Why it Works: This upscale steakhouse, open since July and located in the space formerly occupied by Tino’s Italian Steakhouse, has been completely overhauled and renovated. The building itself, with a Mediterranean-style exterior and lodge-like interior, features 14,000 square feet of genuine hospitality, with an intimate main dining room, a mezzanine dining room with a bird’s-eye view of the kitchen, and spacious banquet facilities that can be configured any way you like (a dance floor perhaps?). A minimum group of 75 is needed to book a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday, but on any other night, 50 is fine (the room holds up to 200 with no dance floor; 175 with dance floor). You can have it set up for buffet or plated dining. Most packages include a cocktail hour with cheese and crudité station; sit-down meal with a choice of three main-course options (chicken, fish, meat); a custom-baked and inscribed cake; and unlimited beer, wine, and soda. Though steak is the focus here, there are also plenty of other options including maple-glazed wild salmon and stuffed roasted chicken. The wine list is impressive, too, and is strong on US options from California and the Northwest, though France, Italy, South American, and Australia are also well represented.
Fine Print: For small groups of 36 or fewer (minimum 15), there’s a separate dining room off the main room, with a view of the open kitchen. The room is sunny and can be configured into three round tables or one large table. The proprietors, who also own Goldfish Restaurant in Ossining and Casa Rina of Thornwood, hope to set up a wine cellar on the second floor with a conference table and VIP tastings and events. Prices vary depending on the package; there’s basic, premium, and platinum, as well as a buffet plan; most start at $65 per person for dinner. There is a $1,000 deposit required for the banquet room for weeknights; $2,000 for a Saturday night.
Reserve: 101 Saw Mill River Rd, Hawthorne (914) 703-4112; thestonemanor101.comÂ
» For more great places to host your holiday party, click here.Â
