered. It was all truly delicious.
We ordered desserts. The husband had the Belgian Chocolate Dome, and I opted for the Warm Chocolate Souffle Cake. Both were lovely, inundating us with chocolate in different forms.
What I was surprised by: Mr. Kelly, to my knowledge, is not Asian; however, the few Asian items we enjoyed (tempura, mushroom ravioli--really seemed more like mushroom gyoza, and coconut shrimp) seemed to be executed with good intent. I look forward to trying out more Asian items the next time I visit.
What I regret: That I did not try out one of Mr. Kelly's steaks (though I don't recall if there was one on the brunch menu). I look forward to coming back and trying out more of the menu options.
Result: Definitely will be back!
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