Formerly known as Basil’s, the restaurant at Sheraton Tarrytown Hotel is now called Rioja, a nod to its mix of Mediterranean and contemporary American cuisine. The inviting dark wood restaurant contains a lounge and wine bar, fireplace, and large flat-screen TV.

Executive Chef Cliff Saladin says there’s something for everyone at Rioja. Lunch items consist of burgers, pastas, and a selection of six “sensational salads.” Top sellers are the Mediterranean cobb ($11) and the...

So you may have noticed, if you read my feature in this month’s Westchester Magazine or my recent post here on coal ovens, that I get a little jazzed about kitchen equipment. Nothing makes me breathe faster than paging through Harris Restaurant Supply’s inch-thick, industrial kitchen catalog, gazing at gleaming deck ovens, powerful floor-standing Hobart mixers, and nested stacks of seductive sizzle pans. Call me kinky that...

Lying off the beaten path in a residential neighborhood of Sleepy Hollow, Tyrynda Thai Restaurant has replaced what was formerly called Thai Garden. Open since April, the 80-seat dining room is tastefully decorated with Thai art, fresh flowers, lime-green walls, and white curtains and tablecloths.

An expansive menu highlights the complex flavors of Thai cuisine, incorporating spicy, mild, sweet, tangy, and savory. Husband-and-wife owners Sunny and Darunee Soncharoen point out...

Look, I love Philly: I’m thinking of morally decrepit Ben Franklin (who wrote a serious treatise on how to select a mistress, that buckle-shoed Quaker cochon) and Philly cheesesteaks. Rocky—though none of the sequels—and, wait, did I already say cheese-steaks? Anyway, I love the place…but you have to admit; Philadelphians do talk funny.

Let’s take their pronunciation of the word ”water”—it comes out through their permanently pursed lips into something closely resembling “wooder.” And just as Baltimoreans are from “Bawlamer”, so are Philadelphians from Fluffia. (Though I, myself, am from Nerrra Chel, New Yorrrrrk;...

In only a few short months, Frankie & Fanucci’s has quickly gained a loyal following of area pizzaphiles. Boasting a fiery wood-burning oven, the Hartsdale pizzeria is drawing attention for its flavorful, thin-crust, Neapolitan pies.

Frankie & Fanucci’s replaces what was once Lia’s; inside, the space was gutted and reworked with tiles, wood, and leather to create a dining room that’s casual and family-friendly, yet more upscale than your local pizzeria.

At the heart of the bustling open kitchen is an...

Ovens and I go way back. I started my long cooking career on the world’s crappiest, 70’s-era Magic Chef, with a 150-degree range of inaccuracy, and a vicious, back-corner hotspot. At some point (probably a decade before we junked it—Scots are pretty cheap), the pilot light failed, and when I wanted to cook, I had to reach inside it with a lit match and find the tiny hissing gas jet. Then—to see whether I succeeded—I had to drop to my knees and pull out the drawer, peering up into the oven’s guts to see whether its broiler jets were firing. (If I failed, I had to immediately turn off the gas, flap the oven doors a few times to get rid of built-up gas, then...

At one time, salads may have been considered “diet food”: a health-conscious meal concession, high on nutrition but low on taste. Times have changed, and the lowly salad has been given an image makeover. Eye-poppingly fresh, huge in size, and chock full of exciting and hearty ingredients, salads have gone from afterthought to satisfying meal.

At Mango Mix, an all-organic, eco-friendly juice and salad bar, customers can create their own salad or choose one of the specialty salads. Among the selections: pesto chicken paradise with...

Look, anyone who knows me knows that I’m all about the fancy; give me an escargot clamp, an amuse bouche, and lots and lots of different wine glasses. I love the rituals of the table, from thick napery to plush seating, but I confess: I’ve got a total jones for big, greasy sandwiches.

Maybe it’s because massive sandwiches are microcosmic meals. Handheld and nutritionally complete—in each bite, protein, veg, and carb meet in perfect union—a great sandwich is a sort of trick; an entire roasted dinner is served up in a single unit. Plus, to be honest, eating a sandwich also offers one of the few occasions in which I can grab my food in both hands and tear...

Family-owned and -operated, this restaurant and tavern across from the Hastings-on-Hudson train station has been a town mainstay for 16 years, serving up food and drink in a homey setting. The “Maud” of Maud’s Tavern is owner and chef Maud Tucker, who prides herself on her varied menu of “comfort food and international specialties.”

“We keep it real, no frou-frou,” notes Tucker.

The pub staples are here—mac ‘n cheese, burgers, French onion soup—and menu specials change daily, depending on the season and Tucker’s mood; don’t be surprised to see coconut curry, beef stew, or codfish over white beans. Signature...

Co-owner Keith Berardi paraphrases Donnie and Marie Osmond when describing The Peekskill Brewery: “The bar is a little bit rock ‘n roll, the dining room is a little bit country.” Indeed, there are two faces of The Peekskill Brewery, separated by a long hallway: an elegant New American restaurant and a buzzing brewpub.

The casual dining room features a seasonal menu that changes every two months. Current standouts include an appetizer of braised pork belly...