Small Bites

Maria Reina here coming to you with the story of ramps. Ramps: what on earth are they? Certainly not a mainstream ingredient, that’s for sure.

Ramps are from the onion family. They are delicate and beautiful with broad, smooth, bright green leaves, often with deep purple or burgundy tints on the lower stems. They make their appearance in late Spring when the last of the snow melts. Their bulbs are a bit scallion-like rooted just beneath the surface of the soil. Ramps have a strong and distinctive onion scent and taste a little like garlic. They even are a source of Vitamins A and C. Since ramps can be eaten raw or cooked I thought it might be fun to use them two ways in this week’s post. (My recipes are below.) More →

For 12 weeks, we feature a wine, and include tasting notes and suggestions for pairings. At the end of the 12 weeks, we’ll review our Mixed Case, and recap the choices. Each mixed case will be chosen by a local wine shop owner, who will also become our wine expert-in-residence during his or her tenure. (So should we need recommendations for a holiday, for example. we’ll ask.) We’ll get a new expert for each case. Right now, we’re working on our Mixed Case from Aries Wine & Spirits in White Plains.

Here’s bottle 5: Chateau Frank Celebre Rose

Bonus online content

Chateau Frank Celebre Rose

Region: Finger Lakes, New York State; Chateau Frank, on the banks of Keuka Lake, was started by Willy Frank, Dr. Konstantin Frank’s son. Willy spearheaded New York’s sparkling wine revolution using traditional methods and classic grapes.

Tasting notes: A pink colored sparkling wine made in the traditional Methode Champenoise entirely from estate grown Pinot Meunier grapes. It offers lovely red berry aromas with forward fruitiness and touch of residual sweetness.

Why we chose it: We happened to be visiting the winery just after Willy got his first shipment of glass bottles for his sparkling wine project and we got to taste his “first baby” before it was even released. To this day we remain convinced of the high quality of Chateau Frank sparkling wines and are pleased to offer them as a more affordable alternative to true French Champagne. This new sparkler is no exception and is aptly named for toasting anything you are celebrating this season.

Goes with: a variety of dishes including salmon, ham, grilled chicken and grilled vegetables as well as spicier dishes, with appetizers or on its own for toasting.

Price: $19.99

Music Discussion Reaches Its ‘Peak’

Caroline Corley, the voice of Westchester’s popular rock radio station 107.1 The Peak, lives the rock and roll lifestyle, and certainly looks the part—dressed all in black, a jangle of bangles around her neck, wrists and ankles, each with a unique story—as she strides into the Captain Lawrence tasting room.

But while rock and roll and booze have long been passionate bedfellows—like Jagger and Richards, the pair is manic, a bit destructive, and usually pretty productive—Corley goes easy on the potent potables. She prefers small glasses of quality beer, which makes a visit to the tasting room a logical one. The fact that she lives close enough that she could get there in the amount of time it takes a Ramones song—1-2-3-4! to fade-out—to play on The Peak, makes the jaunt a no brainer too.

“Beers and rock and roll,” Corley says over a barrel. “It’s the formula. That’s what makes good fun.”

That voice, doing the Peak morning show out of White Plains, is a familiar one to anyone in Westchester, and beyond, who listens to rock. Her shtick includes references to the skinny young rock stars she calls her boyfriends, shout-outs to her chocolate lab, Mick Jagger, and reports about concerts around the world from her well situated “spies.”

Corley’s face is familiar too—perhaps never more so than at the annual Pleasantville Music Fest, as she ebulliently introduces the next act. In person, she’s warm and engaging. For someone paid to deliver monologues to the masses each day, Caroline Corley is surprisingly adept at listening.

We sip a pair of Freshchester Pale Ales and discuss, naturally, music. She raves about Jack White (“could fart in a bucket,” she says, and she’d buy the record), thinks the Stones kick the Beatles’ asses, and scrutinizes lyrics the way an English major studies Elizabethan sonnets.

Corley’s tastes in beer run the gamut. She cops to “girl” tastes—light and fruity, such as a Blue Moon White, but digs stout as well. “If it tastes like chocolate,” she says, “I’m in.”

She enjoys the Pale Ale too, and asks for a Family Meal for Round 2. When I return from the bar, Corley is chatting up a couple nearby. As chance would have it, the guy is the general manager at the iconic Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, which will reopen in late summer—decades after a heyday that featured everyone from the Grateful Dead to Pink Floyd to Janis Joplin.

Tom Bailey, who formerly managed celebrated Manhattan jazz joint The Blue Note, isn’t at liberty to reveal who’s lined up to play the Capitol, but says it will be a diverse mix: classic rock, jam bands, more current stuff. In fact, it sounds a little like the Peak playlist. “There’ll be a little something for everyone,” he says.

Corley and Bailey—Westchester rock royalty, or at least two of its cool kids—have a million questions about each other’s operation. And the two can talk, especially when live music is involved. Bailey, sipping a Family Meal, is also curious about the Captain Lawrence operation, and suggests its brews may be a great fit at the Capitol. “If you want to serve good beer, and local beer, this is where you go,” he says.

Bailey, also a certified sommelier, says there will be eight draft lines to keep visitors well sated. “We fully intend to have good beer,” he says.

Corley samples her Family Meal. “Like drinking a clove cigarette,” she says with a smile and a bat of her big brown eyes.

A full scale music discussion commences. I ask what everyone was listening to on the way over.

“The Peak, of course,” says Corley.

“As a matter of fact, The Peak,” echoes Bailey. He gives his blue New York Rangers hat, atop a mop of red hair, a tug. “To be honest,” he adds, “we put the Ranger game on at 3.”

I’m thankful they don’t ask me, as I’d failed to eject my kids’ “100 Great Singalong Songs” CD on the short hop over. (The Offspring’s music? Good. My offspring’s tunes? Not so much.)

We discuss current raves and faves. Bailey goes for the young Texas bluesman Gary Clark Jr. His girlfriend Susan Mason, an events planner at Crabtree’s Kittle House in Chappaqua, votes for the Brit bluegrass act Mumford & Sons.

Corley, meanwhile, is effusive about a couple cerebral bands starting with D from the gloomy Pacific Northwest: She calls Colin Meloy of the Decemberists “the single greatest lyricist” currently putting words to music, and puts Death Cab For Cutie in the same echelon—quoting their metaphor for a Vegas slot machine, “a robot amputee waving hello,” from the “Little Bribes” track.

Music. Beer. Beer. Music. The cynics have been saying rock is dead for decades, I think as I climb into my car, eject the kiddies’ mind-numbing disc and turn The Peak up loud. But for today, tomorrow, and the foreseeable future, it’s alive and well in Westchester.

—Michael Malone (malone5a@yahoo.com)

Captain Lawrence Brewing, at 444 Saw Mill River Parkway in Elmsford, is open Tuesday through Friday (retail 2-7 p.m., and samples 4-7 p.m.); and Saturday, with retail and samples 12-6 p.m., and brewery tours at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. The author is paid by Captain Lawrence, partially in beer, for “Notes From the Tasting Room.”

It was easy to miss, but far along into the Sunday 1A story on how the rental market may revive development along the waterfront was a very nice little piece of food news: Crabtree’s Kittle House, the classic restaurant in Chappaqua with a 70,000-bottle wine cellar, will be opening a second location at the Hudson Harbors complex in Tarrytown.

From reporter Andrew Klappholz’s story:

Recent improvements to the Tarrytown train station, scenic views of the Hudson and commitments from popular businesses — Lighthouse Ice Cream Kompany is already open there, and the Kittle House restaurant in Chappaqua soon will add a second location there — to open within the complex have helped developer National Resources buck the sluggish trend, said Paul Janos, a former Tarrytown mayor and spokesman for the developer.

“The lawyers are setting up the date to sign the lease—it’s a done deal,” Janos told me. He also told me that a market and a wine shop are in the works.

Glenn Vogt wouldn’t elaborate on the plans, except to say:  “We are in the process of finalizing the negotiations and are very excited about the plans for the project and being a part of the beautiful Hudson Harbor community.”

Pretty exciting stuff! I’ll report more as I get information.

“Fiddlehead.” What a whimsical name for a funny looking little vegetable. I love saying it; even funnier that when I hear it I am reminded of a line spoken near the beginning of Gone With the Wind by Scarlett O’Hara. Except I would like to think she might say today: “Fiddle-dee-dee, markets, markets, markets. All this talk of Farmers Markets are making me hungry! (Rather than her line about the war, of course!) Lucky for us we have many markets all over the country, and in particular our very own backyard of Westchester County.  Many run indoors through the Winter and Spring, and in just around the corner will be in full force outdoors. I am simply beyond excited!

This week and next I’ll be talking about two very special ingredients that make a brief appearance once a year in the Spring: Fiddlehead Ferns and Ramps. Beautiful in appearance yet different in flavor; today we will be fiddling around with fiddleheads.

Fiddleheads are basically the unfurled frond of a fern. After the last snow melts and the ground warms these beauties begin to push their way above ground. They are harvested at that point, just before they start to unroll and open.More after the jump .. More →

A guest blog post by Judy LaBelle, President of Glynwood, a sustainable agriculture non-profit in Cold Spring that works to save farming.

On Earth Day, a conversation about the future of farming in the Hudson Valley was held at Vassar College. Open to students and the public, the four speakers were the winners of Glynwood’s 10th Annual Harvest Awards, which honor farmers, individuals and organizations doing exemplary work to support their regional food system. I was proud to be the moderator for a panel discussion where they talked about their work and achievements.

At right, Glynwood’s Judy LaBelle moderated this panel of Local Food Pioneers: Don Lewis, Wild Hive Farm; Kathleen Harris, NELPSC; Jerry Simonetti, Hudson Valley Fresh; Stephani Van Wagenen, Farm to Table Co-Packers.

After 9 years of honoring innovators and leaders of the sustainable ag movement from across the country, Glynwood decided to celebrate its 10th Anniversary by focusing on work being done in our own backyard. It says a great deal about how far things have come in the Hudson Valley that after considering a rich array of nominees including farmers, advocacy groups, and businesses, the winners named by the Awards Selection Committee were each at least one step up the chain that connects farmers and consumers.

What do I mean by that? I mean that each of them is providing invaluable services and improving the food-related infrastructure that connects farmers with new market opportunities, which makes farming more economically viable. It also says a great deal that only one of this year’s winners was even around when the Harvest Awards began in 2003 – meaning the growth of the local food movement is stronger than ever in our region.

Their impressive work exemplifies the rich agricultural diversity of our region:

• Farm to Table Co-Packers enables small farmers to manufacture value-added products from their fruit and vegetable harvests at a state-of-the-art kitchen and manufacturing facility.
• Hudson Valley Fresh has developed a model for a dairy co-op that provides a sustainable livelihood to their member farmers and high quality milk to regional consumers.
• Northeast Livestock Processing Service Co. has created a networking system that connects livestock farmers to processing facilities and then helps them to sell their meat to retail and institutional markets.
• Wild Hive Farm has reshaped the future of grain farming in the Hudson Valley by reviving heirloom grain varietals and opening a milling facility in the region.

Consider these numbers, which will help suggest the importance and impact of their work.

Collectively, they directly support at least 206 farms: – 5 of these farms are growing 200 acres of grain for human consumption; – 9 of these farms produce high quality milk from 1,200 pastured cows; – 60 of them produce more than 200,000 pounds of vegetables for processing alone; and – 130 of these farms are raising high quality pastured livestock.

These are all farmers who would find it extremely difficult – if not impossible – to reach the growing regional market without the service provided by these Local Food Pioneers. And what makes it even more exciting is the knowledge that behind each of these successful businesses are dozens of other individuals and groups who may not be as far advanced, or who are taking a different approach, but who are every bit as energetic and dedicated to the creation of a strong regional food system in the Hudson Valley.

At left, guests enjoyed local cheeses after the panel discussion.

Read more about Glynwood’s Harvest Award Winners and be inspired!

Judy LaBelle is the President of Glynwood, a sustainable agriculture non-profit in Cold Spring that works to save farming.

To read more about Glynwood’s work, visit www.glynwood.org.

Mary Lynn Mitcham wrote a great Restaurants We Love column a couple weeks back on Cafe of Love. It really is one of those restaurants we love, isn’t it? Tell us your experiences at Cafe of Love in the comments below. A favorite dish? Your favorite table? Dessert? Let us know! Take it away, Mary Lynn:

Sorry, Hudson Valley restaurants. But given the overly abundant supply of local eateries and an economy that makes us think about where every dime is going, good food—even great food—isn’t enough to earn our dinner reservations. We are, after all, going out a lot less than we used to. So if you want to see us these days, you’ll need to seduce us with an inviting dining room that’s cheerful at lunch and romantic at dinner, a wait staff that nurtures and pampers as if we were guests in their homes, a wine list with delicious options by the bottle and the glass, and a menu that supports local farms. Oh and yes, the food must be a string of perfectly cooked, fresh, flavorful dishes.

Think those requirements sound too lofty? Then check out Café of Love in Mount Kisco. Since opening its doors a few years back, it has been raising the bar on our restaurant standards with a local New American menu that’s seasonal, creative, and bold; a worldly wine list; and a staff and setting that are kick-back-and-stay-awhile inviting. No wonder this “love” relationship is a total two-way street.

Leslie Lampert, below, originally opened Café of Love as an offshoot of her Mount Kisco soup kitchen, Ladle of Love, around the corner.

The Café is as casual or as elegant as you care to make it. Beautifully distressed farmhouse tables of all shapes and sizes are scattered around the floor with rustic chic randomness.

A colorful chalkboard notes where your food is from… arugula grown at Amawalk Farm in Katonah, beef raised at Hemlock Hill Farm in Cortlandt Manor, goat cheese made at Rainbeau Ridge in Bedford Hills, the list goes on. A sleek granite-topped bar runs the length almost of one wall, and a window in the back provides a glimpse of the kitchen, where chef de cuisine Hector Coronet works his magic.

The menu is seasonal, so in summer, expect to see tomatoes, peaches, and greens. In autumn, dishes with pumpkins, squash, and apples come to life, and in winter, you’ll see firsthand the merits of beets, mushrooms, potatoes, along with other hearty fare. This spring, Café’s offering incredible soups and salads like asparagus with butter lettuce; heirloom beets with whipped goat cheese (below); sweet pea soup with mini rye croutons; and fava and faro soup with minted yogurt. As always, everything is fresh from the farm. And who wouldn’t want to linger over entrees like duck with apricot polenta; branzino with a ginger lemon emulsion; or rack of lamb with sweet potatoes?

I’m JL Fields and I am delighted to join the Small Bite’s community with my column I Eat Plants. Last month I wrote guest posts on my experience dining during Hudson Valley Restaurant Week 2012 – while I am a vegan, my husband is most definitely not and we were able to find restaurants that pleased both the plant-based and meat-eating diner. I will continue to share my exploration of vegan and vegetarian eats and treats in the lower Hudson Valley in this column.

I went vegetarian in my thirties. I was in Kenya for work, in a small village in the Rift Valley, attending a celebration held for an auspicious occasion for which my colleagues and I were guests of honor. Early in the day an elder from the community brought a goat to the site of the celebration – a true demonstration of generosity. The goat was presented and subsequently killed and boiled. That evening, we were offered the goat for dinner. To refuse it would have been an affront (or so I told myself?).  Essentially I met a goat, shook his hand, and then ate him. I became a vegetarian.

Eight years later, I did a nutritional cleanse and discovered after two weeks that I had removed all animal products from my diet, except for one hard-boiled egg. An egg away from being a vegan, I decided to remove all animal products from my diet.

It’s been two years and I have never felt better. Since going vegan I have fallen in love with cooking (something that continues to shock my husband) but, as I confess regularly on my food blog JL goes Vegan, I am a rather lazy cook. I rely on a pressure cooker and rice cooker to make foods I love (beans, greens, grains, seitan, etc) because I want them and I want them right now!

I live and work in Southern Westchester and am eager to share my plant-based journey with Small Bite’s readers. I will feature recipes, restaurant reviews, interviews, great food finds, and cover vegetarian events in our community. I might even tempt you to try making your own beans and grains in a pressure cooker at home!

JL Fields blogs about her transition to a vegan diet and lifestyle at JL goes Vegan: Food & Fitness with a Side of Kale. Her original recipes have been featured on Foodbuzz, BlogHer and Meatless Monday. She is the editor of the community blog Stop Chasing Skinny: Find Happiness Beyond the Scale.   JL is the founder and lead consultant for JL Fields Consulting.  She serves on the board of directors of the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary and the advisory board of Our Hen House.  Follow JL on Twitter and Facebook.

For 12 weeks, we feature a wine, and include tasting notes and suggestions for pairings. At the end of the 12 weeks, we’ll review our Mixed Case, and recap the choices. Each mixed case will be chosen by a local wine shop owner, who will also become our wine expert-in-residence during his or her tenure. (So should we need recommendations for a holiday, for example. we’ll ask.) We’ll get a new expert for each case. Right now, we’re working on our Mixed Case from Aries Wine & Spirits in White Plains.

Here’s bottle 4: Wamakersvallei Winery Bain’s Way Pinotage 2010.

Bonus online content

Wamakersvallei Winery Bain’s Way Pinotage 2010.

Region: Wellington, South Africa; the wine is named after the famous master road builder Andrew Bain who created the gateway to the north through Bainskloof Pass.

Tasting notes: Bright yet complex on the nose and the palate, with strawberry laced with banana and complex ripe dark stone fruits. It has a rich mouth feel with smooth tannins on the finish.

Goes with: Cheeses, tuna, salmon and a wide range of meats from chicken to pork to veal. ALso good on its own.

Why we chose it: Pinotage is a grape unique to South Africa. It is a good value alternative to Pinot Noir that should be sought after by American consumers.

Price: $9.99

THE CAPTAIN’S LOG: Benches, Bocce, Beer…Beverage Tax???

Big things are happening at Captain Lawrence Brewing, says owner Scott Vaccaro, most of them quite good. The four-month-old facility in Elmsford features an expanse of green space (well, greenish, at least), and plans call for benches, tables, and even a bocce court to be set up to enhance your beer sampling. (Bocce, involving heavy wooden balls, an asphalt court and, typically, older Italian men, is an even better partner to beer sampling than softball.)

The building permit for the outdoor space should be in hand this week. Captain Lawrence is also applying for a permit to serve beer outside.

And as you’ve probably noticed if you’ve been in a beer distributor or grocery store or Whole Foods recently, bottles are rolling out of the brewery, and into a retailer near you. Freshchester Pale Ale, Liquid Gold and the Captain’s Kolsch are currently out in six pack form, and Captain Lawrence Brown Ale hits the 12-ounce bottles for the first time this week.

“The bottles have been selling well,” says Scott. “We’re seeing enormous amounts of orders.”

This week should finally see some action in the new facility’s much ballyhooed experimental brewhouse. Finishing touches to the electricity and plumbing are being applied, the new vent stack will break through the roof, and the first brew should be underway this week. “It’s taken longer than expected,” says Scott, “as all good things do.”

The beer blogging community has been abuzz about what Captain Lawrence might stir up in the 15-keg experimental space. Scott isn’t quite sure yet, but says the short list includes offshoots of the Imperial Pale Ale-inspired Drew’s Brew, the black ale Five Years Later and a white or wheat IPA. It’s a game-time decision for the brewery. “Maybe we’ll do all three,” says Scott.

So it’s all smooth sailing for Captain Lawrence? Not so fast. Some onerous legislation has been passed down to craft breweries from Albany. The New York State Supreme Court, ruling on the Shelton vs. NYS Liquor Authority, has lifted a longstanding tax exemption for small brewers. (Shelton Brothers, a Massachusetts beer importer, is no stranger to litigation. It had previously sued the NY State Liquor Authority over some off-color Christmas beers, including a winter porter called Santa’s Butt, that the Liquor Authority sought to keep off New York shelves, believing Santa’s Butt was being marketed to minors.)

The short of it is, unless the lobbyists and lawyers representing New York’s growing craft brewing community can pull off a Hail Mary, it will be a lot more expensive for small breweries—those brewing 6.2 million gallons or less per year, such as Captain Lawrence—to brew and distribute their beers, and probably more expensive for people to enjoy these beers too.

Scott says the new law would mean close to $100,000 in extra fees for Captain Lawrence per year. “The New York State brewing industry is doing really well,” he says. “This is a great way to stop it.”

So if you happen to be chatting up your local elected official, you might mention this egregious new legislation to them.

You might also invite them down to the brewery for a locally brewed Pale Ale, Family Meal or Smoked Porter—as well as a game of bocce.

—Michael Malone (malone5a@yahoo.com)

Captain Lawrence is open Tuesday through Friday (retail 2-7 p.m., and samples 4-7 p.m.); and Saturday, with retail and samples 12-6 p.m., and brewery tours at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. The author is paid by Captain Lawrence, partially in beer, for “Notes From the Tasting Room.”

I recently had the opportunity to spend an incredible day behind the kitchen door of Peter Pratt’s Inn.  I was welcomed into the inn by Chef/Owner, Jonathan Pratt, who is a just a bundle of culinary energy, and his extremely creative CIA trained Executive Chef, Nick Di Bona. Here’s what I learned during my kitchen adventure:

Restaurant:  Peter Pratt’s Inn in Yorktown

view of the front of the inn

back deck for outdoor dining

room for private events and dinners

Cuisine:  A Contemporary/New American menu with local farm ingredients like Jonathan Pratt’s honey from his hive and maple syrup from some of the surrounding 200 year old maple trees.  It’s an interesting juxtaposition between what is on their inspired menu and the historic building where you are dining.  Although you seem to step back in time, the cuisine is all about the here and now.

Chefs:

Chef/Owner ~ Jonathan Pratt                                     Executive Chef ~ Nick Di Bona

Kitchen staff: Garde manger, Daniel, works the cold station turning out salads, appetizers and desserts.  Laura, from Natural Gourmet Institute, lends a welcomed hand in the kitchen as she completes her internship hours for graduation.

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Radishes. Just thinking of them sends a message to my brain that tingles my tongue. Crisp, peppery and delicious. Radishes are usually the first thing I pick up on a crudité platter, if present. There is just something so appealing about them for me. I love eating them raw, but best eaten in combination with something like a fresh lemony-yogurt dip or even in a slaw.

For 12 weeks, we feature a wine, and include tasting notes and suggestions for pairings. At the end of the 12 weeks, we’ll review our Mixed Case, and recap the choices. Each mixed case will be chosen by a local wine shop owner, who will also become our wine expert-in-residence during his or her tenure. (So should we need recommendations for a holiday, for example. we’ll ask.) We’ll get a new expert for each case. Right now, we’re working on our Mixed Case from Aries Wine & Spirits in White Plains.

Here’s bottle 3:

PS: Please forgive the clicking noise you may hear behind Andrea as she’s speaking. It’s my fault; I forgot to turn vibrate off my phone and it messed up the video! I think you can still get all of it, though!

Domaine Schoffit Harth Tradition Riesling 2010: A light, zesty white, with white peach and apple notes, tangy acidity and a creamy finish. Region: Alsace, France. Goes with: smoked fish, crab cakes, foie gras, roasted goose, pate and wild game. Price: $21. Recommended by: Aries Wine & Spirits, White Plains.

Beers That Defy Description

Enjoying a beer is easy. Describing exactly why you enjoy it? Not so much. Sure, it’s good, and it’s bubbly, and it’s a pleasant color. But what does it taste like?

Those stuffy wine reviews, with their “oaky” and “jammy” and “gamey,” show just how ridiculous descriptions of potent potables can get. Reviews for cigars (“earthy,” “toasty”) and scotch (“tastes like an old leather boot”) aren’t much better.

The guys at the brewery admit that, even as professionals, it’s tough coming up with meaningful descriptions for the beers. So we asked the good, creative folks in the tasting room to pitch in on this front. There are no wrong answers, they were told. Just have a sip, and spit out the first descriptive words that come to mind.

It’s a cloudless Friday and the mood in the Captain Lawrence tasting room is, as usual, upbeat. There’s a hulking man in a kilt, a handsome black lab, and some sunburned Yankee fans riding high after an Opening Day shutout at the Stadium. The Allman Brothers are on the stereo. There’s Captain’s Kolsch and Imperial IPA and Liquid Gold, among others, on tap. Vinnie Crodelle and Kurt Gabel are fresh off a day’s work for the Department of Environmental Protection in Valhalla. Crodelle clearly has a knack for slinging it around, describing his Freshchester Pale Ale as an “austere and sinister explosion,” leading to a feeling of “general well being.”

Gabel laughs—he too is experiencing the general well being—before toning it down a few notches. His Kolsch is “crisp—like a nice fall afternoon.”

Nearby, Sophia Ressler of White Plains sounds as though she’s auditioning for a DEP job with Vinnie and Kurt, tapping an array of flora and fauna for adjectives. Her Liquid Gold is “piney and citrusy,” with a “definite hops taste.” (Not bad—this very site goes environmental as well in describing the Gold: “Aromas of orange, spice, and green grass.”)

To Ressler, the Liquid Gold, a mix of German malts and American hops, is a “spring walk in the woods.”

Speaking of heady German-American mixes, Zoltan Gall says the Captain’s Kolsch is the only American beer he’ll drink. (Before settling in Pleasantville, Gall lived in Hungary, Cologne and Transylvania. “At midnight, my fangs start to come out,” he says of his time in the latter.) A recently retired research scientist (“Not beer,” he laments), Gall quaffs his beloved Kolsch and ruminates.

“It has body,” the stone-faced sipper says. “It is as bitter as I like it. Very refreshing. A clean aftertaste that cleanses your palate.”

His son, an aspiring lawyer named Ian Sebastian, shakes his head and smiles. “The fact that he likes an American beer, period,” says Ian. “It’s surprising.”

Ian samples an Imperial Pale Ale (“Intense,” he says. The Captain Lawrence site says “citrus and pine,” with “some hoppy bitterness.”) His law school pal Ryan Nolan, no relation to Nolan Ryan, if you’re scoring at home, has just walked in, and Ian says Ryan is as savvy a beer connoisseur as one might hope to meet.

Yet pressed for some winning adjectives to describe his Liquid Gold, Ryan, visiting from Rye, fairly freezes up.

Moments later, he paints a picture like his inverted namesake painting the outside corner of the plate. “Yeasty, a little floral, a little tingly,” he says. “Some spice on the back of the throat.”

At another barrel, Michelle Tuzzio and Art Bartosch, easily the best dressed couple in the tasting room, enjoy their glasses of Kolsch. Michelle, of West Milford, New Jersey, offers up “freshness.” Art, from Yorktown, does her one…two…three… better. “The beginning of the weekend, how better to start off than with a fresh, cold tantalizing beer that stimulates the palate and gets the endorphins rocking and rolling. Gears you up for the weekend, makes you look forward to the next glass.”

Michelle laughs. Art catches his breath.

OK, maybe the Kolsch-loving Transylvanian had it right.

“A great beer, you love it, you enjoy it,” says Zoltan. “You don’t describe it.”

Captain Lawrence is open Tuesday through Friday (retail 2-7 p.m., and samples 4-7 p.m.); and Saturdays, with retail and samples 12-6 p.m., and brewery tours at 1, 2 and 3 p.m. The author is paid, partially in beer, by Captain Lawrence for “Notes From the Tasting Room.”

I’ve always loved the beautiful 18th century house that was once John-Michael’s and before that Purdy’s Homestead.  Its history dates back to 1775 when it was built by Joseph Purdy and in 1973 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

I’ve been watching the activity that’s been going on over the past few months with curiosity. The trucks, the people, all the equipment. My curiosity was finally sated with the opening of the new Farmer & The Fish,  a casual seafood restaurant with a menu reminiscent of one you’d find along a Cape Cod road.

Needless to say, I was as eager to try out the new restaurant as I was to see what changes had been made.  Stepping inside was almost disorienting as the bar is now at the opposite side of the restaurant and the interior walls have been removed to create a nice open space with the large stone chimney in the center.  Once I let go of how it ‘used to be’ I could see how this new space really suited  the new owners’ vision.  The décor is casual and inviting – and on this Tuesday evening (only a week and a half after opening) it was brimming with activity. Both the bar and restaurant were busy with a lively crowd of people thoroughly enjoying their food and conversation.  It had a very comfortable neighborhood feel about it and in fact, as I walked in I ran into several people I knew who all raved about the food.

A very friendly waitress greeted us and our experience began. The menu features dishes like wild striped bass, lobster rolls, tuna burgers, fish & chips as well as grass-fed beef offerings and a nice raw bar selection.  The preparations are simple with some interesting little twists. For example, my lobster roll was quite light with big chunks of lobster and a very generous amount of it too. I love that it wasn’t heavy on mayonnaise as lobster rolls can sometimes be.  As I was eating it I tasted an herb that I couldn’t quite place, so I isolated a few shards to try to identify it. Sure enough, it was basil (this was confirmed by the waitress).  Basil is not an herb I usually associate with lobster rolls but it worked beautifully. Along with the diced cucumber, the light lobster roll had the primary focus on lobster – just as it should.

For a starter we had the lobster cocktail (notice a theme here) served over ice with a seaweed salad garnish. The lobster was sweet, fresh and perfectly cooked although I admit, here the creativity threw me a bit.  The seaweed salad on top didn’t quite work for me with the lobster and cocktail sauce.  Perhaps next time when I’m expecting it the flavors might be more appealing.  However, once I removed the seaweed from the delicious, fresh lobster, I was very happy indeed.

My friend Dorene  had the fish & chips, which had a nice, crispy tempura-like batter with four large pieces of fish.  Both the lobster roll and fish & chips were served with lots of fries.

Unfortunately, we had to skip dessert because at the time, only one dessert was available which was a chocolate ice-cream over a chocolate brownie with chocolate sauce.  Even for a chocolate lover like me, it was one chocolate too many.  I’m eager to see what the dessert menu will hold moving forward.

Edward Taylor, the owner, is no stranger to seafood and it shows. He owns a fish wholesale business, Down East Seafood in the Bronx and another casual seafood restaurant in Greenwich Village in the city simply named, Fish.  I had a nice conversation with the chef’s wife, Suzy who told me about the great plans underway for the restaurant, which include farming on the property, a farmers market and ice cream!  The farm will supply the restaurant and market – you don’t get much closer to farm-to-table dining than that.  The vision for the restaurant is a family-friendly, community-oriented space where people can meet and enjoy reasonably priced, high quality seafood. Personally, I think they are well on their way to just that.

Post Script – I think I’m officially a regular. I went again tonight (Friday) with my husband this time; I knew he’d love it.  Again, the restaurant was in full swing and by the time we left at around 8:00 there was a long line of people waiting to get in.  I stayed with the lobster roll which I thoroughly enjoyed and my husband had the Loch Duart salmon – an award winning, sustainable salmon raised in an environmentally conscious way that boasts exceptional taste.  My husband was in full agreement saying that it was absolutely superior in flavor. He really appreciated the simply yet very flavorful grilled preparation with a shallot-tarragon tapenade served over quinoa and greens.

Tonight we gave in to dessert minus one bit of chocolate, we had the brownie with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce – yum.

Oh yes, we’ll be back again, and again… To be sure.  -Margaret Rizzuto for Small Bites.

The Farmer & The Fish

(914) 617-8380
100 Titicus rd
North Salem, NY 10560

http://farmerandthefish.com/

For 12 weeks, we feature a wine, and include tasting notes and suggestions for pairings. At the end of the 12 weeks, we’ll review our Mixed Case, and recap the choices. Each mixed case will be chosen by a local wine shop owner, who will also become our wine expert-in-residence during his or her tenure. (So should we need recommendations for a holiday, for example. we’ll ask.) We’ll get a new expert for each case. Right now, we’re working on our Mixed Case from Aries Wine & Spirits in White Plains.

Here’s bottle 2:

Farmer’s Market Sauvignon Blanc 2010: A refreshing and delicious white with lemon grass and citric aromas, a medium weight and flavors of ripe tangy fruit. Region: Marlborough, New Zealand. Goes with: Goes with: oysters, light fish in a lemon beurre blanc sauce and cheeses, especially goat cheeses. Price: $19.

Online bonus:
Why they chose it: High acid Sauvignon Blanc pairs perfectly with acidic foods like tomatoes and goat cheese making the foods taste sweeter and softer. They love to show the “wow” combination when they teach wine classes.

For fans of gracious, farm to table dining, there’s a new kid in town. And, like Beyoncé, Angelina and Hillary, there’s only one name you need to know. Hudson, in the historic Haymount House in Briarcliff Manor, takes it namesake seriously. There are stunning views of the Hudson River, for one, where if you book your table at the right time, you can watch the sunset. But what really shines – and what the restaurant is all about – is the ever changing menu featuring food direct from the Hudson Valley.

Lamb loin, left, and apple tart.

Hi. I’m Jeanne Muchnick, a freelance writer and frequent contributor to the Journal News.

Before we start with the food – which thanks to Executive Chef Scott Riesenberger, whose career includes work with top Manhattan chefs David Bouley (Bouley), Rocco Dispirito (Union Pacific) and Alain Ducasse (The Essex House) – is impressive and thoughtful, we need to set the scene with the ambiance.

How’s that for a front entrance?

I’ve lived in Westchester 15 years and never knew this property existed. The custom-built Southern colonial-style home, which dates to 1910, was owned by William Fuller, a leading financier of the early twentieth century. He modeled it after his childhood estate in North Carolina and named it for his beloved hometown of Haymount. And here’s another Who knew? The house, which sits on four hilltop acres in what’s now a residential neighborhood, was featured in various scenes as the Civil War era plantation, Tara, in “Gone with the Wind.”

The estate at one point even housed world-famous thoroughbreds and four elephants but that’s something you can look up on your own (or ask the staff about when you go: Everyone is happy to share what they know about the home’s history.) For a long time it housed the French restaurant Maison Lafitte.

But back to the ambiance. Upon entering you’ll see a large ballroom straight ahead with views of the Hudson. The maître d’ stand is on the left between two sweeping grand staircases.

You enter Hudson through the bar where you can lounge pre-dinner or enjoy a cocktail and soak up the regal atmosphere. Marble fireplaces abound in this place and there’s one here where you can sit in plush Laura Ashley-like chairs or schmooze in the purple wrap around sofa that takes up the corner space.

You then enter the front dining room where there’s another huge, antique marble fireplace filled with flickering candles. What you notice first, aside from the sheer gorgeousness of it all, is the long wood communal table (soon to have stools around it) where the chef (pictured here) offers diners a glimpse of what’s on the menu via a basket filled with the bounty of the night.

A second dining room holds court along the back wall and though the menu offerings are the same, there’s a more formal atmosphere here with white table cloths and a more subdued setting. It’s from here you can best see the river.

I chose to sit in the front room with its rich banquettes and tranquil lighting.

Chef Riesenberger starts every meal with a small amuse bouche. We had chilled pea soup with crab salad, slice melon, caviar and almond oil and a touch of vanilla.

Next was the beet salad. To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of beets but these were so fresh—they come from Satur Farms, a sustainable farm on the North Fork of Long Island – and were paired with a light combination of cocoa, plum and goat cheese, that I ate the whole thing.

This was among my top contenders. Spring risotto with a poached organic hen egg and pancetta vinaigrette. Risotto is usually heavy but this one, thanks to the yolk of the egg and the deft hand of Chef Riesenberger, was creamy and light, like eating a soup.

Patrice Costa is a passionate foodie who is on a personal culinary mission to learn it all from local chefs.  Currently working at Thyme Restaurant in Yorktown as a chef-in-training (commis), her passion and desire is to gain even more experience and knowledge by interning for a day (staging) in some of her favorite restaurant kitchens.   Join her as she blogs from behind the kitchen door peeling, dicing, and pureeing her way into her newfound culinary career.

Restaurant:  The Freight House Cafe in Mahopac

Description:  Comfy, cozy and eclectically quirky cafe tucked back behind Route 6 in Mahopac, bordering along side the North County Trailway.  The building, which celebrates its 140^th birthday in April, was the very first freight house constructed for the NY Central and Hudson Railroad, and items like blocks of ice, iron ore, milk, hay and even Sears and Roebucks deliveries would pass through on their way to and from Mahopac.  The cafe is the best place to get a healthy breakfast and lunch or just “a cuppa cawfee”.  Relax and enjoy the outside deck and free Wi-Fi.  If you stay long enough, you will no doubt see someone you know; it’s just that kind of friendly place.

Cuisine: Hip cafe fare, which leans heavily to the healthy side, with local organic farm-to-table juicing, free range eggs served as you like, Greek yogurt with house made granola, and a plethora of fresh made sandwiches, wraps, soups, and salads.

Chef/owner:  Donna Massaro is a local girl whose cafe dreams have been realized right here in her beloved hometown.  She is passionate not only about her food but is always involved in giving back to this community.  She was a participant last year in a Nutella Throwdown (sort of like a Nutella Iron Chef challenge) to raise money for culinary scholarships for local high school students, and she just recently hosted the Vagina Monologues for the benefit of the Putnam/Northern Westchester Women’s Resource Center.  Spend a few minutes getting to know Donna, and you will realize that she is personified in every inch of the cafe.

Cafe chef/owner, Donna Massaro

Behind the counter:  The smiling faces of Hamdy EL Gayeh, Lauren Nardone, and Sue Kallmeyer ready to welcome you.

For 12 weeks, we feature a wine, and include tasting notes and suggestions for pairings. At the end of the 12 weeks, we’ll review our Mixed Case, and recap the choices. Each mixed case will be chosen by a local wine shop owner, who will also become our wine expert-in-residence during his or her tenure. (So should we need recommendations for a holiday, for example. we’ll ask.) We’ll get a new expert for each case. Right now, we’re working on our Mixed Case from Aries Wine & Spirits in White Plains.

Here’s bottle 1:

Chateau du Bois de la Salle Julienas 2010. A medium-bodied red made with 100 percent Gamay grapes, this wine has a silky texture with ripe, aromatic flavors of sour cherry and blackberry fruit and layers of violets. Region: Beaujolais, France. Goes with: Easter dinner and spring meals of lamb and ham, asparagus and new potatoes. Price: $18.

Online bonus

Why they chose it: Beaujolais is so underrated and such a perfectly delicious light red to serve with Easter dinner.

Hi folks. Hope everyone had a great Easter and Passover!  Last week we started a new wine feature in TJN and on Small Bites called Mixed Case.

For 12 Wednesdays in Life&Style, we’ll feature a wine, and include tasting notes and suggestions for pairings. At the end of the 12 weeks, we’ll review our Mixed Case, and recap the choices. Each mixed case will be chosen by a local wine shop owner, who will also become our wine expert-in-residence during his or her tenure. (So should we need recommendations for a holiday, for example. we’ll ask!) We’ll get a new expert every 12 weeks—for each case.

Kicking off the feature are Tony Russo and Andrea Kish, the owners of Aries Wine & Spirits in White Plains. I wrote a feature about them and their shop for the paper last week, and will include that after the jump.

Mark Vergari/TJN

And, as a bonus here on Small Bites, we’ll present a video that includes tasting notes for the LoHud Wine of the Week, and let you know why they chose the wine they did. Look for that post right here: Chateau du Bois de la Salle Julienas 2010.

So, over the next 12 weeks, enjoy as we reveal our Mixed Case! The feature on Aries is just below.

Barley and the Chocolate Factory

The beauty of the brewery tour, whether it’s Guinness in Dublin or Heineken in Amsterdam, or Captain Lawrence right here in Westchester, is that it’s a day at the brewery—plus an education. You walk out not only having sampled some of the freshest beer you’ll ever taste, but you’ve nourished your intellectual curiosity as well.

It is, in modern business parlance, a win-win.

And so I embarked on my first guided tour of the Captain Lawrence brewery, with a special wingman in tow. Every time I visit the place, with its silos and tubes and mouth-watering smell all around, I come back to reading about Willy Wonka’s beloved chocolate facility as a kid. And since my six year old son also adores Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, I brought the boy along.

Our tour guide John walks about 20 of us through the brewery’s modest beginnings (owner Scott Vaccaro, as a teen, brewing out of his parents’ home on, yes, Captain Lawrence Drive in Lewisboro), to the 8,000 barrels (a barrel equals two kegs) brewed last year, and the 10-12,000 that are on pace to roll out of the Elmsford digs for 2012.

My son Gavin enjoyed hearing about the malt being pumped in from the giant silo out front, and the hops mixed in, to create “the beginnings of beer,” as John put it. He enjoyed touching, smelling and tasting, samples of hops, staring at the silver skyline of brewing silos, hearing about the fermenting process.

But, let’s face it—the kid is 6, and it’s beer, not chocolate. Almost as if sensing my son’s flagging interest, John pointed to a hose spitting bubbles into a bucket. “The yeasts are living organisms,” he said. “They eat the sugar, and fart out CO2.”

Living organisms! Farts! Gavin’s eyes got wide. He grinned. He was all in.

John then walked us over to the experimental brewhouse; if that has a sibling over in Wonka World, it would be the Inventing Room, where stood a “mountain of gleaming metal that towered high above the children and their parents,” with “hundreds and hundreds of thin glass tubes” hanging over a giant tub—all in the service of creating the next crazy confection.

The Inventing Room spawned the famous chewing gum meal that did in poor Violet Beauregarde. For its part, the experimental brewhouse will soon start producing some creative brews—some of which may work their way into the regular lineup in the tasting room.

“It’s whatever our imaginations come up with,” said John, as if channeling Gene Wilder in the ’71 film.

From there, it was on to the barrel aging station, where beers are stashed in wine, rum and bourbon barrels, among other infused vats, for up to a year. Then, finally, the kegging line.

My son tugged at my pant leg.

“What’s a keg?” he whispered. A fine mist coated my eyes; if only I could preserve him at 6.

The kegs represent the end of the line for a newborn beer, and the last stop of the tour as well.

We traded notes with our fellow tourists. Jason and Suzi Tipa of Millwood live to taste stellar beer. Both sported Guinness shirts and were quick to note that their last name is but one letter different from Double Imperial Pale Ale’s initials. One letter!

What did they learn? “I’d probably take a job here if I could,” said Jason with a wide smile.

Nada Tosto, having visited just about every brewery on Long Island, made the trip from Patchogue with her friends. She appreciated the Captain’s creative tendencies. “They try new things,” she said. “They have the standards that people love, but they still try seasonals and other out of the box things. You don’t see a lot of other breweries trying to be inventive.”

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory of course ended with a glass elevator, so it was fitting that the tour party made its way to the tasting room, to elevate glasses of Liquid Gold, Imperial Pale Ale, Ginger Man, Smoked Porter.

That was all boring grown-up stuff for my son, who simply wanted some chocolate.

Thankfully, a sweets-bearing bunny was due to arrive in a matter of hours.

Captain Lawrence is open Tuesday through Friday (retail 2-7 p.m., and samples 4-7 p.m.); and Saturday, with retail and samples 12-6 p.m., and brewery tours at 1, 2 and 3 p.m.

The author is paid by Captain Lawrence, partially in beer, for “Notes From the Tasting Room.”

Hi, Maria Reina here reporting to you on my last guest blog post for HVRW 2012. I was thrilled to get the email from Liz Johnson a few weeks ago confirming my restaurant requests this year. We’ve been wanting to try Peter Kelly’s “buzzed about” restaurant X20 for such a long time, and what better time than now?

Larry took the train directly from the city and driving there we met at the station. A very short ride or walk gets you to your destination. Looking at the building from the outside it’s quite dramatic. There is even a small dock for the ferry to bring you there.

We walked in and up the steps to the hostess station, then up another set of steps surrounded by glass to a beautiful white dining room. Joining us that evening were our friends Scott Faubel (a LoHud Editor) his wife Terry, and Peter Green. By the time we got situated at the table it was nightfall and the sun had completely set. Sadly we could not see the Hudson River from their big picture windows.

I had the risotto, another dish I always get if I see it on the menu. Perfectly cooked rice was creamy al dente, my favorite.  There are typically three types of rice that are used for making risotto: arborio, vialone nano and carnaroli. In my opinion, carnaroli is the best to achieve the texture you want in this dish. Chef Peter’s balance of saltiness from the cheese and the sweetness of the cabernet reduction was perfection.

For the main course we all tried different dishes, but the real standouts for all of us were the meat dishes. Peter had the Braised Short Ribs with Polenta.  The short ribs were tender and full of flavor, and set over the creamiest polenta.  I especially like the little taste I got of the cauliflower. It was fried, a very different way to cook it, which rendered the florets nutty and crispy.

Scott got the Braised Veal Breast with a fresh Pasta tossed with Basil Pesto. He managed to share a tiny bite initially, but when I asked for another I was too late! Obviously he loved it!

Desserts were also wonderful. We tried several but two really stood out for me. First the Red Velvet Cake was so yummy. I am not really a cake person, but do have a weakness for red velvet. It was rich and dense and the mascarpone frosting was just the ticket to balance out the flavor.

The second favorite at the table was his version of a molten chocolate cake. Super chocolatey with pistachios, so tasty.

To top it all off Chef Peter had just walked out of the kitchen as we came down the steps. It was very exciting to meet him in person – of course so exciting I simply forgot to get a picture with him! Oh well, the next time for sure!

Buon Appetito!

Susan Dorien here, sharing my dining experience at Birdsall House in Peekskill.

Formerly a local tavern named Connollys, Birdsall House has been transformed into a destination restaurant with a lively bar scene and quaint dining room. The owners recently purchased the neighboring lot and put in a beer garden with tables and umbrellas. If you’re looking for a quiet wine bar this is not the restaurant for you. We arrived at 7pm and the bar was filled to capacity. Noise level was loud but respectful and fun; very good play list was heard throughout dinner.

I only drink wine, never beer, so blogging for a beer house had its problems.  However, my dinner partners were thrilled with the variety of beers from every corner of the world. Birdsall offered samplers or pints and 8 taps change regularly. There was an acceptable wine list to choose from so I was satisfied too.

Our waiter was friendly and knowledgeable. Drink orders were taken within minutes and we were off and running. We began with a plate filled with crispy and tender fried calamari topped with a hard boiled egg and crunchy fried leeks; absolutely delicious! Somehow the egg worked. Next up was a blue corn nacho plate slathered with sweet juicy pulled pork topped with Wisconsin cheddar and a big slice of roasted jalapeño. I can’t say it was the most attractive plate of food but eye appeal went out the window as we dipped in to the dish. So tasty! The macaroni and cheese topped with big slices of smoked bacon was one of the best I’ve had in a very long time. So creamy and moist over a bed of tender greens. Go today and order this dish.  A salad of poached pears, quinoa, and candied almonds was just okay. It was a pretty plate but needed salt to wake it up; not our favorite.

On to dinner. I had eaten at Birdsall before so knew the blackened shrimp was very spicy. I asked for  ’unblackened’ shrimp which the chef was happy to accommodate. My dinner was superb; five extra large shrimps over perfectly cooked grits with a creamy chorizo gravy and tender collard greens with onion and bacon. Other dishes at the table were a grilled reuben with crispy fries, and sweet and tangy cole slaw piled high on top. We also ordered a marinated tofu sandwich on a crunchy multi grain roll with fresh mixed greens. Very flavorful.

There wasn’t a big dessert menu which was fine because food portions are huge. We ordered a slice of devil’s food cake with rocky road ice cream. The cake was moist but not the best I’ve ever eaten. The ice cream was just okay, too. It could be that we were too full to appreciate any sweets after our dinners.

I highly recommend Birdsall House. These southern boys know how to throw down delicious, wholesome food at a price that fits everyone’s wallet. Give it a try and you won’t be disappointed.

This is Araceli Pina, guest blogger for Hudson Valley Restaurant Week. My last dinner for HVRW was at Bistro Z located inside the Double Tree by Hilton hotel in Tarrytown.

I went in for dinner with a friend, and to our surprise,we were the only guests in the dining room at 8:30pm. I asked the manager if we were their last table and she advised that most of their diners had come and gone already. I’ll admit that I was concerned that the waitress would rush us out so that she could go home. Luckily, that was not the case. Our waitress did not make us feel rushed at all. She passed us the wine list, dinner menu and their HVRW menu kindly and calmly and served us with the same attention as if we had been her first table.

To start, their appetizers were French Onion Soup, Crispy Shrimp or a Blood Orange Salad. I decided to try the French Onion Soup with Gruyere Cheese, it seemed the perfect choice for a chilly evening. The soup bowl was covered with melted gruyere cheese, the onions were caramelized and sweet. It has been years since I last had French onion soup, having Bistro’s soup that night made me realize I should order it more often.

My friend ordered the Blood Orange Salad with Greeens, Goat Cheese and Cilantro Dressing. This is a nicely balanced salad, the cilantro dressing brightened the flavors of greens. The goat cheese was breaded and sautéed until golden brown, the softned goat cheese melted in my mouth and I loved the contrast of the browned coating and the tangy flavor inside.

For the entrées there was a choice of  Whiskey Glazed Pan Roasted Chicken with Mashed Potatoes and Glazed Baby Carrots or Pumpkin and Sage Ravioli with Maytag Blue Cheese Sauce and Candied Pecans or Pork Tenderloin with Beurre Blanc, or Pan Seared Scallops with Sautéed Greens, Bacon,  Roasted Fingerling Potatoes and a Balsamic Glaze.

My friend ordered the Whiskey Glazed Pan Roasted Chicken, the chicken’s skin was crispy and flavorful, the chicken was cooked thoroughly and was moist. The dish was served with a side of glazed baby carrots and mashed potatoes.

I ordered the Pan Seared Scallops, they were slightly overcooked and became a little tough as a result. However, the balsamic glaze helped add flavor back to the scallops. The greens were not cooked all the way, this was done intentionally as a way to add texture to the dish, the greens were sautéed with crisp salty bacon.

The dessert options included Pear Bread Pudding with Strawberry and Blueberry Sauce, Chocolate Espresso Custard Cream and Mini Ginger Doughnuts. We opted to order the pear bread pudding and chocolate espresso custard cream. Both desserts were delicious! The bread pudding had just the right amount of sweetness and the strawberry sauce made a great pairing with it. The chocolate espresso cream was my favorite though. The custard cream had a crystalized top that we cracked into to reach the smooth and rich custard. It is not too rich, yet it is a perfect alternative to dense chocolate cakes.

Bistro Z is offering a selection of specials on seleted cocktails, wines and beer to celebrate the hotel’s 50th Anniversary. To find out more on these specials visit www.BistroZ.com. Bistro Z is open for breakfast buffet, lunch and dinner daily. The manager at Bistro Z advised they will be extending their HVRW for another week or so. Bistro Z can be reached directly at 914-524-6410.

Sharon Pickett here again, this time reporting from The Peekskill Brewery. My companion and I decided to visit for midweek lunch and take advantage of Hudson Valley Restaurant Week offerings.

The restaurant is housed in a nondescript L shaped building near the Peekskill waterfront. The main portion offers tables for groups and families while the other features a large bar, high-top tables, several wide screen televisions and a dart board.  The same menu is available in both areas. Connecting the two dining areas is the glassed-in brewing area where visitors can watch as brew master Jeff O’Neil, formerly of Ithaca Beer Company, works his magic. O’Neil usually offers nine different brews on a rotating basis.

The menu offers some of the usual – burgers, hot dogs and fish and chips; as well as the more unusual – Scotch eggs, oysters on the half shell and Cubano sandwiches.

We opted for the Restaurant Week menu. Offered as an option was a pairing of three house beers to accompany each course selection (yes, even a dessert beer was offered). I chose the smoked trout chowder for starters while my companion chose the charcuterie sampler. Our entrée choices consisted of homemade curried lamb sausage (for me) and the ricotta and Swiss chard gnudi for my companion. I
selected the berries and goat cheese mousse while my partner opted for the sticky toffee pudding. It being lunch we passed on the beer pairings – maybe next time.

The chowder arrived with a wedge of toast spread with a tangy horseradish cream – the perfect foil for the rich chowder. My only complaint was the over abundance of potatoes. The charcuterie tasting was a nice mix of flavors and textures.

The lamb sausage had the merest whiff of the promised curry, but was tasty and nicely complimented by the lemony lentil salad. The gnudi was surprisingly light and flavorful, nicely complimented by the sage butter

The berries were fresh and luscious and the accompanying shortbread biscuit played well with the tart goat cheese mousse. Toffee pudding was served warm and was a tasty end to the meal.

Besides making their own sausage and cured meats, The Peekskill Brewery sources local ingredients such as greens, chickens and goat cheese.  The menu changes seasonally, reflecting what is fresh and at its peak.

Our waitress explained that, in order to increase brewing capacity and improve dining space, the establishment will be moving across the street to a larger facility in the summer. The Peekskill Brewery is accessible by Metro North Hudson Line, Peekskill station.

This is a bonus review by Donna Monaco Olsen and Bradley Olsen. Aurora is one of a group of restaurants owned by Z Hospitality Group.

We felt we just had to tell you about the pleasant lunch we had at Aurora last week. We felt it was important to report on this restaurant as they offer daily a 2-course special for $14 which includes many choices for both appetizers and entrees. What a find, as it is beautifully decorated with a sleek but warm and inviting Tuscan colored flare.  Although a bit noisy in the open spaces, they have incorporated ceiling moldings that are concave and absorb (or try to keep up with) the sound of the happy patrons.

We were happy to have with us Donna’s parents, cousin and Auntie Mae. Last year they also joined us and wished again to participate to help us review.  We were pleasantly surprised by the many choices and some of us opted only to partake in the two courses (having eaten dessert way too many times in two weeks).

There were many appetizers to choose from. Here are the two different soup choices including a springtime asparagus and escarole and bean both with a nice flavor and made dairy free (pictured after Parmesan added).

We were prepared these past two weeks to taste each incarnation of beet and goat cheese salad as we had last year but to our surprise it was not offered on many HVRW menus. This however may just be one of the best adaptations of this famous duo we have tried thus far. The goat cheese resembled a blintz (for those of you who know what that is). It was soft and warm on the inside and flaky and crisp on the outside (possibly fried phyllo dough?). The menu described it as a “fritter” but is was so much better than a fritter… The small cubes of purple beets are hiding under the arugula leaves.

Bradley who is not normally a beef eater has tested many a hanger steak in the past two weeks, now ordering it rare for maximum flavor. This was a lovely plate with a refreshing salsa verde. The pomme frittes could have been crisper but all in all a nice lunch choice of the sixteen offered.  The grilled or pan-fried (our diners tried both versions) chicken Milanese with mozzarella balls (the tiniest we have ever seen), arugula and tomatoes was a favorite. It was so light that it appeared almost refreshing. The chicken “scarpariello” with sausage bits over linguine was ordered with the hot cherry peppers on the side. Although it was not served on the bone in the traditional way, it was still the most flavorful tried thus far. Each diner liked what they chose and all were satiated by meals end.

Desserts were not the star here but only half of us ordered one. Dad got a kick out of the tilted plate his sweet mango sorbet arrived in. The sticky toffee pudding was a bit dry but with good flavor. The chocolate lava type cake arrived delayed and was a bit underdone (even for lava cake) and was floury on the outside giving it an unappetizing appearance even for the chocolate lovers at the table. We were not as much a fan of the sweets as we were the meal.

The service was okay and the manager was interactive with the patrons. We lingered as long as our metered parking would permit as this is how it is with most of the town of Rye. They are located in downtown area, on the bustling main street. Take a walk to see all the pretty shop windows along the avenue.

Enjoy a price fixe lunch even after HVRW has faded away.

Until we meet again next year! Happy Spring!

In all, the duo of  Donna Monaco Olsen and Bradley Olsen have experienced close to 10 restaurants during these past two weeks while dining with family and friends, and Mima Vinoteca in Irvington was one of the favorites.

This time was with Bradley’s 80-plus mom, Patty, who resides in one of the “River Towns”. Here was our account of our mid-week HVRW dinner at this local spot.

Across the street from where Donna decorates cakes and cupcakes a few days a week at The Cupcake Kitchen & Luncheonette in Irvington-on-Hudson is this restaurant we have been meaning to try for several years…

And we are so glad we did. It was terrific! We set out for dinner after an 11-hour shift, which included a decorating class for Westchester Community College. (Donna is the Co-coordinator for the Taste of Westchester Continuing Ed program. Check it out at www.sunywcc.edu/continuing_ed/courses/taste.htm.)

Mima’s is a quaint little spot. (It used to be The Red Hat before that moved to the river). The interior is rustic with an old general store or french bistro kind of feel to it. The old-fashioned beehive patterned tile floors and tin ceiling, which are prominent in the dimly lit space, are both comforting and warm. We sat in the front room, but there is another room further back that was quieter but without the same romantic decor. They also have a table that seats 10-12 in a hide-away across from the bar. The joint was buzzing, although some tables were not, full but it was a nice feel. The service was very attentive and explained the offerings of HVRW and the regular menu. They were patient and kept the water flowing. The bread is served with a nice olive oil carafe and salt.

We enjoyed the light-tasting eggplant rollatini with ricotta, mozzarella, san marzano pomodoro and basil oil. The tomato sauce was full of flavor and the pesto drizzle was just enough basil to make it a lovely springtime dish. The chestnut polenta with crispy pancetta, balsamico, and ricotta salata was quite interesting and served in a cast iron skillet. (Sorry. It was dark in there for photos).  It was good but second to the eggplant dish by far.

Out to test this dish again in a different restaurant, the gemelli with a farm fresh egg, black pepper, onion, and smoked bacon (usually known as cabonara but not billed as such) was a great adaptation of this type of comforting offering. Although usually a heartier dish, this version was very light in texture and not laden with heavy cream (as the true recipe does not contain any cream and is thickened by the incorporation of the egg yolk into the warm pasta). The organic chicken scarpariello served with shitake, pear tomato, baby carrots, and fingerling potatoes was an earthy offering and a very rustic version of this common dish. It was a half chicken in pieces with a lovely brown sauce that enhanced the skillet cooked chicken. Usually this dish is made with sausage and vinegar peppers. This was a more country or peasant type version. Our only critique would be that the potatoes should have been crisped and added at the end. The portion was grand as were the flavors even when the leftovers were reheated at home and enjoyed again.     We decided to try one of each of the dessert offerings. Over the past two weeks we have had many versions of Tiramisu and bread pudding as they are easy to make in large quantities and then cut in squares. Both of these were served individually plated and not cut from a mass. The Tiramisu was somewhat deconstructed with coffee liqueur-soaked lady fingers and marscapone creme strewn on top. Maybe not as pretty as it was delicious. The banana walnut bread pudding was a bit drier than we like to see in a bread pudding, although it was served with vanilla ice cream and caramel. The true winner of the group was the torta di cioccolate with an espresso chocolate ganache topping. Rich, dense and dreamy with a delicious cappuccino.

All the items on the special HVRW menu were present on the regular menu. This was good to see, as we would like to repeat many of our selections soon.

This just might be the  “go to place” that we have been searching for. Thanks Mima!

Once summer comes, you won’t want to miss preparing this wonderful recipe that uses the best of the tomato harvest. Our wine expert-in-residence, Andrea Kish, gave it to me for a story I did on heirloom tomatoes back in 2006.

Check out our new wine feature, Mixed Case, that appears in print today and online on LoHud.com. Kish and her husband, Tony Russo, who own Aries Wine & Spirits in White Plains, are helping us with its debut.

For the next 12 Wednesdays in Life&Style, we’ll feature a wine they’ve chosen, and include tasting notes and suggestions for pairings. (Their first recommendation, a Beaujolais, Chateau du Bois de la Salle Julienas 2010, will be great with ham for Easter.) At the end of the 12 weeks, we’ll review our Mixed Case, and recap the choices assembled by Kish and Russo. Then we’ll introduce a new expert.

Now, on to the recipe. It’s a keeper!

Pasta with Heirloom Tomatoes, Basil and Brie

Andrea Kish says this is great when made just with ordinary garden ripe red tomatoes, but spectacular when you add the rainbow of colors and flavors from the heirlooms. She recommends freshly grown garlic, too.

4 large (1 pound or more) heirloom tomatoes in an assortment of colors
1 pound Brie, rind removed, torn into irregular piece
1 cup cleaned fresh basil leaves cut into strips (use both red and green if you have them)
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pounds pasta in your favorite shape to hold the juices of the sauce

Combine tomatoes, brie, basil, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper in a large serving bowl. Prepare at least 2 hours before serving and set aside, covered, at room temperature. Bring 6 quarts water to a boil in a large pot. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Add the pasta and boil until tender but al dente.

Drain pasta and immediately toss with the sauce. The hot pasta will melt the brie and bring out the aromas and flavors of the tomatoes and garlic. Serve and pass the pepper mill. Parmesan cheese is optional, but, I think, overkill in this dish with is redolent of summer’s best.

Adapted from The Silver Palate Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins.

Heyyyyyy, Beer Here!

The first organized baseball game is believed to have been played in Hoboken on June 1, 1846, so it stands to reason that the first beer enjoyed at a ballgame happened right around June 1, 1846 as well.

Indeed, baseball and beer—bad hops and good hops—have a long and loving relationship. My earliest memory of the two intermingled was at Shea Stadium, when I was eye level to the turnstile. Seconds before measuring myself against that steely foe, I saw a feat of ingenuity that has stayed with me for decades: A few cases of beer, trussed up like a shipwreck diver’s booty, hoisted from one scraggly guy at street level to his friends, who pulled the rope while hanging over those old Shea ramps, a hundred feet above. Based on the way the Mets played that day, the cases of Meister Brau may have been for the players.

Baseball is on the brain in the Captain Lawrence tasting room a few days before Opening Day proper. There are scores of Yankee fans, of course, expecting nothing less than the annual late October showdown, while appreciating what might be Mariano Rivera’s last hurrah. There are some diehard Met fans, hoping for a pleasant surprise. “Madoff’s gone,” says Kevin Raum of Valhalla. “I’m optimistic.”

There’s a Phillie fan, and even a few Red Sox rooters. (Keep in mind, the Red Sox’ historic collapse last fall was a rare example of beer and baseball not going together well.) Jessica Young, a Vermont native visiting the tasting room from her home in Harlem, has the Boston baseball mindset pegged. “They’ll make us think they’re doing well,” she says. “They won’t.”

The wet weather has brought Kevin Raum and his buddies to the tasting room. Their softball team—it’s called the Amazin’s, if you’re scoring at home—was to practice in Hawthorne, but ended up hitting the batting cages at Sportime USA. As they could practically smell the hops wafting up Rte. 9A from the brewery, the Amazin’s’ spring training was cut short.

Mike Forde of Valhalla sheds a little light on why baseball and beer go so damn well together. “You’re outside for three or four hours, it’s a 70 degree day,” he says. “It’s like a barbecue and beer—-baseball and beer just go hand in hand.”

Others offer up a variety of reasons. The peanuts and Cracker Jacks, as immortalized in our national pastime’s national anthem, practically beg for a tasty brew. The pace, or lack thereof, for those who simply don’t get baseball, of the game. And as baseball is a kissing cousin of softball, the rare sport you can actually play with a beer in your hand, softball’s social tendencies carry over to its more hardcore sibling.

Jessica, husband Tim and baby Riley are enjoying, respectively, a Kolsh, a Family Meal, and milk. She offers a novel reason for ordering up a ballpark brew: “It’s so much fun to hail the beer vendor.”

Ryan Collins of Valhalla and Chris Pozzi of Yorktown Heights had the routine down for years—at least until advanced adulthood kicked in: Stock up on Captain Lawrence growlers at the old Pleasantville site on Saturday, and show up early at Yankee Stadium Sunday. They’d enjoy burgers, marinated steak, and barbecue chicken, along with Freshchester Pale Ale and Brown Ale (“It’s a long day if you start with Imperial IPA,” says Collins), with 30 of their best buds.

“We’d save the crappy domestic beer for after the game,” says Collins.

While few in the room disputed the baseball-beer bond, some felt that excellent beer goes well with most any activity. “There’s no event that beer can’t participate in,” says Kerry Walsh of Pearl River with a smile.

Even chess?

Apparently yes.

“If there’s beer there,” Walsh quips, “I’d probably go.”

 
—Michael Malone

Captain Lawrence is open Tuesday through Friday (retail 2-7 p.m., and samples 4-7 p.m.); and Saturday, with retail and samples 12-6 p.m., and brewery tours at 1, 2 and 3 p.m.

The author is paid by Captain Lawrence, partially in beer, for “Notes From the Tasting Room.”