AM Pit Stops
Where to grab your coffee and carb of choice on your morning commute
Star Diner
66 1/2 E Post Rd
(914) 684-8702
“This is an old-school lunch counter/diner that’s still housed in a bullet-shaped, 1930s-era, stainless-steel trailer,” says Westchester Magazine‘s award-winning food writer Julia Sexton. “Beyond its strange, architectural façade, it looks as though it could still be hitched up and driven away. I like that this twenty-four/seven diner does not have a five-page menu—of which a solid four pages are sourced from the freezer. Instead, it serves killer basic breakfasts of eggs, toast, and coffee—very fresh and tasty. But don’t park illegally! It’s a haunt of local cops.”
City Limits Diner
200 Central Ave
(914) 686-9000
“Yeah, you could sit down and get the full treatment of eggs, silver-dollar pancakes, smoked salmon, bagel plates, French toast, etcetera, etcetera,” Sexton says, “but you can also grab your coffee to go and just hit the pastry counter for Chef Tracy Kamperdyk-Assue’s great muffins and pastries. Plus, City Limits has a parking lot—an added bonus in White Plains.”
Splendid Coffee Shop
106 Mamaroneck Ave
(914) 288-0000
“As must be becoming apparent, I’m a sucker for old-school coffee shops, the kind that smell like those giant, multi-pot Bunn-o-Matic coffee urns,” Sexton says. “Splendid offers cheap, cheap, cheap breakfasts—like two eggs any style, bacon, toast, home fries—and coffee for all of five-dollars seventy-four cents. Compare that with a Starbucks venti-machi-trippiato: a bunch of foam and sugar for four-fifty.”
Others you might consider:
What A Bagel Cafe
476 Mamaroneck Ave
(914) 948-1010
Get a fresh bagel to go along with your morning cup of joe.
Best One-Hour Lunch Spots
When fast food simply won’t do
Melt Sandwich Shop
57 Mamaroneck Ave
(914) 358-1364
“Don’t be put off by lines that sometimes snake out the door,” Sexton says. “This sandwich joint, which also sells flatbreads and salads, has a system that can usually move you through quickly. The sandwiches are big, bigger, and giant and come stuffed with meats that are roasted, brined, and cured in-house. Melt presses its sandwiches, so they get all cheesy, gooey, and wonderful beyond a satisfying crunch. And these suckers are filling: you can probably eke a dinner out of your doggie bag.” (For a profile of Melt’s co-owner Kristin Hall, turn to our cover story on page 67.)
The Iron Tomato
57 Mamaroneck Ave
(914) 328-9400
“Sadly, ‘fast’ food usually equates with ‘bad for you’ food, so I like that Iron Tomato offers huge salads along with its pizza, burgers, pasta, and grill items,” Sexton says. “It’s a good spot to order out from, too—it’ll deliver to your office.”
Aberdeen
3 Barker Ave
(914) 288-0188
“This dim sum specialist, named after a Hong Kong harbor, is great for soup dumplings, gooey chicken feet, and all sorts of odd things pulled from wandering steam carts,” Sexton says. “Aberdeen can handle the crowds, and you’ll get in and out quick. Plus there’s something so comforting in its watery, yellow wonton soup and crunchy noodles.”
Your Lunch Hour Best Bet to…
Tick, tock
Fix a Flat/Get Your Car Checked
Proper Service LLC
87 Fulton St
(914) 686-4252
All work done is guaranteed.
J & S Auto Service
430 Mamaroneck Ave
(914) 946-3104
These guys provide quick, reliable service.
Buy a card/gift
Blossom Flower Shops
275 Mamaroneck Ave
(914) 237-2511
Family-owned since 1925, this local florist offers same-day delivery to local homes, offices, hospitals, and funeral homes.
Saxon Cards & Gifts Inc.
480 Mamaroneck Ave
(914) 997-5100
Need a greeting card, gift, or stationery for a special occasion? You’ll find it all at this Mamaroneck Avenue staple.
Work out
New York Sports Clubs
4 City Pl
(914) 428-2020
This giant health club has a pool, basketball court, and squash courts, not to mention spinning and yoga classes. What’s not to like?
Planet Fitness
33 S Broadway
(914) 390-3488
Offers $20-a-month rates.
Have your shoes repaired
Chillemi Shoe Repair
200 Hamilton Ave, #4A
(914) 761-1141
Get your hair cut (men)
Sal’s Hair Station
132 W Post Rd
(914) 946-1042
Get your hair cut (women)
Selah Salon Lounge
182 E Post Rd
(914) 761-2100
This salon and lounge hosts a happy hour and light buffet special on Thursdays.
Vasken Demirjian Salon
12 City Pl (Trump Tower)
(914) 285-0800
When only the best will do: three-time Westchester Magazine “Best of Westchester” winner Demirjian is not only a master stylist but a master colorist as well.
Static
180 Mamaroneck Ave
(914) 997-2600
Hip and young with a SoHo feel. At Static sip a cup of coffee or nurse a mimosa while the experts work to make you look beautiful.
Dry Cleaning
Nu-Way Cleaners and Tailors
110 W Post Rd
(914) 949-2333
Don’t have time to go to the cleaners? No worries; Nu-Way offers free pickup and delivery.
Saveway Cleaners
615 N Broadway
(914) 949-6766
In business for more than 50 years, Saveway offers top-quality dry cleaning at an affordable price. Same-day service, corporate accounts, and monthly billing are available.
PM Pit Stops
Where to grab dinner-to-go after work when the kitchen@home is “closed.”
Turkish Cuisine of Westchester
116 Mamaroneck Ave
(914) 683-6111
“I love this modest spot that was opened by the folks behind Turkish Meze,” Sexton declares. “It offers yummy babaghanouj, taboule, hummus, and falafels for vegetarians, while carnivores can hit substantial kebabs and shawarma. And it’s cheap!”
Whole Foods Market
110 Bloomingdale Rd
(914) 288-1300
“I know what you’re thinking: ‘What is a grocery store doing on this list?’” Sexton says. “But I like that Whole Foods offers all of those prepared food bars—which take over one-third of this store—under one roof. Pick up brown rice sushi and a salad, or plow through the carving station, prepared-food cases, and Indian and salad buffets. Or do what I do: buy those wonderful sandwiches behind the deli case and have them toasted and wrapped for home.”
Kam Sen Asian Market
22 Barker Ave
(914) 428-4500
“This vast Chinese/Asian market is hidden in the basement of the grungy, escalator-free White Plains Mall, which also houses the dreary DMV,” Sexton says. “Its takeout counter is fabulous. I love the barbecue counter for yummy, mahogany Peking ducks, char siu pork, and gooey scallion chickens—but, then, I also love stopping by the prepared-food counter for multiple types of dumplings.”
Where to Play Hooky
Shhh! We won’t tell if you won’t tell.
You can easily while away a few hours at the spa at The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester, or (if you actually want to exert energy) at the Maple Moor Golf Course, the city’s only municipal golf course.
Where to Celebrate That Promotion
42 The Restaurant
Ritz-Carlton, Westchester
One Renaissance Sq
(914) 761-4242
With stunning views and equally incomp-arable food and service, this swanky restaurant, bar, and lounge perched atop White Plains’s tallest building has emerged as the preeminent special-occasion destination.
And BTW…
Many big stars and business honchos once called White Plains home, including Alan Alda (of M*A*S*H fame), actor Jon Voight (better known as Angelina Jolie’s father), and J.C. Penney (the department store magnate).
✔ The Jacob Purdy House (60 Park Avenue) played a vital role in the American Revolution, as a refuge for George Washington from July 23 to September 22, 1778.
✔ The first U.S. Census, conducted in 1790, counted the city’s population as 505—46 of whom were slaves.
✔ The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester, is the second-tallest building between New York City and Boston.
Vital Stats:
The 411 on Where You’re Putting in 40+
Population: 57,442
Mayor: Thomas M. Roach
Average price of commercial space: $29/SF in central business district
Unemployment (December 2010): 6.4%
Largest Employer: White Plains Hospital Center (1,300)
