Food that warms the soul (and the body) is a necessity during these cold, winter months. Maybe that’s why National Southern Food Day is celebrated each year on January 22.
There’s no need to head south of the Mason-Dixon line get in on the action: Here are five of our favorite spots to get your fried chicken, mac ’n’ cheese, and peach cobbler fix right here in Westchester.
Alvin & Friends
14 Memorial Hwy, New Rochelle; 914.654.6549
At Alvin Clayton’s upscale, modern New Rochelle darling, the sound of jazz flows through the speakers and the bartenders know how to make a strong rum punch.
The menu is big on comfort foods — buttermilk-fried chicken with smoked-turkey collards, shrimp and stone-ground grits, and cornmeal-fried catfish — including items with a Caribbean twist (slow-simmered oxtails or jerk wings, anyone?)
BK Soul Food & Catering
1131B Yonkers Ave, Yonkers; 914.237.5083
With daily $6 lunch specials, discounts for local workers, and an entire menu dedicated to catering, this quick-service joint has a lot going for it. That includes the vast selection of straight-up Southern dishes, including chicken and waffles, smothered pork chops, black-eyed peas, chitterlings, and more.
As if there aren’t enough savory possibilities to choose from, you’ll also find plenty of Southern desserts to satisfy a sweet tooth, like banana pudding, peach cobbler, and sweet-potato pie. Plus, they deliver.
freebird kitchen and bar
161 Mamaroneck Ave, White Plains; 914.607.2476
Cool design, playful twists on Southern classics, and locally sourced ingredients give this contemporary spot a citified feel. From the smoker comes burnt-ends chili and brisket disco fries (crispy sweet potato fries, pulled brisket, and cheddar cheese), and the weekend brunch menu has a dedicated biscuits section.
Sunday Night Jams sessions are being introduced soon, with rock and blues music from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., plus food-and-drink specials.
King’s Southern Delight
284 E Third St, Mount Vernon; 914.668.7335
Mother-daughter team Emma Jackson and Redina Hembree run this under-the-radar spot, that’s the perfect place to satisfy a Southern food craving with generous portions of affordable, traditional soul food.
Pair the signature fried chicken, smothered pork chops, turkey wings, or fried whiting with any of the well-executed sides, including mac ’n’ cheese, collards, candied yams, and pinto beans. Desserts, such as coconut-pineapple cake, peach cobbler, and banana pudding, are all homemade.
Photo courtesy of Redina Hembree/King’s Southern Delight
Southern Table Kitchen & Bar
39 Marble Ave, Pleasantville; 914.618.3355
Come on an empty stomach to indulge in huge portions of stick-to-your-ribs classics and whiskey drinks (there are more than 100 types of the brown stuff at the bar). Staples include Nashville hot chicken, hush puppies, cornmeal-crusted fried chicken, pimento cheese dip, and the massive mac ’n’ cheese with bacon and pickled jalapeños.
Parties of eight or larger can tackle the Communal Menu, featuring large-format seafood boils and suckling pig roasts with all the fixings.
Photo by Andre Baranowski
Curious for more insight into everything from weddings and local business happenings to golf and hearty Westchester eating? Surf through all of our daily blogs.