Two Foodie Adventures Pleasantville

Two Foodie Adventures Pleasantville

We recently reported on this year’s Michelin Bib Gourmand Awards, a sequel to the internationally famous Michelin Stars that are eagerly anticipated by fine dining stalwarts around the world for the past hundred years or more. Michelin’s Bib Gourmand distinctions date back to 1997 and they are a way to recognize eateries that serve ambitious food at moderate prices.

More than one-hundred and twenty New York restaurants received Michelin Bibs this year from New York City’s JG Melon that calls itself a “saloon with food” and is famous for its hamburgers to Una Pizza Napoletana on Orchard Street that offers four basic pizzas and a choice of four toppings, and ice cream – and that’s it! We recently profiled seventeen Michelin Bib winners in Westchester and the Bronx that you can check out in our article Local Eateries Get Michelin Bibs.

Soon therafter, we decided to start checking a few of them out and we will report on them as we do. The first one was Tredici Social in Bronxville from Chef Giuseppe Fanelli who some of our readers may know from Tredici North in Purchase. While Fanelli’s new Bronxville eatery offers a streamlined and modern decor and the menu seemed a little more contemporary that the Purchase location (that we haven’t been to in years) we don’t think there’s reason enough to travel down to Bronxville for whatever slim marginal improvements it might offer. Unless you just want to go to Bronxville. It does have a nice urban feel. But if you want to start adding some Bib Gourmand pelts to your collection and you’ve never been to their Purchase restaurant you can get a close facsimile there.

Southern Table

Next up was Southern Table in Pleasantville. This Michelin Bib winner has been hailed for its inventive southern cuisine with farm fresh ingredients. What we think is very smart about Southern Table is its definition of what “Southern” means. When I first heard about it, I assumed it meant southeast cuisines. Biscuits, grits and gravy, fried green tomatoes, and buttermilk fried chicken. But Southern Table takes a more expansive approach to southern American cooking taking into account the full longitudinal splendor of southern cuisines from the Atlantic to the Pacific. That means adding Cajun Gumbo, molcajete fajitas, Asador corn and a host of tacos to the menu.

We decided to go for our son’s birthday and Southern Table was a perfect match for the event. Set in a large standalone two story building on Marble Avenue, Southern Table has all the benchmarks of a hit bistro. And the cavernous space with double height ceilings, exposed HVAC and a full wall white-washed brick mural with Southern Table scripted in faded charcoal on it provides an ambience befitting the menu.

Which features everything from Beer Steamed Mussels and Pulled Pork Sliders to Lobster Roll, Watermelon Salad, Braised Short Rib and Bourbon Glazed Pork Chop. Best of all the Cabs are from Napa, the Malbec’s are from Mendoza, and the Pinot Noirs are from the Willamette Valley. A lot of smart money and expertise went into this place and it has all the hallmarks of a scalable group the way Fortina in Armonk has spread out to New Canaan and Stamford and beyond.

That’s the good news. The bad news is that any traces of Gourmand Bib quality that we saw is all about the concept. But the follow through was good but not great. First we didn’t like that it was Taco Tuesday, an all you can eat for $20 promotion that also features $5 Coronas but the waitress didn’t mention it. We had to ask and as it turns out you can eat all the tacos you want – but just one kind. And Tacos is all about mixing it up. For the record, they offer four kinds of tacos (Steak Dos Colories, Shrimp Gringo, Tuna and Chorizo Tacos). If you go with four people you can share at the table and sample all four varieties. But that’s if everyone’s in.

We went with the skirt steak salad, the Southern Fried Chicken and the Wood Fired Chicken and started with the Asador Corn. The Asador Corn (Wood Fired Corn served off the cob, aioli, lime, Cojita cheese) is obviously very popular (we saw it on practically every table) and it was good. But $15 seemed like a lot for a plate of corn. The skirt steak was cooked to the perfect temperature and the Southern Fried Chicken got a thumbs up from our son. But they have to step up their game on the Wood Fired Chicken. The breast was very juicy, tender and flavorful. It was Bib worthy in those respects. But, when you order chicken out, especially Wood Fired, you expect the skin well charred and crispy. The breast was crispy – the leg and thigh were Charless. Uneven char is not Bib worthy.

Southern Kitchen is a fun experience. The menu is great and the food is good. Of course, the best course of the night was the birthday boy’s Bourbon Glazed Donut with Bourbon maple glaze, blueberry jam and whipped cream. But this is not a foodie’s night out. It’s not a couple’s night. And its not a place you want to go for quiet conversation. But, its perfect for big family events, milestone celebrations, guys night out, girls night out and any time you just want to be surrounded by energy.

Southern Table is located at 39 Marble Avenue, Pleasantville, 914.618.3355; www.southerntable.com.

Bistro 146

Frankly we had a much better meal at Bistro 146 in Pleasantville. Co-branded as The Seafood Grill, Bistro 146 promises elegant Sustainable Seafood Cuisine and I think they delivered all of that rising close but perhaps a hair short of fine dining. At moderate prices. Again, the menu is mouth watering and with the exception of a prime steak it is all seafood all the time. That’s a good sign for fish lovers.

For starters there’s a raw bar – I had the oysters and they were large, fresh, fleshy and from Maine. There’s Yellowfin Tartare and Maryland Crab Cakes, Blue Crab Martinis, and Shrimp cocktail. The Lobster Bisque  was hailed by several in our party for the chef’s restraint as lobster bisques can be too rich. For entree’s they serve up everything from Seafood Paella and pasta dishes with shell fish to Sesame Crusted Bluefin Tuna, Louisiana Style Mahi Mahi to Crab stuffed lobster tails.

That night they had a Grilled Halibut with Rock Shrimp Risotto that received multiple orders at our table. And it was quite good. The Halibut was big and perfectly prepared with a delicate seafood jus. We were all impressed. It was definitely elevated bistro fare. The risotto was also very good but not the rich creamy, cheesy fat and carbo load you would expect from the highest level eatery. They served up some nice pistachio and coconut gelato. But the winning dessert was a gift from the chef. It was a warm chocolate chip cookie, thick chewy and delicious, with cinnamon ice cream on top. It was the best chocolate chip cookie dessert I have ever had. Unfortunately they couldn’t quite get their espresso hot that night. Oh well.

We like Bistro 146 and frankly it’s a great option if you want some delicious, well prepared seafood and you’re not up for the whole fine dining thing. Where it comes up a little short is the ambience. It has none. Or little that we noticed. We went with three couples we dine semi-annually with and it was a good match for that. We won’t be booking any anniversaries there but the food doesn’t fall far short of rising to that level.

Bistro 146 is located at 146 Bedford Rd. in Pleasantville, 914.495.3992; www.bistrol146.com