During my cocktail “research,” ^[1] I couldn’t just sip drinks all night and not fortify myself! So a few friends and I shared a bunch of appetizers and a couple of entrees, too.

Harper’s ^[2]chef-owner Chris Vergara says he thinks the creative cocktails Clark Moore is mixing behind the bar is a little too fussy for him—he prefers his food (and drink) straightforward, letting ingredients speak for themselves. That’s obvious from the dishes we tasted: all gutsy, made with seasonal ingredients and a nod toward modern flavors and combinations. We came away saying it was a perfect meal for a cold winter’s night. Here’s a look:

Duck rillettes:

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Chunks of duck and lots of unctous, fatty, yumminess.

Chicken Liver Toast with Marsala Shallots and Walnuts:

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Just as rich as you’d expect. We scooped up every bite.

A special, fried sweetbreads:

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Nutty, crispy and delicious.

Mushroom Toast with Melted gruyere, Marsala, Fried Egg

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You had me at egg.

More, after the jump.

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Long Island Fluke, a special:

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After all that wintery food, it was nice to taste something clean and fresh. The texture was lovely.

Veal Agnolotti with Sage, Madeira and Parmigiano

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A lot meatier than you’d think! The pasta, made moments before, was light, and made a wonderful wrapper for the flavorful veal. Sage helped cut the richness of the sweet butter and salty cheese.

Brussel Sprout Leaves with pancetta, poached egg, truffle:

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Again, egg? Yes, please. And the bitter leaves and crispy pancetta were a great match. The truffle was not too much. I hate a heavy hand with truffle oil. This was just right.

Cider-braised pork cheeks with Brussels sprouts leaves, sunchoke puree and crispy pancetta.

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So rich. The texture was fall-apart, too.

Lobster papardelle:

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I always think of lobster as a summery dish, but it was so nice mixed with all these satisfying dishes.

Our evening at Harper’s was a lot of fun, and I can see why the restaurant has a big following of locals and regulars. There’s no pretense (well, unless you count Clark’s cocktails, but that’s just the kind of pretense I love). Just good friends, a comfortable atmosphere and great food and cocktails. What more can you ask for than that?

The 411 on Harper’s in Dobbs Ferry. ^[2]