Photo courtesy of JulieWebel | MaxExPR
9 things you have to eat and drink this summer or we’re taking away your Official Westchester County Resident Card.
You’ve had a couple mustard-slathered singles from Walter’s, met friends for drinks on the rooftop at Red Hat on the River, played corn hole over craft beers at Captain Lawrence, and sampled your way through all the flavors at The Blue Pig and King Kone — but there are still plenty of items to check off your foodie bucket list this summer. Try a few (or all) of the suggestions below, and maybe they’ll become your new summer standards.
1. Hit a Beer Garden
Peekskill Brewery is known for its hoppy taps and fruity sours, but when the weather warms up it’s beer garden shines with outdoor music, some potentially over-competitive cornhole, and delicious bites from the kitchen’s German-inflected menu. The beer garden at Sleep Hollow’s Bridge View Tavern likewise has one of the county’s best craft beer lists — and killer wild-boar chili fries.
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2. Order a Fresh-Tomato Pie at Frank Pepe
Devotees of this New Haven import know summer — July to September, to be exact — is the best time to visit. That’s the only time Frank Pepe makes this garlicky pie (dare we say, it’s as good as the white clam) with juicy chunks of ripe, peak-season tomatoes.
3. Skip the Iced Coffee
Get your caffeine kick from an affogato — espresso poured over ice cream — Italy’s answer to hot-weather coffee drinking. Try it at Bluebird in Cross River where it’s made with Stumptown Coffee and the shop’s small-batch ice cream, or indulge at the marble bar at Boro6 in Hastings-on-Hudson, where you can have your espresso poured over milk-chocolate scoops from nearby Penny Lick Ice Cream Company.
4. Cool Down with an Italian Ice
Frozen yogurt may be trending, but we’re suckers for the refreshing texture of Italian ices. Try Staten Island’s famous water ices at the Yonkers or White Plains locations of Ralph’s. Or grab an old-school ice in flavors like lemon, mixed berry, mango, and lime at Walter’s (made in-house since the ’50s).
5. Discover a New Favorite Spot on the Water
Sip cocktails and share a few rounds of upscale bar bites on the trendy 100-seat patio at 3 Westerly in Ossining. Grab an oversized pretzel and a casual beer at Barley on Hudson in Tarrytown, a new space from the owners of The Barley House that’s literally right on the water. Or, hit up any of our favorite outdoor eateries.
6. Check Out a New ’Cue Spot
Three Little Pigs BBQ in Hawthorne knows how to infuse just the right amount of smoke flavor into its wings and five-spice pork belly. Meanwhile, Holy Smoke in Croton, Smokehouse Tailgate Grill in New Rochelle and Mamaroneck, and Pik Nik BBQ in Tarrytown ensure you’re never too far from delicious smoked meats anywhere in the county.
7. Slurp Some Oysters
These bivalves are definitely having a moment, and there’s an oyster bar for every taste in the county. Get loud and raucous at Little Drunken Chef in Mount Kisco, channel classic New York at White Plains’ KEE Oyster House, or head to Port Chester to work your way through a dozen Kumamotos and Glidden Points at Saltaire’s ‘Oyster Lounge.’
8. Throw Something New on the Grill
If you’ve mastered ribs, chicken, and porterhouse steaks, head to the old-school butcher’s counter at The Butcher’s Fancy in Yonkers or Port Chester’s famed artisanal sausage shop Logo’s Park Deli and have the experts recommend a new (and maybe more affordable) cut to throw on the grill.
9. Get Your Fill of Lobster
It seems like every restaurant has lobster on the menu right now, but we’re especially fond of the the Maine lobster boil — lobster, clams, corn, and fingerling potatoes — at Purdy’s Farmer and the Fish in North Salem. Or head to The Tavern at Croton Landing, where lobster takes center stage in rolls, sliders, quesadillas, BLTs, and weekend-only omelets.
