The Iron Horse Grill in Pleasantville: Hudson Valley Restaurant Week 2011

Posted by: smallbitesguest - Posted in Restaurants on Mar 28, 2011

Nothing makes me happier than enjoying a good meal, except maybe having the opportunity to tell someone about it! Patrice Costa, reporting in on my amazing evening at the Iron Horse Grill. Our meal was all about flavor and texture and how brilliantly chef Philip McGrath made it work in each and every dish.

Taking Metro North from NYC, my husband met me and friends, Deb and Michael, at the restaurant, which is located in the 100+ year old Pleasantville train station building. As we were a little early, we had some drinks, kidded around with the bartender, Mike, and spoke to a father and daughter having dinner at the bar (a fun way to check out what to order!). The evening was off to a great start.

When our table was ready, we were greeted personally by both chef McGrath and his wife, Catherine. The busy dining room seats 60, but was both relaxing and understated. I particularly admired the architectural details like the painted beams on the ceiling and raised panel walls. Service was so well executed that you barely noticed when bread appeared on the table or water was poured. I have to mention that the bread was a selection of warm and crusty rolls, one of which had a hint of fennel seed throughout.

My Lobster Bisque appetizer sent me straight into food induced euphoria. The foodies know what I mean; it’s when a dish (or in this case a meal) touches all your senses and you find yourself quietly chanting “hmmmmm” with eyes closed. As the dish was placed in front of me, the clean smell of ocean made me think of summer at the beach. The bisque was creamy, but not heavy, with just a bite of pepper. I could tell that it was made slowly with patience to achieve such a deep flavor.

My husband’s Ricotta and Romano Stuffed Rigatoni was in a light tomato broth strewn with sweet onions and roasted red peppers. He had only one complaint ? he wanted more. Deb had the Salad of Local Baby Lettuces and loved the combination of textures and tastes between the fresh greens, tart cherries, sweet sherry vinaigrette and the savory gorgonzola piled on the toasted crostini.

As I was still swooning from the appetizers, out came my entrée of Basil Rubbed Fillet of Arctic Char. It was cooked to perfection sitting on top of creamy risotto and garnished with crunchy snow peas. There was just enough of the champagne sauce for every bite of fish, and I enjoyed the fresh snap of the peas with the velvetiness of the rice.

Michael had the Beijing Style Braised Short Rib of Beef. Short ribs seemed to be on many restaurant week menus, and it makes you wonder how this one will stand out. Well, no worries here. It was moist with a wonderfully satisfying beef flavor. It shredded so easily that there was no need for a knife. He liked the addition of the fried noodles and thought the bok choy was excellent.

John and Deb enjoyed their Confit of Hudson Valley Moulard Duck so much that we had to beg for a taste. The skin on the duck leg was unbelievably crispy, yet the meat underneath was soft and sweet; it played nicely against the lemony slaw of chayote (a type of squash that is native to Mexico which has a texture similar to water chestnut, jicama or celery root). But the big twist was the mildly spicy black beans and chorizo not normally seen in a classic cassoulet. You can tell a whole bunch of love went into this dish.

Throughout our meal, I noticed that chef McGrath was in and out of the dining room. As he brought out plates (I even saw him clearing a few), he would stop and chat at the tables. I have to admit it made it difficult for me to inconspicuously snap my food photos. When he passed our table and quietly asked, “are you going to blog about that?” I tried to give him my best “who me?” smile.

Desserts can be almost an afterthought on some menus, but not this one. The chocolate lovers at the table had the Devil’s Food Cupcake and vanilla ice cream. When I finally got a nibble, I had to wonder if those were cherries in there that made me think of black forest cake. Deb had the Toasted Coconut Sorbet which sat atop diced pineapple that made it taste like a Pina Colada on a plate. And lastly, my Warm Cranberry Bread Pudding and maple pecan ice cream was a delicious game of tart versus sweet on my tongue.