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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Okay, sorry, we don’t much get to NJ, so it’s a Duostate area?

At any rate, I just put up a review on Tripadvisor (exhale, it’s allowed here) on Gaia, in Greenwich, CT.

I had (imho) the most perfect Sidecar I’ve ever had. A drink and its timing and service and a decent amount of food and non-pretty food and restaurant dining companions who don’t give me the heebie jeebies and a non-screamingly exorbitant bill and not paying for parking and a table against the wall are my only requirements (okay, demands) for a perfect dining experience.

Gaia was up there. Villa Nova was up there, sadly no one agreed with me and it closed. Francesco’s is up there.

I don’t have very many more I’ve loved, I have a list ‘to try’, and I’m always on the lookout for the next place. Although, my husband CONstantly tells me that I won’t like the next new place and why do we have to go to new places and why not just be happy I have a handful of old reliable places. I know, right?

I dislike Dubrovnik in New Rochelle for its uber grumpy waiter - twice - so I won’t go back there. Ben’s Deli was pathetic in comparison to Katz’s and yeah, Katz’s is my barometer for deli. Da Giorgio is also up there - service and food are outstanding. Carlo’s in New Rochelle was darned good. Sichuan Pavilion is my go-to Chinese restaurant, don’t even try to talk me out of it. I don’t like Modern’s new incarnation, they’ve gone over to the dark aka yuppy side. Ditto on Lombardo’s, although my pal 51rich likes them and I respect his opinion. I liked Lincoln Lounge, but Mr. MacMenamin killed it.

And yeah, I like Dudley’s and McKiernan’s in New Rochelle, I don’t take no truck against them, if that’s okay with you. And I’m not consistent, since I like bartaco, and more yuppy you can’t get. But I like their tacos (no I don’t like ‘authentic’ taco places, since their drinks are from hunger) and their drinks are good.

You can keep Valbella in CT and Larchmont Tavern, once was too many times. As I’ve noted before, Pepe’s in Yonkers is disgusting. I found the pizza at Coals silly, but the brussels sprouts ($8. for brussels sprouts, hilarious) delish.

Tuck’d Away in Tuckahoe, as recommended, was excellent.

The belly fries at Smokehouse Tailgate Grill were out of this world.

On my list to try: Rattlesnake Jack, Porta Napoli, Shake Shack, Fiamma Trattoria, Piero’s, La Riserva (a second chance), Chef Antonio (ditto).

So, the purpose of this topic? I’d welcome your suggestions on places to try. Not too far from Lower Westchester, no parking charges of course, and otherwise places that meet my demands.

Thanks much.

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There is a wonderful restaurant in Ridgefield CT - Bailey’s Backyard. The food is great but I don’t know about their sidecars! It’s farm to table and the chef combines flavors with imagination and finesse. Unfortunately, I can’t find new places either and seem to stick to my tried and true. It’s just too expensive to eat out now and I hate wasting my money and my time on bad food/service etc.

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_ It’s just too expensive to eat out now and I hate wasting my money and my time on bad food/service etc._

You said it! I’ll have to put Bailey’s on my ‘to try’ list. Not farm to table like Blue Stone? No, I haven’t been there, but everyone who has tells me the dishes are petite, but they fill up after ordering many dishes. Um, no thanks.

LOL, I’m open to other good cocktails, especially the vintage ones. I used to get THE best - and I’m quoting - wodka gimlet at O Asian in Thornwood. They’ve closed, but Asian Wave is good, albeit more expensive and more yuppiefied.

Am I nuts, or were you (I’m happy to say I don’t have to go back to check!) wincountrygirl at Chowhound, minus the ‘e’?

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No, it’s not like Blue Hill. I’m not a Blue Hill fan. Very small, friendly, casual. Normal portions!

Yes, that’s me. It was a typo and I could not change it!!

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Thanks for a new list of places to try! We recently tried Massa’ in Mamaroneck were pleasantly surprised with the quality of the meal and the knowlegable service. It’s a small place on Post Rd. directly across the street from the old Applebee’s. There is a parking lot (free) a few doors down. They call themselves Coastal Italian and my husband says the fish is fantastic. Not a fish lover, I have had the fresh made pasta, it’s delicious. The orecchiete with sausage and broccoli rabe or the fettucine bolognese were both excellent, although the portions a little small as a main dish. They use Pat LaFrieda meats and I saw a steak and hamburger at the next table. Must try next time!

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Excellent, thanks debmom. I thought the name sounded familiar and found a review from the NY Times (not a good one) and this place is from the owners of La Villetta in Larchmont, a place I liked.

The review was from 2014, so hopefully they’ve ironed out the kinks.

Happy to hear they’re heavy on fish, I love fish. And have free parking!:grin:

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Debmom -
welcome to HO! Massa sounds good. We’ll have to give it a try.

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Thanks, @winecountrygirl nice to have found you all again!

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I saw on CH that someone started a thread about Hudson Valley restaurant week and the only person to comment was the OP!!! He answered his own question!

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Have you tried Burrata in Eastchester? They have a wood fired brick oven for pizza, and make their dough and pasta from scratch, sourdough at that. I recommend their pasta very highly because of the quality of their dough.

I have consulted to them about their cocktails, which I mentioned in another post. But I wouldn’t recommend Burrata if I didn’t like their food. Also last summer I helped them set up their backyard as a organic style garden producing heirloom tomatoes, peppers, herbs, and wine cap stropharia mushrooms, which they will have another bumper crop of this spring. One of the only, if not the only, places raising wine cap mushrooms commercially in the northeast.

Chas the owner/chef is the ultimate host, and a perfectionist when it comes to the food, and beverages. He went through all the cocktail/bar training with the bartenders, and then much more. He is intimately involved with everything.

Thursday they have a ladies night special sitting at the bar 1/2 price wine and cocktails, possibly food specials. I think they have live music on Tuesday nights. Lunch specials everyday.

http://www.burratapizza.com/menu/

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Not yet, JMF. Well made cocktails and good food? Sounds great, thank you.

Hah - I just checked out their menu, and they have the brussels sprouts appetizer that’s so popular right now. Whoa. I see pork belly on grits, but I am not reading it on the menu. If I beg Chas, will he make it for me.?

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Have you tried Farmer and the Fish in Purdy’s? It’s incredibly popular and very noisy, which usually gets me really crabby. So we’ve been several times at off hours–and loved it. Farm to table, and not stuffy at all, and grown-up size portions. It’s a beautiful old colonial-era house, very cool. The menu and the selection of oysters changes all the time, depending on what’s available. Service is fantastic, informal, friendly.

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spa, we’ve actually been invited to go there with another couple, but a date hasn’t been set. Thank you, though, I’ll put it on my list - in case the date doesn’t get set.

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Yes, I was wondering why it was so quiet there. On the other hand, I posted the same thread here and have no responses, so maybe people aren’t interested in HVRW anymore.

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MisterBill, it might have been the place I chose (don’t remember it), but the menu was restrictive and we ended up ordering off the regular menu.

Again, just me, but I’ve never tried HVRW again.

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I’m with you primosprimos - I don’t go. I guess if there were someplace new I really wanted to try, but otherwise I’d rather order what I want. When I look at the menus at places we go to frequently I find they are not a very good reflection of the food overall. And I like to eat what I like to eat :grin:

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Yup.

winecountrygirl, did you note that your pointer here is still up on Chowhound? Interesting.

I thank you all for the responses, I’ve gotten more here than ever on C/H when I asked a similar question for a big aka old birthday last year. I think I went to my all time fave Villa Nova, but alas there will be condos there soon.

So in line with this topic - this year is another Mesozoic mark, our 30th wedding anniversary. Given my demands, can anyone think of a place that might fit the bill? We loved Harrald’s in Stormville for special occasions, but alas he retired.

We’ve been to Plates, and that’s good in a pinch, but I’d like a new place. Farmer and Fish sounds like it would be good, but we’re waiting on friends to go with.

As always, thank you.

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Yes, and I can’t believe it!!

Farmer and the Fish is very very noisy and always packed so it may not be the place for a special occasion. And I don’t even know what is any more. The only place I have been wanting to try is Bernards in Ridgefield, but it’s classic French. They also have a wine bar upstairs with a different menu and it’s supposed to be excellent. Congratulations on the 30th!! I

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Noisy? Ugh, I forgot that was mentioned.

Classic French might be a problem with hubby - no cream, no cheese (except on pizza, go figure), no sauces that look suspicious, no anything that tastes suspicious, nothing that is swirled or pureed - how did I make it 30 years, you ask? Then again, how did he? :grin: But their menu looks divine, and they have game. He loves game.

I just checked my ‘must try’ list - how about Bailey’s Backyard? Do they have a bar, Gwenn? And thanks on the congrats.

Bernard’s it might be!

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Primosprimos- my husband had a dairy allergy for years and he finally outgrew it… At 60! Baileys is terrific, though not fancy if you are looking for that. Small and table are close together but it is not noisy. They make drinks but the bar is not one you can sit at. It is really a service bar. They make a good margarita.

BTW - my husband started trying some goat cheeses first and had no reaction so one day he had pizza and he was fine. If your husband can eat mozz I wonder why he is allergic to others. Life is strange.

Primosprimos- cousin Cousin?