Our dedication to writing about reasonably priced Westchester restaurants took a hiatus this summer when we blew our dining budget with two dinners. Our trip to Craft for Cara's birthday and an anniversary dinner at Daniel meant we've been eating at home a lot this August. With the school year starting and paychecks coming in again, we are excited to restart our narrative descriptions of the Westchester dining scene. August's installment of QuickBites summarizes our anniversary dinner, a meal out with the Journal News' Rockland restaurant reviewers, and a summer ending appetizers only dinner at Half Moon.
Daniel
For our fifth wedding anniversary Chrissie and I wanted to try something opulent and excessive. After narrowing our choices we settled on Daniel. We'd never eaten at any of Daniel Boulud's establishments and the pictures on the website suited what we envisioned for a very special anniversary date. To help us make the choice, the restaurant would be closing the next day for six weeks for a redesign in anticipation of their tenth anniversary. There was something perfect about us and the restaurant both celebrating milestones and starting new phases.
As we exited our cab and walked down the stairs into the massive foyer I was dwarfed by the scale of the restaurant. A gentleman opened the door, asked if we had reservations, and escorted us to the hostess desk. The hostess guided us to a table overlooking a dining room that felt reminiscent of a movie scene. We at A Man Has Eat are not easily impressed by fancy dining rooms and large fleets of waiters, but Daniel was the most overwhelming room we'd been in a long time.
The six course tasting menu offered two choices for each course. Not by design, Chrissie and I each chose the opposite dish. This led to one of two low points of the evening. Our waiter, upon hearing we were each ordering one of the two choices left the table before finding out which dish we'd each like. This confused the back waiter and led to a problem when the dessert courses had different wine pairings. The captain initially poured me a glass of wine to go with the chocolate-prailine cremeux Chrissie was having. When he realized what was going on he left the wine for Chrissie and immediately retrieved the appropriate wine for my mango based dish.
The other troubling spot of the evening came when our first course arrived before I was half way through my cocktail. The captain came by to see if everything was o.k. because we weren't eating. When I asked if there was a rush for the table he apologized, informed us that he would tell the kitchen to slow down our ticket, and assuaged my fears by generously refilling my wine tasting when we began the first course.
Fortunately, the rest of our experience at Daniel was perfect. The pacing, the cooking, and the dishes cemented a sublime anniversary experience. We chatted with the captain about the renovations as we took care of the check. He suggested we come back when the room was finished in six weeks. We joked that it would probably be another five years before we were able to return.
Priya Indian Cuisine
I woke up one day this summer to an email from Deven Black, the Rockland restaurant reviewer for the Journal News, asking if the Chrissie I write about was the same one he went to graduate school with. She was, and after a few email exchanges we made a date to meet for dinner at Priya, an Indian restaurant in Suffern.
Deven and his wife Jill share the byline and responsibilities that go into crafting the newspaper reviews. It was fascinating for me to find out what goes on behind the scenes of a print review and to learn how the Blacks wound up at the Journal News. Chrissie had a great time reconnecting with a classmate.
Priya presented an interesting Indian menu. The number of seafood dishes led to a detailed discussion with the manager about the influences on the menu and the geography behind the restaurants cooking. My ability to assess Indian food is still in its infancy, but Chrissie and I both liked the food. A low would be the overcooked chicken in the appetizer sampler and a high for me would be the balanced heat in my lamb Vindaloo. If we lived closer, Chrissie and I both agree that we would try Priya again.
Half Moon
To celebrate the end of summer, Chrissie called for an appetizers only dinner on the water at Half Moon. Our intention was to blend an extended happy hour with a gluttonous tasting of as many small plates as we could eat/afford. I am writing about Half Moon in summary instead of a full review because it is owned by the family of a student whose been in a number of my classes.
The restaurant is located in the same space as the old Chart House, but that is where the similarities end. Extensive work was done in the dining room and kitchen to create a new space that does more than offer terrific views of the Hudson.
We began our meal with an assortment of ceviches. The table found the scallop with fennel, oranges, bell pepper, and mint to be our favorite.
We continued to work our way through most of the first page of the menu ordering 3 more rounds of food. Since we didn't order any entrees I can't say for sure what goes on in the kitchen, but the huge assortment of appetizers and the view make Half Moon ideal for tapas-ish dining. Two standouts from our meal were the fried Ipswich clams (we had to order a second basket) and the lamb ribs.
It is too bad they don't open the kitchen and bar earlier on Fridays so like minded eaters can take advantage of the sun and share plates after work before the dinner crowd shows up and the dining room gets busy.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
QuickBites- August
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
QuickBites- June
This month I decided to set a goal for our dining. I wanted to eat out only at neighborhood establishments that promise interesting food. The one objective condition was that the most expensive item on the regular menu could not cost more than thirty dollars. Thinking about the cost of of gas and the eventuality of a down payment for a house, I knew we could choose restaurants that offered a delicious compromise between pub/chain food and those establishments that promise a near fine dining experience.
While our latest experiment has been going on, we at A Man Has to Eat have been out twice to places we frequent with family. Enjoy these QuickBites.Meson Los Espanoles
My aunt and uncle vacation in Spain every year and frequently gravitate to the Spanish culture and cuisine. Since Solera closed the doors to its Irvington location, they have been on a quixotic endeavor to find a replacement in Westchester. Very few establishments that promise authentic Spanish food have been left untested.
Meson Los Espanoles, located on Post Road in White Plains across from the Tango Grill, is one they have found that consistently pleases. While neither as sophisticated nor as progressive as Solera, Meson Los Espanoles offers a traditional Spanish menu in an atmosphere that is conducive to conversation and enjoyment of food (read: Aunt Nancy and Uncle John don't like eating in a place that is too crowded or loud).
Everytime we go someone orders, without fail, the pulpo a la Gallega and the boquerones con pimientos. The pulpo are served thickly sliced over potatoes with olive oil. The boquerones are bleached herring (anchovies) cured in vinegar. Both are a perfect start to a fulfilling meal.
Most of the dishes are grilled or served in a cazuela. The best way to summarize Meson Los Espanoles is as a traditional restaurant that reminds me most of coastal Spanish cooking (though their menu does certainly branch into other Spanish traditions). It doesn't offer the promise of cutting edge Spanish cuisine, but comfortably puts out dishes that replicate the foundation upon which those culinary leaps were built.Encore
It should come as no surprise to anyone who has been reading this blog that my father asked to go to Encore for his Father's Day dinner. I'd been involved in a discussion thread on the trisate board at Chowhound recently whose focus was on places to eat in Larchmont and Mamaroneck. The usual suspects, deservedly so, all came up, but no one mentioned Encore. I threw this gem into the mix and the only person who engaged me wrote about how Le Provencal is better. My take is that Le Provencal and Encore are two very different restaurants. In my opinion, Encore defines bistro dining. That they execute it well only makes me love them more.
Last night's meal was one of the best yet. At our previous visit they were introducing new menu items, one of which was a whole baked snapper. It was just a little under done last time, but I wrote I expected it to be much better when the kitchen had a chance to get used to it. I was correct. The fish was perfectly cooked and the pineapple garnish provided a wonderful acid. Balancing out the dish was a hint of heat that I do not recall last time.
I started my meal with the grilled calamari. My mother enjoyed it last time and wanted to share the dish with me. I agreed because she is my mother and because I had grilled calamari less than a week ago at Solmar and I wanted to compare the two while the flavors and textures were still fresh on the tooth and palate. I'm not sure which flavors I liked more. The Encore plate employs a tremendous amount of garlic in a rich sauce while the Solmar plate utilizes oil and sun dried tomatoes. On Encore's side is the fact that my dish came out fresh from the oven. One of my only complaints about Solmar was my lukewarm appetizer.
Chrissie and my father split, as they usually do, a dozen escargots. I would never order this, but I enjoy having bites of theirs, especially dips of baguette into the buttery cells of the cast iron plate. I'm of the opinion that enough butter and garlic on anything will taste good.
A more pleasant surprise than doneness of my fish was the inclusion and execution of quail as a nightly special on a Monday. Both my parents ordered this dish last night and both of their birds were perfectly cooked. I would have ordered it myself had I not been on a mission to re-evaluate the snapper.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
QuickBites- May
Quick Bites is a new section where I will write about restaurants that we go to all the time or restaurants that, for some reason, I am not writing up in a full review. This month we went back to Encore, had the $99 special at Morton's, and ate at Tandoori.Encore
Encore has unveiled their summer menu. I was very excited to see a whole red snapper. Mine could have cooked for a moment more, but I'm sure by now they've worked the kinks out. We were there for the inaugural service of the new menu. Next time we are there I will certainly try the snapper again and I'm sure it will be perfect. Encore's kitchen is incredibly consistent.Morton's
Morton's tempted our curiosity with a surf and turf dinner for two for $99. I'm usually disappointed by steak houses because I find them to be a pretentious, culinarily boring, and a poor value. The $99 special was enough to get me to try again. The deal included salad, a seafood side, a starch and a vegetable to share, a single cut filet, and a dessert.
The asparagus were incredibly overcooked, the baked potato was fine, as it should be for those prices, and the steaks were over done. My scallop side was also over cooked. Chrissie didn't love the flavor of her crab cake, but she was impressed by the quantity and ratio of crab meat. Chrissie did really enjoy her molten chocolate cake.
Add tax, cocktails, and a bottle of wine and the $99 deal topped out over $200. Great job on their part getting us in. The truly disappointing part of the dinner was that we wanted to like it. The deal runs through the end of June and we love steak. We both wondered if they sent out less than perfect cooking because we were ordering the bargain special.
High points of the night included a sommelier who was pleasant and informative and a waitress who clearly deserved her tip. A low point in staffing was a maitre de who I found condescending.
If you like Morton's, the deal is good. If you, like us, aren't into chain steak houses, I'd be careful not to get drawn in by the promise of an affordable steak house dinner.Tandoori
Last night my aunt and uncle took us to Tandoori in Port Chester. I don't feel that qualified to rate Indian food, but of the Westchester Indian restaurants, I find Tandoori to be one of the most comfortable and consistent. Since I'm not talking about the food I'll critique the staff, which was superb.
The waiters make it their business to know my families drink orders and to remember that my uncle doesn't like to order until he's had his second drink. The one mistake of the evening, when they brought my appetizer out late, was remedied, with no prompting, with another bottle of Taj Mahal beer and coffee and ice cream after dinner.
Please comment on the food if you know Indian and this restaurant.
Sunday, March 9, 2008
QuickBites- March
It has been about two weeks since our last update. In that time we've tried a wine bar for happy hour, gotten Greek takeout, gone to Encore with my father, and had dinner at a neighborhood American place before seeing a show in Tarrytown.
This update will be a summary and not a full review.
Feb. 29- Two weeks ago Chrissie decided that she wanted to try something different for happy hour. We typically go to Pete's Saloon after work on Friday for a few drinks and a bite to eat. This week she convinced us all to try Pour, a wine bar in Mt. Kisco. Pour has a nice atmosphere, fun and fancy small plates and platters, and a large wine list. We tried two hot dishes, the special bruschetta, and a cheese and meat plate to accompany the two wines by the glass Chrissie had and the bottle of Malbec the boys shared. We wanted to stay longer, but the wines were too expensive for a happy hour. I would love to find a wine bar that is interested in cultivating a more middle class clientèle. We stopped at Lefteris II to get Greek takeout and took everyone back to our condo for the rest of the night.
March 6- JP, my father, called last night to invite us to dinner and a jazz concert at SUNY Purchase. We went to his favorite restaraunt, Encore in Larchmont. We typically get to Encore a few times a month and value their bistro menu and consistent kitchen. Clearly others are of the same opinion as my family because the dining room is usually filled every night of the week. I had the cassoulet and Chrissie and JP both had the Chilean sea bass special.
March 8- Last night Chrissie and I had tickets to see a comedy show at the Tarrytown Music Hall. We ate at Jack and Dyl's, a neighborhood restaurant serving traditional American fare. The menu was ambitious for upgraded tavern food and the kitchen couldn't keep up with its promise. I had mussels to start and the duck special. Both were overdone. Chrissie began with a lamb over flatbread appetizer and had the Westchester Magazine recommended short ribs for dinner. She was pleased with the preparation of the lamb, it was well cooked and flavorful, but thought the short ribs were very underseasoned. Judging by how many tables were filled at such an early hour, they must be properly attracting a demographic, but I found the restaurant confused. The menu suggests something more refined, but they were out of Tanqueray, had no espresso machine, and seemed to balance an inexperienced kitchen with large portions. I'd recommend either simplifying the menu or providing more oversight in the kitchen to help marry their philosophy and execution.
This week we have a wine dinner hosted by our favorite wine store, The Wine Professionals, located in North White Plains in the Sir John's Plaza. Carmine and Eric specialize in affordable and interesting wines. They are always tasting multiple bottles on the weekend and they usually have out a dinner ruining spread of cheeses, meats, breads, and the occasional cooked food. They are very helpful and informative and are never pretentious or condescending. It is a great store for neophytes, bargain hunters, and those who like supporting neighborhood shops.
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