rant: Westchester restaurants/dining out (White Plains, Yorktown: appointed, live in, price)

[jojoboulette]

What is UP with the absolute DIRTH of good dining in Westchester County? Lower, Upper WC, have tried quite a few and so far they've all been pretty mediocre.

We're not food snobs, but we know good food from chow and it's been nothing but chow every place we've been.

Where are the good restaurants and how does one find them?

I find this really puzzling, being so close to Manhattan.

Any thoughts or recommendations? We're in Northern WC.

[josmyth]

Try "The Cookery" in Dobbs Ferry.

[nonny]

I've gotten some good leads from Chow Hounds.

[Justabitoff]

I've been to quite a few good restaurants in Westchester. Even Manhattan has tons of crap restaurants, and the good ones are usually unaffordable! But I can't think of anything in Upper Westchester because I live in Lower...

[Nexis4Jersey]

Valhalla Crossing in the Valhalla Train station , and along Restaurant row aka Mamaormeck ave in White Plains.

[kletter1mann]

Originally Posted by jojoboulette

What is UP with the absolute DIRTH of good dining in Westchester County? Lower, Upper WC, have tried quite a few and so far they've all been pretty mediocre.

We're not food snobs, but we know good food from chow and it's been nothing but chow every place we've been.

compared to practically anyplace I've traveled in the US Westchester has a pretty high standard. Regions have litle more than generic chains. Perhaps you actually are food snobs. Give us a frame of reference. Name couple places you've been disappointed in and why.

[jjinla]

I totally agree! Call me a food snob, but most of the restaurants that I've eaten at here would go out of business anywhere else. It's almost always terribly overpriced, nearly empty, and often totally uninspiring.

Places like Harry's Burritos are just an embarrassment. They can't even wrap a burrito correctly, and that is their business. But even La Panetierre I found completely underwhelming. The decor was terribly dated, the food decent but tiny for the price, and the service was as rude as you'd expect it to be in Paris. We were even turned off by Tarry Lodge. Cute place but we had to add so much salt to our pasta dish that we should have been working in the kitchen at that point.

If you spend enough, there are decent places like Red Hat, Xaviers, etc. but they are few and far between.

In fact, anytime I've asked where I can find good Mexican and Chinese near Larchmont, people jokingly say "you can't". Come on now, we are 30 minutes from Manhattan! There is no excuse for that. OK, thanks for letting me vent, too. If you want to open a restaurant together, I'm all in.

[dma1250]

It depends on what you want, of course. These are my personal favorites in the Upper Westchester area--they vary in quality but all are casual and mid-range:

Laiabeila-- Ethiopian, Mt Kisco
Neo- Asian fusion, Mt Kisco
Via Vanti--northern Italian, Mt Kisco
Passage to India--Mt Kisco
Little Kabob Station--also Indian, Mt Kisco
Ramiro's 954, Latin American, Mahopac (worth the trip)
Bangkok Spice--Thai, Shrub Oak
Thyme--American, Yorktown Heights
Jewel of Himalaya--Nepal/Indian, Yorktown Heights
Peter Pratt's Inn--American, Yorktown Heights (a little pricey for what it is, but great space)
Okinawa--sushi, Yorktown Heights (also one in Mt Kisco; not fabulous, but pretty good sushi)
Memphis Mae's--Southern, Croton
Birdsall House--gastro pub, Peekskill

I've been meaning to try Taste in Buchanan, which has gotten great reviews.

[NYC Mama]

I just moved to N. Westchester, but I can already tell you that the following are quite good:

BGR - Mt. Kisco
Cafe of Love - Mt. Kisco
Village Social - Mt. Kisco
King Street - Chapp.
Local - Chapp.

As for S. Westchester:
Cookery - Dobbs Ferry
Red Hat (can be hit or miss) - Irvington
Tomatillo - Dobbs/Mexican

[mfenimore]

BGR is really good for a quick burger and also love Red Hat. Taste is new in Buchanan hear it is really good. Also like Iron Horse grill in Pleasantville. What type of food are you looking for I could go on.. Have you ever eaten in NJ? Food in Westchester is 10 times better!