In 18 years of publishing this magazine, we’ve done many stories on the top new restaurants in the county, but never before have we done one on the best restaurants overall — much less rank them.
With more than 600 full-service Westchester restaurants, the daunting task of vetting and ranking them was laid upon the shoulders (and palate) of John Bruno Turiano, Westchester Magazine’s resident foodie and senior editor in charge of our food-and-dining section. Let’s just say that after 16 years in the gastronomic trenches, he was the man for the job.
John considered each town, white-boarding any potential contender that came to mind.
“A top restaurant is one you’re willing to travel outside of your usual area for,” says John, “the ones with dishes you remember and a dining experience so transporting, you rush to recommend it to others.”
John winnowed his initial list over many months, considering food, service, and atmosphere (rating every restaurant from one to four in each category, with food quality given the most weight). Geography, diversity of cuisine, and cost were ancillary considerations.
In the end, 38 eateries were left standing. The process of choosing the best in any industry is ultimately subjective, no matter the knowledge base and level of expertise going in. The result is that you will likely feel we are spot-on with some selections and way off with others. That’s okay; it’s all good. But we want to hear what you think, too, so please let us know, at edit@westchestermagazine.com. And to the great Westchester restaurants that didn’t make the list: Please be patient; you will definitely get your opportunity to shine in our food pages.
December is also the time for gift giving, so what sort of lifestyle magazine would we be without some advice on where to shop for all those presents? Managing Editor Amy Partridge put together a comprehensive brick-and-mortar retail feature where you can find something for everyone on your list.
Finally, to maximize the season’s festivity, we tapped Westchester Home Executive Editor Jenn Andrlik to create a simple yet fun guide to decorating for the holidays, regardless of your style sensibilities.
Happy Holidays! See you in 2018!
– Ralph A. Martinelli, Group Publisher
