The owner of Half Time (halftimebeverage.com) beer emporium in Poughkeepsie is preparing to open a second location in Mamaroneck at 139 Hoyt Avenue by Thanksgiving. The 20,000-square-foot space has thousands of beers (a healthy percentage are craft brews and there’s an entire aisle devoted to Belgian beers), 24 growler taps, home-brewing supplies, glassware, plus a section for weekly demonstrations and tastings. “I’ve been trying to get in Westchester for seven years, but adequate parking was a holdup,” says owner Alan Daniels. “We have 70 spaces in Mamaroneck.” Half Time also offers custom home-bar installations, a beer of the month club, a call-ahead drive-up and pick-up door, and beer gift baskets. “Most places only carry the top-selling beers of a given brewer,” says Daniels. “I carry the whole line. For example, you may find six Sam Adams beers in the supermarket—I carry their whole line of 20.”
After being closed for almost two years, traditional Italian restaurant Piccola Trattoria (41 Cedar St, Dobbs Ferry 914-674-8427) has reopened in the same space. On the menu: mussels in white wine, fig-and-ricotta crostini, osso buco, orata with fresh herbs and lemon, shrimp sautéed and saffron with polenta, and chicken primavera. Most entrées are between $18 and $28. Lunch and dinner are served weekdays, and brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays in the fall and winter.
The owners of Massa’ Italian Kitchen & Bar in Scarsdale are planning to open seafood restaurant Massa’ Coastal Italian Cuisine (599 E Boston Post Rd, Mamaroneck; massarestaurants.com) in the space that once housed Neméa Greek Taverna.
Organic micro-chain Bareburger (bareburger.com), serving burgers, sandwiches, and salads, plans to open its first Westchester location this month in the Trader Joe’s shopping center in Hartsdale. Grass-fed, humanely raised meats come in beef, turkey, lamb, wild boar, elk, bison, and ostrich. There are also veggie and black bean burgers, organic beer and wine, pesticide-free produce, and numerous gluten-free items.
Hudson Valley Restaurant Week (hudsonvalleyrestaurantweek.com) returns this year from November 4 to 17 and will feature more than 180 restaurants offering $29.95 three-course dinners and $20.95 three-course lunches (beverages, tax, and tip are additional). Crabtree’s Kittle House, Restaurant North, and X2O Xaviars on the Hudson are among the participating Westchester restaurants.
A four-course Thanksgiving dinner served family-style can be had at The Farmhouse at Bedford Post (954 Old Post Rd, Bedford 914-234-7800; bedfordpostinn.com) 2 pm to 8 pm November 28. Among the offerings: vegetable antipasti, squash tortellini, smoked turkey with shiitake gravy and sweet potato; and apple pie sundae with maple gelato and pecan crumble. The dinner is $95 for adults and $45 for children up to 12. Reservations are a must.
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A duffer’s deal is offered at The Valley at Garrison (1 Snake Hill Rd, Garrison 845-424-3604; thegarrison.com) Thursdays and Sundays through the end of this month. This special at the Hudson Highlands resort includes 18 holes of golf and a five-course tasting menu and complimentary cocktails (valued up to $10) for two at $199 (plus sales tax). Download the Golf & Dine coupon on The Valley’s site under “special offers” and make a reservation. The Garrison features panoramic views of the Hudson River and surrounding mountains, a farm-to-table restaurant, and a challenging golf course designed by Dick Wilson.
There are new items on the menu at Taiim Falafel Shack (568 Warburton Ave, Hastings-on-Hudson 914-478-0006; taiimfalafelshack.com) including red lentil soup; winter hummus (a warm spiced hummus containing chickpeas and fava beans); Israeli pearl couscous; and The Masada or Kitchen Sink (extra-large pita stuffed with chicken shawarma, lamb shawarma, falafel, mujadarra or cooked lentils/rice, Israeli chopped salad, hummus, pickles, turnips, and tahini). Finish The Masada solo and get your photo on Taiim’s wall.
Blue Hill has launched a line of yogurts made with milk from 100-percent grass-fed cows, Blue Hill Yogurt (bluehillyogurt.com). The yogurts, more savory than sweet, are sold exclusively at Whole Foods Markets in the Northeast, and are the first Blue Hill product crafted for wide distribution. Blue Hill Yogurts cost $2.99 (6 oz) and come in carrot, tomato, beet, and butternut squash with more flavors planned.
Dean Medico, French Culinary Institute-trained pizzaiolo and owner of Pizza Luca (pizzaluca.com; @pizzalucanyc) has added a second truck—Miss Idaho—to his mobile pizza business. Miss Idaho was rescued from an Idaho farmer. Unlike his first truck, Mrs. Blue, Miss Idaho will do street vending (in New York City only) in addition to catering.
In September, Chef/Owner Dan Petrilli closed Haven, a New American restaurant in Pleasantville open since 2005.
