We were very excited to get a last minute reservation for four at Flames. It is supposed to be the best steakhouse in Westchester among the cognoscenti. It is a bit out of the way in Briarcliff, towards the end of what seems to be a fairly residential street.
When one is in the northern area of Westchester, one tends to think of the Clintons (that is, if "one" is my husband). So he asked our waiter if the Clintons had eaten at Flames. Our waiter was proud to tell us that the Clintons had been turned away. How could this be? Well, it wasn't as if they came all dressed up for dinner and were shown the door. How embarrassing would that have been! No. One of their people called first, to see if their party (them and their entourage) could be accommodated that evening. No, they couldn't. They didn't have that many tables available!
There has been a heated discussion on Chowhound about the inability to find great steaks in Westchester. And this place was recommended. Apparently, dry-aged steaks are the thing that foodies love. Most of what passes for great steaks in Westchester (at least I think they are great) are inferior. The Chowhounders didn't like Willets House (I love it!), nor Ruth's Chris (I love it!), and had especially horrible things to say about Mighty Joe Young's - whose steaks my entire family salivates over.
So back to Flames. We started with shrimp cocktail, which came with three enormous shrimp. They were good, but not outstanding. For three of us, we ordered the porterhouse for three. Sorry to say, after all the build up, it wsa very fatty, and gristly throughout. If that was dry aged, I'll take mine wet! The waiter asked how we liked our steak. We showed him all the fat and gristle. Yes, he agreed, it was fatty and gristly. This never happens! But sorry as he was, he didn't offer to get us another steak, or even comp us for dessert. Yuri ordered pasta with seafood, which she often does. It was not an impressive dish and she tired of it quickly.
That was it for Flames.
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Back to Tomatillo, Dobbs Ferry, November 21, 2007
The kids are home for Thanksgiving. And they want to eat at Tomatillo, a local Tex-Mex joint in Dobbs Ferry. Since we were turned on to this place about a year ago, we like coming here. The atmosphere is great. It is always super-crowded with people of all ages - young dating couples, old married couples, families, teens. We agree that the owner looks exactly like a shorter version of Will Forte from SNL.
While waiting for a table, you can get a drink at the bar. We are partial to the frozen margaritas. They have strawberry, mango, and passion fruit as well as just a plain frozen margarita. I particularly like the combination of brain freeze, yummy mango, and a lick of salt along with the buzz that goes with it.
Finally, seated, we order our usual. We always get the same thing. We start off with a bowl of unremarkable chips and salsa, that tide us over until they arrive....the quesadillas. Husband and son always order a mix or steak and shrimp (Tomatillo's version of surf and turf). Daughter and I always get the steak quesadillas on whole wheat tortillas, with sour cream and guacamole on the side. The service is always really nice - but the guys' order is invariably screwed up. Finally it works out - yum!
I have recently started watching my weight, and the thought of the amount of weight watcher points that must be in an order of quesadillas makes me feel GUILT with every greasy bite. I think that it would be a good idea on my next trip to order my quesadilla without cheese - but then I realize how crazy that is. For what is a quesadilla exactly, but a tortilla filled with cheese, and possibly something else, then folded and deep-fried. The cheese is so integral to this dish that the word for cheese....queso....is the main root of the word.
I need to find another dish, I muse aloud, as I lick my fingers to get every last bit of grease.
While waiting for a table, you can get a drink at the bar. We are partial to the frozen margaritas. They have strawberry, mango, and passion fruit as well as just a plain frozen margarita. I particularly like the combination of brain freeze, yummy mango, and a lick of salt along with the buzz that goes with it.
Finally, seated, we order our usual. We always get the same thing. We start off with a bowl of unremarkable chips and salsa, that tide us over until they arrive....the quesadillas. Husband and son always order a mix or steak and shrimp (Tomatillo's version of surf and turf). Daughter and I always get the steak quesadillas on whole wheat tortillas, with sour cream and guacamole on the side. The service is always really nice - but the guys' order is invariably screwed up. Finally it works out - yum!
I have recently started watching my weight, and the thought of the amount of weight watcher points that must be in an order of quesadillas makes me feel GUILT with every greasy bite. I think that it would be a good idea on my next trip to order my quesadilla without cheese - but then I realize how crazy that is. For what is a quesadilla exactly, but a tortilla filled with cheese, and possibly something else, then folded and deep-fried. The cheese is so integral to this dish that the word for cheese....queso....is the main root of the word.
I need to find another dish, I muse aloud, as I lick my fingers to get every last bit of grease.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Buffet de la Gare, Hastings, September 8, 2007
We went to this elegant French restaurant (of the station) early on a Saturday night. Our friends had had a previous reservation at Belle Havana which was unfortunately canceled due to some river festivities that afternoon. It was a rather expensive meal, and I was expecting somewhat more of an experience.
The Red Hat, Irvington, September 1, 2007
We went with Claudia and Mitch - they are the parents of our son's friend. I should have done this review long ago, when we ate there.
We've eaten there before. We remembered it as intimate and actually, cramped. Tonight was different. They had expanded towards the back, and the place was much more spacious. I don't remember what we ate. But we did have drinks. They make the best Cosmos. Everything is fresh.
We've eaten there before. We remembered it as intimate and actually, cramped. Tonight was different. They had expanded towards the back, and the place was much more spacious. I don't remember what we ate. But we did have drinks. They make the best Cosmos. Everything is fresh.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
An American Bistro, Crestwood, September 15, 2007
Right near Crestwood train station, in Eastchester, An American Bistro has been a staple of the Westchester dinner scene for years, in several locations. This location is the nicest. We were able to get reservations for 7:45 pm on a Saturday night due to a last minute cancellation.
Service was excellent, everything from the bus boy who said he was 17 years old but appeared to be about 13, and the wonderful waitress who insisted on bringing me a rarer piece of meat after my dinner appeared to be overcooked.
We did not have drinks. I ordered the special appetizer salad of the day ($6.50 with an entree), which was not extraordinary. It was, however, much larger than the salads that automatically come with the dinner (which the wait staff repeatedly reminded us of). It had lots of greens, fried brie (not that great, actually), beets, walnuts and some other stuff. Next time, get the salad that comes with the dinner.
My meal - ordered sauteed calves liver, which came with many pieces and was delicious, even as it was initially prepared, medium instead of rare. It was soft and delicious and melted in my mouth. It was prepared with smoked bacon, which sounded good, but truthfully, I do not like bacon. The mashed potatoes were very good, the vegetables on the side, tasting of fresh butter.
S. my husband, had and enjoyed the steak sandwich. Y. had pasta (orichette) with shrimp seasoned with coconut. A. had the fusilli.
We saw some Edgemont folks including one set of my son's friend's parents. We did not have coffee or dessert, instead having this back at our friends' house along with a movie - Two Days in Paris.
All in all, we enjoyed our meal.
Service was excellent, everything from the bus boy who said he was 17 years old but appeared to be about 13, and the wonderful waitress who insisted on bringing me a rarer piece of meat after my dinner appeared to be overcooked.
We did not have drinks. I ordered the special appetizer salad of the day ($6.50 with an entree), which was not extraordinary. It was, however, much larger than the salads that automatically come with the dinner (which the wait staff repeatedly reminded us of). It had lots of greens, fried brie (not that great, actually), beets, walnuts and some other stuff. Next time, get the salad that comes with the dinner.
My meal - ordered sauteed calves liver, which came with many pieces and was delicious, even as it was initially prepared, medium instead of rare. It was soft and delicious and melted in my mouth. It was prepared with smoked bacon, which sounded good, but truthfully, I do not like bacon. The mashed potatoes were very good, the vegetables on the side, tasting of fresh butter.
S. my husband, had and enjoyed the steak sandwich. Y. had pasta (orichette) with shrimp seasoned with coconut. A. had the fusilli.
We saw some Edgemont folks including one set of my son's friend's parents. We did not have coffee or dessert, instead having this back at our friends' house along with a movie - Two Days in Paris.
All in all, we enjoyed our meal.
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Bloom in Hastings
I have to say I had fair warning. Our friends wanted to try Bloom, a newish organic restaurant in Hastings. It had a very favorable New York Times review recently. After the reservation was made, I read the New York Times review (and was really psyched for a great dinner), and then also read some comments on Chowhound.com. One of the comments pointed me to another website - the blog of Liz Johnson, a food critic for The Journal News, whose blog about restaurants are posted on a website called lohud.com.
Saturday, June 2, 2007
F.I.S.H. in Port Chester
Last weekend, four of us had dinner at F.I.S.H. in Port Chester. The photo in the Sunday Westchester section of the NY Times (May 27) looked so enticing. We wanted to be those people, sitting on the deck, sipping cocktails, feasting on shrimp, and watching the boats go by in the harbor. And surprisingly, I was able to get a reservation for the same night.
So the question is, how was the food, service, and ambiance compared to the "very good" review penned by M. H. Reed? The drive to get there was definitely, as M.H. suggested, "daunting." The road ahead twisted and turned, going through an area of Westchester definitely off the beaten track. There are signs pointing in the right direction - so we just kept going, and ultimately arrived in a vacation-like setting, right on the water.
The service was friendly and attentive. We liked our waitress. She joked with us, and offered suggestions of the foods she liked.
We ordered appetizers. Our waitress suggested the spicy tuna flatbread, which M.H. had also recommended. We all liked this - a huge rectangular plate of very thin sushi-quality rare tuna sprinkled with wasabi and ginger - over what was called flatbread, but appeared and tasted much like matzoh! It was delicious and very filling. The calamari was okay, nothing special. To be daring, we ordered the grilled octopus with white beans and arugala salad, which the reviewer really liked. Us, not so much. The octopus was as we had feared -- we likened the experience to chewing fish flavored rubber bands. The white beans were nice, though.
By the end of appetizer time, we were actually kind of full. But we soldiered on.
I had the black bass en barigoule. I did not know what barigoule meant when I ordered this dish, but I can tell you now after having consulted a dictionary - it is some kind of French braised artichokes. The bass was very tender and flavorful and was served with artichokes (duh!), mussels, olives, and feta cheese. An interesting blend of flavors. One of our party ordered risotto, which although I didn't taste it, appeared to be kind of soupy. One of us ordered paella, and one ordered a shrimp dish. We ordered a side of fries, which were okay. Our fries were of the thick steak-fries variety. We coveted the ones at the next table, which seemed to be much skinnier and crisper fries. There weren't two kinds of fries on the menu, and we were confused.
We ended the meal with cappuccinos for all.
So the question is, how was the food, service, and ambiance compared to the "very good" review penned by M. H. Reed? The drive to get there was definitely, as M.H. suggested, "daunting." The road ahead twisted and turned, going through an area of Westchester definitely off the beaten track. There are signs pointing in the right direction - so we just kept going, and ultimately arrived in a vacation-like setting, right on the water.
The service was friendly and attentive. We liked our waitress. She joked with us, and offered suggestions of the foods she liked.
We ordered appetizers. Our waitress suggested the spicy tuna flatbread, which M.H. had also recommended. We all liked this - a huge rectangular plate of very thin sushi-quality rare tuna sprinkled with wasabi and ginger - over what was called flatbread, but appeared and tasted much like matzoh! It was delicious and very filling. The calamari was okay, nothing special. To be daring, we ordered the grilled octopus with white beans and arugala salad, which the reviewer really liked. Us, not so much. The octopus was as we had feared -- we likened the experience to chewing fish flavored rubber bands. The white beans were nice, though.
By the end of appetizer time, we were actually kind of full. But we soldiered on.
I had the black bass en barigoule. I did not know what barigoule meant when I ordered this dish, but I can tell you now after having consulted a dictionary - it is some kind of French braised artichokes. The bass was very tender and flavorful and was served with artichokes (duh!), mussels, olives, and feta cheese. An interesting blend of flavors. One of our party ordered risotto, which although I didn't taste it, appeared to be kind of soupy. One of us ordered paella, and one ordered a shrimp dish. We ordered a side of fries, which were okay. Our fries were of the thick steak-fries variety. We coveted the ones at the next table, which seemed to be much skinnier and crisper fries. There weren't two kinds of fries on the menu, and we were confused.
We ended the meal with cappuccinos for all.
Hello Westchester Foodies!
I live in Westchester County, New York, in a suburb about 30 minutes north of Manhattan. I am really tired of people disparaging the restaurants here. It seems the first thing that new transplants from the city do is moan about how they will never find good Italian; a terrific bagel; a gourmet dinner.
Well grow up! I am here to tell you that like anyplace else, Westchester has its share of good food, mediocre food, and yes, great food. I have my favorite restaurants, of course, that I return to frequently and order the dishes I crave. But I do like to explore new restaurants and find new favorites. I rely on word of mouth, newspaper reviews (particularly the weekend Westchester section of The New York Times), and websites such as Chowhound.com.
I like to enter a new restaurant armed with the latest review that I have torn from the paper. I will often order what the reviewer has recommended, although I can't always stop my companions from ordering what the reviewer has hated. And sometimes an unreviewed special will beckon, and I order it, hoping for the best.
This is my journey among Westchester's gems and duds. I hope you will join me, and tell me what you think.
Well grow up! I am here to tell you that like anyplace else, Westchester has its share of good food, mediocre food, and yes, great food. I have my favorite restaurants, of course, that I return to frequently and order the dishes I crave. But I do like to explore new restaurants and find new favorites. I rely on word of mouth, newspaper reviews (particularly the weekend Westchester section of The New York Times), and websites such as Chowhound.com.
I like to enter a new restaurant armed with the latest review that I have torn from the paper. I will often order what the reviewer has recommended, although I can't always stop my companions from ordering what the reviewer has hated. And sometimes an unreviewed special will beckon, and I order it, hoping for the best.
This is my journey among Westchester's gems and duds. I hope you will join me, and tell me what you think.
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