My never ending quest - new restaurants I won't hate in Tristate NY, CT area

Regional Dining Discussions New York, Connecticut
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I have to co-opt my own thread again.

Was there a thread here on the death of A&P and Pathmark and their replacements? I can’t find it, if there was.

I’m not thrilled with any of them, their only saving grace is that they are cleaner than A&P was. I don’t find myself making an effort to go back to ACME or KeyFood. Today I just got to Best Market, the former Morton Williams.

Has anyone been? Can you explain the draw? The interior has been downgraded from M/W, imo. More warehouse type space, hoping to look cheap on purpose? Produce is low priced, yes, but the lettuce was wilted and the mushrooms were brown. They had some weird hairy fruit for sample, and it was different, I’ll say that. After I had chewed up the pit, the woman giving them out told me no one ever eats the pit. :grin:

The rest of the store was ordinary, prices were okay, no Yuengling ice cream, and one aisle had a pole set squarely in the middle at both ends. Um, okay.

The people were nice and my checkout woman was fast, which I always appreciate, and I told her so.

I like that set of stores on Central Ave. for window shopping - can you guess why? - but I won’t be running back to Best Market.

And while I’m blabbing away on non-sequiters, get this the next time you’re in Costco. You’ll thank me. Ever had See’s or Enstrom’s toffee? Just as good, a third of the price, minus only the toffee. Delish.

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I found best Market to be nasty from the first day they opened. I went in the first week and never again.

Acme in Bronxville is ok for certain items. And since they are a midwest chain you can find some things not found at most stores in this area. Like Scrapple. They usually have Rapa or Habbersett which I have never seen in NY before.

Pathmark on Central Ave is definitely becoming an H-Mart. They have completely gutted the place. Every wall except load bearing is gone. just a huge hollow shell. And they are installing new electric, plumbing, and hvac. So it will be a nice store when it opens in the late Fall or early Winter.

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Senor Negroni and the Milano Mule are my creations. I re-worked the Old fashioned #1 and the differences between batches are minor. I re-worked the El Diablo, not a favorite cocktail since it is difficult to control the spice level. The Specialino Fizz may be the same as the
Cappelletti Spritz, with minor changes.

I don’t buy flavored vodka. I am sick of tasting them. I have tasted just about every one on the market up to around a year ago. I make one type myself, Buddha’s Hand Citron, every few years. I find it takes several years to develop well. But otherwise, no flavored vodka. Hell, I just found two cases of flavored vodkas I made, not one the same, from 2003.

Rose’s lime juice is ghastly. What do you use it for? You can make a wonderful lime cordial pretty easily.

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Thanks, I’ll try your cocktails before the others.

Isn’t Rose’s lime juice necessary to a vodka gimlet? I used Powell & Mahoney clarified lime juice, but it was very expensive in Whole Foods. I also bought simple syrup and used fresh lime juice, but didn’t get it right.

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The ugly fruit at Best Market was a rambutan. And don’t you THINK they would have had a sign for this?

While a minority of people do eat the raw seeds, they contain traces of potentially toxic chemicals

I guess it didn’t kill me. Wow, what a moronic store.

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While Rose’s was the only choice for a few decades as the majority of lime cordials fell off the market, it’s now very poor quality. Not so bad decades ago, but now it is primarily HFCS with some lime juice concentrate, plus added flavorings, dye, and artificial preservitives here is the US. In the UK and Europe it is still made nearer to the original recipe, without artificial preservatives and flavorings, and with sugar, not HFCS, and lime concentrate is the first ingredient, then sugar.

I would never buy simple syrup, overpriced, and I find the commercial ones have off flavors that can ruin a drink. All you do is mix equal parts of sugar and water. Hot water and stir, or cold water, put in a jar, and shake.

There are tons of ways to make a better Gimlet, first is, make a real one, with gin, not vodka. The second thing is the ratios of the ingredients. You want a nice balance between the gin, the sugar, and the lime juice. Also, a dash or two of Angostura bitters really rounds it out and makes the flavors pop.

Here’s my recipe for what I call a Fresh Gimlet. It’s been on the menu at quite a few bars and private member clubs in NYC and environs.

Fresh Gimlet
2 oz. Tanqueray Gin (or any good quality gin. My favorite is Half Moon Orchard Gin by Tuthilltown Distillery)
1 oz. Lime juice
.75 oz. simple syrup
1-2 dashes Angostura bitters

Shake on ice and strain into a chilled cocktail glass. Garnish with a lemon twist.

Or, you can make Lime Cordial. I have a few ways I make it. But I have access to a vacuum chamber sealer and do a lot of infusions and such under vacuum. Toby makes his similar to how I used to make mine, a more low tech way. Just takes more time, but not excessively so. I really enjoy peeling the citrus, trying to get as little white pith as possible. (But leaving some, the small amount of bitterness is needed.)
http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/case-study-building-a-better-mixer/?_r=0

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Wow, who knew there was so much behind my wodka gimlet!

I can try the Fresh Gimlet, thank you very much. Never heard of Half Moon, I’ll have to look for it.

And yes, curiously I tasted the off taste in the simple syrup. I thought I had an uneducated palate.

I’m now off Rose’s lime juice.

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Red Plum in Mamaroneck. Shame on me for not going there sooner.

Went there for lunch today and included in their Bento Box special for $11. was soup, salad, shumai, a california roll, my choice of fish katsu, and brown rice. I enjoyed them all and have enough for dinner. My friend had General Tso chicken with rice, salad and soup.

Service was outstanding.

Now, my choice of drink, a pear martini, cost more than lunch, but I enjoyed it. The bill was $25. each.

Ambiance was good, and parking (only two blocks away) was free for three hours.

They also have hibachi and a regular menu. A few years ago, I probably would have complained about the idea of Asian Fusion, but what the hey.

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@primosprimos Where’s the free parking? Parking on Mamaroneck Ave is usually awful!

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Mt. Pleasant Ave., a residential street. Just checked out the name yesterday, because my friend paid to park to eat. Which, of course, I never do. :grin:

At the top of Mt. Pleasant Ave., make a right, away from the police station, and parking is free there too. I’ve never paid for parking to shop in Mam’k.

Hopefully the mayor isn’t reading here, and immediately puts in parking meters.

Nah, the mayor and I are likethat. He stopped the sale of puppy mill dogs in Mam’k pet stores, allowing rescues only.

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Thanks!!! :slight_smile:

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YW. I do the same in New Rochelle, Larchmont, Hartsdale, Harrison, and Pelham. The only town to outsmart me is White Plains. So, I don’t eat out in White Plains. I know, bite off my nose to spite my face, but I’m fine with that.

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I keep plodding along. First up, as I’m sure you guessed, I’m not a gourmand. Or a sophisticated drinker.

We recently went to Sea Shore Restaurant (and Marina, don’t forget the people walking through the dining room to get to the marina) in City Island and I liked it just fine. It’s not a chi-chi place, so I won’t bother with a review.

But last night, we went to Rye House - almost empty on a Sunday night, is that bad or is it because everyone with any sense is in the Hamptons? - in Portchester, unlike some other towns, the meters didn’t have to be fed on a Sunday, and per the Very Good review in the NYT, I expected more. The space is MacMenamin-ish, but at least I got to choose a four top. Man, do I hate tables for two, not least of which I have to steal a second napkin from another table. Unless hubby stops me and then I have to ask.

Okay, so I decided to cross off another in my ‘drinks I’ve never had’ category, and chose a Sazerac. JMF will laugh, but I didn’t know it was the beginning of a drink, not an entire drink.

IOW, it was two fingers of liquor, nicely mixed, but since I milk a drink for my entire meal, this wasn’t going to cut it. JMF will steam, but I sent it back. I got a Chasing Alice, a gin and lemon and blueberry concoction which came out separately, so I could taste the gin and blueberry first and then add the lemon mixture. Very nice, and ample.

The clams with chopped jerusalem artichoke and sausage were quite good, dunk-worthy.

Hubby liked his rainbow trout - seriously, though, a tiny dollop of mashed potatoes would’ve hurt? - and I had the best cheesy grits ever. And yes, I’ve been in the South, and even I can’t believe I’m saying it. It came with shrimp, but I gave those to hubby, to replace his mashed.

Service was excellent, I’m sorry I didn’t get her name.

To be honest, I’m weary of restaurants that don’t give enough food to take home. Are people really happy with ‘just there’ amounts of food because they can’t balance their diets?

Interestingly, the price point was actually decent, for Westchester, $89. before tip for two drinks, one appetizer, and two entrees.

That was it, hubby would return, I’m not so sure (I would get the gourmet grilled cheese), but I can’t again order a Sazerac, that’s for sure. Stupidly, I should have kept the drink (and when did $12+ become acceptable?) and had it for after dinner.

Someday I’m going to find another Harrald’s, and then my quest will be over.

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Rats, my fave Italian (now that Villa Nova is closed) just got into the Top Ten pizza places in Westchester, per Trip Advisor. I hope I’m the only one who read it.

Francesco’s in White Plains, that is, she grudgingly shared.

I think we’ll always be recognized there and given a table. I think. I hope. I’d hate to have to wait on line. Nah, Bridgette will let me in.

We had drinks at the bar - an astonishing gin gimlet - and calamari. Could have done with that, but had dinner anyway. My usual Caesar’s salad when I’m being good, and hubby had chicken scarpariello.

We also recently went to Emilia’s on Arthur Ave. with relatives and JoAnn shared tales of that area way back when, when it was great. The food was excellent, and so were the drinks. The company was terrific.

Finally, having read about them in Westchester Magazine - I know, places pay to be in there - I had to try the buffalo shrimp. Seven jumbo shrimp, nicely hot sauce, with fries. Very nice owner and assistants, very friendly. Although I didn’t get the food samples those on Yelp did while I waited, and I’m bummed. Is it me, though, or is $15. a lot of money for a lunch I don’t think would fill a construction worker? I don’t know, maybe it’s me.

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It that the place near the Korean market? I always wondered about that place - where do you park?

On the bone?

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After 6:00pm, of course. :grin: On the street, parking is free, after that time. Not like downtown WP, where you have to pay, well I don’t of course, until 9:00pm.

Yes, near the Korean market and the formerly wonderful sushi place, until they told us what to order. Nobody tells me what to do anymore, not after 12 years of nuns.

Off the bone, but it had tomatoes in it, and some spice - don’t get me started on the spices hubby doesn’t like - that didn’t belong. I forgot, I also had chicken francese (I’ve mixed up my meals with all this eating out), and it was wonderful.

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No…Deedee I think you are safe… JL let the cat out of the bag years ago on CH
“Francesco’s (600 Mamaroneck Ave). I have friends drive up from the city with me for their penne with broccoli rabe and hot sausage, their old-school thin crust bar pies, their baked ziti, and other old-school dishes. The place is a national treasure”

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Sorry, does not make it for me. Has to be on the bone or it ain’t chicken scarpariello![quote=“chowdom, post:178, topic:3606”]
The place is a national treasure"
[/quote]

Really? I had no idea!

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lol

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Tried to go to Rattlesnake Jack in Harrison today - duh, they’re closed on Monday.

Ended up at Trattoria Vivolo, down the street, and boy are they good.

We had the calamari and split a special salad and a margherita pizza. We also split a ricotta cheesecake, and had espressos.

Conversation got loud, but I don’t think anyone minded. At least I hope they didn’t.

Company was good, food was good, conversation was heated. Who could ask for anything more?

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