Stuff Yer Face, Westchester!

Post-Mortem: Tango Grill, White Plains

2011-10-06T19:17:00.001-07:00

As if the broken windows weren't bad enough...

For Those Keeping Track: Full Moon Thai, White Plains

2011-06-30T10:03:00.000-07:00

I'm still avoiding this place.

Niko's Taverna, White Plains

2011-06-30T09:47:00.000-07:00

Niko's Taverna, White Plains

Niko's came highly recommended from a friend, who also recommended Nemea Taverna in Mamaroneck, and if memory serves me correctly, Nemea is owned by the same family or the kids of the same family that own Niko's.

I've been on a bit of an octopus "kick" lately, even going so far as to attempt to learn to prepare octopus myself. I found a local fish shop that sells octopus, and I've tried twice to do it myself, and I just wish I knew what the folks at Niko's do! Their octopus is so tender and soft. Delicious. Simply and deliciously made:) Here's what remained of my meal from last night. I had the village salad and the octopus appetizer as my entree, meanwhile the husband had the hummus as a starter and had a chicken gyro.

We lucked out and got prime parking in the front of the taverna, and despite the lovely weather, we sat inside for dinner.

Food was freshly prepared, vibrant, smelling and tasting fresh and delicious.

Pricing was good, not exorbitant.

Service was acceptable, basic level of attentiveness. Yet we went without refills on our drinks. No biggie, but still noticeable.

Decor inside, could be defined as "meh" lackluster, but basic and clean. The menu had plenty of great things to try.

Niko's strikes me as the great little local gem, one you visit again and again, working your way thru their entire repertoire until you decide on which dish is your favorite. I suspect, that in time, I'll find everything on their menu is a favorite.

I'll definitely be returning.

Note to self: Check and see if Niko's or Nemea are participating on Open Table.

Over Due For a Visit: Espana, Larchmont

2011-06-17T08:51:00.000-07:00

Espana Tapas, Larchmont

Love this place. Been there about a dozen times since January.

LOVE LOVE LOVE this place.

So it baffles me as to how or why I haven't popped up a review here.

The 3 Jalapenos, Mamaroneck

2011-06-17T08:44:00.000-07:00

Was there a few weeks ago. Exact details escape me at this point as to what exactly was ordered, tho to be honest, both the husband and I started with a soup (I had the chicken, and he had the black bean) and both were delicious, as were our entrees.

We need to make another trip back there... SOONISH!

Longer, detailed review/commentary to follow.

EVENTUALLY.

Nearby Farmers Markets

2011-05-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

This listing will be updated periodically with the most up to date information I find on farmers markets in the White Plains vicinity.

Dear Reader, if you happen to notice that a farmers market is not listed (i.e. West Harrison, Elmsford, Mt. Pleasant, Mamaroneck, for instance), please feel free to list all the details in the comments section, and it'll be added to this modest compilation. Thanks!

TUESDAY:

Farmer's Market Pepsico
800 Anderson Hill Road
Purchase, NY
9:30 a.m.
5/24 5/31 6/7 6/14 6/21
For more details:
http://www.localharvest.org/farmers-market-pepsico-purchase-M41292

WEDNESDAY:

White Plains International Open Air Farmers Market
Court St (nr.Renaissance Plaza)
White Plains, NY
8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

FRIDAY:

Dobbs Ferry Farmers Market
Cedar & Main Sts.
Dobbs Ferry, NY
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.am - 4pm
June 25 - October 29

SATURDAY:

Hartsdale Farmers Market
Hartsdale Train Station
East Hartsdale Avenue
Hartsdale, NY
9:00 a.m.
6/4 6/11 6/18 7/2
For more details:
http://www.greenburghny.com

Larchmont Farmers Market
Metro North upper lot # 3
Chatsworth Ave.
Larchmont, NY
8:30 a.m. to 1p.m.
May 29 - December 18

Riddle Me This: Tango Grill, White Plains

2011-05-20T14:18:00.000-07:00

What the heck is up with the windows at Tango Grill in White Plains? Every time I walk by this place, between 2-4 windows are ALWAYS BUSTED OUT, and they're not always the same windows, so obviously they ARE being repaired.

Sometimes it looks like a bullet hole; other times it looks like someone just hammered into the window shattering it in its pane.

Sure, they have a valet...
Sure, they require reservations...

I feel confident in speculating that the food there could very well be delightful.

However! (And this is a BIG however), it doesn't matter how nice the food is, or how lovely the ambiance, or how attentive the service is, if, while you are there paying $29 for a pork chop entree, some crack-addled derelict decides THAT night is the perfect night to do a drive-by or terrorize diners by bashing on the nearest window with a hammer or a rock.

Can someone explain why their windows are consistently busted out, and/or, why after the first 20 windows they've replaced, why they have not had their windows replaced with bullet proof glass?

Note to the web designer for Tango Grill: Please give folks a button to skip out of the flash animation. It's so passee. Even Steve Jobs thinks it's an outdated technology.

White Plains: A Bit of Old News & Some New

2011-05-20T11:34:00.000-07:00

It's been a while!

Let's see, what's happening in town:

Closed:
Meme Bakery (been closed a few months, lost track of how long it's been). Wish I could say I missed the place, despite its promise, I wasn't impressed.

Expanded:
Manna Foods
http://www.mannafoodsonline.com
171 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, NY 10601-5302
(914) 946-2233

As of May 13th, the store re-opened after expanding into the adjacent space, thus doubling the size and breadth of the store. I can't wait to head in there for my vitamins and browse the new shelves!

A note for some folks who don't traverse to the depths of the back of the store: there is prepared food available (soups, and other items for lunches, all vegetarian if my memory serves me correct). I need to head there ASAP!

Been Open a While:
Melt
http://www.meltsandwich.com
277 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, NY 10605
(914) 358-1364

How or why is it, I JUST RECENTLY realized this shop opened? Apparently it's been open since 2009!

It's about a block further than I normally walk during lunches, but I figured I'd give it a try. So the first sunny day after I realized this shop exists, I popped in.

Considering I'm only four months out from weight loss surgery, and being wooed by the smokey smell in the shop, I opted for one of their half salads, the Wedge, which had some bacon on it. I had them add some chicken to it so my nutritional need for more protein were met. With a large ice tea, lunch came to about $9. A little pricey for a half salad, but worth it.

Mmmmmm.... smokey meat! I'm coming to get you. Next time! Next time!

Everything was fresh and tasty. Not a wilted leaf in the bowl. The iced tea was good and didn't taste like instant dreck, always a plus.

I'm ogle-ing their menu right this moment, and day dreaming of what else I might have at my next visit.

One request (if the owners are reading): Nutritional info please! I'd love to know calories and protein counts of the menu items. It helps a lot to negotiate what I (and no doubt other folks, too) can have for lunch!

They even have a blog http://meltsandwich.blogspot.com/ ! And thanks to them, I didn't know about the existence of the 914 Magazine:)

Good luck to the folks at Melt! Hope you're around for a while! Good food, plus a good excuse to get a little extra walk in my day!

Note: My links are not hyperlinking. Hope to fix this once at home tonight. But I'm so ready to hit publish post, RIGHT. THIS. MINUTE!

*PUBLISH!*

Today's Fortune

2011-01-13T12:24:00.000-08:00

As I'm gearing up to be out of the office for four weeks recovering from WLS, I have also been clearing out my desk so when I return, I hope invigorated and with new energy and perspective.

In going thru my things here, I discovered a fortune cookie that I had not yet opened. Until today. I tossed the cookie and read the fortune:

"Today is your day to call the shots; so you should."

Today's Fortune

2010-12-21T13:29:00.000-08:00

An aim in life is the only fortune worth finding.

Closed & Coming Soon

2010-12-21T13:27:00.000-08:00

Closed: Sea World, corner of Martine & Court, White Plains (evicted September, 2010)
Coming Soon: Cheeburger Cheeburger, Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains

Jury is still out on if it'll re-open or not: Bengal Tiger.

Another Stray Fortune

2010-12-07T09:48:00.001-08:00

You make people realize that there exist other beauties in the world.

Ganked From White Plains Patch: Bengal Tiger Update

2010-12-07T09:45:00.000-08:00

The White Plains Common Council opted to purchase the former site of the Bengal Tiger restaurant, and not Ridgeway Country Club Monday.
By Dina Sciortino

The White Plains Common Council approved the issuance of $1.4 million in bonds Monday, to purchase .23 acres, at 134-142 East Post Rd., to potentially use it as a temporary parking facility. They also opted not to bond $15 million to purchase and renovate Ridgeway Country Club.

The property is located at former site of the Bengal Tiger restaurant. A July fire destroyed the store and six others leaving a massive ugly hole on East Post Rd. and Court St.

"What we don't need is a hole in the ground there for five years," said Council President Thomas Roach. "This will help the local merchants, while at the same time we are receiving revenue for the parking. We will have control of that land and in the future, and will have control of much of that block."

Mayor Adam Bradley said the property could be used temporarily for parking and that long-term plans for the site have not been decided.

"I'm not prejudging saying what we should do, or when we should do it, but I do think that given the essential nature of that portion of our city to the future development of our city—it's wise to take action at this point," said Roach.

Roach explained that the City already owns much of the block. Though the former Bengal Tiger site abuts a City owned parking lot, Roach said there is a lack of parking in the area.

"This is a parking lot. Running a country club is something the City is not equipped to do," said Roach.

Though a bond ordinance to issue $15 million in bonds to acquire and renovate Ridgeway Country Club was moved from Nov. 5 to the Dec. 6 agenda, the council did not approve the issuance of the bonds.

"The issue with Ridgeway you got to remember—the was council seeking some kind of business plan or study that could show it could of supported itself, but that was never provided to us," said Roach. "That really is the underlying basis for the council's failure to move forward with that purchase."

Bradley said that it was "very clear" that the bids Ridgeway received to purchase the site are sealed. Officials for Ridgeway Country Club did not immediately return phone calls from White Plains Patch.

Culinary Bucket List

2010-11-23T08:31:00.000-08:00

Places I want to check out:

Birdsall House
Bollywood Bistro
Bedford Post
Moderne Barn
Half Moon
Tyrinda Thai
Red Plum (to try the coconut fish soup)

Stray Fortunes

2010-11-22T08:22:00.000-08:00

Apparently, unconsciously, I've been collecting fortunes from fortune cookies. Usually if I'm reading while eating, I'll just tuck it into a book as a book mark. But now, I've got a few...

It is better to ask some questions than to know all the answers.

Through greater effort and hard work, a precious dream comes true.

You enjoy giving gifts of yourself to others. You will be rewarded!

Enthusiasm is the greatest asset in the world. It beats money, power and influence.

Expect the best!

I suppose in the future, as I collect these, I'll intersperse them through out my blog entries. At the moment, I'm viewing them as mini pep talks! Hope they help!

Okay, It's Been a While...

2010-11-22T07:43:00.000-08:00

This'll be a panapoly of thoughts regarding places I have been since, oh, say AUGUST. Doing this, rather than getting bogged down in individual reviews, just to get myself back into the groove of posting here.

One late afternoon in July, I checked out Meme's Bakery. Tho they really did put a lot of work into creating their own space (there was a bakery there previously), and the pastries did look delicious, I was in the mood for a late lunch, and opted for one of their paninis. I got the turkey. I don't know if it was due to being so late in the day or what, but the turkey didn't taste fresh. I haven't been back, nor have I had a panini elsewhere. So far my limited dining experience has been, "Meme? Meh meh." I hope to return, and hope to be wowed. It's a great little shop, and the volume/variety of bakeries around here really has been diminishing.

One day, the husband picked me up for lunch, a rare treat, since I work in Westco, and he works in NYC. So off to Haiku Asian Bistro we went. We sat at the sushi bar, and we both had lunch special bento boxes. Fantastic variety and volume of food. Soup. Salad. California roll. Small entree. Rice. Fruit. The lunch special was the way to go. We both thought we might not finish it all. I've been to Haiku repeatedly, and have not been let down. Additionally, it's a lounge set up, so I can imagine how lively it is on a Saturday night.

In August, the husband took me to Le Panetiere in Rye for my birthday. Since our trip to Paris in the spring, the husband has been ga-ga for French cuisine. What a lovely evening it was. The food was wonderful, service beyond attentive and the decor was French country. Cost: an affordable luxury for special occasions.

Now this is where my memory gets murky! I don't remember WHEN, but at least twice we went to Le Provencal Bistro in Mamaroneck. Delicious food, sunny interior (we sat by the windows and people watched and chatted between bites). Last time I was there I had the duck; however, next time, I hope to try the Escargots Bourginion. The last time we were there, as we were exiting, both of us became intoxicated by the kitchen smells... and that's what they were preparing. Their lunch pre-fixe menu makes this a lovely treat for us once every few weeks, as the husband and I have a mutual appointment, after which, we then head out for a lunch date.

Normally, our "go-to" place has been Tarry Lodge in Portchester. Lovely interior. Great wait staff, and a menu that changes from time to time, depending on season or what is available on hand. Every time the gnocchi with stewed oxtails is moved off the menu, we cry a little. We've been slowly but surely working our way thru their menu. Chef Andy Nusser and his staff have never let us down. The food is always delicious, plated beautifully, is hot and wonderful. Husband's favorite pizza is the guanicale/soft cooked egg/black truffle; mine so far is a margherita w/proscuitto. The garganelli with three different mushrooms is delicious, as well as all their grill items. A must have is their warm chocolate cake, served with blood orange marmalade and house made pistachio ice cream.

On a sad note, I've noticed the gal who normally would seat us is gone, not sure if what I heard is true, that she went on to do pastry work at La Panetiere (or maybe I have her confused with someone else?). I'm sad to notice she's no longer at Tarry Lodge.

Granted we're semi-regulars, going there once every 3 weeks or so; however, she was always professional with us. This last time we went (about two weeks ago), the replacement hostess had a bit of an attitude with us. The kind of attitude snooty hostesses at shee-shee clubs in NYC sometimes have. This is PORTCHESTER for goodness sake, plus we're semi-regulars. Arriving 5-10 minutes early, while they're still setting up for lunch, really shouldn't have required us to leave, possibly visit the market on the corner (also a Batali & Bastianich establishment) and return. Why couldn't we have sat down and had water? We were the only ones there, plus we weren't in a rush. Just a place to sit is more than adequate.

It's not so much WHAT she said, but her body language and overall demeanor just made my husband and I feel uneasy. Next time, if this happens again, I'll be sure to say something to a manager, as it's just unprofessional. And let's be honest, in the food & hospitality biz, if you're not "hospitable," I'd just assume let my money do the talking on my behalf and go elsewhere.

As much as I love Tarry Lodge's food, no one should be made to feel like a pariah. Fat or thin, black or white, rich or poor, money is still GREEN.

Ultimately it comes down to this: we learned of about Tarry Lodge via word of mouth. Most of my friends are all foodies, and we rely heavily on word of mouth when it comes to spending our hard earned money at establishments, to ensure we have a good time overall (food, service, etc).

Looking Forward To: Birdsall House, Peekskill

2010-07-19T10:02:00.001-07:00

Four words:

Bacon.
Flecked.
Ice.
Cream.

La Manda's, White Plains

2010-07-11T17:32:00.000-07:00

La Manda's Restaurant
(No Website)
251 Tarrytown Road
White Plains, NY 10607-1622
(914) 684-9228

Upon the recommendation of a friend who's frequented it, and despite the many negative reviews I've read online, I cajoled the husband to try out La Manda's tonight.

I've lived in Westchester about ten years and have passed this joint to and from work every day, and finally decided "tonight's the night."

Our first red flag was that we were caught off guard when we read on the menu "no credit cards." We quickly checked our wallets and figured out we had enough for dinner.

One of the things my friend raved about was their house salad, a simple yet enjoyable combination of greens and tomatoes, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper and maybe some oregano. I totally forgot about this when I saw they had escarole soup on their menu.

Sadly, the escarole soup seemed more like a chicken vegetable with some random noodles in it which they simmered some escarole in the broth. It was also curiously tangy. I'm hoping it's lemon in the broth. I can't think of any reason why escarole soup would be tangy.

As far as me and my stomach are concerned, we're on standby for some agita.

The husband opted for the lentil soup, which was also sorta tangy, which we're hoping was due to whatever tomato puree or other tomato product they put in the soup.

He opted for the chicken cacciatore (boneless) and I opted for the linguine a vongole. Both entrees fell short of our expectations.

For starters, the cacciatore seemed "off," as far as texture. The chicken cubes were stringy and the sauce had the consistency of Campbell's tomato soup, which was thickened with too much starch.

The linguine vongole initially appeared promising, as the bowl atop the dish revealed a veritable mountain of small clams. It was only upon opening each of the shells that revealed the amount of clam meat that would measure roughly that of the fingernail on my pinky. I now feel sorry for all those clams that gave their lives and died in vain for my disappointing meal.

The brodo that the clams and linguine were in, wasn't flavorful enough. No white wine and the garlic was hardly noticeable. Sure there were chunks of garlic, all golden and gently sauteed, leaving the chunks with a sweet and slightly nutty taste, but for garlicky punch... there was none.

We decided to cut our losses and not attempt their desserts or coffee. I'm sure the waitress was on to us, as we had plenty of leftovers which we politely declined being packaged up for left overs.

The decor is old and dated, and part of their charm. It's a place where time has stood still. It's a cozy, familiar local family run place, and probably looks not much different than it did when it opened in 1947.

The location is nice, with plenty of alternate, off street (as in, off of Rt 119) parking.

When we got in there, there was a small line, and a short wait. People seemed friendly enough.

Wasn't there long enough to check out the cleanliness of the bathroom.

Cost for our two soups, two seltzers, and two entrees came to nearly $46. Inexpensive. I could see this as a good selling point for this place.

The husband and I are both split on whether to return to try them out one final time before giving up on it entirely or putting it in the rotation for our "usual spots."

I hold out the (perhaps it may be false?) hope that the "golden egg" of this place is their chicken or eggplant parmesan or perhaps their pizza really is their specialty.

The husband says, and I quote, "There is no force on this earth which would make me go back."

I'm just glad we gave it a try.

For me, for the area, the "Kings" of this "genre" of family style Italian restaurant/pizzeria are Nicky's and Magnotta's. So, I'd like to find out for myself how La Manda's stacks up in the pizza department.

I'll be back. Just don't know when.

ON FIRE AT THE MOMENT: BENGAL TIGER

2010-07-07T13:37:00.001-07:00

Nothing further to report at the moment; however, there are billows of black smoke coming from the building that Bengal Tiger shares w/Star Cleaners, etc.

ETA:

For more information, check out the article on LoHud.

ETA:

19 hours later... Looks like the Latin American Cafe also bit the dust in this mega fire. I hope they manage to come back after this! Their garlic chicken was orgasmic!

Good luck to all the merchants who suffered in the fire! Glad no one got seriously hurt!

10-13 Benefit, Porter House, White Plains

2010-06-27T08:58:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, June 27, 2010, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., The White Plains PBA will be hosting a fund raiser held at the Porter House Restaurant in White Plains.

On Saturday, June 12, 2010, Police Officer Michael Perry of the White Plains Police Department died of a heart attack after a foot chase and apprehending a perpetrator.

As a result of his line of duty death, he was posthumously promoted to Detective.

Cost is $25, and there will be a 50/50. Funds will go towards a scholarship fund for his twin sons.

Mark Your Calendar! 3/21/10

2010-02-21T09:17:00.000-08:00

Cochon 555: The only competition in the US featuring heritage pigs from local farms, chefs, butchers, and family owned wineries.

Masala Kraft Cafe, Hartsdale

2010-02-01T07:52:00.000-08:00

This Saturday we decided to check out Masala Kraft Cafe, located in the snug downtown area of Hartsdale.

To call Masala Kraft Cafe a "cafe," is sort of misleading. Those who are fond and knowledgeable of Indian food would call this a "chaat house." Chaat being the small or portable snack type things usually found in road side vendors in larger metropolitan areas in India (such as sev puri, samosa chaat, chana bhatura, dosas, etc).

To call it a "chaat house" is not a way to denigrate this fine establishment. I make the distinction to put a finer point on what type of place this is. It would be on par with a deli, sandwich shop or coffee shop, offering a limited menu of items for early to mid-day meals or snacks, rather than an establishment to go for a multi-course dinner.

Masala Kraft Cafe is very thoughtfully appointed with a modern, yet nondescript type of atmosphere. It is clean, modern, and accommodating, with some nice decorator touches, but without the typical decorations one would expect from an Indian establishment. Even the stoneware dishes the food is served upon has the personal touch, as each are emblazoned with the Masala Kraft Cafe name.

The restaurant itself is fairly small with about six tables and a long granite snack bar with high bar stools which face out onto the busy main street to accommodate a small amount of patrons at a time. The place was just about full when we arrived.

Parking is conveniently (and if you're not familiar with the downtown area, it's deceptively) around the corner in a municipal parking garage, we happily parked our car and walked in the cold for what we hoped would be a great lunch.

We placed our order and settled into some bar stools up front to "people watch" until our food arrived.

Masala Kraft Cafe has been open for roughly seven months, and business was bustling for a Saturday, especially one where the temperature outside was near freezing. I can only imagine how busy this place will be once the weather warms up. I gladly snagged one of their take out menus, and intend on enjoying their food by way of take out, rather than fight the crowds with a stomach grumbling.

Service was good. The person taking our order was helpful with suggestions, and the person delivering the food to where we sat was pleasant and unharried.

My husband ordered pao bajji which was on the specials menu (pao = bread; bajji = vegetables cooked on a grill with spices), however we had the option to have it served in a dosa (a crispy south Indian crepe made from fermented rice and white urad, a type of lentil), which came with coconut chutney and a vegetable sambar (a south Indian brothy soup/condiment thing made with thoor dal, another type of lentil, and south Indian spices and tomato). I ordered the channa bhatura, which is a type of channa masala (spicey chick peas with a tomato gravy) with a deep fried biscuit. Both of our items came to us hot, and made to order.

The bhatura was delicious and decadently crispy, almost too brittle for me to wrap around the channa to eat traditionally (barehanded), so I'd tear off some of the bhatura and spoon the channo on top, but I wouldn't even call the brittle-ness a complaint. Every last morsel was eaten gladly.

The dosa containing the "pao" bajji was delicious, and reminded me of a masala dosa. The chutney was fresh and intensely coconutty, and the sambar was traditional, authentic and tasty. Typically dosa is eaten by pinching off a fingerful and dunking in the sambar and then put a bit of the chutney on top for the "perfect bite."

Each component, the dosa and the sambar were delicious independently as well as together. I didn't let a drop of the sambar go to waste. When my husband finished his meal, I slurped the last few spoonfuls of his sambar down. Speaking as an American who is well-versed in south Indian cuisine (I even make my own sambar), I feel sambar could play the part of a (stand alone) soup quite nicely, especially given the cold snap we are having. Sadly, their menu does not appear to have sambar vada (vadas are deep fried fritters made from a batter of rice and lentils). I wonder if I asked for it, if it could be made as a special request.

We topped our lunch off with a faluda, which was served drink style in a tall glass. Faluda was a milky type sweet drink, flavored with rose water, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, some cooked vermicelli and I believe basil seeds. I believe this is something more adventurous Americans would have to acquire a taste for. I love rosewater in sweets, but the notion of the cooked vermicelli is a little odd. But all in all a deliciously unusual treat. (At my own wedding we had faluda, as it's one of our favorite items.)

Though a tidy and limited menu, they seem to offer nearly everything you could want in the "chaat" subset of Indian food. It's all vegetarian, and all made to order. There are daily specials and a wide array of beverages from which to choose. There are interesting twists on their offerings such as their Salad Dosa, Masala Taco, and Bombay Roll; as well as an assortment of traditional items such as Masala Dosa, Papadi Chaat and Dal Vada.

Portion size, quality of food and price are all exceptional.

One last modern convenience: You can place your order online.

I wonder how far they will deliver to? Hmmm?

City Limits, White Plains

2009-12-13T00:10:00.000-08:00

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!

Chiboust, Tarrytown

2009-10-27T19:37:00.000-07:00

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.

Strike Two: Full Moon Asian/Thai Restaurant, White Plains

2009-09-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

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

Mix It Up: A Salad Boutique, White Plains

2009-09-17T11:25:00.000-07:00

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."

Full Moon Asian/Thai Restaurant, White Plains

2009-09-17T11:16:00.000-07:00

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.

Tarry Lodge, Port Chester

2009-09-12T13:10:00.000-07:00

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!

Red Hat on the Hudson, Irvington

2009-08-19T22:09:00.000-07:00

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.

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!

Haiku, White Plains

2009-08-10T12:45:00.001-07:00

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!

Chutney Masala, Irvington

2009-08-09T12:28:00.000-07:00

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!

Xaviar's X2O, Yonkers

2009-08-02T12:15:00.000-07:00

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!