New Irvington restaurant: Club Car Grille set to open May 16 with train theme
What had, for 25 years, been River City Grille in Irvington is now Club Car Grille. The new American-style restaurant, with room for 70 in the dining area and 25 in the bar area, opens May 16 and promises a lot of the same mixed with a lot that's new.
So what's different?
Owner Matt Kay, who also owns Hudson Social in Dobbs Ferry, said there wasn't a lot to do as the place already had "really great bones." Diners will find the same layout, just with lightened floors, a new coat of paint, a touch of blue, some new decor and a new bar with a natural concrete color (it had been black before).
He also took down the window blinds in the dining room to again, make the room lighter and brighter.
Overall, Kay kept the same look with white tablecloths on each table, blue napkins, white plates and a more relaxed ambiance in the bar area where there's a mixture of high tops and regular-sized seating (no tablecloths in this room!) along with three TVs.
Club Car Grille comes with train theme
The main dining room, according to Kay, was once a mid-1900s train car. "That's how this restaurant was started," he said. "This was the club car and that’s why we decided to call it the Club Car Grille." Coincidently, he said, Hudson Social is also on the train tracks (it's located at the Metro-North Station) so he now has two restaurants with train concepts.
Look closely, in fact, and you'll see the subtle train theme in the old photos of club cars by the maître d' stand, a train logo on a wall near the back of the dining room, railroad track pictures hanging in a corner, and a cocktail called the Broadway Sidecar with Remy VSOP cognac, orange liquor, fresh lemon and a sugar rim.
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What about the food?
Expect classic American cuisine that's a little elevated, seasonal and modern. That means a raw bar with the always Instagrammable tower of seafood and plenty of American favorites like pasta, chicken, salmon, steak, soups, salads. As with Hudson Social, there's a variety of gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options, all of which are marked on the menu.
Executive Chef Michael Wendt, whose been cooking professionally for 20 years, the last three of which were at X20 Xaviars on the Hudson in Yonkers, is particularly proud of the restaurant's housemade tagliatelle made with ramp pesto, English peas, pistachio and lemon. An avid hiker, Wendt forages for the ramps himself and so puts a lot of passion into his ramp pesto.
He's also planning to use as many seasonal ingredients as possible and doesn't rule out the option of sushi down the road, something he did at X20.
Other standouts include the Club Car Burger, with sharp cheddar, applewood smoked bacon, house pickles, brioche bun and special "CCG sauce;" lobster roll with chilled Maine lobster, celery, mayo, New England bun and French fries; polenta bites with smoked paprika aioli and sea salt; chicken lollipops with Korean barbecue sauce, sesame seeds and shaved scallions; lobster and blue crab mac and cheese and a double-cut pork chops with cherry peppers and house chips.
Desserts include a housemade blueberry cobbler, flourless chocolate cake and bread pudding with bourbon caramel sauce and vanilla ice cream.
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Club Car Grille will also serve an extensive brunch with French toast, avocado toast, pancakes, breakfast burrito, omelets and an option for bottomless mimosas, Bloody Marys and Bellinis (90-minute limit).
Diners will also find a weekday Happy Hour menu with $2 oysters, an assortment of sliders, "French onion" grilled cheese and a grilled ahi tuna sandwich.
If you go
Address: 6 S. Broadway, Irvington, 914-591-2033, clubcargrille.com.
Hours: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday; to 11 p.m. Friday. Saturday from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Happy Hour is 4 to 7 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday; with brunch Saturday and Sunday from 11 am. to 3 p.m.
Prices: In the $14 to $48 range with most entrees from $24 to $38.
Good to know: There's a small parking lot, street parking and a large municipal lot across the street. There's also room for private dining which can accommodate up to 25.
Grand opening: May 16 at 4 p.m. The restaurant is currently taking reservations.
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: New in Westchester: Historic train car has new life as Club Car Grille
