Reporting on some recent eats in Westchester

Regional Dining Discussions New York, Connecticut
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Haven’t been eating out much this summer but here’s info on a few…

Wobble Cafe in Ossining- done with this place- my sister and I waited over a half hour for 2 sandwiches that needed little other than assembly. Her BLT was fine but my turkey panini was made with a meat that did not in any way resemble turkey and I really couldn’t finish it. If the food was better I’d give them another try but since it’s basically not any better than a diner I’d rather go to…

DD’s Diner in Ossining- a completely acceptable and enjoyable diner. It’s shiny and new, the prices are maybe 1-2$ more than they should be BUT the service is fast and the food is surprisingly fresh for a diner. (Side salads are not just iceberg, for example). It’s nice that it’s so close to home.

Beehive in Armonk- had a nice weekday lunch here along with every senior citizen within a 10 mile radius it seemed! Lol. My friend and I lingered for almost two hours and they didn’t rush us at all. My four cheese omelet was enormous and delicious and came with a nice fruit cup. My friend enjoyed her steak sandwich. I’d definitely go again to see what else is good on the menu.

Fortina in Armonk- my absolute favorite current restaurant in Westchester. The servers are young and friendly and relaxed and actually go out of their way to chat. The food here is seriously good as it has been throughout the years. I worried they’d become stretched thin but that hasn’t happened and they are turning out pizzas that are on some nights completely phenomenal and on an average night simply excellent. New on the menu are various crostini and chicken parm and a “pizzeria salad.” Love that they take these simple items and elevate them without taking themselves too seriously. Other recent favorites are the spaghetti with lemon and sesame seed and perennial favorites Luigi Bianco pizza, tartufo, bread pudding, and more. Really my only complaints are that the beer is overpriced, and that it’s hard to get a table on short notice on a weekend. We prefer spontaneously going on the earlier side and sitting at the bar where you can see the action in the kitchen.

MP Taverna in Irvington- call ahead to make sur ethey will honor the happy hour promised on their website. We had a great meal there last week during happy hour with $4 snacks, $5 drinks, and a slew of regular menu items. The nighttime bartender who is usually there is quite a hoot. We enjoy the MP salad, crab croquettes, yogurt dip, lamb sausage, and halvah brownie, among other goodies.

Blue Pig in Croton- I can’t get enough of Blue Pig this summer. The fruit flavors have been outrageous this summer, such as black raspberry and fruit crisp flavors where they swirl in chunks of pastry with the fruit. My favorites are oreo, fluffernutter, and if you can catch it, the mint cookie sandwich.

I want to get up to try Jean-Georges’ place one of these weeks and I need to get back down to the Cookery, haven’t been there in a long time! Drinks and a burger at Rivermarket are in order too. We’ll be celebrating our anniversary at Kittle House with some leftover Xmas gift cards too. Not much else enticing at the moment…

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Thanks for the great post. I have been meaning to try Beehive - I’ve heard good things. And I so agree about Fortina. Great food and great customer service. I’m over Inn at Pound Ridge, but need to get to Kittle House again (Tap Room - thanks for the rec years ago) and also need to finally try the Cookery.

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Under the radar in Pound Ridge is North Star.

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Thanks Jfood! Any guidance on price point for the menu, as I notice there are no prices listed?

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We used to go there - it has to be 15 years ago. We liked it and I forget why we stopped going…

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small and a little pricey. entrees prob high 20s-low 30s

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Gwenn, I forgot to mention that the Cookery is now accepting reservations for parties of all sizes and at all times on Opentable. (It used to be you could only make reservations for large parties on popular weekend nights.) Having a guaranteed table at a time other than opening is very appealing to me as we have to drive almost a half hour to get there!

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Great news!! Thanks so much for letting me know. I wonder why the change…

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Thank you for the report … I agree with much of what you wrote

Wobble - The food I did not love, as a matter of fact I didn’t really like it at all
and I felt like I was eating at a childrens day care center

DD’s - we thought about it but were skeptical…will try it based on your review

Beehive - hopefully one day soon

Fortina - very soon :slight_smile:

Blue Pig - I haven’t had her fruit crisp ice creams, but I have had her fruit
crisps and they are ridiculously delicious, carrot ginger soup, coffee ice cream also favorites… if only I lived closer probably a good thing I don’t

Cookery - love

Rivermarket / Kittle house most anything Crabtree I like
but in full disclosure they’re friends so I’m biased

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Your comments about Fortina in Armonk caught my eye (and winecountrygirl’s follow up did, too). I have some friends in Mahopac who have some pizzaria loyalties closer to home, but it still sounds like a nice “gift card” to think about as it gets closer to Christmas. The Google map link showed Armonk as about 1/2 hour down 684 for my friends. I was on the Fortina website, and their menu looks good, and a $50.00 card should cover them. Anything else you can advise about this place? I certainly want their evening to be special. (Obviously, I am long distance and can’t check out the place for myself. But as I have posted on other threads, all this Westchester talk makes me homesick.)

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Went to Beehive yesterday for Sunday Brunch. Got there around noon and had to wait at least 20 minutes for a table for 2. The crowd seems to clear out about 1:30, so that’s a better time to go for brunch. Shared the crabcake appetizer which was very good, plenty of crab meat in it. Had the home made corned beef hash and eggs. The hash was a bit over cooked (as in almost burnt) but very tasty anyway. Hash browns so-so. My friend had one of the omelets with spinach and cheese which was also good. I look over at the table next to me and saw the challah french toast. Looked dry, like it was just dipped in the egg mixture, not soaked like french toast should be. Very large portions. Brought some food home. Also had their mimosa. That and the bloody mary are $8. The good part about the mimosa was that it comes without ice. When I have alcohol I usually say little ice otherwise the drink is finished in 2 sips. I’ve had there bloody mary in the past which is also worth trying. All in all, Beehive is a good choice for brunch or breakfast. Haven’t tried it at other times.

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Agree with you about Wobble Cafe. Don’t know what all the hype is about. The only thing I love there is the Pan Perdue for breakfast. Service is very slow and ambiance is as you describe it - children’s day care center.

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Florida - Armonk is 15 minutes down 684 from my entrance at Goldens Bridge. It’s definitely not a pizzeria! it is very loud - Music going as well as movies on the big screen tv. In the good weather there is outdoor seating. Incredible customer service at this place. Very hip, fun vibe but not a romantic night out, by any stretch. Great food, great people.

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I would not try it for dinner, but as a place to meet for lunch or breakfast - maybe!

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“Special” has a broad definition. Not necessarily romantic. But these folks are definitely some of the “great people” who enjoy other great people. Hmmm. Are they “very hip?” I am sure you never lose it. You’re talking me into this (which is what I hoped for :relaxed: )

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Good. Its one of my favorite places! I have a story. The first time we went the restaurant was new and we had a novice server Very cute young lady but not a good server. Long story short ( after several margarita issues) my husband ordered the Florentine Steak - rare. Our server, Moe, told us that it was not possible to have this cooked rare, only well done - she said the chef said so. At this point we called over the manager who assured us we could have it rare, but we both had pizza. Really, we were ready to never come back. Then we got our pizza and we melted. it was so good. When we got home I got one of those surveys from the restaurant wanting to know how everything was. I told them about the steak. We went back two weeks later and when we came in the owner and 2 managers came over to us to greet us, and once we ordered our server (not Moe) brought us a Florentine steak cut up to share as an appetizer, free of charge. And that is Fortina customer service in a nutshell.

I hope your friend enjoy!

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Chowdom, DD’s is definitely not a destination but we live close by so it has become “our” diner. Seems like we have similar tastes! Definitely try Fortina!

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Floridahound, I personally can’t seem to get out of Fortina for under $75, more often $100, but that’s because we usually order at least one drink each and multiple pre-appetizers, appetizers, entrees to share, and we never miss dessert. Their bread pudding is the bread pudding to end all bread puddings. But $50 would put a nice dent in a gluttonous couple’s bill or cover a more restrained couple’s bill. :slight_smile: It’s definitely casual but every meal there feels like a party or celebration if you want it to!

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Glad you had a good experience overall at Beehive. Like you said I’d definitely go back for breakfast or lunch, not sure about dinner. My omelet actually was two whole meals. It seemed like it was made with six eggs and half a pound of cheese!

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I really can’t figure out why the service at Wobble is so slow. I think about myself, not a restaurant chef, making two sandwiches where the only cooked parts are bacon (which they probably already have made) and pressing a sandwich on a panini press, and I figure it would take me about 10 minutes. It wasn’t even that crowded so even if you add a couple minutes for kitchen traffic that’s nowhere near the 30 minutes we waited. I really like frequenting local businesses but I’m done with this one!