Support the Wolf Conservation Center at the Annual Wine and Wolves event

 

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On Thursday December 3, 2015 at 7pm to 10pm the Wolf Conservation Center will be hosting its annual Wine and Wolves Holiday Celebration. This years celebration will be held at the Waccabuc Country Club (Carriage House) located at 90 Mead Street, Waccabuc New York . The Wolf Conservation Center of South Salem will be celebrating its 16th year of educating and the conservation of wolves.

The center, founded by world-famous concert pianist Helene Grimaud, conducts environmental education programs, shelters and breeds two species of endangered wolves.
The Wine and Wolves event involves local restaurants and merchants from northern Westchester and Fairfield counties, who come together to help raise money for the center by providing food, wine, gifts for sale or auction and entertainment.
To purchase tickets,please visit http://www.nywolf.org  to see the events calendar and register. Tickets are $100, and attendance is limited to 130 persons. In the past this event has sold out. For more information, call 914-763-2373.
Ambassador wolf Atka will be making a special appearance to welcome guests! Please come out for this special event and show your support. See you there!

for more information: http://www.nywolf.org

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Brothers Trattoria: A classic family Italian eatery in the heart of Beacon

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Beacon NY on the Hudson River in Dutchess County is a hip town which has been undergoing a renaissance in the last decade or so. With a train station on Metro North’s Hudson line, and close proximity to Interstate 84 and NY Rt 9, the town has become a destination stop for people from New York City and the Hudson Valley seeking a great place to spend the day. Main Street in Beacon is an oasis of shops, antiques, art galleries, coffee houses, and restaurants all located in an architecturally interesting street of late 19th century brick buildings.

After an afternoon of exploring Main Street and its many attractions, we decided to dine at Brothers Trattoria located in a beautiful brick building built in 1889. The restaurant has three separate dining areas, the casual front dining room (great for pizza with the family), the more formal main dining room with its white table cloths and soft warm colors which create an elegant atmosphere, and the comfortable tavern room with its

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Main Dining room

fireplace,  brick walls, tables with couches and intimate bar. No televisions in this bar as this room is for dining and conversation with family and friends.

 

Being in such a warm and inviting space we eagerly awaited the to dine. The menu is traditional Italian, with a large variety of dishes and daily specials. For appetizer we ordered Pasta Fagioli soup which was warm, delicious and tasted so fresh. I was told all soups are made to order and not prepared hours in advance.

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Pasta Fagioli

My husband ordered Shrimp pesto gnocchi in a creamy basil sauce . This gnocchi was fresh, and full of flavor and could make a wonderful entree of its own.

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Gnocchi

For our entree I ordered the Frutta di Mare which included shrimp, clams, scallops and muscles in a garlic white wine sauce. On the side I had a dish of broccoli rabe but pasta is what the dish normally is prepared. The portion was large, fresh and fantastic.

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Frutta di mare

My husband ordered Chicken Darden which is a delightful dish of chicken breast and shrimp sauteed with sun dried tomatoes and mushrooms in a garlic white wine sauce. The dish was excellent and the portion was large and very filling. My husband decided to take the rest home for another meal. A generous salad is also provided with each meal, which is a nice touch and is missing in so many restaurants today which charge you extra for a salad.  Service was amazing from start to finish.

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Chicken Darden

We were so full from our great meal that we unfortunately had to miss dessert. We did cap off our meal with a cappuccino which like the rest of our meal was great. Brothers Trattoria is a family owned business with several members of the same family led by owner Ken Barisha working together to create a warm family atmosphere with great Italian food. This is a place you will want to bring your family to dine and enjoy all that Beacon has to offer. We will be returning and after this meal, we truly  feel like we are part of the family.

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Brothers Trattoria

465 Main Street Beacon New York   845-838-3300

web: http://www.brotherstrattoria.com

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Rivermarket Bar and Kitchen: Farm to Table dining in a rustic chic setting

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The rivertowns of Westchester County have been undergoing a revival in recent years and part of that renaissance is the exciting new restaurants opening in the villages lining the riverfront. It was my pleasure to dine at Rivermarket Bar and Kitchen in Tarrytown. Rivermarket Bar and Kitchen is located in the Hudson Harbor development between the Tarrytown rail station and the Hudson River, a beautiful parcel of land with sweeping views of the river. The restaurant is situated on the first floor of a building known as the Stonehouse, the building reminds one of a fine mountain lodge with its extensive use of stone and wood timbers. Upon entering the restaurant that natural feel is continued with extensive use of natural and reclaimed materials. Indeed much of the wood used in the flooring and bar was reclaimed from an old building in Albany. IMG_5761
The natural environment is part of the overall kitchen philosophy of the restaurant , which strongly believes in sourcing fresh ingredients from farmers who grow and raise their products in a natural, humane, and sustainable fashion. This is indeed the core of the farm to table movement which Rivermarket does so well. There is also a small market near the entrance which sells many New York State products from local farmers and producers. Rivermarket is a 2014 Best of Westchester winner for best new restaurant.

Market featuring local products

Market featuring local products

We came for lunch during Hudson Valley Restaurant week and our meal included three courses. We ordered for our first course the Puree of Butternut Squash which was prepared with a spiced local apple compote and creme fraiche which was rich and delicious. Perfect for a fall day. We also ordered the Gnocchi prepared with local grass fed beef and mushrooms. The taste was delightful.

Butternut Squash soup

Butternut Squash soup

Gnocchi

Gnocchi

Since the restaurant has a wood fired brick oven, we deviated from the menu to taste one of their fresh pizzas which came hot from the oven and was fantastic. It would make a great appetizer on its own or as a main course.

Wood fired brick oven pizza

Wood fired brick oven pizza

Our main courses were the Chicken Sandwich which was cooked with locally sourced chicken, bacon, avocado on a potato roll which was fresh and filling. It was served with fries. I opted for the Pan Roasted Salmon with wilted local spinach, french lentils in a beurre blanc . It was excellent. The presentation of the dishes as well as the service from our waitress was first rate.

Amazing selection of wine

Amazing selection of wine

Chicken Sandwich

Chicken Sandwich

Pan seared Salmon

Pan seared Salmon

We rounded out our meal with a Panna Cotta which was prepared as a special pumpkin mousse, white chocolate foam and pumpkin chips. A perfect dessert on a sunny late fall afternoon. We also shared a Chocolate mousse with a cocoa nib crumble, caramel gelee and milk sourbet. The presentation of the dish was as nice as the dessert itself.

Panna Cotta

Panna Cotta

Chocolate Mousse

Chocolate Mousse

There is also a nice bar in the restaurant with 12 beers and cider on tap, and another 25 or more available in bottles. The wine list is quite extensive with close to 150 selections of wine and sparkling wine available

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Beers on Tap

Beers on Tap

Co-owner and manager, Glenn Vogt has done a wonderful job transforming this space into an inviting restaurant to dine. The message of fresh local and sustainable products even extends to their logo “Naturally Raised”.
If you are a fan of fresh locally produced ingredients, expertly prepared and served, then Rivermarket Bar and Kitchen must be on your list of restaurants to try.

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Rivermarket Bar and Kitchen

127 West Main Street Tarrytown, New York   914-631-3100

Website: http://rivermarketbarandkitchen.com

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Greenwich Ct. kicks off Greenwich Restaurant Week November 12-18th

GWRW

Greenwich Ct. will be the site of the 2nd Annual Greenwich Restaurant Week. Participating restaurants in Greenwich will be offering specials to entice diners to come to their restaurants and partake in their many offerings. Restaurant week kicks off on November 12th and runs through November 18th 2015. There will be close to 30 restaurants participating in the event, so you have plenty of options.

Some of the restaurants participating include Bella Nonna, Blackstones, Char, Delamar Hotel, Elm Street Oyster House, Harvest, Le Penguin, Mediterraneo and many more. Some of the restaurants will be offering a price fixe menu, some will offer other specials.This is a great way to try new restaurants in Greenwich.

For more information on this event please go their website:http://www.greenwichrestaurantweek.com
To see what each restaurant is offering click the “Deals and Specials” page on their website.

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Dolphin Restaurant: Classic cuisine with an amazing waterfront setting

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Dolphin Restaurant on the Hudson River waterfront is a restaurant I have been eager to try for some time. There is a cool hip vibe as you first arrive at the beautiful river front location of Dolphin in Yonkers. The parking valet is right out front and is waiting so there is no need to concern yourself with trying to find a parking spot.
If you are lucky enough to arrive at Dolphin in the daylight you will notice its spectacular spot, situated on the banks of the Hudson River with a view of the Palisades cliffs across the river.IMG_5672

Looking down river you can see the George Washington Bridge and the twinkling lights of Manhattan. It is quite a site and on warm days there are tables outside for diners to take in the million dollar view.

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Dolphin is a family owned business and I learned that the father of the family originally owned a restaurant in Manhattan with the same name. I would categorize the food as traditional classic with an emphasis on seafood which is perfect considering its waterfront location. There are menu options including steak, chicken and pasta outside of the numerous seafood offerings. There is also a wonderful metro chic bar with fun and interesting drink choices .
This casual fine dining spot could not have been a better choice for a dinner out with friends on a lovely warm Autumn evening. We all admired the cool, fun atmosphere and the modern edge of the interior decor of Dolphin. The large round windows reminded me of being on a ship.
We began our meal with a round of appetizers. The large portion of baked clams were perfectly seasoned with garlic herbs and breadcrumbs.

Baked Clams

Baked Clams

We all enjoyed this tasty start to our meal. A wonderful and not to be missed dish is the Lobster Mac and Cheese with three cheeses, creamy lobster béchamel and large chunks of fresh lobster meat.

Lobster Mac and Cheese

Lobster Mac and Cheese

We also shared fried calamari served with a smoked tomato dipping sauce . We also shared the Fish Tacos which were fantastic with a topping of house cole slaw.

Fish Tacos

Fish Tacos

For my entree I ordered the Shrimp stuffed Crab. The dish was so tasty with lump crab and shrimp oven baked over saffron rice . I really loved this dish. I also enjoyed a side of roasted root vegetables which complemented my main dish.

Shrimp Stuffed Crab

Shrimp Stuffed Crab

Another dish enjoyed at our table was the paella with mussels, clams and jumbo shrimp, chorizo, saffron rice, peas and olives in a tomato comfit.

Paella with Mussels

Paella with Mussels

I was told this was an amazing entree. My other friend picked the Argentinean skirt steak with fries served in a chimachurra pesto sauce. The last entree at our table was Shrimp with grits. The Shrimp as sautéed in a spicy Louisiana entoufee sauce with creamy parmesean grits. This was a unique dish that combined classic ingredients to create a wonderful taste.

After this filling and wonderful meal we saved a little room for dessert. A sweet bourbon bread pudding and pumpkin cheesecake were ordered and both were fresh and made for an excellent conclusion to our meal.

Pumpkin cheesecake

Pumpkin cheesecake

I found Dolphin to be a great place to dine with classic dishes, great service and located on a fantastic spot overlooking the Hudson River and the Palisades. Please do your self a favor and put Dolphin on your list of restaurants to try.

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Dolphin Restaurant

1 Van Der Donck St  Yonkers NY

914-751-8270   website:http://www.dolphinrbl.com

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Hudson Valley Restaurant Week Returns! November 2nd-15th

HV RW 2015

Hudson Valley Restaurant week, presented by Valley Table Magazine is back again starting November 2nd through November 15th 2015. This event involves over 200 restaurants in the Hudson Valley which offer diners special three-course price fixe dinner menus for $29.95 (not including beverage, tax and gratuity). Many of these fine restaurants also offer 3-course price fixe lunches for $20.95 (not including beverage, tax and gratuity).
This is an amazing opportunity to try new restaurants, or some old favorites at a reasonable price. There are no tickets to buy and the process is easy ! Go to the Valley Table website and scroll down and view the participating restaurants, then choose a restaurant (or more), call them to make a reservation and then enjoy!
You really should not miss this special time get out and dine at some of the fantastic restaurants we have here in the Hudson Valley.
Website   http://www.hudsonvalleyrestaurantweek.com

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