Meals at Birdsall and Moderne Barn in Westchester

So even though I swore up and down I wouldn’t return to Birdsall, I
caved. My husband and I went to a show recently at the Paramount in
Peekskill and wanted to get a bite beforehand. After a pretty terrible
meal at Peekskill Brewery a few weeks before (where we paid something
like $12 for 6 brussels sprouts and got a bowl of soup that had maybe 6
spoonfuls of soup in it) we were definitely not going to go back there.
Unimpressed with Ramenesque, still boycotting Gleason’s, so we decided
to brave the bar at Birdsall (no chance of ending up with my least
favorite waitress that way). We were pleasantly surprised with the bar
service and had a really delicious meal… wings, their fantastic beef
brisket chili, and a kielbasa plate with homemade pierogies and
accoutrements that I’m still thinking about. The bartenders had their
act together way more than the floor wait staff. The beer list really
can’t be beat and the cocktail I had was delicious too. I’m glad we
went back and we would go back again but probably stick to dining at the
bar for now.

I also had a meal at Moderne Barn in Armonk. I’ve
always wanted to try it and we figured it would be a safe place to take
my parents to celebrate some family birthdays. Aside from the noise
level this turned out to be a really great meal. We shared a ton of
appetizers and salads, all of which we enjoyed, and entrees were
universally excellent. The best was my dad’s seafood risotto, cooked al
dente with plentiful seafood, although my lavender honey duck breast
and my brother in law’s veal valdostana were also impressive. Burger
was solid and the chicken was nicely as well. They plated our birthday
cake beautifully and we couldn’t resist the baklava and beignets from
their menu, sweet treats both. I would go back although the crowd was a
bit desperate housewife-y.

Haven’t been inspired to eat out so
much lately, must say I’m a bit bored with local restaurants at the
moment (especially after short trips to Philly and New Orleans).
Apparently Fortina now has a burger so I will definitely be heading
there to check that out soon!

Interesting review, ieatalotoficecream. Neither sound like my kind of place.

I’m curious about your comment on Gleason’s:

still boycotting Gleason’s

I can’t recall if you explained on CH (if they would have let you), but what is the reason? I don’t get to Peekskill much at all, but I had written down that they and Harper’s in Dobbs Ferry were tied in the DVlicious “Best Cocktails in Westchester County” contest.

I know, I know, these contests mean nothing, since City Limits keeps threatening to win this contest or that, but I’m curious as to the reason.

Thanks.

Haha yes I did explain on Chowhound… I keep forgetting where I am. :slight_smile: We had such a horrific experience there with service that we haven’t been back in a few years. And with all the fancy pizza places around I don’t see a reason to go back. I’d much more likely go to Fortina or the Parlor than back to Gleason’s.

Birdsall is pretty divey so it’s not for everyone. It’s not cheap either. But after this positive experience I’d go back again to eat and drink at the bar.

Birdsall’s cocktails are pretty good so I can see that Gleason’s would probably be too. Harper’s is another place I had a lackluster meal at and won’t return to. For cocktails, I love Rivermarket. The head bartender there is really really talented. The Aviation there is one of my favorites. Even their gin and tonics taste better somehow. I also like the cocktails at Fortina. Both are pricey.

MOderne Barn isn’t really my type of place either but it worked out well for our group (mix of grown children and my senior citizen parents). My brother in law joked that he thought we were in Beverly Hills seeing the ridiculously expensive cars in the parking lots. No, just northern Westchester…

Interesting! I swore the same about Birdsall after terrible, terrible service twice in a row. But then we went back last summer in the middle of a lazy afternoon and really enjoyed it. A few more visits since then have indicated that the service is actually totally fine at off hours. Fingers crossed that this strategy continues to work, since I love their veggie burger. (Made with beets, it’s really flavorful. Plus it holds together well and stands up to a variety of toppings.)

Ditto on Moderne Barn. Very good place for a family celebration. And the cars in the lot had us taking photos! Who has cars like that!?

Thanks, ieat. I’m getting more curmudgeonly as the days go by, so I get the DTs (whatever they are) if I have to go North of 287 to eat. They use that on the weather reports, might as well use it here!

There are quite a few places here in LW now that are quite good, barring my beloved New Rochelle, which is a vast wasteland. Dang, I wish 51rich would get here.

We’re finally going to Farmer and Fish on Friday, one of Gwenn’s faves, so I’ll be sure to weigh in. I’m glad JMF is here, hope he reads about your bartenders, he is a major domo in that area. I’m such a sycophant, I even wrote down the cocktails he recommended at Nomad in NYC. No, I never got there, more’s the pity.

I’m a schizophrenic slob when it comes to restaurants, I don’t know how else to put it. I love Dudley’s and their ilk, but was beyond happy with the Sidecar at Gaia. And I’m going to NOMA for a birthday, and Bernard’s for a very ancient wedding anniversary. I love to shock them on TripAdvisor, but am taking to copying the review under my thread about new places that don’t annoy me.:smiling_imp:

At any rate, good to see you here. I won’t be happy until we get ALL the old crowd from CH.

I love this place.

The NoMad’s cocktails are excellent so I hope you enjoy those! We weren’t thrilled with the Farmer and the Fish but I hope it was an anomaly. I like the old building and the concept. Lower Westchester definitely has more going on than up here in the sticks.

I haven’t tried their veggie burger but you had me at beets! I make a pretty good beet burger myself so I’d be curious to try theirs!

My husband recalls Teslas, Aston Martins, Jaguars, BMWs, Mercedes, Bentleys… and our little Honda! Ha.

We have also enjoyed Modern Barn - the place is beautiful too. If you are bored, we have really been enjoying Bailey’s Backyard in Ridgefield. Casual, farm to table with some interesting combinations of flavors. Aside from that, I’m bored too!!

Sadly, not a fave of mine. I’ve never had dinner there. My comments about it , I hope I said I heard it’s noisy. Very noisy. But, when hurricane Sandy hit and we were all in the dark, they had a generator and opened for breakfast so people could get a hot meal. I like them for that!

Ditto

SO glad to hear that on NoMad, ieat. A good cocktail, served quickly, sets the tone for my meal.

Ugh. The advance press on Farmer and Fish isn’t good - watch for my review. :grin:

I’m really a “car person” and always on the lookout for interesting ones- maybe I’ll check out the Modern Barn’s lot. That is one of the reasons that I do go up to Greenwich- I stalk the dealer lots. My most interesting find was several weeks ago. A porsche 918 was just pulling out of the Aston martin lot, but I decided to pull in anyway. Enough nice cars in the lot but I decided to go into the showroom (which I rarely do). Inside (and small crowds around it) was an Aston Martin Vulcan- one of only 24 being built, and strictly a track car (not street legal). Unlikely to ever see one otherwise.

I think all of the old CH posters are already here. The boards have had practically no new posts in the last week. :slightly_smiling:

Good.

To both.

I still miss the TJ’s hit or miss listings but since I’m always wandering their aisles I guess it doesn’t matter very much

rich, it’s a good thing I don’t get there much. The half gallon of vanilla is still holding on, it’s that dense and filling. The dog and I would have wiped it out by now were it not.

BTW, Double Rainbow got back to me to tell me the store in Pelham doesn’t carry their ice cream anymore - so why does it have their name, I wonder?