Caviar Appetizer
Equus at The Castle Hotel & Spa ($115)
There are few appetizers more decadent than caviar. The caviar app from Equus (the restaurant uses salmon, rainbow trout osetra, or American caviar for the dish) is a notch above, with a buttery texture and a rich, mildly sweet taste. Seasonal accompaniments may include vegetables like garlic scapes, ramps, morel mushrooms, fiddlehead ferns, and white asparagus. “The idea behind this dish was to create something simple and fresh that exemplifies summer,” says Chef Sean McAllister.
Equus Restaurant at The Castle Hotel & Spa, Tarrytown
(914) 631-3646; www.castlehotelandspa.com
28-Day Dry Aged Porterhouse
BLT Steak ($102 for two)
“A smoky exterior char, leading to a soft and juicy center.” That’s what you can expect from your first bite of BLT Steak’s 28-day dry-aged porterhouse, according to Chef Andy Schilling. The Pat LaFrieda meat is broiled at 1,700°F, which is the technique that creates the sizzling outside char while keeping it pink inside. Schilling allows the steak to speak for itself, keeping the seasoning simple. On the menu since the flagship BLT Steak opened in 2004, it has become the yardstick for quality steak in Westchester.
BLT Steak, White Plains (914) 467-5500
bltrestaurants.com/blt-steak/white-plains
Risotto with Shaved White Truffles
Le Sirene Ristorante (from $80)
For Le Sirene Head Chef Alberto Pepe, truffles from Italy are what make the restaurant’s dishes shine. “You just can’t get that quality from China,” he says. Owner Cosimo Bruno believes that truffles should have a beautiful aroma. Rare white truffles, available from late October to January, are sourced from Alba in Italy’s Piedmont region and paraded around the dining room to be shaved over a simple Parmesan risotto with truffle cream or over the top of one of Le Sirene’s thin-crust pizzas.
Le Sirene Ristorante, Larchmont
(914) 834-8300; www.lesireneristorante.com
