I recently visited the Ice House on the Hudson in Poughkeepsie for lunch on a beautiful summer day. The restaurant sits directly on the east bank of the Hudson and has amazing views of the river from both the outdoor dining patio or inside the lovely interior with its large windows and exposed brick walls. A brief passing shower interrupted our plans to dine outdoors, so we elected to sit inside.

The oversized windows and 25 foot ceiling bring in a bounty of natural light which enhances the charm of the dining room. There are views of the river, the Walkway over the Hudson pedestrian bridge, and the Mid Hudson Bridge as well. The Ice House has the distinction of being voted the Best Waterside Dining in the HudsonValley by Hudson Valley Magazine and their readers.

Edamame in a spicy Orange glaze

We began our meal by sharing edamame in a spicy orange soy glaze, an order of Maryland Crab Cakes with Old Bay Aioli and arugula and “Le Cast” Mac and Cheese with pancetta , truffle and local cheeses. I also sampled a white wine Sangria which was perfect for this summer meal by the river.

Maryland crab cakes
For the entrée, I chose the Lobster Reuben which consisted of lobster tail, cole slaw , seasoning and swiss cheese. This combo was unique and brought a blend of different tastes to the palette.

Lobster Roll

Another member of our party ordered the Bridge Music Burger which included bacon, cheddar, tomato, garlic and herb aioli on a brioche bun (served with fries). I was told the dish was mouthwatering. Also ordered was the Lobster Roll which was so stuffed with lobster you could not see the roll underneath ! I had to take a bite and can honestly say it was fresh and very tasty.

Lobster Reuben Sandwich

The last choice of our party was a grilled chicken wrap with lettuce tomato, bacon and cheese. It was ordered with a side salad. The dish was delicious and fresh.
We were all very full but made room for one dessert to share, a Lava Cake served with Vanilla Ice Cream and chocolate ganache. What a nice way to cap off a meal.
I highly recommend this special restaurant for its fine food, fantastic views and its friendly and excellent wait staff. If you are visiting the Mid Hudson region this fall, put the Ice House on your list of places to eat.

Ice House
1 Main Street
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
Phone # 845-232-5783
http://poughkeepsieicehouse.com/contact.html

Westchester Broadway Theater has just rolled out yet another marvelous stage production, Backwards in High Heels, The Ginger Rogers Musical. Ginger Rogers was one of Hollywood’s most famous dancers and actresses and is best known for her many movies with dancer Fred Astaire.

This show which opened on August 13th is a high energy, dance filled story of Ginger Rogers rise to fame. Starting at age 15 in Texas with her entering a local dance contest, we follow her path through the dance circuit, Broadway, and on to Hollywood and fame. Along the way we learn about her struggles, family life, her relationship with her Mother and her numerous marriages. The story culminates with her winning the Oscar for best actress in 1941.

Along the way the audience is treated to fantastic dance performances and a musical score that includes original songs as well as numbers from some of her movies, such as “Let’s call the Whole Thing Off” and “A Fine Romance”.

The musical premiered in 2007 and has been produced throughout the United States. The Westchester Broadway Theatre production features choreography by Jeremy Benton and Amy Van Norstrand. Mr. Benton also directs and stars in the production.
The talented cast includes Darien Crago as Ginger and Jeremy Benton as Fred Astaire. They are very talented dancers and actors and Ms. Crago is full of energy and she is a joy to watch. The rest of the cast includes Avital Asuleen, Erika Amato, Matt Gibson, Sebastian Goldberg, Ryan Steer, Amy Van Norstrand and Jacob Ben Widmar.

All the actors at the Westchester Broadway Theatre are professionals and are members of Actors Equity and many have years of experience including Broadway appearances and national tours of various shows. Dinner is included in your ticket price and is served prior to the show. The show runs about two hours with a 30 minute intermission.
If you are a fan of classic Hollywood musicals, or a fan or great dancing, then do yourself a favor and see this show. Backward in High Heels will be on stage through September 20th.
Westchester Broadway Theatre
1 Broadway Plaza
Elmsford New York 10526

Reservations: Call (914)-592-2222.
Also at: http://www.BroadwayTheatre.com

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The Hudson Valley is located in the perfect spot, especially since the Hudson Valley borders its vibrant neighbor, New York City. I decided to take the train and spend a lovely day in Manhattan. After traveling to Union Square, I lunched with a friend at Max Brenner. Upon entering this popular restaurant, I immediately noticed the chocolate shop in the front and a full working chocolate bar.

Although known for their chocolate and desserts, Max Brenner offers a full menu. I ordered the Grilled Chicken Caesar Waffle Sandwich and my friend ordered the Cheese steak Waffle Sandwich. These are not your typical sandwiches. A crisp waffle is used instead of a mundane slice of bread, enhancing the flavor with each bite. My meal was a house made rosemary-infused waffle with grilled chicken, melting mozzarella, red onion, arugula, asiago crisps and caesar dressing.

Grilled Chicken Caesar Waffle Sandwich

Cheese steak Waffle Sandwich

My friend enjoyed a savory waffle with thinly-sliced sirloin, caramelized onions and a tasty 5-cheese sauce. He described the Cheese steak Waffle Sandwich as “very juicy and full of flavor.” The meat melted with each bite and the cheese sauce complimented the waffle really nicely. The menu is a decent size. In addition to what we have, Max Brenner offers brunch, along with several other lunch dishes. Our waiter informed us that their burgers and mac and cheese are the most popular items on the menu.
For our beverages, we ordered the 80’s Milkshake and the Peanut Butter Turtle Choctail. Both drinks were served in the unique Alice and Wonderland cup.

80s Milkshake

After one sip of the 80’s milkshake, I discovered that this is the best milkshake I have ever tasted. This indulgent drink consisted of milk chocolate ganache, vanilla ice cream and a crunchy chocolate shell. The Peanut Butter Turtle Choctail was also heavenly. It was made of dark chocolate ganache, peanut butter, caramel and topped with whipped cream.
Since Max Brenner is renowned for their chocolate, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try dessert. After receiving an entirely new menu just for dessert it was hard to choose just one dish. The menu offers crepes, waffles, fondue, cakes, ice cream and much more. We decided to try the Melting Chocolate True Heart Cake and Shake.

Melting Chocolate True Heart Cake and Shake

This cake is made with both milk and white chocolate. To make the cake even better, a delicious chocolate sauce was available to pour on top of the dessert. There was also creamy vanilla ice cream, red berries and an iced milk chocolate shot on the side. The iced milk chocolate shot is an example of how Max Brenner goes above and beyond with both their presentation and creative creations with their chocolate. We also had the Chocolate Chunks Pizza. This is a dessert pizza, which has melted milk and white chocolate chunks, crunchy hazelnut bits, bananas, peanut butter and roasted marshmallows. I found the Chocolate Chunks Pizza to be extremely delectable. This pizza was like an entire meal by itself!

Chocolate Chunks Pizza

After finishing our amazing meal, we checked Max Brenner’s candy store. With so many creative options on the menu, I know that I will want to return soon.

Main Dining Room

Retail space with plenty of goodies to take home

Max Brenner

841 Broadway New York N.Y.

646-467-8803   web:  http://www.maxbrenner.com

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The Westchester Broadway Theatre in Elmsford is now staging a revival of Godspell, the classic 1970s era off-Broadway musical written by Grammy and Oscar award winner Stephen Schwartz. His credits go beyond Godspell and include Broadway hits Wicked  and Pippin.  He also collaborated with Oscar winner Alan Menken on the scores for such films as Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Enchanted (all Disney films).

The cast of Godspell

The story is adapted from parables in the Gospels of St. Matthew and Luke and it set in a modern, gritty urban setting, not the Holy Land. And though the underlying theme has religious undertones, the story emphasizes universal themes of honesty, forgiveness, kindness, redemption and love for your fellow man. It is a tale of morals that any one of any faith can appreciate. The story is held aloft by a wonderful score including such hits as “Day by Day” and “By My Side”

This version is not stuck in 1971 but has been updated to 2015 with references to the Kardashians, Donald Trump and even Obamacare. The humor of these references helps break the seriousness of some of the scenes.  The story is further lightened by the excellent and lively ensemble of actors who sing and dance their way with high energy through the performance. In one of the numbers, cast member Devon Perry shows off her skills by playing piano on stage.

The  talented company includes of Actors Equity performers includes  Kareema Castro, Xander Chauncey (as Judas), Josh Kenney, Greta Kleckner, Nicholas Park, Devon Perry, Nathan Andrew Riley, Gilbert Sanchez (as Jesus), Corinne Scott, Sarah Smithson, Karley Willocks and Jonathan Stahl.

Dinner is included with your ticket price and is served before the performance.  The show runs through August 9th 2015

For tickets and reservations:

Call (914)-592-2222. Also at:  www.broadwaytheatre.com

Westchester Broadway Theatre

1 Broadway Plaza

Elmsford, NY 10526

Come and celebrate the Best of Westchester Party, hosted by Westchester Magazine.

This fun filled event will have Westchester’s best offerings, from top restaurants to the finest services in the entire county. This annual gathering takes place at Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle on Wednesday, July 22nd. This exciting night will feature samples from restaurant winners in numerous categories and services such as salons offering mini massages! Other catagories include best cinemas, best golf course, museums, galleries, best contractors, landscapers, bath and kitchen designers, boutiques, best book stores and more. The Best of Westchester Party is an evening you don’t want to miss. Dance, socialize, sample great foods and meet the 348 winners at this grand gathering.

For purchasing tickets and more information:

http://www.westchestermagazine.com/Westchester-Magazine/Best-of-Westchester/Tickets/

I recently visited Terra Rustica Due, located in Mount Kisco, New York. This is a new Italian Restaurant with the same owners as Terra Rustica, located in Briarcliff Manor. Although I have never been to the Briarcliff Manor location, I thoroughly enjoyed Terra Rustica Due. This is a fantastic new restaurant for Italian-food-lovers to try! Upon walking in the restaurant, I noticed the classic molding with curved settees and hand painted tables, not to mention a dark wooded bar.

Dining room

Hand painted tables

Elegant bar area

As a seafood fan, I was pleased with the multitude of fresh seafood dishes available on the menu, from Tilapia Con Puree Di Broccoli to Seafood Pasta. I was told by the manager that all the seafood served is “extremely fresh”. If seafood isn’t your favorite, there are plenty of other dishes available on the menu. Terra Rustica Due prides themselves with their homemade pasta. There is a variety of pasta dishes available on the menu to try! In addition there were several innovative salad dishes on the menu, each with a unique assortment. The Insalata Di Crescione was served beautifully in a parmesan cheese basket.
For our meal we began with a family size dish of Rollatini Di Melezane. This eggplant rollatini was baked in the restaurants pizza oven, allowing for a heavenly taste.

Eggplant Rollatini

As another appetizer we ordered two salads, Insalata Di Crescione and Insalata Di Frissee. The Insalata Di Crescione was gorgeously presented in a parmesan cheese basket with watercress, roasted walnuts, corn, pears and gorgonzola inside the basket. The Insalata Di Frissee was a scrumptious salad accompanied with apples, roasted pecans, goat cheese and cherry vinaigrette dressing. This is a fresh light tasting salad, perfect for the summer months. My husband had Lobster Ravioli in a pink cream sauce for the entrée.

Insalata Di Crescione

Lobster Ravioli

I enjoyed the Zuppa Di Pesce, this beautifully presented entrée consisted of clams, mussels, calamari, scallops, and shrimp in a light marinara sauce.  My daughter ordered the Petto Di Pollo Con Scamorza. This chicken dish is comprised of diced zucchini, portabella mushrooms and topped with fontina cheese, in a white wine roasted chicken sauce, served with mixed vegetables and mashed potatoes. As a side we enjoyed Penna Alla Sisina. This wonderful penne pasta was accompanied with fresh tomato sauce with diced eggplant and fresh mozzarella cheese.

Zuppa di Pesce

Although we were quite full, we could not miss out on dessert! To complete our dinner, we had flan, a nice way to finish a great meal.

TERRA RUSTICA DUE

77 South Moger Ave Mt. Kisco, New York 10549

Ph: 914 666 7005

http://www.terrarusticaristorante.com

The Mohonk Mountain House  located in New Paltz New York  is an amazing 19th Century mountain hotel

Mohonk Mountain House and Lake Mohonk

located in New Paltz New York  set within the pristine natural environment atop the Shawnagunk Mountains.  Set on the edge of  Lake Mohonk, this is truly a wonderful place to enjoy a day of hiking while experiencing  a beautiful Victorian era hotel and its many amenities. It is listed as a National historic landmark and is an amazing structure with a 30,000 square foot award winning spa listed as the number one resort spa in the United States by Conde Nast Traveler. There is fine dining,tennis, golf, lake swimming,and boating for overnight guests as well as a fitness center, carriage rides , kids programs, covered ice skating rink (in season) and an indoor heated pool.There are beautiful formal gardens which are in bloom well into autumn.

Hotel and Lake as seen from the Lakeshore path

Summer House

I visited this resort for a day visit and had a great time hiking and walking the grounds and visiting the inn. There are numerous hiking trails throughout the property of various levels of difficulty.  The trails on the hotel property also connect with the trail network in the Mohonk Preserve and to Lake Minnewaska State Park. The Smiley family which founded Mohonk and still  operates the hotel to this day embraces the the natural surroundings of Mohonk and are stewards of its beauty. Each of its carefully planned trails brings the hiker to a new vista or interesting natural feature. On one of our hikes we left the hotel and walked along the side of beautiful Lake Mohonk, skirting along its shore to the south end.

The Lakeshore Path

We circled back along the base of the cliffs and then up along the cliff top back to the house.  An easy walk of an hour or less.  Along the way, your view of the lake and the mountain keeps changing and provides plenty of photo opportunities.  If your feet are tired you can rest at one of the many Summer houses along the paths.   A second hike and more strenuous is the ascent from the lake to the top of Sky Top and the Alfred Smiley Memorial tower.

Smiley Memorial Tower
(Sky Top)

The stone tower is open and you can climb its many steps for an amazing 360 degree view.  Bring a pair of binoculars.  One of the most challenging trails is the rocky scramble through the Labyrinth which will challenge you with its steep vertical climb. There are many trails through the property and beyond which is one reason to keep coming back to this special place and explore its wonders.

There are 259 guest rooms many with balconies and fireplaces. All overnight guests receive three meals a day in the inn included with their hotel rate as well as afternoon tea and cookies.This resort has to be seen to truly experience and capture the beauty all around . The woodwork and staircases alone will impress you and shopping is available in the quaint and well stocked hotel gift shop.  Mohonk Mountain House is also a great place for a family reunion, romantic weekend getaway or to spend time with the little ones.  The hotel also hosts wellness events and meditation retreats and it is easy to see one meditating in such a serene environment.

View from the Parlor wing porch overlooking Lake Mohonk

I will be making a reservation for the fall as this is a great time to visit and see the leaves change and beautiful scenery. Check out the resort website for special events and happenings in the area. New Paltz is a great town and Mohonk Mountain House is a unique and beautiful place not to be missed.

Mohonk Mountain House

1000 Mountain Rest Road New Paltz, New York

Reservations:(855) 590-9829

website: http://www.mohonk.com

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