Don Coqui, White Plains

The food was good, not great, but this place will certainly give Sofrito serious competition.  We left knowing we'd go back and that the lively, bustling vibe would make it a fun spot.

We started with empanadas, a staple for us.  We thought the filling was good and the mango sauce had a great taste!  The food flavors were all good, but the pork was dry.  I really enjoyed the steak mofongo, especially since it was juicy.  The steak was perfectly cooked.  The meal ended with a shot of their Coquito, a welcomed treat with any meal!

We've since returned for their great weekend drink happy hour deals.  The mojitos are flavorful and varied.  I personally felt the coconut was too creamy, but it is coconut.  Consistency is not their strong suit and even when ordering the same drink there is a bit of a variety.

Overall, the service was great, the food had really good flavor and the drinks were tasty....a nice addition to Mamaroneck Avenue!

Don Coqui 

White Plains, NY

The Week - April 8th

On Monday, we went to The Brazen Fox in White Plains.  We had the chance to chat with Declan, which was a nice treat.  I, almost without fail, loved my mai tai.  Chris had the Founder's Day IPA.  For food, we started with the chicken quesadilla.  It was well prepared and the accompanying dips are separated, not on, which is nice.  For meals, I had the buffalo chicken wrap (abandoning the wrap pretty early - eyes were bigger than I could handle) and he had the Ultimate Burger.  Both of us liked our food, as usual...given how often we are here, you'd sure hope. 

Service was fine, about what I expect from a Monday where people are certainly out and about when they wouldn't normally be.

On Tuesday, we cooked at home.  Blue Apron rarely leaves us this disappointed, but this evening was a fail! The failed attempt at Pho lead us to The Tapp for a few snacks.  We went for the charcuterie and a few beers.  The meats were all very good and the cheese was tasty.  I, however, am not a fan of bleu cheese and Chris took one for the team.  Piper was attentive and we left happy after our cooking fail.

On Wednesday, another Blue Apron meal, we had sea bream, black rice and beans.  The meal was okay, (like we didn't end up at The Tapp) but it's not something that I would need a repeat of.  The texture of the fish made me wary of potential bones.

On Thursday, we ate separate because I had a meeting in Manhattan.  I had a sandwich from Lenny's.  He had pizza from Capri....nothing much to be said here.

On Friday, we were at The Tapp...intentionally this time.  We started with the piada (yummy and on the five at five menu).  He had the special shrimp sliders that were great.  The texture was prefect and the flavor was right on.  I had the panini d umbria (for the third time) and I love it.  Chef Alexa does a great job feeding you.  We also had the chance to chat with Jeremy about some off the beers on the horizon - check back often!  For dessert, we headed to The Setback and had some goldfish.  Okay, maybe it wasn't a typical dessert, but it closed our meal.

On Saturday, we headed to The Brazen Fox.  This time our friends joined us so we had the way too glutinous sampler platter.  Declan passed through saying hi and remembered our last visit.  The food is consistently good and I highly recommend their salads.  The sangria was a little light for our tastes, but fit well with the meal.

Sunday started with a lunch trip for The Village Dog hotdogs at Captain Lawrence Brewery.  I don't regularly mention lunch, but theses dogs are so great.  Visit them at their regular location in Tarrytown, or at CLBC.

The week was a good one...hopefully more to follow!

La Bella Havana

A visit to this Yonkers spot is a great way to spend an evening.  For $34.95 you can split an appetizer, 2 entrees and a dessert on a Monday night for "date night".  If you're feeling thirsty, for another $10 per person you can add in unlimited mojitos until 9pm.

To start we went with the croquetas de jamon.  They were very tasty and the garlic accompanying sauce is great.  For our meals, he went with the pernil and I had the vaca frita.  Both were well cooked and worth a revisit.  The mojitos are well made and a nice way to welcome the spring season.  For dessert, we had the tres leches.  I am not a big desert eater, but the taste was good and we enjoyed it.

Overall, we had a good time.  The crowd was fun and the food was well cooked.  And, most importantly, the mojitos were flowing and tasty!  Good service, food, and drinks make this trip worth it!

La Bella Havana

Yonkers, NY

Mima Vinoteca - March 30, 2013

A great way to spend a Saturday evening.

We started with the mozzarella special of the day which was very tasty.  The arugula and prosciutto balanced well with the cheese.  Also, of course, we indulged with the Mima olives, which were plentiful and well priced at four dollars.

For our mains, we both went with pasta as there are several excellent options.  Chris liked the wild boar ragu and whole wheat pappardelle.  I had my old favorite orecchiette with smoked bacon and a sunny side up egg.  The food is consistent and extremely tasty.  Everything is fresh and well-proportioned.

For dessert, we shared the blueberry panna cotta with fresh fruit and a honey peach sauce. The consistency was great, as was the taste. As for wine, Mima has a very accessible list and has something by the glass to meet most tastes.

Mima is always a great meal with fresh ingredients and well served. 

www.mimarestaurant.com

Irvington, NY

A Tale of Two Purveyors of Fine Alcohols and Spirits (a.k.a. Bars)

First stop...Thursday: Pour - Mount Kisco, NY

We are consistently pleased every time we're here.  The clientele is laid back, the music never disappoints, and both the food and drink leave you very happy.  Pour is always worth the trip!

Knowing that we were going to get a charcuterie board, building it is the challenge - there are several options that are often rotated; keeping it fresh.  If you're not sure what to get, you can ask for recommendations.  After narrowing down the options we went for three meats and two cheeses.  Although we didn't go for the goat cheese, it was getting rave reviews.  There are often specials, so you may want to inquire.  In addition to our meat and cheese feast, we had the meatball flatbread.  I cannot say enough how much I love it! We normally would have the excellent hummus, but decided to skip it this trip.

As far as drinks, I'd like to meet the person who cannot find the perfect glass of wine, beer, our cocktail here.  (And, then slap them, but that's just me.)  Everything is great and you can try a taste of many things before going all in.  If you need recommendations just ask, James, often found behind the bar, is a master at making something you will enjoy.  With the wine, they will not always have the particular grape you may be looking for, however they will always be able to give you something close that you will probably enjoy even more!   There is also an ever changing selection of beer by the bottle or can.  Nothing on tap here, and nothing that would not be considered craft beer.  

While it is a bit of a drive up to Mt. Kisco, it is always an wonderful time where you never know what you might have, but you always enjoy it.  The place is great and everyone here is welcoming, but know it can get a bit crowded on weekends. 

Second stop...Friday: The Tapp - Tarrytown, NY

The space is nice and provides a good location to drink and eat at when in Tarrytown.  Granted, if there is a show at the Music Hall, you're better off skipping local spots as the theater patrons take up most of the area's limited parking spots.

I'd like to point out that when we went it was Good Friday; therefore, we were not eating meat.  To start we had hummus to make up for the fact that we didn't have it the night before at Pour. The hummus tasted good, but was a bit grainy.  Chris had the lobster roll which was great while I had a grown-up grilled cheese (made with Halloumi).  The food was really good and the menu offers a decent variety of items.  The specials change regularly and the different dishes are normally well presented.

The waitress was nice and efficient, providing plenty of space when we were still indecisive.  The hostess seemed a little overwhelmed as it got crowded, but had to manage a limited seating area which can be a challenge. Chef Alexa does a good job with the menu and the beers on tap change often and normally have a local brew on tap.  There is also an extensive bottle and can menu that does not seem to rotate as frequently.  The wine selection is a bit limited, but a strong collection of spirits helps to balance out the offerings.  

It's a nice addition to Tarrytown, especially during the week with some good happy hour specials from 5 - 7.

Overall, theses two places are solely being grouped because of when we went...it is not at all to indicate that they are the same type of place or the same level of experience.  The Tapp has a much more youthful vibe but could pick up a few pointers from Pour in regards to spirits and how to make the most of an odd floor plan, but both places will be visited often.  The new guy and the experienced guy!

www.pourmtkisco.com

Pour Cafe and Wine Bar, Mt. Kisco, NY

www.thetappny.com

The Tapp, Tarrytown, NY

Growlers, 3/14, Tuckahoe

This is our second trip to Growlers and it happened to be Peekskill Brewery night.  No one likes a suggestion quite like us; so, Chris got the Peekskill flight and I had a cider to start. 

As far as food, we had the pretzel bread, which is tasty and comes with a strong grain mustard.  The is a strong mustard and I loved the nice clear breath I could take after it! The hush puppies are very good and probably the thing that brings us back, outside if the beer selection and knowledgeable staff.

The burgers were good - nice flavor and just enough messy, juicy goodness.  I 'upgraded' to the Growlers fries, but I wouldn't bother with that in the future.  All the food we've had has been good and the optioned flight it's worth the trip alone.

Growlers is worth the trip!

Burrata, Eastchester

A calm evening when you forget to check if your destination is open led us to Burrata, and what a happy mishap. 

The location in Eastchester puts you right next to Pipers and Spillanes, but keep going down and stop in Burrata.  It is worth the visit.  Greeted quickly and seated next to the window, to begin our new restaurant adventure...

We were very happy with the beverage selection.  The cocktails, wine, and beer were both accessible and varied.  I, of course, went for the strawberry-based cocktail.  Mint, strawberry...it had me at rum. 

We were unsure as to what to have because the neighboring people were all getting a pizza per person.  After negotiations, we decided to go with crema di burrata, soppressata pizza, and the pasta al forno.  Let me start with saying everything was tasty; however, we'd probably go for pizzas on the return visit.  The starter was fantastic and the crostini was well oiled.  The pizza crust was perfect and there was good flavor.  The pasta was tasty, but the weak link in the excellent meal.  It is hard for it to stand up to the bold flavors featured in other courses.

Overall, we will definitely make a return visit.  Our server (Joseph?) was nice, humorous, and attentive without making us feel rushed.  Nice addition to our already saturated pizza rotation.

Yum, yum and highly recommended!

Burrata, Pizza and Baked Pasta

www.burratapizza.com
Eastchester, NY

Lola's Mexican Kitchen hits White Plains

The long awaited first visit to Lola's..

I have been desperate for a good food place to have equally good drinks.  I know, that seems odd, but there is so much good (tasty treats that are fantastic) food in Westchester that I've felt this is a void of a place where I can both love my food and drink.  The cocktail art should not be limited, it should thrive!

16 ounce Magarita 

As far as Mexican food is concerned, there are a few hit or miss places; or places that have good food or drink, but both is tough.  (Before you go crazy, bartaco is far from the Hudson for a quick weeknight place.)  So, I am on the hunt for a tasty margarita that comes with equally good food.  This search brings us to Lola's. 

The hostess was nice, as was the waiter.  Honestly, the bartender seemed disinterested with his job...certainly not the cocktail artist that one could hope for, but (if you can overlook the overly soda-ed drinks) it was mediocre. Honestly, watching him butcher the beverages was like torture. 

The food arrived hot, which is a huge step up from the Havana Central chain experience. For starters, the empanadas were fine. Certainly not the best I ever had, but they were presented nicely and hot upon arrival. As far as the main meal is concerned, the rice lacked flavor, but the beans rated pretty well. With the addition of tons of hot sauce, the taste was fine. The presentation of food was clean. We had the brisket chimichanga, carnitas burrito, and fried plaintains. Overall the food was fine, but only fine. It was not so much better than Guadalajara to drag myself west versus north (and they will light my lime on fire). The atmosphere is nice, somewhat understated. You can hear yourself think and see what's going on. (So if you're going and expecting Lolita Cocina, this is not it.) On the bright side, the waiter was attentive and nice. I will continue to hold out hope that with time and feedback, they will improve.

Burrito with rice and black beans

www.lolaswhiteplains.com
White Plains, NY