The former Town House in New Rochelle gets a rebrand, with 'home' as its centerpiece

"Our house is your house." Such is the motto at the newly revamped Town House Kitchen + Drinks in New Rochelle, which opens May 16.

The 120-seat restaurant, previously known as Town House — and closed since last December — is now operating under a new partnership (prior owner Tom Middleton and new partner Thomas Yagoda, CEO of the Marcus Samuelsson Restaurant Group) with a new group of seasoned professionals.

Culinary Creative Director Renee Forsberg, the master behind the approachable bistro dishes, formerly worked as the Culinary Director for Celebrity Chef Bobby Flay's full-service restaurants for almost two decades, including Mesa Grill, Bar Americain, Bobby Flay Steak, Gato, and Shark, while General Manager Michael Hildebrandt has 28 years experience in the hospitality business, both for Bobby Flay in midtown Manhattan, as well as managing and operating various restaurant concepts for two luxury resorts in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Yagoda has his own impressive chops. The Ossining resident co-founded the James Beard-nominated seafood concept Hav & Mar, the vibrant comfort casual concept Marcus Bar & Grille, and most recently Chef Samuelsson’s first barbecue concept, Vibe BBQ. He also oversaw operations for Bobby Flay’s New York City restaurants for over a decade and subsequently launched the award-winning Gramercy Park seafood restaurant Oceans. And he recently partnered with longtime Westchester Chef Christian Petroni at the new Coastal Italian restaurant in Nashville, Ella’s by Christian Petroni, previously reported by The Journal News/lohud.com.

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So what's changed?

While the layout is the same, with a bar on the first and second floor and a third floor space devoted mainly to private dining, corporate rentals and community events, everything else is different.

To start, the space is warmer and homier with the theme of "home" playing a big part in the decor. "We just had fun with it and got into the spirit of house," said Yagoda.

All the pictures hanging on the walls — which were bought at local shops — feature imagery of an assortment of houses or things that make houses come alive including one Yagoda took of his grandmother's home in Philadelphia when he was in college and one from his mother-in-law's attic. In total, there are about 50 on the walls of the first and second floor.

The mission of the space, stressed Yagoda, is about gathering. "For us, it's about gathering for dinners at the bar, gathering for dinners with friends and family, sometimes casual, sometimes elevated and sometimes special occasions and so Town House Kitchen + Drinks is also great for private events."

In other words, it's the kind of house you can make your own. Wordage on the menu even encourages diners to explore the space.

And that means taking the elevator (or the stairs). The elevator, however is more fun, thanks to the addition of an Instagram selfie sticker inside where you're invited to "Show us your love" (and tag the restaurant!) as well as exterior art by Connecticut artist Michael Ulrich which features different images of a man and woman. The poses of the two change depending on which floor you're on.

Overall, the place has an increased level of whimsy with Art Deco-looking signage that reads "Secret Ingredients" and "Do Not Disturb." The addition of new chairs and tables, some featuring high-tops, some booths, some traditional, make the place, done in warm tones of blonde, brown, gold and blue, feel welcoming to all kinds of diners.

Tell me about the menu

Also different: the food. While the restaurant had a Portuguese bent in its previous incarnation, the menu is now more focused on classic American bistro fare such as a "Simply Roasted Half Chicken" with baby carrots, lemon and pan juice; Lobster + Bucatini (with tomato, basil, tarragon and crème fraiche); Crispy Pork Milanese (with arugula, cherry tomato, parmesan and lemon); Rib-Eye Steak Frites (a 12-ounce prime with shallot-herb butter and roasted garlic aioli); and a Town House Smashburger with bacon, caramelized onions, special sauce and fries.

Other stand-outs include a raw bar trio featuring Maine oysters, poached shrimp cocktail and tuna tartare; a pot of PEI Mussels; a Hummus Bowl (with feta, dill yogurt, olive, tomato, cucumber and pita); Mediterranean snapper and a wild mushroom pizza.

"The goal was to offer something for everyone at an approachable price point," said Yagoda. "There's also a lot of seasonality behind the menu."

As for dessert, expect ice cream from Hastings-based Penny Lick, as well as, in two weeks, gluten-free desserts from By the Way Bakery in Hastings. Coffee is from Pelham's Café Ammi Roasting Co.

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Drinks are important

The restaurant was purposely named Town House Kitchen + Drinks as a way to emphasize the drinks in addition to the cuisine.

That means a "fun worldly wine list," according to Yagoda (Hildebrandt curated it) as well as playful libations with a sense of humor like "Hope it Goes Well," (with reposado tequila, passionfruit, lime and tajin-chipotle and salt); "Awkward DM Slide," (with Empress 1908 Indigo gin, crème de violette, lemon and sparkling wine); "Am I Blushing?" (with raspberry vodka, rosé syrup, dry Curaçao, cranberry and lime) and "Super Unhinged," (mezcal, Suze cordial, vermouth Bianco).

To make your wine choices easier, the wine list is divided into approachable categories such as "Light & Refreshing Whites;" "Interesting Whites;" "Fuller Whites;" "Middle of the Road Reds;" "Nice & Easy Reds," "Opulent Reds," and more.

Yagoda and his team are so passionate about their vintages that they're calling the 11-seat second-floor bar the wine bar. (The first floor has a 15-seat bar, as an FYI.)

Skylight Studios

There's more to the restaurant than just food and drinks. The third floor, with a light-filled skylight (hence the name) features flexible space for private dining and corporate events. Twelve can fit in The Salon, a private dining room towards the front that also easily converts into a conference room.

In addition, there's room for seated meals for 40 or closer to 80, reception style. Yagoda also plans to host a rotating list of local art exhibits, musical performances, wine tastings and more as a way to be more involved with the community, something that's very important to him. A podcast studio is also in the works.

Bottom line, said Yagoda: he and his team are excited to bring a new level of hospitality to New Rochelle  and hopefully become a place diners can call their home away from home.

“Creating unforgettable experiences is our passion," he said. “But we also don't take ourselves too seriously. We want every visit to be infused with a sense of fun and discovery.”

If you go

Address: 559 Main Street, New Rochelle, 914-278-9278; townhousekd.com. Hours: 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday; Happy Hour 4 to 7 p.m. daily at the first and second-floor bars.

Prices: From $13 to $36 with most entrees in the $23 to $32 range. Good to know: Brunch will start in June. Yagoda is also planning to offer a variety of community events like art exhibits, local music and more. The restaurant's website lists extensive information on where best to park.

In the future: A rooftop garden is a down the road project as is possibly harvesting honey from bees.

Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @jeannemuchnick or via the lohudfood newsletter. 

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Former Town House restaurant in New Rochelle NY gets a rebrand