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Port Chester Railroad
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Asian Bistro
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Soldiers’ Monument
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Capitol Theatre
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AM Pit Stops
Where to grab your coffee and carb of choice on your morning commute
Panaderia Uruguaya Las Gemellas
204 Westchester Ave • (914) 937-4322
“You can’t go wrong with deep-fried dough for breakfast,” says Westchester Magazine’s award-winning food writer Julia Sexton. “I like the crispy-edged yet chewy churros at this little bakery/sandwich shop, and it’s a bonus that it’s so near the train station and opens at seven. Plus, the notion of picking up a churro and café con leche just before heading to work and then enjoying all the envy as the wonderful coffee and cinnamon smells fill the office just appeals.”
Asi Es Colombia Restaurant & Bakery
174 N Main St • (914) 934-7675
“If your a.m. requirements run toward the very substantial, you might check into this super-casual Colombian diner for one of its hearty breakfasts,” Sexton says. “Don’t look for ‘lite’ in the satisfying, cornmeal arepas, which are often stuffed with spicy pork shreds and paired with eggs and crunchy chicharrónes.”
The Kneaded Bread
181 N Main St • (914) 937-9489
kneadedbread.com
“Muffins, breads, buns, cakes, and boules—they’re all here, along with great coffee and tea,” says Sexton. “This is the standard breakfast—and lunch—stop for thousands of Rye, Port Chester, and Greenwich locals. They go because it’s a bustling, good-vibe place that also slings excellent food. A landmark.”
Others you might consider:
Raymond’s B&B
540A Willett Ave • (914) 939-4444
“B&B stands for ‘Breakfast & Burgers,'” Sexton says, “making this fifties-style restaurant the ideal stop for your morning French toast, bacon, omelet—and dollar-forty-five bottomless cup of coffee.”
Best One-Hour Lunch Spots
When fast food simply won’t do
Tarry Market
179 N Main St
(914) 253-5680
tarrymarket.com
“You had me at wine vending machine,” Sexton says. “If your boss is getting you down, you might sneak out to this market café, whose Enomatic Wine Serving System meters out doses of often excellent wine. The shop also does a tidy trade in sandwiches made from the luscious cheeses and salumi vended in store: Plus, Tarry Market offers the best in Italian coffee.”
Q Restaurant and Bar
112 Main St • (914) 933-7427
qrestaurantandbar.com
“Like its sister venture, The Kneaded Bread, Q is a Port Chester standard whose crowds attest to fabulous burgers, dinosaurian smoked chicken wings and great pulled-pork sandwiches,” Sexton notes. “Look for excellent Texas brisket, daily-made coleslaw, and some of the best potato salad I’ve ever eaten.”
Rinconcito Migueleño
118 WestchesterAve
“Pupusas are like a Salvadoran analog to hot dogs: they’re cheap, tasty, and available on every street corner,” Sexton says. “But beneath a ubiquitous, corny crunch, will every pupusa be tender and flavorful? Will the right amount of masa mellowness yield to spicy meat or yummy cheese? If you’re concerned, show up to dirt-cheap Migueleño. Your pupusas will be perfect, and so cheap you might consider bringing a few back to your cube mate.”
Others you might consider:
Hubba
24 N Main St
(914) 939-7271
“This small landmark restaurant, known to many as ‘Pat’s Hubba Hubba,’ serves up great renditions of traditional American fare—think burgers, hot dogs, etcetera—especially to night owls,” says Sexton, noting that it’s usually open until 3 am on weeknights and 5 am on weekends. “Its undisputed claim to fame is its chili, which the New York Times once described as ‘industrial-strength.’”
Your Lunch Hour Best Bets to…
Tick, tock…
Fix a Flat/Get Your Car Checked:
Red’s Garage
25 Midland Ave • (914) 939-2359
(800) 244-7337 • redsgarage.com
This family-run garage has a new, fully equipped showroom and parts department. And should it snow hard, it stays open day and night.
MBE Auto Service
172 Terrace Ave • (914) 937-6051
mbeautoservice.net
Got a Benz? Get it fixed here. Only OEM (original equipment manufacturer) parts.
Buy a card/gift:
Albert Florist / La Creperie Cafe
604 North Main St • (914) 934-9497
albertflorist.com
Order fresh flower arrangements or distinctive gifts 24 hours a day online if you can’t make it to the store during the day. Assistance with worldwide deliveries is offered. Corporate accounts accepted.
Mistic La Madam Gift Shop
121 N Main St • (914) 939-4280
lamadamgiftshop.com
Specializes in religious figurines and seasonal items; offers gift-wrapping services.
Work out:
Elite Training Concepts
140 Highland St • (914) 882-1819
myelitetraining.com
The only non-chain gym in Port Chester
Have your shoes repaired:
JC Shoe Repair
4 S Main St • (914) 934-0038
This small shop provides reasonably priced, quality service to replace your heels and watch batteries.
Dry Cleaning:
Suds-N-Stuff
22 S Main St • (914) 939-3421
sudsnstuff.org
Only uses organic, eco-friendly chemicals in its dry-cleaning process for everything from clothes to Oriental rugs. Also offers wash & fold, towel/linen service, and shoe repair & cleaning.
Premier Cleaners
195 Westchester Ave • (914) 939-6151
In downtown Port Chester, Premier handles alterations and leather cleaning in addition to offering environmentally safe dry cleaning.
PM Pit Stops
Where to grab dinner-to-go after work when the kitchen@home is “closed”
Tarry Lodge
18 Mill St • (914) 933-3111 • tarrylodge.com
“While everyone knows Westchester’s only Batali/Bastianich restaurant, most folks don’t realize that you can carry out from Tarry,” says Sexton. “The restaurant’s entire menu is available to go. In fact, there’s no need to park: they’ll bring it right out to your car. So no need to get out of sweats—unless, of course, you’d like to hit Tarry Wine first for a hump-day bottle.”
Bartaco
1 Willett Ave • (914) 937-8226
bartaco.com
“Like its similarly mobbed neighbor, Tarry Lodge, bartaco offers its entire menu to go,” says Sexton. “While this unfortunately means that you won’t be able to soak up those stunning margaritas, it also means that, for once, you can drive home perfectly sober.”
Pollo a la Brasa Misti
110 N Main St • (914) 939-9437
While bartaco’s melting, citrusy Peruvian rotisserie chickens are truly wonderful, Pollo a la Brasa Misti holds the honor of “doing this dish in Port Chester first,” Sexton says. “Loyalists of this huge chicken joint wouldn’t be caught dead switching from this townie standby, whose silken, subtly garlicky chicken makes the ideal emergency dinner.”
Others You Might Consider:
Sonora
179 Rectory St
(914) 933-0200
sonorarestaurant.net
Latin food friendly to the American palate served at this longstanding restaurant.
Cafe Mirage
531 N Main St (Terrace Ave)
(914) 937-3497
cafemirageny.com
Working late? Dinner is served here until 11 pm Monday through Thursday and until midnight on Friday and Saturday.
Where to Play Hooky
Shhh! We won’t tell if you won’t tell.
Elevvie Spa
6 King St • (914) 653-0744
elevvie.com
The prices: $80 for a 60-minute Purity Facial; $100 for 60-minute Swedish Full Body Massage. And don’t feel bad spending money on feeling good: Elevvie Spa donates 10 percent of its net income to three local, non-profit organizations: the Don Bosco Community Center, Carver Center and Hope House.
Where to Celebrate That Promotion
Arrosto
25 S Regent St. • (914) 939-2727
arrostorestaurant.com
“Like Tarry Lodge—but with somewhat less fame—Arrosto is an ideal destination for a group of disparate eaters,” notes Sexton. “This essentially Italian restaurant offers wood-fired pizza and pastas, but also steaks, seafood. and salads. Also look for an exciting, well-priced wine list and even a few small-production Italian craft beers—all of which makes this a good spot for celebrating. “
The City’s Best-Kept Secrets
• The Mohegan Indians were the original inhabitants of the Port Chester and Rye area, and sold the land to settlers from Connecticut in 1660. The territory remained in dispute between Connecticut and New York until the New York State legislature defined its boundaries in 1788.
• Port Chester was commonly called “Saw Pit” in the 18th century because of the saw mill and boat-building shop near the mouth of the Byram River, where the neighborhood formed.
• During the Revolutionary War, Saw Pit served as a vital military outpost. In the struggle for control over the port, the village was nearly obliterated. American General Israel Putnam used the Bush Homestead (which is now John Lyon Park) as his headquarters in 1776.
And BTW…
• Ed Sullivan grew up in Port Chester. He attended St. Mary’s Catholic School and Port Chester High School, where he was awarded 12 letters in 4 varsity sports. Following his high school graduation, he worked for the Port Chester Daily Item, a newspaper for which he wrote sports news while still in high school.
• Port Chester is home to the National Collector’s Mint and “Pat’s Hubba Hubba,” now officially just Hubba. From 1920 until 1984, the Life Savers candy company managed a factory in Port Chester that has since become an apartment building.
Vital Stats
The 411 on Where You’re Putting in 40+
Population: 28,967 (as of 2010 Census)
Mayor: Dennis Pilla
Average price of commercial space: About $28 to $30 per square foot, “and that would be for restaurants or retail,” according to Sally Possidente of Coldwell Banker Commercial NRT in White Plains. “Office space would cost a bit less.”
Unemployment: 5.8 % as of November 2011
Largest Employer: Neri’s Bakery Products, Inc. (approx 300 employees)
