Notable Noshes 2015: A review of our Reviews

Notable Noshes 2015: A review of our Reviews It was a wild year on the local food scene with a number of notable openings, closings and even some re-openings. Here’s a review of our restaurant reviews from last year in case you missed them. Plus a smattering of random posts of culinary interest we throw in for fun.

Campagna at The Bedford Post Inn – not just for Anniversaries anymore: Richard Gere (love dropping that name) upgraded his kitchen by turning it over to all-star Chef Michael White and his Altamarea Restaurant Group. Altamarea owns eleven restaurants around the world including Marea on Central Park South that boasts a 27 Zagats food rating and was voted New York’s Best Italian Restaurant in 2015.

We wrote: “Chef Michael White’s country side Italian fare, with its famed pasta program and creative small plates menu, transforms this romantic roadside attraction into a go-to eatery for a casual mid-week meal in addition to the special occasion restaurant that Bedford has come to know.”

Although you can still run up a bill with dishes like their Maiale Berkshire Pork Chop (from another planet) with braised baby romaine, Treviso, mire poix and guanciale, the pasta program turns this weekend favorite into a doable midweek option. They even re-did their lounge area and offer a dedicated menu where you can get a burger.

We recommended their signature dish, the Rotolo, a rolled lasagna brilliantly crisped on the edges and stuffed with veal in a white sauce. It’s a bucket list dish and simply the best pasta plate we’ve ever had. Read more.

Fattoria – The Char is Gone: Also in January we reviewed Fattoria that opened in 2014 just in time to make Westchester Magazine and Lo Hud’s List of Best New Restaurants. By May they closed their doors. We too were impressed with the food and wrote in our article “Char Hound Alert” “Char Hounds will gravitate to the Just Grilled section of the menu where Cher Elmer Mario Garcia and his cast iron grill demonstrates he knows a thing or two about grill marks.” While the local buzz was generally positive about Fattoria they suffered from service issues, and were never able to establish a lunch trade or critical mass on weeknights. We followed up our “Char Hound Alert” with a second post, titled “The Char Is Gone.”

Fattoria was not the only example of now you see ‘em now you don’t restaurant news in Armonk in 2015.

The Short Happy Life Of Zanni at Mariani’s or Was it something we said? Less than a week after we reviewed Zanni at the Mariani Gardens in Armonk they closed. Was it something we said? No, we liked the food sourced from Hudson Valley farms and praised the stunning renovation from the bamboo floors to the metal trim, the glass, the stone, the fireplace, the Danish modern furniture and especially the moon roof overhead.

We were lucky to grab a table during their soft launch and we told everybody to “go now” before they roll out and the crowds roll in. Boy, were we prescient. When we say “go now” you better “go now” because five days later they shut down their dinner service and lawyered up to play court TV with their estranged partners. Ten months later … still no Zanni.

Sources tell us that Mark and Cathy Mariani are looking for someone to take over the operation. We say they need a big name chef to fill the shoes of this gorgeous venue. Let’s play restaurant matchmaker: It can’t be Jean Georges. He already has the Inn at Pound Ridge. Peter Kelly is an unlikely suitor after going big at X2O in Yonkers and Michael White cast his fate with Campagna at The Bedford Post Inn. Dan Barber is booked at Stone Barns and Thomas Keller, of French Laundry fame, just saw his Columbus Circle eatery, Per Se drop two stars in the latest NYT review. Can you say Bobby Flay? Come on Bobby, Armonk would be a great pit stop on your travels between Gato and Bar Americain NYC and Bar Americain Mohegan Sun in Uncasville!

Like the big game hunter in Ernest Hemingway’s story The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber, who is accidentally shot and killed by his wife as they try to stop a stampeding buffalo, Zanni had a short happy(?) life. It may take a Hemingway to write the rest of this story but in the meantime, we’re doing the best we can. Read more here. What’s Up With Zanni at Mariani’s? And here: What’s up With Zanni: Part Two.

The Rye House Port Chester – “One Bourbon, One Shot, One Beer”: Next up in 2015, we took a trip to The Rye House in Port Chester in a renovated turn of the century brick building. This spin off of Rye House NYC that received a 4 star rating from Time Out, sets out to live up to it’s reputation as “ a serous bar” serving “classic American eats.”

We called this American craft bistro, that offers a selection of 50 bourbons and ryes, including rare bottles from Pappy Van Winkle served by true Liquor nerds, a comfortable “change of pace for a relaxed, well considered bistro dinner that won’t break the bank.”

The Rye House Port Chester is worth the trip if you like to slosh your way through a couple of rare bourbons or craft beers with your meal. It’s a no-brainer if you’re taking in a show at the Capitol Theatre and worth remembering if you want to tie in a movie at the AMC Loews or a lunch after loading up at Costco. Read more.

Bedford 234 – A Notable Nosh Nearby: We called Bedford 234 a “notable noshes nearby” and added it to our list of top area bistros that includes 121 in North Salem and Willy Nick’s in Katonah. This cozy Bedford eatery, next to the Bedford Playhouse, serves up a creative “shareable bistro menu (that) shows the requisite Mediterranean, Asian and Latin influences that have come to define the best of contemporary comfort food.”

We couldn’t resist the Lobster Knuckle “Escargot” and loved the Shredded Duck Bao Buns served with hoisin sauce and pickled root vegetables. And we’re going back for the Poutine and the Truman Short Ribs. We break down the menu and tell you all about owner’s Mitchell and Lynn Sandberg’s mom and dad from Florida here.

Harvest Moon: Where you can pick apples and buy a cow: Okay, it’s not a restaurant but we liked this post about Harvest Moon Farm & Orchard where you can buy grass fed filet mignon for less than the price of chopped meat … if you want to buy a whole cow. We’re talking $9.32 a pound if you want to pony up for 400 pounds of beef. (You’ll pay $9.99 a pound for grass fed ground beef at Whole Foods!) But wait! The price only goes up to $10.02 a pound if you buy a half cow (200 pounds) and $10.80 a pound if you buy a quarter cow (100 pounds). You can also buy a whole or half pig, really big turkeys and check out the picture of their pasture raised eggs that are high in vitamins A and E, beta carotene and omega-3 fatty acids on the link here. We picked up a couple of dozen ourselves.

Jaipore – “Same as it ever was”: When we added Jaipore Royal Indian Cuisine to our What To Eat: Restaurant Guide we decided to give it a full review – even though it’s not new. This local fave on Rt. 22 in Brewster (just a half-mile from Croton Falls) is one of the top rated Indian restaurants in Westchester County. Their signature Southern Indian dishes, like Lata Shetty’s Coondapur Chicken, in a nutty brown sauce spiced with coconut curry are a departure from standard Indian fare and are quite good.

But we like it best for the “out of body” experience we get when we drive up to it’s white mansion on a hill, once occupied by Charlie Chaplin studios, that looks like an inn where you would go for Welsh Rarebit and Dover Sole – not Lamb Bhuna Mirchwala. We wrote, “And you may ask yourself,” to paraphrase David Byrne, “Is this really an Indian Restaurant? … Same as it ever was …” You won’t find many restaurant reviews where you get a picture of David Byrne wearing a white suit and a lace tutu. But you can find one here.

Chappaqua Station Farm to Table – Laundry List or Bucket List? This new Euro-style café in Chappaqua’s historic fieldstone and tile hipped roof depot from Erin and Peter Chase, who got their start in the hospitality biz at Ian Schrager Hotels, is a utilitarian dream. In our review on October 23, we wrote, “Chappaqua Station answers so many convenience food needs it will be woven into the lives of Chappaqua residents like a trip to the dry cleaner. For out of towners it’s a bucket list stop, especially for their Saturday Jazz nights.

Imagine a place where you can grab a muffin and coffee for the train in the AM that turns into a cozy dinner spot with a Prohibition vibe, 1920s music and a world-class chef in the kitchen in the PM. That’s Chappaqua Station. After rush hour, it is mid-morning laptops and oatmeal hangout and a perfect spot for ladies who lunch stop with their spot on salads and flatbreads. And on Saturday night it’s a jazz club with top city talent, a grazing menu of wine, cheese and charcuterie plates, and a short list of grilled proteins from chicken and Tuna Tataki with sesame-ginger vinaigrette to filet mignon. Find out if you should add this to your bucket list or your laundry list here.

Little Drunken Chef – Let’s Make Bad Decisions Together: We wrote on November 11, “You go to some restaurants for convenience, some for the all-star chef and some because they’re just fun to go to. The new Little Drunken Chef in Mt. Kisco, from chef Bonnie Saran of Little Crepe Street and Little Kabab Station, is one of those. It’s a great space with a lively crowd and a fun and affordable tapas menu for share heads that spans the globe – from land and sea.”

We liked the East Village style renovation, the ceviche, the Beat ‘Em Salad with roasted baby beets, arugula, watercress (nice touch) fennel, red onions, orange, goat cheese and a sober sauce, and the Giant Wild Mushroom Ravioli. And a sign on the wall that read “Let’s Make Bad Decisions Together” intrigued us. If you are intrigued, too, read more.

251 Lex – A Foodies Place: The new 251 Lex restaurant in the former Flying Pig space at, guess what, 251 Lexington Avenue in Mt. Kisco is a foodie’s place. Chef/owner Constantine Kalandranis’ locally sourced Mediterranean inspired menu changes daily and reflects his flair for creating endless riffs on fresh seafood and crudo.

251 Lex is just one of a two-step expansion for Chef Kalandranis, who is also the owner of 8 North Broadway in Nyack. In April he opened 273 Kitchen in Harrison. The New York Times gave his flagship restaurant, 8 North Broadway, a Very Good rating in August, 2014, noting the “considerable appeal” of their preparations, a “spirit of generosity” in their portions and a house-made, feta-filled ravioli with chanterelle mushrooms in a brown butter sauce so “impressive” that they “considered ordering a second portion.”

We had a nine course chef’s tasting menu here and got the inside scoop of some exciting new things that will be happening this spring. You can read about both here.

Opus 465 still delivering and catering: Opus 465 closed its doors in Armonk last November but their kitchen is still open. We published this letter to the community from our good friend Mark Mazzarulli. They are still serving up their take out menu and all their catering services are alive and well and will continue to operate. So if you are a fan of UCrazy Chef or Souperman or in need of catering from Wild Westchester BBQ or Thee Little Pigs BBQ you can call 914.273.4646 or check them out online at www.opus465.com.

Hudson Valley Restaurant Week: Our Fall Hudson Valley Restaurant Week guide got lots of hits. We listed all the players in Armonk, Bedford, Chappaqua, Brewster, Mount Kisco, Pleasantville, Pound Ridge, Thornwood and North Salem with black out date information.

We also found, (and this is not an easy task) seven out of towners that were worth the trip and that either didn’t have black out dates or had some minor exclusions that we could live with. We’ll be doing a new one for Spring Restaurant week but you might want to take a look at this post and do a little homework on your own before we do. Read more.

Chappaqua Farmers Winter Market: The Chappaqua Farmer’s Market (CFM) opened for their winter season at the First Congregational Church at 210 Orchard Ridge Road in Chappaqua in December. The market will be open every Saturday from 9am to 1pm through April.

Over thirty vendors signed up for the winter market including some new ones including two from NYC’s GreenMarkets, plus Big Bang Coffee Roasters, The Meringue Queen and our fave, Jacuterie. Read more.

Enzo’s, Armonk House, Made In Asia and Koku: We were sad to see our good friend Enzo shut down his much overlooked Italian restaurant in Elide Plaza. Enzo’s had the true spirit of Little Italy and the best Osso Buco we ever had. He also made his own wine (pretty good) and would cook you anything you wanted. In it’s place, The Armonk House opened late Fall bringing the land of a thousand Italian restaurants a much needed bistro to supplement The Bee Hive’s haute diner offerings.

Alex Lee’s Made In Asia moved from it’s spot in Armonk’s CVS shopping center to Elide Plaza taking over the former space he occupied for his erstwhile spin-off eatery Rice. Early this year Koku opened in the former MIA space with an upscale new renovation and an Asian Fusion menu. We’re working on our review of Koku now but you can get a hint of what it’s all about in our What To Eat: Restaurant Guide here.

See more random posts of culinary interest for foodies here.

Check our our What To Eat: Restaurant Guide for northeastern Westchester.

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