The Heights at Brother Vic’s Restaurant Music Lounge
The Heights at Brother Vic’s Restaurant Music Lounge: The Heights at Brother Vic’s is a backwoods oasis, in one of the prettiest parts of the county, for moms & dads who rock. Whether you’re a sound hound, looking for something different to do with your BFF’s or if your days of arena rock have passed you by but you’re not ready for dinner theatre – The Heights at Brother Vic’s is worth the trip for ABC-town-ers.
Formerly a bar & restaurant with occasional music nights, Victor Ponzo, a lifetime musician and 30-year Wall Street veteran, took over the space in January, after his band performed there, with the idea of committing it to a full-scale venue for national and top regional music acts. He built a stage and brought in a state of the art sound system (the best around) and scored his first coup when he booked Southside Johnny & The Asbury Dukes.
If you love tooling the scenic back roads of Northeast Westchester in search of adventure, just head south on Rt. 123 (off Rt. 35) to find The Heights. There you can grab a table, order up some Roasted Half Jerk Chicken with buttermilk slaw, dirty rice, peas and sweet plantains and catch a show from the kind of bands that get booked into places like the Tarrytown Music Hall.
This lakeside music lounge is no dive bar!
The Heights, set in a stand-alone building in an upscale town center overlooking a pond, is not your average cover band dive bar. No acrid beer smell. No tiny chairs and tables. No people bumping into you on the way to the bar. And no annoying head-trips trying to get noticed by the bar tender. In fact, you won’t have to go to the bar at all because there’s restaurant quality table service at Brother Vic’s.
The shows happen in The Heights’ back room where there’s a stage, a full concert sound system and tables (generously spaced from each other) with seats for 200 people. The room is wide so wherever you sit you won’t be far from the stage.
The front room is a well-appointed brick-walled pub, the size of a small restaurant, with table and bar seating for 40. Here they show concert footage and sports on a high-end AV system. It’s open on Wed-Sun and is a popular watering hole for locals.
Take a load off Fanny
Thursday through Saturday, Vic books top regional rock, blues, singer/songwriters and tribute bands. Some upcoming acts include The Good Rats, who Rolling Stone has labeled “the world’s most famous unknown band.” Formed in 1969, The Good Rats are inductees of the Long Island Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and have opened for Bruce Springsteen, Aerosmith, The Allman Brothers and The Grateful Dead.
More top regional acts include Molly Brown, a Nashville country singer who is a Lewisboro native, tribute bands Beatlehead and Not Dead Yet (Grateful Dead), the disco dance band FDR Drive and The Gangster Squad featuring Vincent Pastori who played Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero on The Sopranos.
Once a month Vic springs for a national act like Southside Johnny, Dana Fuchs, and Larry Carlton. The Weight Band, who recently performed at The Heights, is another of Vic’s booking coups. The Weight Band features Jim Weider, an original member of The Band, and a cast of former members of The Levon Helm Band and the Rick Danko Group. One of their recent concerts from Infinity Hall in Hartford is currently airing on PBS stations across the country.
On Wednesday nights there’s a jazz orchestra series featuring Nordic Sound, a 20-piece Big Band directed by Jens Wendelboe, an internationally acclaimed composer, arranger and trombonist who has performed or collaborated with music icons such as Donna Summer and Blood Sweat and Tears. They also offer a Sunday jazz brunch.
On October 7 they’ll be hosting the first of a new series of comedy nights and they’re planning a Halloween party and a Christmas Spectacular with an 18-piece band, Christmas stories and more.
The menu
We like “The Heights” Burger served on a brioche bun but their bistro style menu offers up over 30 appetizers, soups, salads, sandwiches and entrees. Whether your noshing or looking for the full dinner experience you’ll find comfortable grazing options at The Heights. From a New York Pretzel and Tuna Tartar to Onion Soup, Arugula Salad, Fish Tacos and BBQ Baby Back Ribs to a Teriyaki Marinated Steak or a bowl of Ramen Noodle with steak, shrimp or chicken.
(920 Oak Ridge Drive, South Salem, 914.704. 8427, Theheightsatbrothervics@gmail.com; https://www.theheightsatbrothervics.com)
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