Seth Harrison/TJN

Generally believed to have been created in 1964 at The Anchor Bar, chicken wings are the perfect culinary representation of the city of its namesake. Inexpensive odds and ends, in this case chicken wings that were delivered by mistake, dressed up into something appealing, if not addicting, and bringing much needed heat on cold Buffalo nights. “A blue-collar dish for a blue-collar town”, as one Buffalonian put it. The classic chicken wing is deep fried until it has a crispy exterior and a tender, juicy interior, before being tossed in a combination of butter and hot sauce, traditionally Frank’s Red Hot.

Seth Harrison/TJN

In my time in living there I basically saw only two types of wings, classic, which could be subdivided into mild, medium, hot, suicidal, etc., and Honey BBQ. But as the popularity of Buffalo wings expanded outside the city of their namesake, so too did the number of sauces and flavors, with Buffalo Wild Wings offering no fewer than twenty. And man, oh man has that popularity grown! Americans are said to consume 25 billion chicken wings per year and 1.25 billion on Super Bowl Sunday alone. That’s 100 million pounds of wings in a day!

So, the question that arises is, can a food with enormous nationwide popularity, which is inextricably linked to the city of its creation, be featured in a column about iconic Westchester dishes? Thanks to The Candlelight Inn, that answer is a resounding yes! Resembling a small red barn on Central Avenue in Scarsdale, The Candlelight has been feeding hungry diners for 58 years.

Once described in a Zagat survey as a place where bikers sit next to bankers, the crowd can indeed be varied, but one thing is certain, there will be a crowd. Upon entering one must wend his way through hungry patrons in the bar area in order to add his name and party number to a list. You can tell from the reception some get that The Candlelight enjoys a steady stream of regulars.

Seth Harrison/TJN

In a way, the restaurant is like a microcosm of Buffalo itself. In Buffalo, the chicken wing displaced beef-on-weck, a roast beef sandwich served on a heavily salted roll, as the local specialty. Throughout the 1960’s and 70’s The Candlelight, too, was famous for its roast beef sandwiches. Sometime around 1984 wings were added to the menu and there’s been no looking back.

Aside from classic wings, The Candlelight offers only barbeque and Teriyaki, a lack of variety I found oddly comforting and authentic. Its classic wings are offered in mild, hot, extra hot and Chernobyl. I’m a lover of spicy food but wanted to really be able to taste the wings so I stuck with hot. As someone who ate countless wings in Buffalo I can honestly say that the wings at The Candlelight are everything they should be. The second the bowl of bright orange chicken hits your table, the vinegary aroma wafts up to your nose, sending your salivary glands into overdrive.

Biting into one filled me with nostalgia as the texture was spot on. The meat pulled easily away from the bone and the heat level was just right, enough to cause me to break into a slight sweat, but not so hot that my mouth went numb and lost the capacity to discern flavors. They were well sauced, glistening but retaining the crispness of the skin. A bit of surplus sauce pooled on one end of the platter in case one likes his wings particularly saucy. If Jump Around or November Rain came on the constantly playing jukebox I would have sworn I was back in college. Classic accompaniments of blue cheese dressing and celery offered a cooling respite when my enthusiasm got the better of me.

Eating wings is never a neat endeavor, they’re not exactly fork and knife food, but thankfully your server will supply you with and adequate number of handi-wipes to remove any wing sauce you haven’t licked from your fingers.

If you want authentic Buffalo wings without driving 6 1/2 hours north and west then head to The Candlelight Inn ASAP. This was a very messy, very enjoyable edition of 914Eats! And eats and eats…..

The 411 on The Candlelight Inn

Bonus coverage:

A vide0 that Liz did in 2010 about wings during the Super Bowl!

Previous Small Bites coverage on The Candlelight Inn.
Best of Small Bites: Chicken Wings.
Best of Hudson Valley MetroMix Chicken Wings.
Where to Watch the Game — And Eat Great Wings, Too
And Speaking of Wings …
Candlelight Inn to Expand; Adding Entire Building Just for Takeout.
Heading to the Candlelight Inn in Scarsdale…

The post The Wings at The Candlelight Inn in Scarsdale: 914 Eats! appeared first on Small Bites.

Westchester residents have no shortage of options when they’re in the mood for beef. Famed nationwide names such as Morton’s, Ruth’s Chris and BLT Steak, as well as respected New York City restaurants such as the Benjamin have have all opened outposts in our fair county. We also have many local favorites such as Flames and The Willet House. Steak aficionados tend to be willing to debate the relative merits of their respective favorites whenever the opportunity arises. I’ve seen heated arguments arise over which was best, “Sparks?! Are you nuts?! Have you ever even eaten at Peter Luger?!” Whichever your favorite, we here in the 914 are lucky enough to have many options.

However, we are also lucky enough to have the best option.* That’s right, we have the best steak with the added benefit of it being famous. A steak that put the Hudson Valley on the culinary map, defeated an Iron Chef and is exclusively ours. And it won’t be found at a steakhouse. No, the steak I’m talking about is Peter X. Kelly’s Cowboy Rib Eye and it can’t be had in New York City, Vegas or South Beach, only right here at Xaviars X2O in Yonkers and Restaurant X in Congers.

First, some history for those unfamiliar. Peter Kelly has been amazing Hudson Valley diners for thirty years, since opening his own restaurant at only 23 years old. Now the owner of four restaurants, Xaviars at Piermont, Freelance Cafe, Restaurant X, and Xaviars X2O, Chef Kelly has racked up a nearly unimaginable list of accomplishments and accolades: 29 out of 30 in Zagat, a rating of extraordinary in The New York Times and, in 2010, a James Beard Award nomination for Best Chef: Northeast.

Dining at one of his restaurants is an experience. There is attention to every detail about your meal. Indeed, the restaurants are a true extension of Chef Kelly himself. To meet him is to find a warm and gracious man in whose company you always feel welcome. Given the ratings, it is easy to see he is an accomplished chef, but just as importantly, he is a natural host who believes that it is always easier to satisfy a happy diner. He is a restaurateur who reminds that the root of the word restaurant is restore, and not just restoration of calories, vitamins and minerals, but restoration of spirit.  Every member of his staff that you interact will tend to be pleasant and attentive, ensuring that no negative experiences impede upon your enjoyment of the stellar food.

Accolades aside, what put Peter Kelly on the map nationally was his 2007 appearance on Iron Chef: America where he defeated Bobby Flay. With a grilled steak. Let us allow that to sink in for a moment. Chef Kelly beat a chef, famous worldwide for his grilling acumen, with a grilled steak. Specifically, his grilled Cowboy Rib Eye.

The Cowboy Rib Eye at X2O and Restaurant X is what you get when a hugely accomplished chef brings his talent and attention to detail to bear on steak. Aged anywhere from 28-35 days, the steak itself is a gorgeous, bone-in behemoth. It is rubbed with a combination of brown sugar, cayenne, salt and cracked black pepper, then left to marinate for two days. The result, after a pass under a 900 degree steakhouse broiler, is a beautifully charred exterior with a hint of heat and a slight sweetness to balance the smoky flavor from the char.

Initially presented whole before being whisked away for carving, it returns to you glistening and inviting, the interior ruby red but firm, the way only dry aged steak does. One bite and you immediately taste the bold beefiness of a well marbled, dry aged steak, but also the subtlety of the the spice rub. There is another factor that sets this steak apart. Every steakhouse seems to have branded their own line of steak sauces which accompany your selection. Chef Kelly practices Contemporary American cuisine, pulling inspiration and techniques from many of the world’s cuisines. Many of his dishes possess a French flair. His Cowboy Rib Eye is served with a classic Bearnaise sauce, the sweetness of fresh tarragon and tang of vinegar help create a rich sauce which perfectly compliments both the meat and its crust.

I began this story by discussing the link between steakhouses and luxury, and for good reason. The Cowboy Rib Eye served at X2O and Restaurant X is, indeed, luxurious. The steak, juicy, kissed by smoke and awash in creamy Bearnaise sauce needs to be as bold and assertive as it is because the side dishes accompanying it are stunning.

The steakhouse standard creamed spinach is there and just as comforting and satisfying  as mentioned, but there are no mere home fries here. Instead, the classic American accompaniment also gets a bit of French treatment (no, not French fries) in the form of Gratin potatoes. Covered in blistering Gruyere cheese, the aroma hits you like the world’s most delightful freight train. You’re there for steak but man, oh man do you want to dive right into the potatoes. I wanted to maintain manners (and also some sense of dignity), but still came close to hoarding that dish.

Bread comes in the form of three softball sized popovers. On the exterior is a buttery, crackly crust that could make a croissant cry tears of envy. Ripping one open will lead to ethereally light wisps of sweet, soft bread and a pocket of warm air that was the very essence of fresh baked bread. Though intimidating in size, these popovers are so light and airy that you will be in no danger of filling up on bread even though you will desperately want to.

Successful chefs know the mixed blessing and curse of being forever linked to a classic dish. David Chang’s Pork Buns, Wolfgang Puck’s Smoked Salmon Pizza and Thomas Keller’s Oysters and Pearls, ask them about these dishes and they may roll their eyes with a “Oh, that again” look on their faces. But they also recognize that these are the dishes that made them famous and wildly successful. So it may be that Peter Kelly is linked to his Iron Chef toppling Cowboy Rib Eye. I know that if I were linked to something so eminently satisfying as that dish I would consider myself successful indeed. It’s a classic 914 Eat!

*Cue the yelling and screaming. Proclaiming a “best” in something that people feel as passionate about as steak is just begging for abuse. Bring it on, I can take it.

The 411 on X20 Xaviars on the Hudson in Yonkers.
The 411 on Restaurant X in Congers.

The post 914 Eats! Peter X. Kelly’s Cowboy Rib Eye appeared first on Small Bites.

Westchester is fortunate to have its own share of talented food purveyors as well as a distinct regional flair. In this column I will endeavor to find the most memorable dishes that are unique to Westchester county, the dishes that have made a lasting impression on our minds and palates. The difficult part for me would be deciding upon which local favorites to choose. Some may indeed be simple foods like the aforementioned pizza, others may well be extravagant dishes dreamed up in the minds of our talented Westchester chefs. Of course, memories and tastes being unique to every individual I expect there could be different choices, disagreements and suggestions from any food lover in the county. For that reason I encourage, indeed I implore you, our faithful readers to suggest your favorite 914 Eats!

914 Eats, Chapter 1: Walter’s Hot Dogs, Mamaroneck, NY.

Photos by Brandee Dallow

If the idea of purchasing a hot dog (or four) from a roadside pagoda seems incongruous to you then you are definitely not from Westchester. After all, Walter’s has been churning hot dogs out of its copper roofed pagoda since 1928 (and selling hot dogs since 1919). During the summer months intimidatingly long lines stretch well down the block as fans wait to place their order at the window.

As you draw closer you are met with the smell of the dogs, sizzling on the grill. At this point, the most patient of people can begin to get a little testy as stomachs inevitably begin rumbling. Walter’s is not the most orthodox of hot dogs. They’re served split and grilled in “special sauce”. I tend to love the snap of the casing yielding when I bite into a hot dog, but I make an exception for these. There is another secret weapon at play as well, Walter’s mustard. Made from an original recipe it is, in a word, spectacular.

You overhear two basic conversations as you stand in line. The first is along the lines of, “How many are you getting? I don’t know, I was going to get four but I really shouldn’t, maybe I’ll just get three. How many are you getting? Four? Okay, I’ll get four too.” The second is how you’re getting them and this is where things can get heated. I get both Ketchup and mustard, considered blasphemy by some. However, I find the vinegary pop of the mustard and the sweetness of the ketchup combine with the buttery hot dog and toasted roll to create a near perfect food. So easy to eat are these gems that your first is usually gone before you even realize it. This is why I’ve never seen anyone order a single hot dog at Walter’s.

A trip to Walter’s isn’t complete without an order of curly fries.

Salty, crispy and piping hot, they are a perfect accompaniment. However, this too has led to arguments when discussing classic 914 Eats. Is it choosing one food or choosing one place?! Since I’m writing this rather than debating it I will declare myself the final arbiter: it’s one food. So if you’re going on any sketchy ocean voyages or three hour boat tours, you’d better get your fill of curly fries now. And while you’re at it, wash the whole thing down with an egg cream.

The post 914 Eats! Walter’s Hot Dogs in Mamaroneck appeared first on Small Bites.