Halstead Avenue Bistro
So my friend and colleague at InTown, Rockland and Putnam magazines, Jeanne Muchnick, has been dying to take to her favorite restaurant, Halstead Avenue Bistro in Harrison. The other day, we went for lunch. I have to say  Jeanne has good taste!
We started with some delicious bread and spreads.
Jeanne had her favorite dish: horseradish-crusted tilapia. For dinner, it’s usually served with mushroom risotto and sauteed spinach with dill orange sauce. For lunch, though, it comes with butternut squash and green beans. It was a really nice combination. And the horseradish crust is sharp without being spicy. It just makes the fish kind of bright. Very nice!
I had a special salad: artichokes hearts, roasted beets, grilled shrimp, portobello mushrooms, juliiened mango and toasted almonds. I loved it. I love artichokes in anything.
Here’s the dining room. A little empty at lunch, but it fills up at dinner:
Hi Jeanne with the light brown hair!
Cheesecake. I only had a bite. Very good.
Here’s owner Haleim Gendy:
And the bar area. Very comfortable spot for drinks and apps one evening:
Haleim told me he’s got a wine dinner coming up, for those of you who might be interested:
7 p.m. April 12: Australian Wine Dinner
The four courses will include:
Wild King salmon with grilled shrimp and vegetable lentils
Chicken confit salad with avocado, mango and goat cheese
Roasted veal chop stuffed with ham and spinach and served with haricots verts, pureed turnips and drizzled with rosemary-cognac demi glace
And a dessert to be named later.
It’ll cost $65 per person, plus tax and and tip.
Halstead Avenue Bistro, 123 Halstead Ave. Harrison. 914-777-1181. There’s a Web site, but it’s not working right now. Later, try www.halsteadavebistro.com.
Have you ever been? What did you think?
Photo Caption: 2007-0307halstead-02.jpg
OK. I don’t love the photo of me chewing – and I have to say, part of me is sad to share the secret that is Halstead Avenue—but I DO love it there. And the tilipia rocks. Plus, the cheesecake—with real pears on the bottom—is homemade. If you go, tell them Jeanne (and of course, Liz) sent you!
this is the best food in harrison any dish he makes for me i love it cpcialy sea food lamb very healthy too baked fish rice coscus and more i recomande it try it once you well love it g .gigis harrison salon thanks
I WENT TO HALSTEAD BISTRO WITH MY HUSBAND LAST NIGHT , WE HAD A GOOD EXPERIENCE THERE. MY HUSBAND HAD CHEESE BURGER HE LOVED IT AND SAID THIS IS THE BEST BURGER IN WESTCHESTER SO I TOOK A BITE FROM HIS SANDWICH WHICH WAS FILLED WITH ONIONS AND MUSHROOMS PLUS OF COURSE THE CHEESE, IT WAS REALLY DELICIOUS EVEN MY HALIBUT WAS GREAT , MY HUSBAND WAS SURPRISED THAT I ATE THE WHOLE PLATE BECAUSE I USUALLY I AM NOT A FISH PERSON AFTER MY DELICIOUS DINNER I COULDN’T RESIST THE FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE, IT WAS GREAT. WE DEFINETLY COMING BACK. THANKS.
Dear Liz,my wife and I thank you se much for telling us about halstead ave. bistro, it was a beautfull
night and great experiance and the best food in town
My wife had the talapia and i had seafood linguine special
we injoy it very much we diffenatley going back soon.
Thanks again and Good bless you.
I’m glad everyone likes it!
I am so sad to say that my experience at Halstead was awful. Simply awful. My shrimp and scallop dish was served on a big pile of mashed/sweetened sweet potatoes. I thought that combo was absolutely disgusting. How does shellfish go with sweet potato mash? The shrimp were tough and my scallop was sandy. The sauce was good (cream with shiitake mushrooms, pancetta and peas..but again, sweetened sweet potato mash with cream and shellfish. I am getting queasy just thinking about it. When we told the waiter that we were not happy with the dish and suggested he buy us a dessert to compensate (so my husband is a bit forward..) he said that it was not up to him. The sign of a “scary chef.” A few minutes later the chef came out to ask what the problem with the dish was. I told him that the shrimp were tough and I also mentioned the sweet potato (sorry to have to say those words again) and he said that I could have ordered something else when I ordered my dinner. BTW, the waiter had said the same exact words. I told him that I didn’t recall seeing it on the menu. When I mentioned the sandy scallops he said, “I wash each and every scallop myself and I assure you madame, there was no sand in them”, followed by shouting across the restaurant “one complimentary dessert” and turning on his heels and walking away. Good the thing the restaurant was completely empty (Sunday evening at 8pm..guaranteed Lusardi’s and others were packed). He brought me the “famous” beggars purse (filo filled with bittersweet chocolate) and it was mediocre at best. Sorry Jeanne M. As I was sitting there a light went off! My dish was supposed to be served with butternut squash, not SWEET POTATO!!! Strange how they kept telling me that I could have ordered something else when I DID. I ordered what was on the menu not what they brought me. Anyway. We looked around when we walked in the restaurant and thought it looked a little cheesy but atmosphere isn’t everything. There were 2 other tables occupied when we first arrived and they were all senior citizens…sorry about that comment but it did make us raise an eyebrow. The place cleared out and we were the sole customers. Now I am aware that restaurants have off nights or that someone may not care for a particular dish they have ordered. If we had been treated with kindness we may have considered trying it again. We hoped to have a relaxing and wonderful dinner at “Harrison’s best kept secret”. Do me a favor—- keep it a secret.
i went there a couple of weeks back on, i believe, a tuesday night….and the food was mediocre at best. my steak, ordered rare, came out black and blue, and was so chewy i felt like i was chewing bubble gum. the chef sent out, what i guess was an “amuse”. two small bruscetta. one of a dull tomato mixture and the other with a liver type spread on it. unimpressive to say the least. their intensions are good at this restaurant. but i would say that the food needs to be “kicked up a notch” in order to be a dining destination in westchester.
My husband and I hve been to the Bistro for dinner severl times. We even had our son’s 21st. birthday dinner there. I am so surprised with Susan’s comment. I have always been greeted with warmth and never had an issue with the food. Actually, the only time we had a minor problem was when we went to dinner with my sister and her son. He is a VERY finicky eater. We had to have a dish made for him that was not on the menu. The owner was very agreeable and accommodated us.
As for the food, well, let me just say that everything was delicious. The pasta was excellent, the pork tender and tasty, and the liver was to die for! Delicious and fresh. I loved the liver: in fact, I have been back just for that dish. No one has ever complained about anything. My sincere hope is that the Bistro remains our secret!
This restaurant is my favorite local restaurant in Harrison. The food is reliably very good, the atmosphere is friendly, and the service pleasant. I’ve eaten there upwards of a dozen times and have enjoyed it every time. I did once have mussels which were sandy – but the whole dish was replaced for me promptly, no questions asked. I have ALWAYS been treated well when there and have enjoyed every meal. While I wouldn’t call it haute cuisine, it also doesn’t aspire to be – but having said that, it’s also a big step up from restaurants such as the local Al Dente where bottled sauces and salad dressings are used. Everything is made on the premises at Halstead Avenue Bistro, and has a lovely fresh, home made flavor. The days I’ve been for lunch I found the restaurant to be only half full, but I would recommend booking for dinner as I’ve watched it fill up over the course of the evening each time I’ve been. They have a staggeringly good lunchtime deal – 2 courses for $10.95, for which the servings were generous and well made. Dinner offers a $19.95 multi course menu which is equally good value, or patrons can order a la carte. And a tip for visitors – try the mushroom soup – it’s delicious!
My wife and I ate there on Wednesday. I had the white bean soup for an appetizer and the osso bucco for dinner. I have had fish with mashed potato several times and it was fine. I especially like the lamb shanks and will almost always order that if it’s on menu or offered as an appetizer. The cheesecake was excellent too.
We have been customers of Halstead Avenue Bistro for quitre a while(in fact were the ones who turned Jeanne M. onto it!) and have had nothing been excellent food and service each and every time we have been there or ordered in. The staff and food are consistantly good and recommend it to everyone we know!