lohud's Jeanne Muchnick reflects on the year in food and looks ahead to 2024
It's been a year in the restaurant business. As in a huge year, with 2023 seeing the most growth in terms of new restaurants and other dining establishments. In Westchester and Rockland alone, there have been at least 127 new openings, 46 more than in 2022.
One area of insane openings — with more coming — are coffee shops, with a large chunk being husband-and-wife owned.
There have also been a lot of second locations for many businesses, among them Hastings' Penny Lick Ice Cream, now also in Mamaroneck; Bronxville's Dobbs & Bishop in Scarsdale; Coffee Lab Roasters, now on the Eastchester/Bronxville border (with their first spot in Tarrytown); and Chatterbox from Pleasantville, with a new takeout-oriented spot Chatterbox Per La Via in Hawthorne.
And, Italian restaurants never go out of style. There were already a lot of them in the Lower Hudson Valley but more have opened and continue to open including Piccola Trattoria in Dobbs Ferry, Allegria Ristorante in West Harrison, Alessia's Trattoria in Mamaroneck, Via Veroli and Marcellino's in Yonkers and Patsy's Pizzeria of Harrison.
Fusion is also big and seemingly getting bigger, as is a rise in Mediterranean cuisine.
Ditto speakeasies. I've written before about the nostalgia trend and the rise in speakeasies — the recently opened OMC in White Plans, the transformation of what had been Autumn in Sparkill to Six23 Social and the renovation (which should be finished by New Year's) of The Speakeasy at Divino in Hastings-on-Hudson. Then there's Invito in Elmsford, a new Mexican restaurant that sports a speakeasy in the back (and is opening soon).
A few other random thoughts:
Celebrities (and film crews!) love the Lower Hudson Valley
In 2023 we saw Ice-T dining at Gigante in Eastchester; Author James Patterson with his wife and friends (and fellow co-authors) Bill and Hillary Clinton at Tesoro D'Italia in Pleasantville; Martha Stewart at La Cremaillere in Bedford; Joe Torre, a former player, and manager of the Yankees, buying bread at The Kneaded Bread in Port Chester; Carl Banks, a radio commentator and two-time Super Bowl champion with the Giants, enjoying a meal at Lanni's Cucina Verace in Sparkill and Vanessa Williams dining at Mentor's Mediterranean in Chappaqua.
And who can forget Rockland resident Stephen Baldwin making coffee in Haverstraw? And Actress Beanie Feldstein ordering her wedding cake at By the Way Bakery in Hastings-on-Hudson.
The stars have also aligned in Tarrytown, Yonkers and White Plains where HBO's "The Gilded Age" has filmed locations at Lyndurst Castle, the Jacob Purdy House and Glenview Mansion, as well as in Nyack where Melissa McCarthy" was spotting doing scenes for "Bernard and the Genie," a remake of a Richard Curtis TV film of the same name.
Plus, Yonkers Brewing Company has had its star turn making cameos at Tom Selleck's dinner table in the CBS police drama "Blue Bloods." Plus two celebrity chefs made their way to Westchester this year: Gordon Ramsay featured El Cantito Cafe in Yonkers on his Fox show, "Kitchen Nightmares." and Guy Fieri, known for The Food Network's "Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives," filmed at Rinconcito Salvadoreñ in Port Chester.
More: Late-year restaurant openings: 12 new eateries debut in Lower Hudson (with more to come)
So, too, does Michelin and the Wine Spectator
A handful of Westchester restaurants always make The Wine Spectator's list for their extensive wine offerings. This year there were nine: Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills, Crabtree's Kittle House in Chappaqua, Moderne Barn in Armonk, Fogo de Chão and Morton's The Steakhouse, both in White Plains, Ocean Blue Prime in Rye, One Rare Italian Steakhouse in Scarsdale, Augustine’s Salumeria in Mamaroneck and 3 Westerly Bar & Grill in Ossining.
And all hail the king: Blue Hill at Stone Barns, which has received two stars since 2019 (and is the only Westchester restaurant to have achieved coveted "star status"), retained its rating for 2023.
Westchester loves coffee
This was the year of coffee shops with eight opening and nine more (that I know of) in the works. Keep your eyes peeled for How Ya Brewing Cafe in Tuckahoe; Sheza Coffee House in Yonkers; Blue Heron and Little Coffee Grinder in Mount Kisco; Sunshine Coffee Roasters' second location in Rye; Port Rush Coffee in Port Chester (signage is up!), Omini Cafe in Scarsdale (signage has been up); Sleepy Coffee, Too in Sleepy Hollow (which I keep mentioning but has been delayed) and Coffee Social in White Plains. Stay tuned to The Journal News/lohud as well as the lohud_food Instagram for updates.
Say hello to Chick-fil-A
Expect more Chick-fil-A's in the Lower Hudson. The fast food chicken chain opened its first Westchester location at the Ardsley Travel Plaza on the New York State Thruway in June and has plans to open at 2205 Central Park Ave. in Yonkers in what formerly had been an HSBC bank. Applications and plans are also in the works to open on Route 119 next to the Westchester County Center on the White Plains/Greenburgh border. In addition, exterior work started in October for a location at the Midway Shopping Center at Central Avenue and Ardsley Road in Greenburgh.
The company has also filed an application and is working through Clarkstown land use boards for the necessary approvals, with the goal of opening in mid to late 2024 at 52 Route 59 in Nanuet. If approved, it would be the largest Chick-fil-A in the Northeast, counting pickup lanes and outside grounds.
Manhattan restaurateurs are opening more spots in the 'burbs
Westchester has always drawn New York City chefs and restaurateurs to the area. But lately, there's an added surge north due, in large part, to the pandemic and a shift in priorities. Among the newcomers this year: Andrea Calstier and Elena Oliver, who previously owned Papilles in Manhattan’s East Village, with Cenadou Bistrot in North Salem, and Jonathan Aubrey, who hails from Eleven Madison Park with Micheline in Scarsdale. Add to that Celebrity Chef David Burke, who for many years worked at Manhattan's iconic River Café, who opened Red Horse by David Burke in White Plains earlier this year, and Harry Sinanaj, who spent 16 years in New York City restaurants, with One Rare Italian Steakhouse, which opened in Scarsdale in January.
French bistros gain traction
This year alone, there were four French bistro openings, namely the aforementioned Bistro de Ville and Micheline in Scarsdale, Cenadou in North Salem and Café Deux in Harrison. That's on top of existing French newbies Brasserie D in Nyack, Brasserie Le Steak in Larchmont, Petite Bretagne in Mamaroneck and La Crémaillère in Bedford.
New real estate = new restaurants
Harrison has been transformed, both with the additions of new apartments and new restaurants. That includes Café Deux, Patsy's, Fat Stu's, Table 13 Pizzeria, Tako Mexican, and, early next year, Barroom and Poké Motion Station. But Harrison's not the only one. New Rochelle is also booming with new coffee shops in high-rises not to mention lots more buildings which will no doubt bring in more dining establishments (not to mention gentrification concerns). In fact the question should be: Where isn't new development happening? I've seen it in Nyack, Port Chester, Pleasantville, White Plains, Tarrytown, Peekskill and Sleepy Hollow where, at the Edge-on-Hudson, a DeCicco's & Sons — the family's 11th store — is coming.
Honey, I'm here!
As mentioned above, there are more and more married couples opening businesses together. In coffee shops alone there are at least eight (think Coffee Lab Roasters in Tarrytown, Laughing Horse Coffee & Tea Co. in Harrison, The Pamplemousse Project in White Plains, The Producer Coffee Studio in Port Chester, Here Coffee + Beer in Ossining, Common Grounds Cafe in Jefferson Valley, The Farmers Grind in North Salem and Coffee Ride Cafe in Nyack).
That's on top of newly opened restaurants, bake shops and music venues including Ian Hendrickson-Smith and Jennifer Larisey of Uncle Cheef in Brewster; Madison and Chase Fox Harnett of The Hudson Oven in Croton-on-Hudson; Melanie LaHara and Marc Kenyon of Our Place Kitchen & Bar in Yorktown Heights; Andrea Calstier and Elena Oliver of Cenadou in North Salem; Brittany Vellucci and Michael Ridd of Wildacre in Irvington; Casey Troutman and Kaitlin Dunn of Rye Republic in Brewster; and Marc Taxiera and Brianne Myers of Augustine's Salumeria in Mamaroneck.
Not to mention "old-timers" like Cheryl Baun and Paolo Garcia Mendoza of Karenderya in Nyack; Susan and Chris O'Keefe of Baked by Susan in Croton-on-Hudson; Christina and Matt Safarowic of Freddy's in Pleasantville; and Gino and Floria Uli of Divino Cucina Italiana in Hastings-on-Hudson and Hudson Prime Steakhouse in Irvington.
More: How to find the best food in Westchester, Rockland and see what new spots are opening soon
Golf is in swing
Two new concept spots featuring state-of-the-art golf simulators and chef-driven menus (and cocktails) have recently opened in the Lower Hudson Valley: Golfzon Social in Scarsdale and West Nyack, with X-Golf in Scarsdale opening soon.
Craft beer taps into a thirst
Last year I wrote about the openings of new taprooms such as Run & Hide in Port Chester, 18th Ward Brewing in New Rochelle, Sim Coe Beer Bar in Scarsdale, Two Ladders Brewing Company in West Nyack, and Stony Point Brewing Company in West Haverstraw.
That trend continues with the opening of three new breweries in 2023: Yonkers' Simple Motive Brewing Company, New York Craft Coalition in Mamaroneck, and Round Table Brewery in Garnerville. Also tapping into the beer love: The Captain Lawrence Beer Garden that opened this past summer at Rye Playland.
I'll have mine toasted!
Avocado toast is not the only fave on the menu. Many Rockland and Westchester spots have gotten more creative with toasts, offering everything from marinated and roasted mushrooms with truffle butter and radicchio on a slice of Balthazar bread to roasted squash puree, fried basil leaves, burrata and sunflower seeds. And more toast is coming in the form of Toastique, a gourmet toast, juice and smoothie franchise, which is hoping to open multiple locations in Westchester next year. Stay tuned on this one.
Bubble tea is big
Bubble tea continues to make a splash with the February opening of Kung Fu Tea in New Rochelle, Dragon Tea in Mamaroneck (August) and Fuel Hub in Tarrytown (December) which specialies in energy mega teas and smoothies.
There have more openings than closings
It's been a head-spining year with 127 openings (as opposed to 81 last year), at least in the Lower Hudson Valley, something many restaurant owners attribute both to demand and opportunity. There's also lots of great food, as evidenced by my "Best Thing I Ate" series that I hope you're following (look for my end-of-the-year roundup).
Notable, however, in the closings department have been some longtime beloved staples such as Hoyer's Ice Cream, a West Haverstraw fixture since 1933; Peekskill Brewery which had been brewing beer in Peekskill for 15 years; Graziella's Italian Restaurant, in White Plains for 27 years, and the recent announcement from Riviera Bakehouse in Ardsley, which will close the end of January after 70+ years. Plus, just outside our area (and great for day trips), the family-owned Baldwin Vineyards, known for its strawberry wine, which has been in business for 42 years in Pine Bush.
2024 means apps, convenience and fried chicken
Other trends, according to a Square sponsored article hosted by Restaurant Dive, include the rise of sustainability and automation. Another part of the conversation includes concerns about a potential recession. Per the National Restaurant Association's 2023 What's Hot Culinary Forecast, created in partnership with the American Culinary Federation and strategic consulting firm Technomic, while consumers feel inflationary pressures, the cost of groceries is currently outpacing higher menu items, meaning people still want to go to restaurants.
As always restaurant owners are poised to adapt and pivot as need be. Some other key points from the Square-sponsored article sure to make an impact in 2024 include the following:
Automation is key. With 31% of nationwide restaurant owners being short-staffed for two years, automation helps maximize staff efficiency and frees up time for more crucial tasks.
Restaurants are exploring new revenue streams. That incudes more retail goodies such as selling their coffee, tote bags or sauces. Long story short: it's no longer just about the food, but about the experience.
Customers want to connect. Email, texts, newsletters are now key ingredients to running a successful business with 43% of nationwide restaurant owners planning a different marketing approach to target the Gen Z generation.
Look for kiosks for placing orders and taking payments. Customer convenience is a core part of the customer experience, allowing customers to order how they want and when they want, empowering them to own part of their experience. Many local spots have been enlisting kiosks for awhile, along with their own apps, such as the Mason Sandwich Co. in Eastchester, T-Swirl in White Plains (which has the kiosk system only) and Napoli's Pizza in New City, which has its own app.
Online ordering continues to grow. More restaurateurs want to take charge of their online ordering and delivery in 2023 and decrease reliance on third parties, with 61% saying they’ll continue offering food delivery directly through their restaurant — a 12% increase from last year.
Expect more items designed for takeout. Remote work has profoundly disrupted the concept of set meal periods. The convenience of accessing any kind of meal or snacks 24/7 through delivery, curbside pickup, counter pickup and drive-thru has had an impact on foodservice, according to the National Restaurant Association's 2023 What's Hot Culinary Forecast. That means a proliferation of handheld items, bowls, sandwiches, wraps and meal solutions to go.
As for what foods might be popular in the new year? The Culinary Forecast reports comfort foods and healthier items will remain top of mind for diners, as will fried chicken sandwiches, charcuterie boards, flatbread sandwiches and healthier wraps, siracha variations, globally inspired salads and Southeast Asian food.
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: lohud's Jeanne Muchnick reflects on year in food, looks ahead to 2024
