February 2010

Dining Out

Where to Romance Over
Food & Wine on Valentine’s Day!

Toscana Ristorante, 214 Main St., Eastchester 914-361-1119
Put this spot on your dining calendar for the coming year! Based on a couple of recent dining experiences here, I can heartily recommend Toscana as one of the best new dining destinations in Westchester, lush and lovely Romanesque, a genteel combination of traditional old-world with modern overtones, from the knowledgeable service to kitchen flavors that can mesmerize your palate! Chef/owner Michele Lepore is most passionate about his culinary repertoire and insists on preserving the ‘old fashioned traditions’. You sense it immediately with the arrival of complimentary tastes of Tuscan beans and focaccia as you consider the menu. Their new Fixed Price Winter Dinner is an especially good deal. It includes the Chef’s Pasta Combo and choice of such main courses as: Pollo al Limone, Salmone Cremonese, or Vitello Sotto Bosco. Coffee or tea also included. Cost is $27.95 per person. The special dinner is served Tuesday-Thursday all day. Toscana Ristorante is located at 214 Main St., Eastchester. Phone: 914-361-1119. www.toscana-ristorante.com.

East Harbor Chinese & Japanese Restaurant, 1560 Central Park Ave., Yonkers 914-961-0100
Coinciding with Valentine’s Day, they will be celebrating the Chinese New Year (Year of the Tiger) Feb. 14, 15 & 16th. Nightly Lion Dances and surprises galore are promised. Complete 4-course New Year Dinners from $19.95 per person. When in the mood for a sushi fix, perhaps mixed with some good Chinese food, this bustling reasonably priced oriental eatery between the Yonkers Public Library and Tuckahoe Road is a great deal. New owner David Li offers a fine mix of cuisines along with a new Vegetarian menu. A great bargain here are the Half Price Sushi Days, a la carte only, served 7 days a week from noon to 3 p.m., and all day Mondays and Wednesdays. The fish from the sparkling sushi bar is quite fresh, meticulously cut and beautifully presented. A pleasure to enjoy! Start with a bowl of their Mixed Vegetable Hot & Sour Soup, one of the best versions I’ve found anywhere. Also good are the Boneless Spare Ribs, Spicy Tuna Roll, Sizzling Short Ribs, and the warming big bowl of Yose Nabe, assorted seafood and Asian vegetables cooked in a clear broth. Open 7 days. www.eastharborny.com.

Post Road Ale House, 11 Huguenot St., New Rochelle 914-633-4610
Chef Brian MacMenamin, formerly of MacMenamin’s Grill & Chef Works, is now bringing his talents to bear at this new spot and it’s hot! The restaurant is open 7 days a week for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch highlighting modern American tavern fare with most entrees under $20. Signature dishes include: Maryland Crab Cakes with Mediterranean Tossed Green Salad & Remoulade sauce; a juicy Black Angus Burger served on Kaiser roll with grilled onions and cheddar; Tuscan Grilled Filet Mignon with grilled shrimp & Bearnaise sauce; and Lamb Shank Osso Buco with creamy polenta. Additional features include: a fresh daily raw bar; salads prepared tableside; specialty wines and beers; and a chef’s table near the kitchen. Hefty steaks and chops were recently added to the menu. High ceilings with exposed wood beams and pipes, cherry wood floors. Facebook.com/Postroadalehouse.

(Morris Gut is a restaurant consultant and former restaurant trade magazine editor. He has been tracking and writing about the dining scene in greater Westchester for more than 25 years. He may be reached at: 914-235-6591. E-mail: gutreactions@optonline.net)

© Shoreline Publishing 2010
629 Fifth Avenue, Suite 213, Pelham, NY 10803
Phone: 914-738-7869 Fax 914-738-7876
http://www.shorelinepub.com
prod@shorelinepub.com