In all the people I spoke to Friday night at Relish in Sparkill, only one table didn’t like their food — and they’d only tasted the first course. Everyone’s been raving about the cinammon-dusted duck, above. It has a garnet yam gratin, caramelized endive and Maple-Bosc Pear puree. I thought it was fabulous, with a crackling skin and nice juicy fat.
We started with an amuse, an apple fennel gelle with Sprout Creek Farm Ouray Snow.
The texture was interesting. It looks like a marble but it popped like a grape, with a liquidy texture. I didn’t love it, but I admired the creativity.
Bread was nice:
The restuarant was hopping, and a lot of people were getting the La Quercia Rossa Heirloom Breed Culaccia with Local Mozzarella, Toasted Hazelnuts and Black Cherry-Peppercorn Marmaletta:
The mozz was not too milky and the culaccia, a cured ham, was salty and fatty and porky. I liked the crunch the hazelnuts brought to the plate, and the pepper was nice in the jam, even if it might be too strong for some people.
The Flash-Seared Squid with Nicoise Olives, Golden Raisings, Red Endive, Vin Cotto and Herb Oil reminded me of moo shoo pork.
At least until I tasted the olives. They brought a nice note that the dish definitely needed.
I adore Old Chatham Camembert, so it’s no surprise that I loved the Roasted Beet Salad with Toasted Pistachio, Mache, Old Chatham Camembert and Pistachio Oil:
So rich and creamy. The beets were a little al dente — a good thing — and earthy.
We also tried the Grilled Chicken-Apple Sausage with Green Lentil Salad, Pickled Celery and Charred Onion Mustard:
I didn’t like this dish much. There was a bit of a porky flavor I wasn’t expecting, and didn’t want either. I asked Michael Gross, the owner, about it, because I also tasted something similar in a side dish (the endive with the duck) but he said the only common ingredient was maple syrup. Weird. Maybe all the sudden I don’t like maple syrup?
Most everyone in the restaurant was happy to pose and to sing their praises to chef George DeMarsico.
From left, Jeff Atlas of Piermont, Daniel Atlas of Piermont, Damir Bikic of Paris:
From left, Surryia Chaudhry and Shane Atlas of Sparkill, Sue Atlas of Piermont:
Fish n chips, trout, duck, creme brulee. “Everything was superb.”
Kevin O’Connor of Mount Ivy and Kathleen Campbell of Nanuet:
Scott Minetto and Diane Cossin of Suffern:
Mary Kaye and Ashley Kaye of Alpine, N.J.:
Clockwise from left, Nora Shapiro of New City, Ellen Lott of Nanuet, Jerry Lott of Nanuet, Marty Shapiro of New City. “Wonderful.” “Fabulous.” “Presentation is fabulous.” “A New York style restaurant.”
Carlyn (is that right? that’s what I have written down. sorry!) Winston of Bronxville, Michael Knatz of Bronxville and Barbara Plotnick of Tarrytown:
“We came all the way over here because we know this restaurant.” “This restaurant is a home run.” “Loved it.” “One of our favorites.”
For entrees, besides the duck, we got the Poached Organic Salmon with China Black Fobidden Rice, Riesling Braised Cabbage and Citrus Mostarda.
Beautifully cooked. And look how pretty the contrast on the colors. The rice was crunchy, almost like wild rice.
Stout Braised Natural Beef Short Rib with Potato and Smoked Grafton Cheddar Fondue, Brussels Sprouts and Cornmeal Dusted Onion Ring:
The beef was falling-apart delicious, but still firm enough to cut with a fork. Brilliant. I loved the cheese and the Brussels, too.
More dining room visits:
Marcus Lanier and Jennifer MacDowell of Tappan, taking a night off from their jobs at the Freelance Cafe:
From left, Jason and Ivy Scozzafava of Rye, Stacey and Josh Damesek of New City:
Salad: “so-so.” Prosciutto, OK.
Patricia Seidel and Mary Ellen Maun of Tarrytown; Susan Capeci and Terri Berger of Mount Vernon:
Ralph and Cherie Berk of Piermont and Marilyn and Shelly Kohn of Old Tappan:
“Relish is never a disappointment.” “Fish n chips — great.” “Steak — perfect.” “Service is top notch.”
Sandra and Ralph Molé of Old Tappan:
“Phenomenal.” “Roasted beet salad was perfection.”
For dessert, Dark Chocolate Cake with Pretzel Ice Cream, Salted Peanut-Chili Brulee:
Wow. Who knew preztel ice cream could be a revelation?
Saffron-poached Bosc Pear with Honeyed Greek Yogurt and Pistachio Cookies:
I rarely say this, and I loved the yogurt, but this dish wasn’t sweet enough for me. And the saffron (or something) gave it a bit of a metallic taste.
Vanilla-Goat Cheese Panna Cotta with Red Wine Stewed Cranberries and Toasted Pecans.
This was the hit of the night. The goat taste was enough to make it interesting and the sweetness was just right. Another look?
And here’s the Earl Gray Creme Brulee. I didn’t taste any tea, but I loved the brulee.
Watch the menu at Relish carefully and ask questions. George DeMarisco is a creative chef who likes to surprise you. You have to pay attention to the ingredients on the menu because you never know what the dominant flavor is going to be.
In my mind, Relish was the best experience of HVRW. There were so many chocies, the food was amazing and the crowd was enthusiastic. People were coming from far-and-wide to dine here — and those are the kinds of people who will be coming back.
In fact, I hope you’ll visit all these restaurants during the regular year. They’ve been good sports to let us sample their food for cheap. Now let’s pay them back with a visit for real.
Relish, 4 Depot Square, Sparkill. 845-398-2747. relishsparkill.com
11 Comments
Aha, it’s the missing Relish review
. Glad to hear you liked it. I think it’s #2 on my list of HVRW dining (John Michael’s is #1); it might be rated higher if not for the fact that a) I didn’t care for the Fish in Chips and b) they were out of the duck 
/.
I will acknowledge that it was a great revelation, and I’d certainly consider a return visit.
We definitely ‘Relish’ed our time there!
Last night four of us had the pleasure of experiencing HV Restaurant Week in Rockland’s Relish restaurant. This is a charming, unpretentious restaurant with a warm, welcoming staff. There were numerous selections for each course and all that we ordered were terrific. Appetizers: the beet salad consisted of perfectly sized, cubed, juicy beets garnished with nuts and a small wedge of cheese. The taste combo was excellent. The salad and salt cod (really a high end and interesting take on fish sticks) were stand outs for their genre.
Entrees: generous portion of gnocchi was plump, yet tender and delicately sauced. Short rib succulent and moist on bed of great mashed potatoes. Ditto the flat iron steak. Three thin, small trout fillets on a bed of beans were tasty.
Desserts: Chocolate cake with ice cream was good. Could have been cooked a little less so exterior was not as hard and interior more liquid. Maybe they were not going for that still popular version. Crème Brule in spite of the weird name ‘Earl Grey Creme Brulee’ (we thought we would taste tea) was a top rendition of a traditional version.
While the restaurant was full and service a tad slow, the staff was charming and worked extremely hard to make our experience a positive one. The great food and the goodwill will definitely have us returning again.
So many restaurants, so little time…
Sadly, we are coming to the end of a scrumptious two weeks of HVRW. My husband and I have had wonderful dinners at 10 different restaurants and repeated one (wish there was more time—we would repeat others, too.)
We had a hard-to-beat start at Harvest-on-Hudson. The demand was so great that Sunday night, we had substitutes for the fish dishes and dessert. All were delicious, the service more than helpful. Very accomodating. The view sensational.
Caravela was next. Again, the service could not have been better although we had to ask for the Restaurant Week menus. The braised loin of veal stew and Portugese potato soup were outstanding.
Sentrista Grill in Brewster is a wonderful secret. More diners need to find this place. The calamari is the best I have ever had, the braised short ribs for appetizer was substantial and beautifully presented. The chicken Sentrista, enclosed in a pastry, was a little overcooked, but the Australian Sea Bass made up for it.
Steakhouse 22 in Patterson has more of a roadhouse feel, and the portions are more than ample. The 2 doz. steamed clams in hard cider were delicious and the short ribs were so filling, we took home a doggie bag of ribs and one bread pudding (yum.) The view out the back of the setting sun in the valley is unbeatable.
Although my daughter raved about Global Gatherings, we were disappointed. The meals were much too spicy with no warning, and we did not get a bread basket. We were in a corner and didn’t know there was bread available until another party arrived and by then we were eating dessert. Won’t go back there.
John-Michal’s at Purdys Homstead was so good last Friday night, we went back on Tuesday. With 6 friends and family, we had a seat in the main room near the huge fireplace. Very inviting and cozy. The seared tuna with a topping of tuna tartare was so exceptional, we had to come back for more. The salmon and chicken breast dishes were so flavorful; the red swiss chard also. Desserts were so worth the calories: white chocolate mousse, Grand Marnier truffle, strawberries lined up in a row were a taste treat and the espresso pot du creme was so rich and delicious. The coffee was also exceptional, so smooth and rich, it almost could have been hot chocolate. I’m told it is Barrie House coffee.
Saturday was not HVRW, but while visiting family in CT, stopped at Denmo’s in Southbury, CT. A stricly take-out place with the best lobster rolls, scallop baskets and soups. Open all year, worth the trip. Dinner was at a favorite spot, The Cookhouse in New Milford, CT. The best prime rib, large enough for several meals.
Sunday we were lucky to visit X20. The mushroom bisque was intensly flavored, the chicken moist and tender. Strange that they would charge $3.50 for a Harney tea bag, and $3 for coffee. We had a table on the left side with a stunning view of Geo Washington Bridge and the NY skyline. Fabulous.
Maybe we were getting a bit jaded; Monday’s meal at Jackson & Wheeler was fine but just ok. My husband was looking forward to the salad with candied walnuts only to find out, after he started eating, that there were no nuts in the kitchen. A shrug from our server, disappointment for my husband. The braised beef short rib was good, but the green onion slaw was an odd vegetable. The Napolean was very good.
Our second go-aound at Purdys Homstead was also good. This time it was only the 2 of us, so we sat in an ante-room with 3 tables off the bar. We chatted with some foodies at another table and enjoyed our meal. We enjoyed speaking with the Chef and his lovely wife. It is the hands-on approach that will bring us back to this place.
The rainy weather was awful this Wed., but Equus made us warm and cozy in the Tapestry Room. We met up with friends and all four of us ordered the same things—salmon carpaccio was fresh and delicious, the oxtail with polenta was basically my grandmother’s brisket although very tasty.
The frozen bavarian was (thank goodness) not frozen and had delicous nuts on the bottom, a nice surprise. This was our most expensive meal per person all told. The carafe of wine was to blame.
Last night we had a great meal at Goldfish. The amount of appetizers, entrees and desserts to choose from were wonderful. We had large portions of calamari and mussels for appetizers, we both had the Chilean sea bass. The baked cured tomatoes accompanying the sea bass were intensly flavored, delicious. The chocolate pyramid and added dessert, tiramisu, were sinful. Good food, no pretensions, very good service. A winner we will go back to after HVRW is over.
Two weeks of fabulous meals, no cooking or clean up will be missed. We had the opportunity to try many new restaurants and that is what it is all about.
Linda
Linda—Wow, I thought I had done a lot of HVRW dining! We should have gone back to John Michael’s a second time, but I was afraid we would not appreciate it as much. I think it’s the top restaurant in HVRW, certainly in terms of their menu.
Bill—We are fortunate to live about two miles from John Michael’s. When it was the Box Tree years ago, we couldn’t afford it. When it changed hands again, I heard bad reviews and we didn’t go. Now that it is John-Michael’s and we know the quality of the food, we will go back. And it isn’t just about the food, it is the people and the ambiance that make a place memorable.
Linda
After a wonderful experience at Goldfish in Ossining for Restaurant Week I was sadly disappointed in X2O Peter Kellys in Yonkers. Setting is perfect decor also. However, the “Special Menu” was not. A choice of 5 appetizers was great and the sushi shrimp one was excellent. The entrees left a lot to be desired. Boring chicken, and pork and my least favorite fish trout. Dessert was very good. My main complaint about restaurant week menus is if you dont serve what is on your regular menu then dont participate. Thats why I have only wonderful tinkgs to say about Goldfish.
If the purpose of Restaurant Week is to spark the interest (and pleasure) of fine dining in the area covered by the Journal News, then consider the mission accomplished. I have been waiting until today to send my comments and until my entire experience of this special week was complete.
My husband and I chose three restaurants to try. My favorite was Crabtree’s Kittle House. My only regret is that I was not able to go back for a second visit. But Restaurant Week or not, I will return for the next special occasion to celebrate! The food was phenomenal, I loved the sweet potato gnocci and sirloin. My husband thoroughly enjoyed the mushroom bisque and perch. And when we finished our pear tartin, we were both looking for more. Quite unusual for my husband, who usually passes on dessert! But what impressed me the most was how comfortable the atmosphere was. The waitstaff was extremely accommodating, and while I was waiting for my husband in the foyer after the meal, John Crabtree was most friendly with everyone, which was especially difficult I’m sure for such a busy night.
Next was Equus. We wanted to enjoy a special meal with our two sons who were home on spring break from college. Again a superb meal with outstanding service—as soon as one of my sons left the table momentarily, a server quickly appeared to fancily refold his napkin! The rest of us looked at each other and smiled, and when my son returned, he was quite surprised at the gesture. Our table was located in the Garden Room, and we truly experienced an unforgettable meal. We all tried the salmon appetizer, a nice surprise was the caviar garnish. The boys really enjoyed the oxtail main course (quite different) and the tilapia was prepared perfectly with pearl pasta underneath in a delicious sauce. My husband asked me to make that kind of pasta sometime. I know it won’t be the same…but I’ll give it a try! Dessert was exceptional. Three of us ordered the chocolate panna cotta. The chocolate garnish literally melted in my mouth. The presentation of the orange Bavarian cream dessert truly impressed us all and my one son enjoyed every bit of it. He’s usually not a dessert eater either!
Ranked third place was Xaviar’s X2O. Lunch was wonderful on a somewhat sunny day. I asked for a window table as far out on the water as possible and was fulfilled with this request (what New Yorker is not craving sun and water this time of year?). The view was fantastic looking down the Hudson at the GWB. The food was delicious and the waitstaff attentive. The experience certainly piqued our interest in trying Xaviar’s other restaurants.
My family and I truly enjoyed the entire experience, and as you probably can conclude from the above, left me hungry for more. Before Restaurant Week I wasn’t interested in dining out much, but this experience definitely whet my appetite for more fine dining. The next time my husband asks “What’s for dinner?” I’m telling him a reservation!
Ok I’m British and the Brits are not normally noted for their cuisine! However I do recognize A good deal when I see it . What a wonderful 2 weeks I have had sampling the local restaurants. I was treated like royalty in exquisite surroundinds at Equus,travelled to S. America for delicious flavors at Sonora, enjoyed the NY sites from Xaviers X2O[not crazy about the food!] and celebrated a memorable birthday at Goldfish- I don’t think I have ever tasted better scallops! My friends and I will be back. In between I enjoyed the Westchester wine experience at Pace-but that is another story.Now it is back to my diet-after Easter-and looking forward to the next Restaurant week.
We were so disappointed with our last HVRW dinner at Stoneleigh Creek tonight. Although many tables seemed happy with the place, our impression was a “before” scenario of Gordon Ramsay’s “Kitchen Nightmares.” For starters, we were asked 4 separate times if we wanted drinks (We did not.) It got annoying.
Then it got worse—two people ordered the tuna tataki for an appetizer. It would have been delicious except it was covered in crushed peppercorns. No mention of this on the menu or during ordering. It was inedible. So hot, we were sucking down water and bread to dull the pain…until our mouths turned numb. When we mentioned this to the waitress, she was more than annoyed and we just left the rest as she was already unhappy that we had asked for the tuna minus the mango and wasabi mayo. My husband ordered another appetizer from the specials menu (not HVRW), a mushroom ravioli, as a replacement. It also had too much pepper.
Probably the most upsetting part of the evening was someone in the kitchen (I assume the chef)screaming at the top of his lungs at someone. It continued on and off the whole night. It poisoned the manner of the whole waitstaff, I believe. They were sullen, no smiles. When I tried to ask a question, the waitress just walked away. Again, a “Kitchen Nightmares” “before” scene. Very unprofessional.
The main course went better; the short ribs with black truffle sauce was good and the pasta was satisfying. Pink snapper was ok. Nothing was exceptional.
The flourless chocolate cake was warm and rich, the zeppole was passable (chocolate sauce reminiscent of Hershey’s). The apple tarte tatin was not puff pastry but rather a pie dough empanada. Heavy.
Were we expecting too much? Did anyone else have a problem here? After 10 other experiences in the last 2 weeks for HVRW, this was the only restaurant where we had an unsatisfactory experience. This was actually our second visit to Stoneleigh Creek; we were giving it another try. We went with friends last August, we all had mussels and we all got sick.
We will not go again.
Linda
Well, after a serious amount of eating, going out, and in general having a great time, I have a lot to say. Please excuse the length and the spelling of entry in advance. We have been out almost every night for the last two weeks. I thought I was starting with the best when we went to Equus. Our table wobbled so badly I thought my food/drink would land in my lap. The water glass was chipped, the room, the Tapestry, had cobwebs over my head. Not impressive also was the food which was sweet potato with pear bisque (tasted like canned TOMATO soup), the tilapia and the chocolate panna cotta. Nothing to go back for. Also a sore spot was valet parking for $5.00, and a communication issue with the parkers who couldn’t spell a very common last name. Brought issues to manager who excused all on busyness of the evening. This from a place that hosts large weddings regularly? Sorry, poor excuse.
Next was Harvest on Hudson where it was so loud (the irritating music, not the people) we had to yell to talk. Very mouth puckering salmon ceviche but good. Salmon for main course was good but not great and apple tart was pleasant. One very gross thing was that after my husband was done with his garden salad he found a maraschino cherry stem that had nothing to do with his salad. Was the plate not washed? This was brought to attention of wait staff and was blown off completely. Not great customer service and a gross way to end the first course.
Next night to X20 where I had been before. I thought the service was attentive and helpful and the food great. All in the party loved everything on their plates and we all got different things on the menu. I got the squash – a mousse like concoction that went down easily, and the trout which to be honest was a little sweet with the cornmeal dusting but delicious anyway. I do wish that the bottom had been de-skinned before serving. Special mention for the great side, swiss chard, drenched in butter. For dessert, the chocolate timbale with the surprise strawberries in the middle – this is also on the pre-fixe lunch menu. Delicious.
The next night out to Il Sorriso Ristorante Italiano. Started meal with a great “spread†for the bread. I would return for this mystery medley of flavor alone. Then came a huge freshly made salad with a nice dressing. My husband had a beautiful appetizer with mozzarella cheese, prosciutto and roasted peppers that reportedly tasted just as good as it looked. For dinner it was the fish (Monk) on pasta with a light tomato sauce on it that emphasized but not overpowered taste. Good enough and large enough to have the next day for lunch. The sautéed veggies on the side were the standout here. I don’t know how they were prepared but they were fresh and terrific. The only thing not wonderful about this meal was the desserts. We had both the ricotta cheesecake and the apple tart. The cheesecake has a peculiar consistency and the apple tart used a poor quality cinnamon that bittered the taste and made it inedible. Regardless, I will return to restaurant but will maybe skip the dessert menu.
The next evening was the only one we weren’t on fire about and we almost cancelled because the website is not a good representative of what we experienced at Off Broadway. Let’s just say it was excellent! The bread warm, the complimentary bruchetta among the best and this was before I even ordered! The appetizer of eggplant rollitini was great but there was almost too much for one person! (Of course I had to finish it…) The fish was offered in a sauce that I didn’t care for and the accommodating waiter rattled off a dozen other options so I chose a lemon-butter-francaise type sauce that was unbelievably good. The accompanying asparagus were numerous and well cooked as well. For dessert I had the coconut flan. Too much coconut to make it a winner for me. However, my husband had the crème brulee and it was the BEST!!! It slid off spoon, was soft and feathery, with a perfect top crunch and it melted in the mouth. Unreal and Outstanding!!!
If Off Broadway won in the dessert category, then our next restaurant, John-Michael’s at Purdys Homestead, won in ambiance. Fireplaces, wide planked floors and old charm won us over. The appetizer of tuna was very, very good. A generous portion of both tartare and seared tuna with a complimentary cherry plate decoration that blended flavors nicely. My entrée of salmon was well prepared but I didn’t like the “wild†taste of the fish. I was also not keen on the dessert which was a vanilla and basil panna cotta that wobbled like jello and tasted too much like basil and not enough good. Husband won here in dessert choosing, with the espresso pot du crème, which he almost licked the plate clean of (sorry to be so graphic). I was granted a small taste and wished it was my own. Sigh.
Headed to a very busy Crabtree’s Kittle House where we were asked many (too many) times if we wanted to drink. No to all but questions continued and the wine binder was even produced after numerous “No’s†Bread service was stingy with one slight piece offered. Ordered food made up for this. Appetizer of sweet potato gnocchi was indeed sweet, and great! The sauce it came with was ginger but I didn’t taste any ginger in the sauce. (Good thing because I’m not such a ginger fan). Entrée was nile perch fish in green ocean broth – sounds not so good but tasted wonderful. Light, flavorful and great. Desserts OK. Too many people that were here thought it was OK to bring their young children. This move was not appreciated by many of the diners. (Myself included).
Next went to Caravela, the only place where you had to specially request the HVRW menu. Food was very good tasting but I am not sure of most ingredients of what I ate! Appetizer was a shrimp, hearts of palm, fruit mixture all together – actually tasty and refreshing. Entrée was perch with onions and peppers and dessert a meringue that was huge. All was very good with large portions.
Next Zanaro’s which lost major points with me for not having a fish or vegetable option on menu. They really weren’t accommodating and I would up just ordering off the menu. This made for an expensive meal and won’t be back here again. The place itself is cool looking as it used to be a bank.
Tried to go to Global Gatherings for late dinner and they wouldn’t meet a request to change the reservation from 9:00 to 9:15pm. Not helpful or friendly on the phone either so no meal here. No reason to return here.
Back to X20 with another great night. See very above for details as meal I had was almost the same. Would still come back.
Last night to Stoneleigh Creek. The staff angry, rude, unhelpful. The food so peppery it was inedible. A lousy way to end a great HVRW experience. Looking forward to returning to many great newly discovered restaurants!
I’ve fallen behind on my reviews, so here are the final three, along with my rankings for the 2 week period. Warning, very long post.
Wednesday night, my wife and I had dinner at Stoneleigh Creek. We’d never eaten there when they were in Croton Falls, and their menu looked interesting and they do have an above average food rating in Zagat (25). The place was filled and the service was harried, although it’s not clear that it would have been up to the level you’d expect of a $30 entrée restaurant even if it weren’t (having to ask who gets which entrée, when there are only two people at a table, and it’s your server delivering the food, is really inexcusable). First we were given a basket with a small chunk of bread which was warm on the outside and cold on the inside (we never got more so I can’t say whether it was an anomaly). To start, I had the Tuna Tataki and my wife had the Cauliflower Soup. I really liked the tuna and did not find it overly spicy, but it was such a mess that I would dub it “Taste 10, Looks 3†(sorry for borrowing from the famous song). There were 4 large slices and one end piece (I thought they kitchen staff ate the end pieces, this is two places were we were served them).There were two sauces, one was wasabi and it was drizzled on top of the tuna and the accompanying salad. There was also some reddish sauce on the plate and some diced mango which was quite good. Overall, I thought it tasted great, so long as you didn’t look at it. My wife really enjoyed her soup (although Friday’s rendition at Valley was better).
For entrees, I had the Opaka Paka and my wife had the Short Ribs. Both were large portions and we ended up taking half of each home. Presentation was not as much of a mess, but in my case I found a string bean buried at the bottom of my mashed potatoes (which the fish was sitting on, the short ribs were also served on it) and there were pieces zucchini buried in both portions of potatoes. My fish plate was garnished with diced red pepper which looked nice but I’m not sure how necessary it was, and some sort of sauce.
For dessert, I knew I wanted the apple dessert, so we were trying to figure out whether to get the zeppoles or chocolate cake. We asked the waitress when she came over to get our entrée plates and she was not a lot of help and eventually let without our deciding, and when she did not return for 5 minutes we started wondering what we would actually get for dessert. When she did and asked what we wanted, I said I still could not decide and asked (again) what she recommended. With a stern look on her face, she said “we’re not going to do this again†so we decided to just get the chocolate cake since I figured it would travel (and reheat) better than the zeppoles, plus the neighboring table of 4 women had subsequently gotten all 3 desserts and it appeared that the zeppoles were not being eaten (my wife said she heard one of them say they were too hard). I thought the chocolate sauce looked good but I now see a post here stating it was like Hershey’s syrup, so I guess we definitely made the right decision not getting it.
As for what we did get for dessert, the apple empanada was ok (and yes, not puff pastry, just as Kittle House did not have for their tart tatin), nothing great (certainly nothing close to the apple desserts at Tavern and Valley, see the next reviews). The chocolate cake was ok, but didn’t seem to have a strong rich chocolate flavor. Also both accompanying scoops of ice cream did not seem to be full scoops.
To close, while we did enjoy the food here, the service was definitely below what you’d expect at a place like this, and when we saw the entrees were in the high 20’s-low 30’s range, we decided we would not go back. To their credit, the HVRW menu items did appear to come from their regular menu.
Thursday was my second HVRW lunch with co-workers. Since my wife was not working that day, she also joined us. We went to Tavern up in Garrison (where Xaviar’s used to be). I had been very excited about their menu since it had wings and turkey pot pie. When we got there at noon, we were the only party there, and they seated us in the small room near the entrance, rather than the large room that Xaviar’s used to use. Since there were 6 of us, I think we ordered most everything on the menu and I have to say that we all enjoyed our meals. I had the wings, which were listed as being made with a home made BBQ sauce. They were nice and crisp, but the sauce was strangely bland (it had some fire to it which you tasted afterwards). The portion was a nice size, 7 wings. My wife had the squash soup, which was wonderful, very rich and flavorful.
As for the pot pie, the menu originally said that it was chicken, which was a change from the menu posted on the HVRW website. Only after we had ordered did the server come out and tell us that it was turkey again (it appeared they had run out of turkey for a while). It was excellent, served in a crock with a creamy mix of turkey (and lots of it) and assorted vegetables with a noticeable tarragon flavor. It was topped with a square of puff pastry that was simply sitting on top, not baked sealed like you normally find in a pot pie. The puff pastry was excellent and the only negative I can say is that there was something small in the very middle like some melted butter which had a salty taste to it. Others at my table had the pork confit, seared scallops (which I was told were crispy yet moist) and the pasta, which was a HUGE portion and delicious (my wife and I both had the pot pie – we should have shared that and the pasta). For dessert, my wife and I split the apple pie, which had to be ordered for 2 or there was a $7 supplement. It was HUGE; easily enough for 2 or more people and it was delicious. Finally, someone who used puff pastry for dessert! The only negative was I decided to splurge $3 to get it a la mode and they brought us chocolate ice cream (when I think of apple pie a la mode, I think vanilla, but they must not have had it because the brownie sundae also came with chocolate). To make matters worse, they didn’t give us the whipped cream on top of our pie that they did put on top of the non-a la mode version. But that is a minor nit. It was the best dessert I had during HVRW.
Tavern was a real revelation – I’d go back just for the apple pie!
Friday, we had dinner at Valley, also in Garrison. We went with our son (who has promised to post his own review here eventually) and a co-worker and his wife who had also joined us at Tavern. This was to be our HVRW grand finale dinner, and I have to admit that I was concerned about our meal here because I’d read that Jeff Raider, who had been the chef, has left for One in Irvington. It turns out those fears were unfounded. The whole experience was amazing – easily one of the top meals we had during HVRW. And while the waitress at Stoneleigh Creek couldn’t remember who got what at a table for 2, here the staff got it right without asking at a table for 5, even when 2 of us got a dish without an ingredient. We started with an amuse of a carrot puree topped with a small portion of spicy chicken. It was delicious. I was a little disappointed that more HVRW restaurants we visited did not do amusees. Only Iron Forge Inn, Relish and Valley did. To start, my wife and I both had the cauliflower soup, which we had ordered without the prosciutto, and my son had the short rib raviolo (initially on the HVRW menu as beef cheek). The cauliflower soup was amazing; rich and flavorful. The chef put some diced roasted garlic in our bowls in place of the meat, which confused me initially since they looked the same, but they did deliver the correct ones to my wife and me (my friends got it with the prosciutto). When the server checked back as soon as it was delivered, I asked whether I had the correct one and she seemed genuinely concerned and checked with the kitchen, but they assured her that it was correct, and it was. My son’s raviolo was also excellent. It was a single disk of pasta covering a large portion of beef, with an egg underneath. Very interesting presentation and it tasted great.
For entrees, I had the chicken, which was a nice sized breast, served sliced; over a mixture of beans, mushrooms and roasted garlic (the latter was not listed on the menu and may have been the replacement for the chorizo I asked them to leave out). My wife and son had the flat iron steak which did not look anything like other preparations of that cut that we’d seen. It was sliced thin and fanned out on the plate. Both ordered it medium-rare and it was perfect. It came with a roast potato salad that was great.
Similar to what I found at John Michael’s, while our meals had been great up until dessert, it was dessert that just made it amazing. My wife and son ordered the fried apple pies, I ordered the chocolate tart with beet ice cream. They were simply amazing. The apple pies (5 of them) were hot and crisp and served with vanilla and caramel dipping sauces. The chocolate cake was the liquid center variety, which many restaurants try and most seem to fail at. The cake was perfect and the beet ice cream was delicious. An amusing touch was 3 small cubes of beets which were incredibly sweet, placed between the ice cream and the chocolate cake.
I was initially disappointed to find that they did not have the madelines on the HVRW dessert menu (you would get a paper cone with around 20 of them with three dipping sauces; they were amazing). In fact, they no longer seem to be on the regular menu, either. But by the time we were finished with dessert, it was no longer an issue.
Anyway, the good news is that Valley is just as good was it was with Jeff Raider, and the service is absolutely wonderful.
So, I guess I should rate my HVRW dining.
1) John Michael’s (that tuna appetizer, to die for!)
2) Valley
3) Relish (might have rated higher had they not run out of duck and if I liked the fish appetizer more).
4) Tavern
5) Iron Forge Inn
6) Stoneleigh Creek
7) Crabtree’s Kittle House
8) Equus
Appetizers:
1) John Michael’s tuna appetizer
2) Stoneleigh Creek’s tuna tataki appetizer
3) Valley’s Cauliflower Soup
Entrees:
1) Relish’s Tilefish
2) John Michael’s Salmon
3) Tavern’s Turkey Pot Pie
Desserts:
1) Tavern’s apple pies
2) Valley’s chocolate cake and apple pies
3) Relish’s crème brulee
4) John Michael’s basil panna cotta