Posts in Features
Meet Tina Zaccardi: The Woman Behind The Italian Cookie
Meet Tina Zaccardi: The Woman Behind The Italian Cookie

Do you follow Tina Ziccardi Bakes, aka @theItalianCookie? Her media pages are loaded with baked deliciousness that is not only drool worthy, but is downright eye-candy perfection! Following her grand win on “The Great American Baking Show” Season 4 (Hulu), Augustina Zaccardi (Tina) became a bit of a local celebrity right here in Westchester. Her huge fan base from her hometown of Eastchester rooted her on with each baking challenge, becoming more difficult as each week passed. We all watch in amazement as contestants fly through the challenges on each food competition, but meeting with Zaccardi and listening to her describe what it is really like to be on a cooking show was enlightening. She described the experience, which filmed in England, to be competitive yet jovial and the contenders to have more comradery than might be expected in a contest pitting bakers against each other in difficult timed elimination assignments. Although they were in a heated competition, they became somewhat of a family and are still in close contact with each other today.

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Features, InterviewDonna Monaco OlsenBakery, Baker, Dessert, Interview, Pastry Chef, Chef Talk, Westchester, Homepage Comments
Beer, Booze, + BBQ: Here's What’s Happening at Captain Lawrence Barrel House
Beer, Booze, + BBQ: Here's What’s Happening at Captain Lawrence Barrel House

On the heels of renovating their Elmsford taproom and menu overhaul, then adding a distillery, Captain Lawrence Brewing Company’s expansion continues on the outskirts Downtown Mount Kisco.

Captain Lawrence Barrel House—sure to be dubbed Captain Lawrence Kisco by many—is different from the main brewery in terms of they’re not actually brewing beer or distilling spirits here. “Barrel House” should give away that this satellite version of Captain Lawrence is for barrel storage and aging booze produced by their distillery, Current Spirits. Whiskey, bourbon, single malt, and barrel-rested gin are all on the premises soaking up all those toasted oaky notes as we speak, and soon, giant oak foeders (pronounced food-ers) for aging sour beer will make their way into the back rooms.

And Captain Lawrence Barrel House isn’t just a honey hole for storage and aging, it’s there for your socializing and beer drinking enjoyment.

Visitors can expect 16 draft lines of mostly of Captain Lawrence beer, plus a few reserved for their own hard seltzer and a cider guest tap. Additionally, for non-craft beer nerds, there are three wines, pours and tasting flights of Current Spirits lineup of liquors, and canned cocktails, and mixed drinks like an old fashioned, spicy margarita, and a Moscow Mule.

As far as where to sip on your quaff, you have options. Pull up at the bar, grab a table in the dining room, or head out back where there’s an outdoor biergarten with obligatory picnic tables and string lights.

Once you pick which part of the Barrel House to post up at, pair your pint with some pub grub. Regulars of the main brewery will certainly recognize some of Kisco’s menu put in place by executive chef Forrest Pasternack (formerly of the lauded Bailey’s Backyard in Ridgefield, CT) who took over the reigns shortly after Tim Ocasio’s departure. Tacos, wings, a must-eat LaFrieda blend burger, and a fried chicken sandwich are familiar at both locations.

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Features, RestaurantsAndrew DominickMount Kisco, craft beer, Captain Lawrence Brewing, Current Spirits, Brewery, beer, HomepageComment
Wildly Cakes & Flour Power: 3 Westchester Bakers Open Retail Shops Amidst a Pandemic
Wildly Cakes & Flour Power: 3 Westchester Bakers Open Retail Shops Amidst a Pandemic

Take three bakers. Mix in a pandemic that has us craving carbs and sweets. Sprinkle in some dedicated followers. That’s the recipe for two new bakeries that recently opened in Westchester – Wildly Cakes in Dobbs Ferry and Flour Power in Pelham.

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Restaurants, FeaturesAbbe WichmanBakery, Custom Cakes, Dessert, Cake, Pastries, Pastry Chef, Openings, Dobbs Ferry, Pelham, HomepageComment
Bedford Playhouse Adds Full-Service Café: Not Just Movies and Popcorn
Bedford Playhouse Adds Full-Service Café: Not Just Movies and Popcorn

A trip to the Bedford Playhouse isn’t just about watching the latest Hollywood films while munching on a tub of buttery popcorn and washing it down with a large soda. With the addition of a café, guests can have a sit-down meal or sip on a craft cocktail before or after a movie, or minus the movie altogether.

The brains behind The Playhouse Café’s mostly tapas style menu is food and beverage manager, Gerald Massoud, a former general manager at Fortina.

The idea behind Massoud’s food is snackable, “sociable,” and approachable plates. A couple of healthy, bright salads if you’re keeping it light, beef barley soup and lobster bisque if you need to warm up on a chilly night.

The rest is almost entirely small plates perfect for sharing. There are addictive options like marinated olives, pita bread with house made hummus, and prosciutto with cheese and fruit. All are ideal paired with a glass of wine, pint of craft beer, or a damn fine cocktail that rivals any bar in the area. Currently, the café’s bar has 20 total wines to choose from, available in both a glass and by the bottle, plus, plenty of local beer and a few hard ciders.

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Restaurants, FeaturesAndrew DominickBedford, Bedford Playhouse, Take Out, HomepageComment
Westchester Restauratuers Discuss The New Norm
Westchester Restauratuers Discuss The New Norm

As Westchester restaurants remain shuttered for dining in, a growing number of those that initially closed due to uncertainty and concern over the coronavirus have reopened their doors for takeout and delivery. The restauranteurs we spoke with are keeping their operations lean, are taking all the necessary safety precautions for their staff and patrons, and are, while not making money doing this, getting back to doing in some measure what they love.

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Features, InterviewAbbe WichmanChef, Chef Talk, Interview, COVID-19, Take Out, To-Go, HomepageComment
15 Food Trucks Launch the Westchester Food Truck Association Popping up in CT & NY
15 Food Trucks Launch the Westchester Food Truck Association Popping up in CT & NY

This pandemic has stopped a lot of things. One thing it hasn’t stopped? The ability for a handful of fantastic eateries to take to the streets and roll into your neighborhood in food trucks. And now, they’re living by the “we’re all in this together” mantra we’ve all taken up. As of early March, 15 food trucks formed an alliance for the ages. The Westchester Food Truck Association, composed of diverse, local favorites, will have you wanting to call for a (literal) truckload of their food.

Meet The Trucks: Walter’s Hot Dogs, Gyro Uno, Westchester Burger Co., Longford’s Ice Cream, Put Some Meat on Your Bones, Cibus Latin Fusion, Road Grub Mobile, Pizza Vitale, Leila’s Crepe Station, Sloppie Joe’s, Graziella’s Restaurant, Crazy Taco-Mex, Abeetz Pizza, Poke Motion, Mac’s Meatball Truck

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Features, RestaurantsMaddie PhelpsHome Delivery, Food Truck, Street Food, To-Go, Take OutComment
Everybody's Making Bagels: Eric's Bagels, Britt & Co., DIY Kits and Recipes For The Home Cook
Everybody's Making Bagels: Eric's Bagels, Britt & Co., DIY Kits and Recipes For The Home Cook

As we became accustomed to our stay at home orders, you may have noticed more people sharing information about what were cookin’ in quarantine. Folks were craving comfort foods - especially carbs in the way of pasta, sweets and breads. Foodie Facebook groups are still trading “where to find…” ingredients, recipes and techniques to procure and produce some beautiful and tasty treats.

With having had more time at home, we researched and studied new crafts - puzzles, gardening, cooking and baking to name a few. Recipes are still exchanged and perfected with helpful tips resulting from extra time at home for trial and error. With each bread picture posted - one more beautiful than the next - it created an ingredient shortage. Getting the urge to make a loaf with no yeast to be found, had me searching for other leavening agents to make bread. Although the banana bread craze is shall we say “going bananas” by baking with the overripe fruit, for me it is the salty and not sweet bread calling me to “knead” a loaf.

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FeaturesDonna Monaco Olsenbagels, Bread, Ingredients, Recipe, Breakfast, HomepageComment
Bagel Pickup Service, Blithe Bagels, Set to Open for Business
Bagel Pickup Service, Blithe Bagels, Set to Open for Business

Not many would open a business during a pandemic. Don’t tell that to Tina Selsky. For Selsky, it was the perfect time to launch her bagel pickup service, Blithe Bagels, based out of her home in Peekskill.

Selsky—a footwear designer by trade who spent seven years with Coach, who’s now at the upstart Thursday Boot Company—had always wanted to break into the food service industry with her husband, Matthew. The idea for a bagel-based business came about in the days and months leading up to the couple’s wedding. Selsky mentioned that she didn’t want to go on one of those “dreaded wedding diets.” To resist, she got creative and found different ways to eat what she wanted to eat. One of those was a bagel recipe (since tweaked, no doubt) that was half the carbs and half the calories of store brand bagels.

“We always talked about opening a small shop or a B&B,” she says. “I love bagels! We both do! And I ate these every day leading up to our wedding, so I wanted to share these with everyone locally.”

A beginning business model for Blithe Bagels came to fruition during the COVID-19 quarantine. Selsky simply had more time while working from home for over a month. “Even though I’ve been working from home full time, I finally had a little more time to commit, design a website, and put together all the logistics of how it would work,” she says.

Before Blithe Bagels officially launches on April 16, 2020, what should one expect at first bite?

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FeaturesAndrew DominickHomepage, bagels, COVID-19, Peekskill, Westchester, Bakery Comment
Westchester Chefs Doing Good Things: Ways YOU CAN HELP Others in This Crisis
Westchester Chefs Doing Good Things: Ways YOU CAN HELP Others in This Crisis

We interrupt your daily dose of horror to tell you how some chefs are changing the landscape and helping people in the community WHO NEEED YOUR HELP NOW. Whether they’re providing meals to people out of work in the restaurant industry, trying to keep some of their employees working, or donating meals to first responders and hospitals, these are a few programs we can ALL get behind. If you have the resources, please consider making donations to these incredible programs, and celebrate those just doing good work.

If YOU have a program that you would like to tell us about, please contact us.

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FeaturesAbbe WichmanWestchester, Chef, COVID-19, Fundraiser, Homepage, Home DeliveryComment
Westchester Breweries Offering Takeout and Delivery During COVID-19
Westchester Breweries Offering Takeout and Delivery During COVID-19

Much like restaurants that have switched over to takeout and delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic, breweries have adapted, too.

If your beer stash is dwindling down or if you simply want to keep supporting local beer as you usually would—minus the taproom experience—this list should help you stock your fridge and the breweries will no doubt appreciate the business.

Stay safe and soon enough we’ll be back to nerdy beer conversation and saying, “Cheers!” But in the meantime…

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Restaurants, FeaturesAndrew DominickWestchester, Brewery, craft beer, HomepageComment
A Bit Different: The Rare Bit Changes Gears with Southern Soul Food and More
A Bit Different: The Rare Bit Changes Gears with Southern Soul Food and More

Westchester’s dining scene has had its share of buzzworthy restaurant openings in the past few years. The Rare Bit was without a doubt one of the more exciting debuts at the tail end of 2018 with its English gastropub theme and with owners Scott Broccoli and David DiBari behind it.

Forget what you knew about The Rare Bit then because it’s a bit different from what you may recall. DiBari is out as a partner as of mid-2019 and they’ve all but scrapped the idea of being strictly British.

According to Broccoli, it simply wasn’t the right concept for Dobbs Ferry and surrounding towns. “Maybe this works in Manhattan or San Francisco [where Broccoli owns multiple restaurants including Ace’s Bar, The Pub at Ghirardelli Square, and Dobbs Ferry Restaurant],” he says. “I personally like British food, but it’s heavy, and you can’t eat it all the time.”

As for his former partner, Broccoli mentioned there are no hard feelings, it was just a difference of opinion about The Rare Bit’s original concept.

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Features, RestaurantsAndrew DominickDobbs Ferry, Homepage, GastropubComment
Chef Eric Korn Brings Elephant Tree Pop-Up Dinners To Westchester County 
Chef Eric Korn Brings Elephant Tree Pop-Up Dinners To Westchester County 

With an opportunity to “stretch his legs and get a little creative,” Chef Eric Korn is bringing Westchester residents his vision of dining out as an experience with his Elephant Tree pop-ups.

Pop-ups have been growing in popularity, allowing chefs to go beyond brick and mortar, cook in a wide array of setting,s and offer diners something a little different each time. The tagline of The Elephant Tree sums it up: “Who wrote the rule that a pop up can’t be a great restaurant?”

Korn, Executive Chef at Monteverde at Oldstone, a wedding and private party venue overlooking the Hudson River, says pop-ups offer chefs “a low barrier to entry” as they don’t need the initial start-up money necessary to open a restaurant. He had done some pop-ups when he was the owner of Good Life Gourmet Catering in Irvington (he went on to own Wolfert’s Roost) and found “from a diner’s perspective a pop-up is less about going to a restaurant than it is about going to a special event.”

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Features, RestaurantsAbbe WichmanPop-Up, HomepageComment
Captain Lawrence Brewer Opens Current Spirits Distillery
Captain Lawrence Brewer Opens Current Spirits Distillery

If you ask Scott Vaccaro what he’s drinking these days, don’t be surprised if beer isn’t in the top three. The owner and head brewer of Captain Lawrence Brewing Co. will tell you that he’s been tasting gin, vodka, and whiskey on a regular basis. The reason for that comes on the heels of the unveiling of Captain Lawrence’s brand-new beer hall that debuted in May 2019. Something visitors may have noticed in the revamped digs was the name “Current Spirits” and papered up windows blocking the view inside what was to be and what is now a distillery and a tasting room.

Current Spirits, ever so quietly, is open for business and is here to fulfill your spirit tasting desires.

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FeaturesAndrew DominickElmsford, Captain Lawrence Brewing, Scott Vaccaro, distillery, brewery, craft beer, Current Spirits, Homepage
Nibble: Tasty Westchester Food Events for Week of January 19-26
Nibble: Tasty Westchester Food Events for Week of January 19-26

After teasing Mamaroneck residents with what was to come at last year’s St. Patrick’s Day parade, Duck Donuts finally opened at the 805 Mamaroneck Ave. shopping lot on January 11, its first Westchester location. The North Carolina chain offers made-to-order treats, and you can even craft your own donut with bacon bits, Nutella, coconut shavings, and more. Coffee, sundaes and donut breakfast sandwiches will also be on sale, as well as a variety of rubber ducks and other trinkets. For more information, visit www.duckdonuts.com.

On Monday, January 20 at 6 pm, the Zwilling Cooking Studio in Pleasantville will host a four-course beer paring class with The Tapsmith, of Croton-on-Hudson. At $99.99 per head, participants will cook the meal, which includes beet carpaccio and and prosciutto-wrapped chicken, before tucking in. The Tapsmith will pair two beers with each course, featuring the Alewife Brewing Company out of Long Island City. Click here to register for what looks to be a fun cooking class.

One of the authorities on the Westchester dining scene, Kate Schlientz is launching a monthly series called IntoxiKate’s Cocktail Club. The first stop is The Rare Bit in Dobbs Ferry on Tuesday, January 21 at 7 pm, featuring Legent Bourbon from Kentucky. Think of it like a book club, except you get to learn about what’s new in the spirits industry with good company, tastings and food pairings to nibble on, too. Click here to get your tickets at $40 per person, and to check out future Cocktail Club events.

Are you a fan of Champagne, Chablis and oysters? Zachys Wine & Liquor in Scarsdale may have an event for you. On Friday, January 24 at 6 pm, this private event (which sold out in 24 hours last year) is where you can see what happens to go well with briny, sweet and salty oysters. Zachys is offering attendees a dozen wines to sample. Click here to save your spot; $50 per person.

If you’re up for something more relaxed after the workweek, stop by Beer Noggin in Bronxville to try some Wah Gwaan tacos. The Jamaican term is a greeting, and so is the theme of the tacos: jerk pork and chicken, curry vegetable (which is vegan) and salt fish are the fillings to expect here. The tortillas are homemade and gluten free. And of course, grab some cold beers to wash down the flavorful food. You can check out the Facebook event page here for more information.

During the wedding offseason, renowned Westchester chef Eric Korn is bringing back his pop-up restaurants, The Elephant Tree. The first pop-up is ongoing, with tickets available for Fridays and Saturdays through February 8. At $110 per person, enjoy a five-course meal, wine pairings, and what Korn and his team has to offer, “our playground and definitely an adventure.” Click here to check out the menu and to reserve your tickets, as seating is extremely limited. 

On Saturday, January 25, Nora’s Ovenworks in Harrison is hosting two Macaron Madness classes. A kids’ session will be held at 11 am, and another for high school-aged children and adults at 3:30 pm; both classes are 90 minutes long, and $45 per person. Learn how to make this delectable French sandwich cookie, and take home a box. Please note that these classes will work with nuts. Click here to RSVP and for more information.

Here are two more farmers markets to check out: The indoor Pleasantville Farmers Market is on Saturdays, through March 28, from 8:30 am 1 pm at 40 Romer Ave. There will be over 30 vendors offering local farms and prepared goods; this is the largest of its kind in Westchester!

Peekskill also has its own indoor farmers market on Saturdays through April 25, from 10 am to 2 pm at the Peekskill Youth Bureau, 828 Main St. Produce and other goods come from within a 250-mile radius of the community, and there is an option to join a community-supported agriculture (or CSA) initiative with a local organic farm.

Coming up is a 12-course tasting menu at Ossining’s Brothers Fish & Chips. This will be a four-hour long event starting at 7 pm on Tuesday, January 28. Focusing on winter’s bounty, the menu will of course boast the freshest seafood from the market with seasonal produce. Click here for more information and to reserve your spot at $150 per person.

And mark your calendars for this one! Popular food truck Cousins Maine Lobster will be back in the county on Saturday, February 1 at Broken Bow Brewery in Tuckahoe from 1 pm to 7 pm. Sure, it’ll still be winter, but doesn’t a buttery, sweet and tender lobster roll with one of Broken Bow’s refreshing brews on tap sound great in any season? The family-owned brewery has ample seating space for you to hang out, including board games, and encourages patrons to bring their own food. Expect more collabs with food trucks throughout the year. See the Facebook event page for more information.

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Events, FeaturesSibylla ChipaziwaEvents, News, Homepage
Mike’s Organic Delivery Brings Local, Organic Food to Your Door
Mike’s Organic Delivery Brings Local, Organic Food to Your Door

Mike Geller likes that he can tell his customers stories about how the food he delivers is grown and about the farmers who grow it.  Conversely, he states, “There are no stories to tell with big agricultural suppliers. No one wants to know about thousands of chickens crowded in a small space with no room to move and no access to the outdoors.” 

Mike started Mike’s Organic Delivery in June 2010 with a mission to reconnect people in Fairfield and Westchester Counties to where, how, and when their food is grown. After careful research, he selected 12 farms from the Hudson River Valley, Westchester County and Western Connecticut to become the suppliers for his nascent farm to home delivery service.  The farms all use practices many of us look for when supermarket label gazing: organic, sustainable, free range, pesticide-free, no added hormones, no steroids, and no antibiotics.  While we may find some of these methods on supermarket labels, Mike guarantees that his produce is picked no more than 36 and usually less than 24 hours before it reaches your door.  That is not likely the case with the produce we cart home from the grocery store.

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FeaturesStephanie WebsterDelivery Service, Organic, Home Delivery, Specialty Market, Grocery, Shopping