Went to Harvest on Hudson tonite because I have always enjoyed the experience in all seasons. The menu for Restaurant Week was a choice of appetizers including a soup, and a salad; a choice of entree including two fish, chicken, steak, and pasta; and three desserts.

My husband had the soup, the spaghetti, and the cheesecake with fresh fruit and liked all.

I had the risotto appetizer which was amazing, the flank steak which was tough and the fresh green beans which were practically raw which was a disappointment to me especially since I like my green beans very undercooked.

My apple tart was tough also but the cinnamon gelato (which i think is really ice cream) was very good.

The portions were very small compared to what was being served from the normal menu which I did not mind in the least because I am never able to order an appetizer, entree, and dessert. It is always way too much food. So I was happy with my portions.

However, that being said, the charge for the meal is not a “deal” on a regular item or two or three but really a tasting. I ordered a house white and my husband ordered a bottle of cab.

The place was not crowded but it took a very long time to get the wine. We then had to flag the waiter to order at which time I requested some ice and was promised same immediately. After about ten minutes I asked another waiter to bring me ice which he did.

Near the end of the meal which was served by the busboy I was asked by the waiter if I wanted another glass of wine. I replied in the negative saying that I would just have some of my husband’s red. The waiter then asked if he could bring me a proper glass and whisked away my white wine glass only to never return. I used my ice glass.

After the busboy cleared the dishes and we were sitting finishing the wine my ice/wine glass was snatched away (there goes that waiter again) before I could even say anything and I was not finished.

The young woman who seated us was extremely cordial and welcoming. The busboy appeared like magic when my water glass was empty. Both were extremely professional. The food was good.

If it had all been like the risotto it would have been beyond wonderful. The waiter was awful.
We plan on trying another place Thursday nite. I will let you know how we fare.

Thanks for listening.
Judie Phillips
New Rochelle

Dinner Wednesday is at John Michael’s. I’m really looking forward to that one.

For appetizers we had the shrimp tacos and the ribs. The ribs were so tender; the meat just fell off of the bone. The appetizer portions were larger than expected and very tasty. For the main course we tried everything but the salmon. Each dish had a unique flavor and excellent presentation, well worth the 16.08. The desserts were a nice ending to a wonderful meal, dulce de leche cheesecake and assorted sorbets.

The thing that surprised me the most was that the restaurant was empty.

For entrees we had short ribs, pasta and chicken. Again we were very impressed. The short ribs were tender and delicious, the chicken nice cooked with crispy skin and a nice cherry sauce, the pasta was simple but tasty with nice sized shrimp.

The desserts kept par with the rest of the meal, the zeppoles were fresh, hot and not at all greasy, the apple empanada cinnamon-y and not overly sweet, and the chocolate cake a chocoholics favorite.

When we left we took a look at the regular dinner menu. Considering the quality and quantity of our dinners tonight, $26.09 was a bargain for a great meal. Compliments to Stoneleigh Creek. We’ll be back after HVRW.

One last note…the wine choice is limited (glasses only) and VERY pricey.

My widowed mother lives with me – she is handicapped and suffers from Alzheimer’s. Being the care-giver of a shut-in often means that I am shut-in as well since having a “night out on the town” is a virtual impossibility and a logistical nightmare. I have to chose my venues carefully – both for price (since being a full-time care-giver means I cannot work full-time myself), for accessibility, and for the caring nature of the staff (since my mother’s Alzheimer’s can make her difficult to deal with at times – she can often be testy and demanding and can exhibit strange behavior in public like tearing up all the paper napkins into shreds).

The restaurant that stands out for us is Reka’s in White Plains. While driving through White Plains is maddening and parking there is non-existent these days, and the steps to Reka’s entrance are awkward for my mother (but manageable with my help), the food, prices, and attention of the staff is exceptional and makes our dining experiences there a pleasure.

Perhaps it’s the Buddhist mentality that prevails over the dining experience at Reka’s but no one at any time has made me feel that I am inconveniencing them by daring to take my mother to dine there (I sadly cannot say the same for some of the other restaurants on the HVRW list – some of them have shunted my mother into corners, out of sight of their more “regular” patrons, treating my mother as someone they have to “deal” with, rather than with the respect she deserves both as an individual and as a war WWII war hero).

So many of our elderly face handicaps and Alzheimer’s, so the issue of allowing them to enjoy the pleasures of life, such as an occassional night out, is one that our restaurant community should not ignore. And we caregivers certainly deserve a night out as well. Plus, the lives of the elderly, handicapped, and caregivers do go on – we have birthdays, graduations, and holidays to celebrate just like everyone else. So why is it that so many of our restaurants cannot welcome us with open arms?

Therefore, it is a blessing to have restaurants like Reka’s who treat my mother like they are genuinely happy to have her as their customer and who welcome her graciously and tactfully ignore any “problems” she may cause them. And I am genuinely happy to patronize them accordingly and to recommend them to your readers.

Sonora had one of the best HVRW menus that I’ve seen, but I don’t eat shellfish or pork so I would not be able to eat much on the menu so I decided to skip it.

Tell me here in the comments field. I’ll choose my five favorite comments and give the authors each a free pair of tickets to the Greater New York Wine&Food Festival on April 4, 5, and 6 at the DoubleTree Hotel Tarrytown.