What’s Up with Zanni: Part Two

What’s Up with Zanni: Part Two and other random posts of culinary interest … carefully curated for foodies and locavores.  

In a word, “Awkward!”

On March 23, we posted our Zanni review. It went something like this: “Are they open? Are they open all the way or just a little open?” Went there. It was beautiful. The food was good. It was empty. Some well heeled swells eventually showed, as did Cathy Mariani, who joined us at our table. She told us they were “soft-launching” taking only sixty reservations a night and no more than thirty per seating while they worked out some issues with their partners and got the new team up to speed. That explained it … we thought.

“Why isn’t this place packed? (Go Now!)”

So we wrote, “Open? (Sort of.) Hot? (Will be.)” See, the whole glass half-filled experience was kind of pleasant. We soaked up the commodious vibes of the amazing space, got treated like royalty, and liked the food. We even compared it to a private dining experience we once had (or think we did) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Temple of Dendur.

You don’t have to be a fortune teller to figure out that this is the kind of place that, once word gets out, will attract teams of tony guests from Greenwich, Scarsdale and, good lord, maybe even Rockland County that will change the whole experience. So we urged our fans to “GO NOW”, while it is still quiet, for a unique experience that will be out of bounds once the word travels south of 287, across the Connecticut state line, and over the river and through the woods.

Reply Hazy Try Again

Our now historic call to “GO NOW” was nothing less than prescient, though our reasoning, as the Magic Eight Ball says, may have been a bit hazy. As it turns out, if you didn’t heed our words, immediately, you were out of luck (at least for a while) because days later they closed their doors “until further notice.” WHAT’S UP WITH THAT? You may have heard the expression, “too many cooks spoil the broth.” Well as it turns out the “Kumbaya” that Mark and Cathy were hoping to have with their silent and operational partners at Zanni turned into an “Eve of Destruction” when they made “some changes” to their original concept. So until the lawyers are done impressing each other, Zanni will not be serving.

Playing Twister for Jell-O shots

An anonymous source at Zanni (can you believe this?) told us that the attorneys said they could wrap this thing up in a week. Ha. That was three weeks ago. All they have to do, our trusted source told us, is dissolve the corporation and start a new one. And, oh yes, maybe change the name, rebrand the signs, menus, matchbooks, website and logoed lavender soaps in the marbled bathrooms?

Meanwhile, one can imagine the attorneys having lots of fun playing Twister for Jell-O shots while all the aggrieved parties watch on and root for their favorite barrister. Someday, don’t hold your breath, the legal eagles will blow through their retainers and go home. Hopefully all aggrieved parties will be equally satisfied and/or dissatisfied and the restaurant will re-open cause the Mariani’s spent close to a million dollars on the renovation. So nobody’s walking away.

A rose by any other name …

And when they do, (by the way, they better give us an exclusive cause we got Cousin Vinny on speed dial) it will still be beautiful, with great parking, moonlight views through the greenhouse ceiling, and that fabulous double fireplace that shines both outside and in the restaurant. And as long as GM and Chef Tom Donnelly hangs around, the kitchen will be fine. Here’s hoping they soft-launch again so you can all experience what we did because the hedgies from Greenwich will be hanging at that great bar and tipping with Benjamins when word gets out. PS their website is offline and when we called a voice recording instructed us to refer to their Facebook page for news about their re-opening. There we found their most recent post dated, March 30, that reads, “Thanks, FB friends, for your support! We are closed, and ask you, will you stay tuned for what’s next? Please do… it will be great!!!”

Reserve your table at Zero Otto Nove

That’s right, Chef Roberto has heard the call of the wild Armonk foodies and Zero Otto Nove now takes reservations. (Except on Saturdays.) So go to Open Table to get your seats Sundays through Friday nights. Don’t sweat the Saturday thing just be there by 6:00 SHARP and you’ll be fine. We arrived one recent Saturday night at 5:55pm and waltzed right in. They didn’t max out until 6:07. After that just add ninety minutes and show at 7:30 and 9:00 and you’ll be fine. And by the way, we finally tried Chef Roberto’s Rabbit Stew (Conniglio alla Cacciatore) and from now on its “wascally wabbit season” all the time for us.

Bedford 234 for Bistro Lovers

Bedford residents Mitchell and Lynn Samberg’s new Bedford 234 has invigorated the Bedford Village eating scene with their heirloom bistro dishes and Americana inspired renovation of the former Meetinghouse space next to the Bedford Movie Theatre. (That has been saved if you haven’t heard. Yay!) CIA grad, Chef Tom McAliney’s shareable menu shows the requisite Mediterranean and Asian influences that have come to define the best of New American comfort food. We will be posting our review soon but in the meantime we had lots of fun with the Lobster Knuckle (Escargot) with brioche croutons, the Duck Bao Buns and the coconut cake. Add this to your list of top local bistros along with Moderne Barn, 121 Restaurant in North Salem and Willie Nicks in Katonah. Chef McAliney, a Hudson Valley resident started his culinary career with the Plumbish Inn in Cold Spring.

Farmers Markets & Farm Stands:

For 2015, we’ve updated our local farmers markets guide to include farm stands, for locavores who want to shop right at the farm. We list five local markets where you can shop for a full meal from fruits and vegetables, meat and fish, baked goods and desserts, prepared foods, artisanal cheeses, and pickles. Four are Saturday markets and the Muscoot Farm market is held on Sundays. They all support local sustainable farming and offer organic and free range products. Most have gluten free, vegan, and dairy free options. At some you can pick up flowers, a bottle of Hudson Valley wine, or craft beer in a growler, and even get your knives sharpened. Plus, four local farm stands – three that are open during the week. And one where you can pick your own right in the field. If you would rather shop at your favorite farmers market online, we tell you how to do that on Fresh Nation. You can even learn how to start an organic farm right in your own backyard, patio or deck with the Tower Garden® – marketed locally by Armonk resident Lauren Bernard. Read on.

A Taste of Westchester: The Westchester Community College of Continuing Education’s A Taste of Westchester offers cooking classes (and tastings) with top chefs at local restaurants. In May it will be coming to Iron Horse in Pleasantville, The Melting Pot in White Plains, Peter Pratt’s Inn in Yorktown Heights, and the Video Demo Kitchen at DeCicco & Sons in Armonk (It’s like being on the set of Chopped!) You can find the full menu for each night right here. (To register call: 914.606.6830 ext. 1. For more information: A Taste of Westchester.) 

Did You Know?

We love these Food and Wine trivia blasts we get from La Crémaillére and we share their Earth Day blast we just received. “Lettuce is a member of the sunflower family. Darker green lettuce leaves are more nutritious than lighter green leaves. Americans eat 30 pounds of lettuce every year. Lettuce is the second most popular fresh vegetable.” Happy Earth Day to you too, Bobbie.

More news for Foodies

Check out our What To Eat: Local Restaurant Guide