Set to open January 4 in the space that once housed Brandi Trattoria is Basque Kitchen & Bar (108 Abendroth Ave, Port Chester; 914.315.4367). The 100-seat restaurant specializes in the cuisine of Basque country (the coastal northeast part of Spain and the extreme southwest of France), a first for Westchester.
On the menu: fire-roasted octopus with chili flakes and paprika, three varieties of steamed Prince Edward Island mussels, seared pork belly with dates and Spanish paprika, duck confit, and paella (seafood, squid ink, or Valenciana with chicken, rabbit, veggies, and sofrito). Desserts are novel, e.g., saffron crème brûlée with wildflower honey and a take on alfajores cookies, combining dark chocolate, dulce de leche cake, and burnt Marshmallow Fluff.
In the kitchen is chef Geojo Urbano, who grew up in the Philippines and was previously at Nara Sushi in Houston; heading the mainly French and Spanish wine program is sommelier Andrew Estey, previously the GM at Fairway Wines & Spirits. Robert Enslein Jr. of Greenwich, formerly at Ark Restaurants of Manhattan and founder of Relativity Vineyards, and Nina Becker, also of Greenwich, are owner-partners.
The duo is also opening by this month craft-beer/by-the-slice pizza joint Za’pie (23 N Main St, Port Chester) in the location that once held Spadaro.
Seating close to 300 (including three private dining rooms) is the new Z Prime Italian Steakhouse (189 E Post Rd, White Plains; 914.682.0011), where Pax Romana, Taleggio, and Mulberry Street had been. On the menu: USDA Prime beef, dry-aged in-house; raw-bar items (e.g., Wagyu carpaccio, colossal crabmeat cocktail), cedar-plank-smoked salmon, seafood linguine, and lobster arrabbiata capellini.
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North East Oyster Company has shuttered, and in its place is Harbour Fish & Co. Fish Market (152 Mamaroneck Ave, Mamaroneck; 914.630.4790). The retail seafood shop also has a lengthy menu of takeout items, including fried-fish sandwiches, steamed seafood combos and Cajun bags, and steamed fish and veggie platters. Teachers, police officers, village and postal workers get 10 percent off.
Bedford Post Inn (954 Old Post Rd, Bedford; 914.234.7800, ext 101) recently hired Bouley-trained chef Christopher D’Ambrosio, a Tuckahoe resident, to head its catering and dining options.
The more-formal dining space, The Farmhouse, is open Wednesday through Sunday, while its casual counterpart, The Barn, serves breakfast and lunch daily, plus dinner Monday and Tuesday, with dishes such as country-style pâté made with Snow Hill Farms pork, Southern-style fried chicken served with truffle-infused honey and potato purée; and an Oregon Wagyu burger with bacon-onion jam, Jasper Hill blue cheese, and fries.
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North county residents who lament the dearth of quality supermarkets will likely be pleased with the December 12 opening of Whole Foods Market (Chappaqua Crossing, 480 N Bedford Rd, Chappaqua). Unique to the 40,000 sq. ft. store is the fast-casual Pizza Parlor, a 37-seat eatery featuring pies via a wood-burning oven, antipasti, hearth-roasted main and side dishes, plus local brews. This is the fourth Whole Foods (after White Plains, Port Chester, and Yonkers) in the county.
