River City Grille, Irvington

[menton1]

It seems we almost never see a review of a Westchester restaurant here, the county gets short shrift becuase of the dominance of Manhattan topics here; but we found ourselves in Westchester yesterday and happened upon this place and found it to be a gem.

On Route 9 (Broadway) in Irvington this place from the outside looks like a re-done diner and the opposite side of the street is park-like, with lots of green and flowers. Inside, the place is quite interesting, with cute banquettes and 3 separate areas that give a nice feeling to the place. The main area has a wall of windows so it is very airy.

Menu had a lot of interesting choices, but we started with 2 salads, a Tricolor Salad, with radicchio, and lots of baby lettuces and shaved Fontina cheese in a lovely balsamic dressing. The Mixed Greens salad had a different variety of baby greens, very fresh, with s vinaigrette dressing. The dressings were perfect, not drenched, just enough to coat the greens. Very lovely.

For the main courses we had a Grilled Salmon entree, the chef somehow made two large round "patties" of salmon in 2 layers on a bed of spinach that was sauteed perfectly. There was a fantastic herbed sauce with a very interesting blend of flavorings and some cooked cherry tomatoes circling the salmon. We also had a giant pork chop cooked perfectly in a wonderful sauce with pureed celery root, very, very interesting, and sauteed broccoli rabe. Very satisfying, and too big to finish.

The evening was topped off with two perfect coffees, one espresso and one American, both very good and very hot. Service was very cheerful, and the place is one that we would highly recommend to all those suburbanite Westchester folk out there that we hardly ever hear from--- We will be returning to this place soon---

River City Grille

9 South Broadway

Irvington, N.Y.

914-591-2033

Web Site

[menton1]

Any other Westchester foodies here that can comment on River City Grille? any other good recs for Westchester restaurants?

[marcus]

We stopped there for brunch one sunday afternoon and it would be generous to describe the food as fair, although dinner might well be much better. I have a recollection that it was reviewed in the NYT Sunday Westchester section and it received a Good, equivalent of one star, but I can't verify that.

Westchester is not a restaurant destination, I worked in White Plains for many years and am quite familiar. Azuma Sushi in Hartsdale is quite good. There are a number of ethnic latin restaurants in Port Chester that can be interesting. I don't recommend La Panetiere in Rye, La Cremaillere in Banksville and Bistro de la Guerre in Hastings which are probably the most well known upscale places.

Blue Hill at Stone Barn which is related to the New York restaurant is opening very soon, and may well be the most ambitious restaurant in the county, ever, from a culinary perspective.

[Liz Johnson]

I don't recommend La Panetiere in Rye, La Cremaillere in Banksville and Bistro de la Guerre in Hastings which are probably the most well known upscale places.

I believe you mean Buffet de la Gare in Hastings, but what don't you like about these places?

[menton1]

Westchester is not a restaurant destination

Well, of course Westchester cannot compete with Manhattan, but few places could; but as a suburban area there are scores of wonderful places to eat, and, as we can see from the New Jersey board, an area with a similar suburban environment to Westchester, there is a lot to talk about food-wise. The problem is, NJ has its own board, and Westchester is swallowed up by the Manhattan discussions.

If you are in Westchester, there is no need to go every day to Manhattan to find a place worthy of dining at!! With over a million residents, there has to be something interesting to talk about!

[rstarobi]

Westchester is not a restaurant destination

Well, of course Westchester cannot compete with Manhattan, but few places could; but as a suburban area there are scores of wonderful places to eat, and, as we can see from the New Jersey board, an area with a similar suburban environment to Westchester, there is a lot to talk about food-wise. The problem is, NJ has its own board, and Westchester is swallowed up by the Manhattan discussions.

If you are in Westchester, there is no need to go every day to Manhattan to find a place worthy of dining at!! With over a million residents, there has to be something interesting to talk about!

Well, just to talk about my own town, New Rochelle has a thriving Latin American community, which includes several good restaurants, and some of the best cheap produce markets I've seen in Westchester. My recommendations for local Mexican are: Las Cazuelas on North Ave., El Michoacano on Main St., and Mexican Corner Restaurant on Main St.

As far as groceries, Viva Ranch on Main St. is worth a visit for the Mexican goodies that are excellently priced, and usually very fresh and of good quality.

High end dining is not Westchester's strong point, especially in comparison with Manhattan. There are a plethora of mid-range Italian restaurants that all pretty much stink.

On the other hand, there are the occasional attempts at the top end- Umami up in Nyack, I think. River City Grille. Macmenamin's Grill here in New Rochelle. Unfortunately, I can't afford to eat at any of these places, so quality reports will have to rest with someone else.

[marcus]

High end dining is not Westchester's strong point, especially in comparison with Manhattan. There are a plethora of mid-range Italian restaurants that all pretty much stink.

I think that we're saying the same thing. I also don't doubt that there are very good ethnic restaurants serving the various ethnic communities. Getting reliable information about these kinds of restaurants is difficult, and they have to be extraordinary, as some may well be, in order to be destination restaurants to which people are willing to travel substantial distances.

[marcus]

I don't recommend La Panetiere in Rye, La Cremaillere in Banksville and Bistro de la Guerre in Hastings which are probably the most well known upscale places.

I believe you mean Buffet de la Gare in Hastings, but what don't you like about these places?

Overpriced, unambitious food, less than the very best execution, not that these restaurants are bad. I might exempt La Panetiere from the third criticism, and admittedly I haven't eaten there since they got their newest chef. But, this restaurant has had a number of talented chefs that have gone on to open their own restaurants or work at major NYC restaurants, at which they were allowed to do better.

What do you think about these places?

[snausages2000]

Marcus, I would think there are a fair number of NY egullet members and NY forum readers that live in Westchester, so restaurants discussed here don't necessarily need to be considered long-distance affairs. Also, the notion of a 'destination' restaurant is too vague, especially in the egullet/chowhound context, where we have tons of people willing to travel for good/adventurous/interesting food, regardless of how upscale or widely recognized the place might be. I live in Brooklyn, but have made several places, most of them dives with remarkable kitchens, in Jersey, Westchester and Queens my 'destination' based on reviews posted here.

I agree with the earlier point that the Westchester posts get swallowed in the NYC forum. It's too bad, because there are a lot of places in the county that deserve to be raved about and I'm sure there are tons still waiting to be discovered.

As for some of the highlites in my Westchester experience:

I second the praise for New Rochelle's ethnic food scene.

The Corner Mexican Restaurant is a find.

Also, Coromandel on, I think, Division St. in New Rochelle is the best Indian I've ever had. Never been to a couple of the reputed top places in the city, but I imagine Coromandel holds its own. If I remember correctly, it's bloodlines relate to that place Thali in New Canaan and the Cinnamon Club in London.

There's also a Chinese Buffet in New Rochelle that's worth checking out. I hate the idea of a Chinese Buffet, and was scared to go, but here's what makes it worth it: all you can eat crab legs, clams and oysters. $10. not high-end dining, but a fun way to stuff your self.

In Mamaroneck, Sal's pizza (on Mamaroneck Ave) serves one of the better (Americanized) sicilian slices you'll ever have. Thin crust, crispy, good.

In Port Jefferson, I love Pat's Hubba Hubba. It's just a low-key little greasy spoon, but they slather a spicy ground beef chili on everything and it's addictive. Plus, the menu just consists of items written on paper plates that're glued haphazardly to the wall.

It'd be great to hear about more Westchester finds. Happy to make them a destination.

[Liz Johnson]

What do you think about these places?

It's not my place to pass judgement, but I will say that I have used all of them as sources or examples in stories, which I tend not to do unless I think the place is worth a trip.

I would second menton's statement that it's nearly impossible to compete directly against Manhattan, but a few top places could, and do. If you pitted Westchester — or Rockland or Bergen for that matter — against the suburban area of say, Dallas or Minneapolis, you would find a lot better efforts and a lot fewer chains in the NY area.

[rstarobi]

Marcus, I would think there are a fair number of NY egullet members and NY forum readers that live in Westchester, so restaurants discussed here don't necessarily need to be considered long-distance affairs. Also, the notion of a 'destination' restaurant is too vague, especially in the egullet/chowhound context, where we have tons of people willing to travel for good/adventurous/interesting food, regardless of how upscale or widely recognized the place might be. I live in Brooklyn, but have made several places, most of them dives with remarkable kitchens, in Jersey, Westchester and Queens my 'destination' based on reviews posted here.

I agree with the earlier point that the Westchester posts get swallowed in the NYC forum. It's too bad, because there are a lot of places in the county that deserve to be raved about and I'm sure there are tons still waiting to be discovered.

As for some of the highlites in my Westchester experience:

I second the praise for New Rochelle's ethnic food scene.

The Corner Mexican Restaurant is a find.

Also, Coromandel on, I think, Division St. in New Rochelle is the best Indian I've ever had. Never been to a couple of the reputed top places in the city, but I imagine Coromandel holds its own. If I remember correctly, it's bloodlines relate to that place Thali in New Canaan and the Cinnamon Club in London.

There's also a Chinese Buffet in New Rochelle that's worth checking out. I hate the idea of a Chinese Buffet, and was scared to go, but here's what makes it worth it: all you can eat crab legs, clams and oysters. $10. not high-end dining, but a fun way to stuff your self.

In Mamaroneck, Sal's pizza (on Mamaroneck Ave) serves one of the better (Americanized) sicilian slices you'll ever have. Thin crust, crispy, good.

In Port Jefferson, I love Pat's Hubba Hubba. It's just a low-key little greasy spoon, but they slather a spicy ground beef chili on everything and it's addictive. Plus, the menu just consists of items written on paper plates that're glued haphazardly to the wall.

It'd be great to hear about more Westchester finds. Happy to make them a destination.

Thank you, Snausages, for saying what I wanted to say, only better.

I've had mixed experiences with Coromandel - though I've only tried their buffet, I've found it weak. My parents say that their ala carte menu is vastly better.

I also second Sal's - the place looks just like an ordinary pizza joint, but it's a wonderful find.

Pat's Hubba Hubba is in Portchester, not Port Jefferson, I believe. The chili doesn't do it for me there so much, but I've only had it the once, and I made the mistake of having it straight, without a starch or meat to cut it.

[snausages2000]

You're right. Pat's is in Portchester. Not sure why I said Port Jefferson.

Try Coromandel's ala carte dinner and see what you think. I haven't been in several months, so I can't vouch for its current quality, but all previous experiences have been excellent.

[rstarobi]

You're right. Pat's is in Portchester. Not sure why I said Port Jefferson.

Try Coromandel's ala carte dinner and see what you think. I haven't been in several months, so I can't vouch for its current quality, but all previous experiences have been excellent.

Most recent word from my folks re: Coromandel is that the buffet has roughly doubled in size, and that the new format is much better than it used to be.