Photo by Luis Ruiz @larufoto
When your favorite Westchester eateries open second locations in the county, there’s more reason than ever to stop by for a scrumptious bite.
When Giovanni Abbate opened Dolphin South in Pleasantville in the fall of 2019, he knew that his restaurant would reap the benefits of the loyal customer base of his father’s restaurant, The Blue Dolphin in Katonah. “Because there was an affiliation, we definitely drew from their clientele early on,” Abbate says. While the focus of the food at the two Dolphins is different — with Blue Dolphin being more Southern Italian and Dolphin South having a more traditional bent — Abbate notes that both restaurants pride themselves on tweaking an item if a customer desires, and learning their regular clientele’s names and favorite dishes and cocktails.
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In another family act, Lindsay Walsh and her father, Joe Crotty, the duo behind New Rochelle’s popular Crotty’s Cheesesteaks, is expanding on their successful formula. Born during the pandemic, Crotty’s is preparing to open its doors in Harrison. Walsh says there will be slight differences between the two locations, as New Rochelle is sandwiched between Iona College and New Rochelle High School. “We’re expecting to see more families visiting the Harrison location so are gearing our menu to feature a little more family-style options.” Additionally, Walsh is aiming to have outdoor dining in Harrison. “Opening a second location gives us a bigger audience for us to bring a great Philadelphia classic to,” Walsh says.
Two views of the Hudson, one from Yonkers and now one from Tarrytown, are what customers can enjoy, in addition to baked goods, sandwiches, ice cream, and coffee drinks from Jane’s Bakes. Owner Jane Carroll notes, “It’s hard for Mom and Pop stores to make a living, but with two locations I’m able to buy more in bulk and it’s more cost-effective.” There are slight differences in the menu offerings, with Tarrytown currently benefiting from more foot traffic. Either way, “I want customers to know of both places as cool, little, fast-casual cafes,” Carroll says.
Look for even more cookies and ice cream coming to Cross County Center as Cookies N’ Cream opens its second location. The Bronxville shop, in the center of town, is known for its fun ice-cream “cookie creations,” and for adding cereal to ice cream. The Yonkers site will “mimic the Bronxville menu,” says owner Joseph Edwards, but will also feature churros and tres leches ice cream and cookies, as a Chipotle is its next-door neighbor at the mall.
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Even before he opened his Ossining location, Peter Murdock, owner of Cravin Jamaican Cuisine, wanted to have a location in White Plains, and that dream was realized in late August. And, he was gratified to learn that there were White Plains residents who knew of the Ossining restaurant, and Ossining residents who work in White Plains, so there was a customer base at the ready when he opened the second location. While breakfast wasn’t originally on the menu, there was demand for it so such items as cabbage and saltfish with boiled yam, banana, and dumplings are on both menus.
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From the quick-hit department: New York City-based Serafina, with a longstanding spot in White Plains, recently opened a second county spot in Scarsdale. Look for Ossining’s Tasty Table inside the Solaris Sports Club in Yorktown, and Duck Donuts is slated to open a second space in Greenburgh this winter.
While there’ll only be a new Rye location for The Snackery Bakeshop, the shop built a dedicated fan base in Larchmont for its nostalgia-themed line of such items as ring dings, yodels, and moon pies. Owner Sara Leand says while she had been hoping to have multiple locations, right now the move to Rye allows her to be in a bustling downtown in a bigger space. Look for both indoor and outdoor seating and some new menu items.
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