Foodies Rejoice! Westchester Magazine’s 5th Annual Food and Wine Festival returns June 3-6

May 15, 2015May 15, 2015 / I On The Valley / Leave a comment

Food and wine lovers in Westchester County have reason to celebrate as the annual Westchester Magazine Food and Wine Festival returns in June for its 5th annual celebration. This celebration is considered to be one of the premier food and wine events in the Northeast. The event is spread over several days with unique events. Some of the highlights are:

Thursday June 4 –Burger and Beer Blast–at the Kensico Dam Plaza park in Valhalla. Attendees will sample burgers from 30 different local restaurants, with beer, wine and spirits served. You can vote for your favorite burger in the competition. Live music will make the evening a festival for all. Time 6pm to 10pm . Cost : $65

Friday June 5-An evening with Westchester’s Tastemakers- a new event this year, it takes place at 42 Restaurant in the Ritz-Carleton in White Plains. Ten of the County’s top Chef’s will prepare two of their own dishes each for an exclusive gathering. Each dish will be paired with top wines from around the globe. Great food from the best chefs, paired with amazing wine, while you dine 42 floors above the streets of White Plains with views of Long Island Sound, Westchester and Manhattan.

Time: 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm Cost: $125

Saturday June 6- Grand Tasting Village – at Kensico Dam Plaza, 1 Bronx River Parkway, Valhalla NY. NEW ! This incredible event which grows in popularity each year has moved to a new location. Now located outdoors under white tents concentrating on Farm to Table cuisine. Considered to be the “Worlds Fair” of the Wine and Food Festival. There will be 44 local restaurants serving tastings of their specialty dishes, which are made from locally sourced ingredients. For wine lovers you can sample 100 different wines from the many wine growing regions of the world. There will be celebrity chefs demos, local craft beers, and new this year, a mini Farmers Market. An event not to be missed.

Time 12 pm to 5 pm Cost: $75

The event helps support two not for profit organizations, The Food Bank For Westchester and The Friends of Westchester County Parks

For more information and tickets westchestermagazine.com/winefood

Lilly’s – an upscale new eatery and bar in White Plains

May 10, 2015May 2, 2016 / I On The Valley / Leave a comment

As I walked into Lilly’s I felt that I had stepped into a retro Victorian restaurant and bar. I immediately was drawn in to focus on the beautiful French fireplace, crystal chandeliers, red couches and exposed brick walls. The lighting is soft and the large bar area is covered by a pretty white marble counter top and Roman statue can be seen as you look up. The space is very inviting , friendly and feels very comfortable.

The menu consists of many tapas, small plates, but also has interesting salads, homemade artisan pizzas and some larger dishes (entrees) as well. There is also a nice selection of fresh cheese and meat plates to share. Coming in with a group of four, we decided to try many different selections.

Shrimp with lemon and tarragon

We started with a wonderful and creamy homemade gnocchi with shitake mushrooms ,sage and apple. This dish was delicious. Other must have are the oysters with a prosecco citrus topping,

Oysters

the meatballs, a tasty grilled skirt steak with an herb citrus aioli, the shrimp with lemon and tarragon, and the brussel sprouts with parmesan and “caesar ” dressing. I also enjoyed the kale salad with cider vinaigrette, apples, strawberries, bacon and almonds. A perfect light and balanced salad.

Kale Salad

We then shared two pizzas. The first was the quattro formaggio with ricotta, taleggio, mozzarella, pecorino and roasted garlic. This thin crusted delight is a must try and absolutely delicious.We also chose the “Lilly’s” pizza which contained tomato, homemade meatballs, mozzarella and chilies. If you want something a little different and a bit “hot” then this one is for you.

Lilly’ Pizza (top) and 4 cheese pizza (below)

The drink menu has quite a selection of beers, wine and artisan cocktails.Don’t leave without trying the chocolate lave cake with chocolate mint ice cream or the olive oil cake with rhubarb -strawberry compote and mascapone cheese.

Olive Oil cake with fruit compote and marscapone

This upscale new restaurant and bar in White Plains is a true gem and is sure to be a hit. A great place to go for date night or fun with a group of friends. There is also outside seating on the back patio which will be fantastic with the warm weather approaching.

Bar detail

Lilly’s

169 Mamaroneck Avenue White Plains NY

914-997-5600

www.lillyswp.com

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Cooper’s Mill- Farm to Table restaurant

May 3, 2015May 4, 2015 / I On The Valley / Leave a comment

Coopers Mill is a special and unexpected restaurant located inside the Tarrytown Marriott focusing on a farm to table menu. The large and lovely space is not at all what I expected inside a hotel.The restaurant has been open for two years and contains reclaimed barn wood which creates a natural and soothing ambiance. They even have sliding barn doors. The large bar area is lively and features many craft beers from local breweries as well as the regions best vodka and bourbons. There are also many specialty cocktails which are made from local ingredients. The room has a rustic feel with a modern edge attached.

The name Cooper’s Mill is derived from a flour mill that was opened in 1886 in Tarrytown. In fact the name Tarrytown is taken from the Dutch word for the area’s rich soil that was used for growing wheat.

The food is locally and regionally grown and sourced ingredients and upon tasting you can tell by the amazing freshness and distinct flavors.

I would suggest the delicious grilled octopus for starters which was tender , juicy and meaty. I was told it had been marinated for three days in garlic olive oil. I also loved the roasted baby beets

Baby Beets

Grilled Octopus

with sugar snap peas and coach farm goat cheese. If you think you don’t like beets this dish will change your mind as it is very fresh and tasty. The faro salad with hazelnuts, arugula and cherry tomatoes was perfect as well. Faro is a nutty tasting grain often used in Italian cooking.Other great appetizers include cod fish croquettes and fried calamari.

One item not to be missed are the home made flat breads which are baked in the wood burning oven. I ordered the roasted vegetable with ricotta in a balsamic reduction. This is absolutely amazing! Fresh squash and eggplant bursting with flavor. For the main course I would suggest the diver scallops,sea bass and the domestic loin of lamb. Everything was served beautifully with nice attention to detail.