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FeedRestaurant Openings, Closings, Kitchen Changes, and Food Events in Westchester County, NY: April 2012
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Havana Central’s pernil, a slow-roasted-pork dish. |
Restaurateur Paul Chou, former owner of now-defunct Hunan Village, has opened another Chinese restaurant, GEM-Cuisines of China (1828 Central Ave, Yonkers 914-361-1499; gemchineserestaurant.com), in the same space. Open every day for lunch and dinner, the restaurant serves haute Chinese fare, including such selections as maple-lemon chicken with seaweed and pine nuts; Hunan beef with watercress; jumbo shrimp with mustard fruit sauce; and Shanghai, red braised prawns. Entrées cost from $14 to $32. A short international wine list and specialty cocktail menu are also offered // Handmade empanadas, crispy shredded beef, paellas, and other Cuban fare are on the menu at Havana Central (238 Market St at Ridge Hill, Yonkers 914-423-5500; havanacentral.com). Dinner entrées cost from $15 to $25; lunch specials start at $9.95. All go down well with the Mojitos or sangria. Look for live Latin music Thursday to Sunday from 8 to 11 pm. Havana Central is open every day for lunch and dinner, plus brunch on Sunday // The first New York-metro location of national chain Brio Tuscan Grille has opened in Yonkers (160 Market St at Ridge Hill, Yonkers 914-709-1000; brioitalian.com). The Tuscan-inspired dishes served at Brio include “under-the-brick” chicken, angel hair pasta with shrimp and roasted artichokes, and sweet-potato-and-chicken risotto. Mains cost from $13 to $28. Brio is open for lunch and dinner every day; brunch is served on weekends from 11 am to 3 pm. A $2.95 bar menu is offered weekdays, as are $5 martinis on Wednesdays // Eclisse Mediterreaneo Cucina has closed; set to open soon in its stead is Mulberry Street Italian Kitchen (189 E Post Rd, White Plains 914-761-1111; mulberrystreetwp.com). The restaurant will be open every day for dinner only // The bi-level Dúo Tapas Bar & Lounge (748 Yonkers Ave, Yonkers 914-294-0034; duotapasbar.com) is part small-bites eatery and part dance club. On the menu: Cuban sliders, tempura shrimp, flank steak nachos, drunken mussels, and a barbecued pulled pork wrap. Most items are less than $15. Dúo is open Tuesday to Friday, noon to 4 am, and Saturday and Sunday, 2:30 pm to 4 am // Subs, basic pasta dishes, panini, and, of course, pizza are offered at Blackboard Pizza Shop (628 North Ave, New Rochelle 914-654-8400; blackboardpizzashop.com).
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Brio Tuscan Grille’s bruschetta varieties include roasted red pepper as well as sliced steak. |
Try the personal grilled pies ($8.50 to $10), including the whole wheat and the Blackboard, with chunky, plum tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, oregano, and basil. Fried pickles are a specialty of the house. Blackboard Pizza is open every day for lunch and dinner and until 4 am Thursday through Saturday // Bedford Post (954 Old Post Rd, Bedford 914-234-7800; bedfordpostinn.com) has launched an initiative targeting local charities; a donation of $10 from every tasting menu ($75) purchased at The Farmhouse will be made to a different organization each month. The Bedford Historical Charity is this month’s recipient // To honor the Greek Orthodox heritage of its owners, the Livanos family, City Limits Diner (200 Central Ave, White Plains 914-686-9000; 135 Harvard Ave, Stamford, CT 203-348-7000; citylimitsdiner.com) is offering a Greek Lenten menu every day starting at 5 pm-on through April 14. Lenten specialties are void of meat and dairy and include such dishes as vegetable moussaka, crispy scallops, and grilled prawns with sautéed eggplant ($16 to $23). The restaurant’s Stamford outpost will offer an Orthodox Easter menu on Sunday, April 15, with traditional holiday favorites including a shredded romaine salad, hortopita (a savory pie of greens and herbs), and roasted leg of baby lamb // Chef Chiharu Takei, previously executive chef of Sankara Hotel & Spa Group in Yakushima, Japan, is the new executive chef at Castle on the Hudson (400 Benedict Ave, Tarrytown 914-631-1980; castleonthehudson.com). Takei also has experience working at Michelin-starred restaurants including Joël Robuchon and Maison Troisgros in France // The Hilton Westchester (699 Westchester Ave, Rye Brook 914-939-6300; hilton.com), previously known as The Hilton Rye Town, has named Rafael Velazquez executive chef responsible for the hotel’s Tulip Tree and härth restaurants, Den Lounge, in-room dining, banquets, catering, and events. Velazquez was formerly executive chef of the 139-room, luxury St. Regis Bahia Beach Resort in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico.
