The Cookery - Brunch, August 12, 2012

I am not sure if there are any more positive words I can express towards The Cookery, but the word “food-gasm” was used several times during brunch.  For $24 per person, you can enjoy a 3 course brunch with a complimentary mimosa, bellini or bloody mary. 

Upon entering the restaurant, we were told we could sit where we wanted.  We opted for a two-person table in the dining room.  We had our water and bread with oil in a timely manner.  The restaurant was not crowded, but we were certainly a little early, since it got progressively more crowded as our brunch lingered. 

I started with the mozzarella because, even though there are several things I would like to try, I cannot resist.  The grilled bread was very tasty and complemented the fresh mozzarella and oil well.  Chris went for the buttery, salty potatoes and they were piping hot and flavorful.  The cheese balanced well with the salt. 

Cookery Mozzarella

Buttery Potatoes

For the entrée course, I went with the eggs in purgatory.  I am not a huge pomodoro fan, but this sauce was excellent.  The garlic truly came through, but not in an over-powering way.  The polenta served as a perfect base, absorbing the flavors of the provolone and the pomodoro.  Chris had the crisp heritage pork.  As with my meal, the polenta was a great base and the meal went well.  Everything was very tasty.

For dessert, I had the chocolate polenta (I am such a creature of habit) and Chris had the bread pudding.  Both of us had a taste and Chris had a cup of coffee.  The service was top notch, as always.  The meal was solid and extremely well-paced.  I highly recommend The Cookery, whether you are going to go for dinner or brunch.    

www.thecookeryrestaurant.com

Dobbs Ferry, NY

The Cookery - May 26, 2012

I am not sure any more great things can be said about “The Cookery,” but I can try.

I will start with the negatives. As someone who often dines in a party of two, there reservation policy is not appealing. I can certainly overlook that the second the fork hits my lips.

Okay, while I will admit that picking a beverage is not a simple task, I opt for the pineapple mojito while Chris goes for a beer (over the usual red wine because something sparked his fancy). The food leaves so many choices, but we cannot resist the “mozzarella made daily, olio novella and grilled Tuscan bread” and the sausage with lentils. I will admit that the bread is a bit burnt and that the tasso ham might be tastier than the sausage, but it was still very amazing.

This is a place where they pace you out, so they want you to order all of your food together. After a great amount of debate (since I love the cauliflower ravioli and Chris seriously considers that steak), we go with the gnocchi and osso bucco. Our waiter (both times we have been there the wait staff has been both charismatic and knowledgeable) cheered both of our selections.

Fortunately, the food was great. The gnocchi, as promised, was light since it was ricotta, not potato. The osso bucco was tasty and the creamy polenta base was a do not miss. It was pretty fun that Chef David DiBari was actually in the kitchen, but he still made his friendly rounds.

No the wowza moment that we even used to sell others on The Cookery while at Pour (fantastic wine bar in Mt. Kisco) – dessert. Although the honey balls were on the daily menu, it is too hard to resist the warm chocolate polenta with pretzels, Slovenian fleur de sel and caramel. I also indulge in the moscato d’asti while Chris enjoys a cup of coffee.

Although there was certainly a need to turn our table, the wait staff never forced our move. The food and drinks were great and the people were very pleasant. This is certainly somewhere where we will return.

And, we look forward to Doughnation!

Visit them at www.thecookeryrestaurant.com
Dobbs Ferry, NY