Open Table: Hudson Valley’s Best Overall Restaurants

Open Table: Hudson Valley’s Best Overall Restaurants

Open Table (OT) recently announced their 2022 Diner’s Choice Awards for Westchester and the Hudson Valley. The Top Ten list includes five Italian restaurants, one Asian, French, and Greek. Plus a pizzeria and a lunch only eatery. Armonk’s Meraki Taverna and Thornwood’s Risotto represented our area in their Top Ten Best Overall Restaurant category. The rest of the list features nearby standouts that are worth the trip.

Open Table’s Diner’s Choice lists are based solely on feedback from individuals who have reserved tables through their Opentable.com online reservation system. OT’s feedback is generated from online questionnaires sent out shortly after dining. This year’s Diner’s Choice lists were based on 400,000 diner reviews per month.

Top Two

The Top two, and the only five star eateries on the list, are Pelham’s Northern Italian Sergio’s and Mariposo, the newly renovated fine-dining lunch spot, famous for its Mandarin Orange Soufflé at Nieman Marcus in White Plains. Sergio was also voted in to Top Ten Best Restaurants list in 2021. Both Sergio’s and Mariposo were named to OT’s Top Ten Ambience list in 2022.

Top Asian at Number Three

The rest of Open Table’s Top Ten Best Overall Restaurants all receive four and a half star ratings. Beginning with the list’s only Asian, Oko Rye, an extension of the orginal Oko Westport, located in the historic Vigilant Hose Company Firehouse. Oko’s heralded Chef Brian Lewis, a James Beard Award semi-finalist in 2018, was the founding Executive Chef at Richard Gere’s, The Bedford Post Inn. There he received national acclaim by being named to Esquire Magazine’s Best New Restaurant Lists in 2009.

Greek and Italian at Four and Five

The elegantly appointed La Fontanella, Pelham’s second Italian on Open Table’s list, features an Italian-Adriatic menu, and an extended bourbon and scotch program. It was also named to Open Table’s Top Ten Ambience list. Rounding out the Top Five is Armonk’s Meraki Taverna from Head Chef Michalakis “Mike” Sarris. Meraki made OT’s Top Ten Best Values List in 2021 and moved up this year Best Overall Restaurant list.

Pizza at Six

Coming in at number six is Chef Dave DiBari’s Dobbs Ferry pizzeria, The Parlor. Here DiBari offers wood fired pizza and small plates and to the best of our knowledge has invented the great New York melting pot classic, The Everything Bagel Pizza. With mozzarella, everything bagel spice, egg sauce and parmigiano. The New York Times wrote of DiBari, “If there is such a thing as a genius of dough making — and why shouldn’t there be? — David DiBari would certainly seem to qualify.”

Three More Italians at Seven through Nine

Port Chester’s Marinacci’s, from a family who has been serving Port Chester for over seventy years, was voted into the seventh spot. You know it’s authentic Italian when you can find Braciole on the menu. Local favorite, Risotto, from Thornwood came in at number eight. At number nine, Mamaroneck’s 25 North , a Long Island emigré, serves  up traditional as well as innovative contemporary takes on Italian classics, such as Sweet Chili Aioli Salmon, Mac & Meat (a 14oz coffee crusted Angus strip steak sliced served over ditalini Mac & Cheese) and their Angry Seafood Bowl in a spicy Luciano style sauce.

French at Ten

The Culinary Institute of America’s French restaurant Bocuse, that is run by CIA students, rounds out Open Table’s Top Ten. It’s sleek and contemporary ambience is second to none and the food concept also reimagines classic French cooking techniques. Bocuse books for reservations six weeks in advance. We will be reviewing Bocuse in the fall.