CANCELLED - January/February HOdown ideas! (Westchester NY)

Hi everyone,
Let’s use this thread to toss around ideas for a January HOdown (location and date). When we have some sort of consensus, we will make this an “official” event. January 20 and 27 work for me right now, but if someone else wants to step up and coordinate a different day, volunteers are welcome!

There has been a lot of talk of Peruvian food on other threads so I’m proposing this as one possibility. Reply here if this interests you.

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A Port Chester food crawl has also been proposed on other threads; my only hesitation is the weather in January may not make this a desirable option. Should we pursue this or table it for a later date? Reply here on this option.

Please feel free to respond with other ideas-- any place where a group would be welcomed and we could experience some great local food.

I’m up for Peruvian, Korean, Indian, whatever. We usually go to El Miski in White Plains when we want Peruvian, but I’m always happy to try a new place.

Korean is a great idea too and I also remembered at our last HOdown we discussed O Mandarin, which seems well liked. I’d be interested in Vietnamese too.

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If it’s peruvian, the restaurant would have to supplement towards vegetarian dishes as well.
I would be down for korean or vietnamese.

I always wanted to do a PC food crawl! January might work depending on the weather. Good idea to keep the idea on the table for the warmer months too!

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I love any reason to eat Peruvian! Delicias del Jireh in WP is a good one - I really enjoy their food and they do have vegetarian options. Miski is another one in WP and Bravo Peru - although Bravo’s hours are inconsistent and the parking can be an issue.

Open to Korean and Vietnamese as well! H-Mart may be too informal for some, but I love it for Korean. We could get a long table. :slight_smile:

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Another mention of Miski-- sounds like another board favorite!

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Miski has its problems. Food is usually very good, more homestyle than some of the other paces in WP. It is a 1950’s mobile diner. It can get overcrowded, also very cold inside in winter if you are in the front section with the small booths, and the booths are too small and set too close together. They do have a back room. Can’t remember how big or comfortable. When I want a quick and tasty lunch it’s one of my go to spots. But you can’t fit four people at a “four person” booth. Maybe two, unless all are tiny, and very friendly.

Delicias del Jireh is more of a typical diner style place. Not easily accommodating for large parties. I haven’t had the food. I went twice for lunch, but each time there was a seating or service issue, and I ended up around the corner to Gaucho. Which of the Peruvian in WP is most set up for a group. I like it a lot. Their fish chowders can be amazing.

Bravo Peru is takeout, and only a few seats. They often don’t have everything on their limited menu, and as said hours are inconsistent. they open when they want. Also legal and safe parking is practically nonexistent.

For Peruvian I would second Inca y Gaucho — food, comfort, noise level. (The WP one). For Vietnamese, we have now been to Vietnam Central three times, never disappointed, good space, noise level. I would also throw into the mix D Thai in Thornwood/Hawthorne.

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Part of Miski’s charm is the set-up within the mobile diner. I’m not a small person and my son is 6’3". We’ve not had issues fitting 3-4 people into the front booths. The very nature of booths is that they are back-to-back, so I’m not sure what you mean by saying they are too close together. I agree that it can be a little chilly if it is a windy winter day. It can get crowded with families, particularly on weekend mornings and evenings, but I find that invigorating and reassuring that the food is moving fast and being freshly prepared. One Saturday afternoon, we sat near the rotisserie and we must have seen 40 chickens packed for outgoing orders.

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In cold weather the door doesn’t close fully and a wicked cold breeze goes right through you. Anyway that’s what I have experienced. As for booths. I am 6’1.5" and athletic build and can’t fit into the booths. Maybe my legs are long for my height. 36".

I think the food is great.

Have you been in the back room?

Yeah, those winter breezes are killers in the front room. I generally feel more comfortable in colder climes (my ancestral regions are all cold and damp), so it doesn’t bother me too much. The kid has long legs, but he’s used to spaces not being accommodating of this feature and does a sort of origami thing with them.

I haven’t been in the back room, but twice when I was there, it seemed like dozens of folks in their early 20s wearing dressy club clothes were pouring in and out of there. Have you checked it out? I’m guessing there’s a bar.

Their shrimp ceviche is so good. The portion of choclo seems to have diminished and every so often they skimp on the sweet potato, but it is loaded with shrimp and is consistently great. Their sinus-clearing, house-made green sauce elevates everything, even salchipapas.

Love D Thai - have been going there since it first opened. Love the owners - and their food, of course. :slight_smile:

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I like D Thai too. It’s not mind blowing but they are so, so nice there.

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Definitely. It would be a nice, cozy place for a HO-Down. I think they’d be thrilled to have us. The parking is super easy too! (I love private lots!)

Are there any hotpot places in Westchester? Would be awesome for a group of people.

Fantasy Cuisine used to do hot pot, but I’m not sure if they still offer it.