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Best of Westchester Party coming July 27th to Glen Island Harbor Club

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It’s that time of year!  The Best of Westchester Party hosted by Westchester Magazine returns to Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle on Wednesday July 27th

The Best of Westchester Party is a celebration of Westchester’s finest and is held in the fantastic water side setting of Glen Island Harbour Club in New Rochelle.  Close to 150 award winning businesses will be present and 2000 guests will attend this event.   Party guests will sample food from award winning restaurants, enjoy wine and beer samplings, wonderful sweets and learn about great spas, shops and boutiques and other services.  There will also be live music and dancing.

Each of the winners of Best of Westchester are chosen by readers of Westchester Magazine and by the editorial staff.  There are numerous catagories including: Best American restaurant, best Asian restaurant, best bagels, bakery,bar-b-que, bar food, Bistro, Brewery, Farm to Table Restaurant and many more.  There is too many winners to mention here.

Their are two types of tickets available  VIP($110.00) which allows entrance to the party at 5:30pm and General admission ($85.00) with admission at 7:00 pm.  The party runs until 10:00pm.

So come out and celebrate the Best of Westchester!  See you there!

for ticket information:

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

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City Clipper: Sail away to adventure in New York Harbor

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Sail away on a two masted schooner for hours of adventure and relaxation.  It is not in the Caribbean, or some other exotic locale, but right in New York Harbor.   Manhattan by Sail offers a fantastic opportunity to see New York City on  vintage sailing vessels.  As you sail on these tall ships you will be transported to another time as you ply the waters of New York Harbor.  This is a unique escape that will make you feel that you are not in New York but rather on vacation in the islands. Although there are other tour boats that are available for sightseeing around Manhattan, this adventure is unique.

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The City Clipper prior to sail

We decided on a two hour excursion on the City Clipper, a restored 158 foot long sailing schooner equipped with two steel masts and two top sails and six fore and aft sails.  The ship was built prior to the Civil War  but has been renovated over the years and now has a steel hull, a long open deck seating for passengers and a full bar in the center of the vessel that serves drinks and snacks to the guests on board (additional cost).

We took advantage of the Twilight Sail which leaves from Battery Park at the tip of Manhattan and cruises for two hours in New York Harbor as the sun sets over New Jersey.  It was a warm and gorgeous summer evening as the City Clipper pulled away from its slip at the Battery and made its way into the harbor.  With a good wind on the water that day, the crew decided to hoist the sails and guests are able to assist in this task.

 

 

 

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Helping hoist the sails

The schooner turned away from Manhattan and navigated around Governors Island and plied the waters between that island and the Borough of Brooklyn.  This was a unique perspective and one not often seen by New Yorkers and visitors alike.   The ship made a graceful arc south of Governors Island to catch a wonderful sunset behind the Statue of Liberty as well as other ships that were enjoying the waters that evening.

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There are great photo opportunities at all points of the sail.

 

We really enjoyed the slow and quiet cruise under sail as well as the cocktails available at the cash bar.  The bar staff was friendly and helped keep the mood lively.  As the sun dropped into the west the schooner turned back toward the city and the lights of Jersey City, Battery Park, and  The Freedom Tower provided a memorable light show for all aboard.

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If you are looking for an unique excursion and a few hours of fun, you should experience a classic sail on the City Clipper.

for more information, sailing times and pricing please visit:

https://www.manhattanbysail.com/

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Looking back at a fabulous week at Westchester Food and Wine Week

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June 8th-12 was a great time for foodies in our area.  Westchester Magazine’s  Wine and Food Week was a smashing success.    Events held at Bloomingdales in White Plains, Kensico Dam Park in Valhalla and at the Ritz-Carlton in White Plains were all well attended and featured fabulous food wine and beer.

Thursday June 9th was the Burger and Beer Blast with burger offerings from 30 different local restaurants competing for the title of best burger in Westchester.  Also served was beer, wine and spirits.  Food trucks with pizza, hot dogs and soft serve ice cream were also on hand.

Friday June 10th was a special night at the Ritz Carlton in White Plains as 20 of the best chefs from the county served up food for guests at this special event.  There was plenty of  wine available for tasting as well.

Saturday rounded out the week at the Grand Tasting Village at Kensico Dam in Valhalla.  Here there were chef cooking demonstrations and two large tents filled with  tastings from 43 restauants.  More than 100 wines were available for tasting as well as samples of gin, whisky, tequila and vodka.

Here  are some scenes from the parties.  The next big event for Westchester Magazine will be its annual Best Of Westchester Party to be held on July 27th at the Glen Island Harbor Club in New Rochelle. Don’t miss it !

Scenes from Burger and Beer Blast:

 

Evening with the Tastemakers:

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Celebrity Chefs from top restaurants

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Grand Tasting Village:

 

See you next June at the Westchester Wine and Food Week 2017 events.   For more information and tickets to the Best of Westchester Party coming in July please see:

http://www.westchestermagazine.com

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Lightscapes an adventure in light at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton

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Looking for a unique experience?   You should visit Lightscapes, a magical and incredible nighttime display of lights at Van Cortlandt Manor in Croton on Hudson.   Lightscapes is an outdoor walk through the grounds of this historic property which has been transformed into a fantasy filled light garden.

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Walk through the tunnel of light that changes color, pass the fairy garden of lights and mushrooms,  more.   You cross the bridge over the river of light and enter the Colorwheel castle, then exit  to fields of lighted butterflies, a praying mantis, ladybugs and other fantastic lighted creations.  It is quite the marvel.

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The tour winds it way through the grounds of the Manor until it reaches the manor house itself which is lit in an amazing display of light that is synchronized to music.  Outside the manor is a fantastic field of lit tulips truly amazes.

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This is an event not to miss, and if you have been to the Great Jack-o-Lantern Blaze (also held here) you will know the level of quality and creativity that is involved in hosting these events.

 

 

LIGHTSCAPES takes place rain or shine and admission is by timed ticket only. Remaining dates are May 27- 30, June 3-5, and June 10-12.

Online tickets are $20 for adults ($25 Saturdays), $16 for children 3-17 ($20 Saturdays), and free for children under 3 and Historic Hudson Valley members. Tickets are $2 more when purchased on site or over the phone.

Van Cortlandt Manor is at 525 South Riverside Ave. in Croton-on-Hudson, NY, just off Route 9.

Tickets and info: 914-366-6900, www.hudsonvalley.org.

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Dan Rooney’s Cafe and Bar: Eat, drink and catch a game

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I  was attending an event  held at Empire City Casino in Yonkers which gave me the perfect opportunity to check out Dan Rooney’s Cafe and Bar.   The atmosphere is one of sports pub blended with an Irish-American pub with tavern food, a large selection of beers and an Irish whiskey menu.  The room is trimmed in dark wood, and  more than 40 flat screen TVs ensure that patrons do not miss a second of action.

For a cocktail I tried the Coconut and Raspberry mojito  as suggested by our waiter, John.    A  great selection that was very refreshing and complimented the menu items I would be sampling.rooneys 4

There are many appetizers from which to choose.  My table picked a number of items including  BBQ Pork Sliders, Buffalo Chicken Wings, Loaded Nachos and homemade Soft Pretzels.  All were great picks and my favorite was the pretzels with the side of beer/cheese sauce and the delicious sliders.  The wings were good but could have been prepared with a little less hot sauce.

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BBQ Pork Sliders

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Soft Pretzels

For our main course selections we chose the Dan Rooney Burger, 8 ounces of beef with brie, water cress, onions  and honey mustard on a brioche roll.  Very tasty.   It was served with fries.

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Dan Rooney Burger

 

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Blackened Salmon

My selection  was the Blackened Salmon  with glazed carrots in a herb sauce.  A nicely prepared and delicious dish.   This was a healthy selection and very enjoyable.  Another selection was the rib eye steak which was excellent and cooked to perfection.

My waiter told us we had to try some of the homemade desserts.  I was surprised how interesting  and unique they were.    We all shared a home made peanut and chocolate Candy Bar (wow!), and amazing Brownie Sundae with ice cream made with a hint of Guinness stout, walnuts and whipped cream.  Unique and decadent.

Dan Rooney’s was an unexpected treat and if you find yourself at Empire City Casino, or in the area it is a great place to have a cocktail and grab a bite.  And of course, with plenty of TVs, catch a game.

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Dan Rooney’s Cafe and Bar

810 Yonkers Ave  Yonkers, New York   (at Empire City Casino)

http://www.danrooneyscafeandbar.com

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Happy Days are here again at the Westchester Broadway Theater

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The classic 1970s TV  hit Happy Days comes to the Westchester Broadway Theatre as a fun and family friendly musical.  The musical has been adapted from the long running and iconic TV sitcom that takes place in the  1950s and 1960s, which ran for 11 seasons from 1974 to 1984 and was one of the highest rated television shows of that time.   Creator Garry Marshall has written the book for the musical and music and lyrics are by Paul Williams.

Though the show was not on Broadway it debuted at the Goodspeed Opera House in Connecticut in 2007 and later was produced on National Tours and European tours.  It has now arrived here in Westchester at the WBT and all the favorite faces from the TV show are here, including Fonzi, Richie Cunningham and his family, Chachi, Ralph Malph, Potsie and Arnold!

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The story is set in 1959 in   Milwaukee and the plot involves the fact that the property on which Arnold’s (the gang’s favorite hangout)  has been sold to developers who intend to demolish the  building.  In fear of losing their favorite eatery, Richie and his friends devise a plan (and with the help of his father ) to host a fund raiser to save Arnold’s from the wrecking ball.  Even returning to the scene is Pinky Tuscadero  (Fonzie’s girlfriend) who had a limited part in the TV show but has a larger role in this production.

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Pinky and The Fonz

This light hearted musical features the theme song to the TV series, as well as 21 songs which are woven through the show that remind us we are in a late 1950s to early 1960s setting.  There are fine performances from Herb Porter(Richie), Lori Hammel as Mrs. Cunningham, Nic Varricchio as Fonzi and  Maria Logan as Pinky.  The rest of the cast does a fine job.   The sets include Arnold’s diner, the Cunningham’s kitchen and the Cunningham’s yard which all featured prominently in the TV show. The performers do not try to imitate the original sitcom cast but give performances in the spirit of those characters.

Jonathan Stahl directed the performance and he has years of theater experience in directing, stage management and choreography.

So come and be happy !  Come see Happy Days at the Westchester Broadway Theater.   Dinner is included in your ticket price and is served prior to the performance.

Show runs May 5th to  July 17 2016

Westchester Broadway Theater

One Broadway Plaza  Elmsford NY    914  592-2222

http://www.broadwaytheater.com

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Calling all Foodies ! Westchester Wine and Food Week is back June 8-12

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west food and wine

 

Food and wine lovers in Westchester County have reason to celebrate as the annual Westchester Magazine Food and Wine Festival returns  June 8th-12th  for its 6th 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 in several locations Some of the highlights are:

Thursday June 9th –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.  New this year will be the Empire Casino Tent with five gaming tables, and cocktails and food from some of the Casinos restaurants. 

Time 6pm to 10pm .  Cost : $75

 

Friday June 10th –An evening with Westchester’s Tastemakers– now in its 2nd year, it takes place at the Ritz-Carleton in White Plains.  Twenty 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.  Some of the chefs who will be there will be Peter Kelly (Xaviers), Bobby Will (Saltaire),  Jay Lippin (Crabtree), Michael White (Bedford Post),  Leo Pablo (Inn at Pound Ridge) and many more !

Time: 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm  Cost: $125

Saturday June 11th- Grand Tasting Village – at Kensico Dam Plaza, 1 Bronx River Parkway, Valhalla NY.  This incredible event which  grows in popularity each year and will return for a 2nd year  to Kensico Dam Park. The event is  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 43 local restaurants serving tastings of their specialty dishes.   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 wine. An event not to be missed!.

Time 12 pm to 5 pm   Cost: $75         Connoisseurs Ticket: $125 (access to Connoisseurs Tent for exclusive Tastings.)

The event helps support two not for profit organizations, The Food Bank For Westchester and The Friends of Westchester County Parks  There will be other events as well so check the website below for more information and updates as the event draws closer.

For more information, the full list of restaurants and tickets westchestermagazine.com/winefood

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Classic family Italian dining: Frank Guido’s Little Italy

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“Chi Mangia bene,vive bene”  or ” he who eats well, lives well” is the motto of Frank Guido’s Little Italy a wonderful  Italian restaurant . Located in the Hudson Valley town of Kingston, it could easily be found in the heart of New York City.   This is the perfect place to go for a  traditional Italian meal  and to enjoy  “family style” , which is large plates meant to be shared with your family or friends.

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The interior space is a lovely dining room with brick walls, tables covered in white table cloths and Italian themed paintings.   One wall is covered in family photos spanning generations which emphasizes the family feel.  Another wall is covered in photos of famous people who have dined at the restaurant including Yankees Phil Rizzuto, Joe Torre, and actor James Gandolfini  (The Sopranos) just to name a few.

With so many choices on the menu we decided to start with Eggplant Papettas which was like a veggie meatball with a soft texture served with marinara sauce.  It was delicious.   Another pick was the classic stuffed artichoke  which was fresh and light ans served with  seasoned breadcrumbs inside and an olive oil base.

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Eggplant Papettas

For our main course selection we chose the Chicken Parmigiana (how could one not choose this classic?).  We had to try this house specialty and we were not dissapointed.  It was fantastic with fresh mozzarella and pecorino romano cheese and “Mama’s” tomato sauce.  The portion was huge!

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Chicken Parm

I also wanted seafood so the waiter suggested  Penne Angelina which consisted of pasta with jumbo shrimp , scallops, lobster meat, served in a white clam sauce ( I substituted the sauce of tomato sauce).  This mouth watering dish was a hit and  there was plenty to take home for another meal.

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Penne Angelina

 

Penne Ala Vodka was  a nice side choice  and was a perfect blend of marinara sauce, vodka and a touch of cream.  Very tasty.

Dessert:  I shared the Guidomisu, their take on Tiramisu and the Bomba which was vanilla and chocolate gelato with a  cherry and almond center finished with a chocolate coating.  A great way to end the meal.  The last sweet was a the Chocolate Mousse Cake, composed of white and dark chocolate  mousse between chocolate cake and served with whipped cream. Nice !

 

If you are in the Kingston NY area, Frank Guido’s Little Italy is the perfect choice for great old school Italian comfort food.  With great service and comfortable interior, you will feel right at home.

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Frank Guido’s Little Italy

14 Thomas Street Kingston New York

845-340-1682                 http://www.frankguidoslittleitaly.com

 

 

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ArtsBash: food, fun and art returns to White Plains

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arts bash

ArtsBash has returned to ArtsWestchester in White Plains.   On Friday, May 20 2016 from 6pm to 9pm a party will be  held to support ArtsWestchester.  The evening will include food from 30+ top local restaurants, craft beers, and of course there will be plenty of art on display and open artists studios.

Tickets for the event start at $75

In addition, there is a separate Family ArtsBash held on Saturday May 21st from 1-5pm.  This event is FREE, and is a full afternoon of fun including,  lots of children’s art workshops, art exhibits and open artists studios.

Some of the events on Family Arts Bash are : Fish Prints, Clay creations, Lego Stop Animation, Model Making, Face Painting, Digital Animation and more.

For more information and tickets:

https://artswestchester.org/support-the-arts/special-events/artsbash/

ArtsWestchester

31 Mamaroneck Avenue White Plains New York

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Inn at Twaalfskill: a romantic Hudson Valley Inn

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Do you need a couples escape for the weekend and don’t want to go too far?   A visit to The Inn at Twaalfskill may just be for you.  This charming, quaint and romantic Inn is located right in the heart of the Hudson Valley in Highland New York  and just an hour and change north of Westchester and two hours from Manhattan.    The Inn was built in 1905 has been transformed by the innkeepers into a wonderful and charming place to visit for a weekend or longer. IMG_0579

Driving up to the inn you cross a bridge over a stream which gives the inn its name.   The restored century old home has a wonderful  details and a pleasant front porch just in case you want to sit outside and take in the country air.  Entering the inn you pass by the sunlit breakfast room which is a perfect setting for breakfast.   The main floor common rooms of the Inn consist of the entrance area with fresh flowers,  a coffee bar with coffee ,tea, cookies and more,  a comfortable living room/parlor with a fireplace, television and comfortable furniture. A very cozy room.  There is also a small powder room.

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Breakfast Room

 

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Front Hall and stair

Fresh Flowers
Coffee, expresso and tea
Beautiful first floor room

Upstairs there are only three well appointed guest rooms.  Each room has its own bathroom attached.  Even though the house that is now the Inn dates to 1905, the guest room baths have all been  renovated and are modern with marble or porcelain tile, updated fixtures and plenty of hot water.  Each room (as is the entire inn) with a mix of antique furniture and small antique accessories.  You can tell the Innkeepers went to great efforts to create a pleasant blend of authentic period pieces and modern conveniences.  Each room has televisions.   Wi-fi  is  provided if you must check your emails or texts, but you are in a romantic inn, so turn off your cell phone and enjoy  the quiet and the ambience.

The beds are queen size  and very comfortable with fresh  pillows and a comfy quilt.  I slept very well in my room that evening.  The inn provides newspapers and magazines for your reading pleasure .

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Breakfast in the morning was a pleasure with yogurt, juice, coffee or tea, and scones.  There was also a choice of a vegetable frittata or French toast served with Crown Maple Syrup (from the Hudson Valley).  It was a really delicious home made breakfast.  As a nice touch you can pick your time to have breakfast by advising the Innkeeper the night before on a sign in sheet  unlike some inns that just serve at a certain hour.

 

Outside the Inn has made cruiser type bicycles available for guest use.  This is fantastic as steps away from the inn is the Hudson Valley Rail Trail.  The rail trail connects with the Walkway across the Hudson, one of the premier attractions in the  Mid Hudson Valley and should be on your must visit list.

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Bikes provided by the Inn

The Inn located in Highland is the perfect home base for a weekend of exploring the area. Nearby is Hyde Park home of the Culinary Institute of America, FDR Historic Site and the Vanderbilt Mansion historic site.  There is biking or walking on the Hudson Valley Rail Trail, or the nearby Wallkill Valley Rail Trail.  There is great hiking in a number of parks and preserves, apple picking, shopping and even wine tasting at some of the local wineries in the area.  The nearby village of New Paltz offers numerous dining options and is a fun town to browse and explore.

So if you are in need of a bit of an escape and don’t want to travel far, a stay at the Inn at Twaafskill is just what you need.

 

The Inn At Twaalfskill

144 Vineyard Avenue  Highland New York 

845-691-3605 

http://www.innattwaalfskill.com

for more info on the Hudson Valley Rail Trail:   http://www.hudsonvalleyrailtrail.net

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