Westchester Magazine‘s Leslie Ann Brill covered food-focused media in our area and her round up included Fork This with IntoxiKate. Brill writes:
And in other media, we have a new radio show: Fork This with Katie Schlientz (she’s also a contributor to Westchester Magazine) on WFAS (AM 1230), Fridays from 2-3 pm, featuring interviews with local chefs.
Big thank you to Brill and Westchester Magazine for including the new radio show.
#IntoxiKate
Wolfert’s Roost, opened shortly before Thanksgiving. In a few short months, the eatery has transformed into the new neighborhood hot spot, with Friday and Saturday dinner reservations filling up fast. I’ve been to the restaurant a few times to try the fried chicken (ah-mazing!) and the tuna papaya salad (an IntoxiKate favorite), but haven’t devoted a blog post to it yet. Until now.
The Roost is a collaboration between chefs Eric Korn, of Good-Life Gourmet, and Jennie Werts, formally of Ouest and Zengo in the city. The duo tag-teamed the menu to come up with a variety of dishes that encourage sharing (like Vietnamese pho and torta di spaghetti with pork ragu) packaged in a family-friendly atmosphere. That’s right parents—you can bring the kids and enjoy an incredible meal. Just make sure to BYOB.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of tasting Korn’s food at events across the county (living under a rock?!?), you may have heard his name paired with the title “pop up king of Westchester.” The chef is well-known for his several-course dinners hosted at random locations (check out his Golden Knives Challenge).
Korn and Werts are keeping this tradition alive in Irvington. While you can order the omakase tasting dinner off their regular menu every evening, they’re also planning on hosting a pop up restaurant at 100 Main Street every month. The space is small, so reservations will be limited. So make sure to check back with IntoxiKate.com to make sure you’re in the know on upcoming dates and themes.
Want a little taste of what the two can do? Check out the New Year’s Eve tasting menu ($85 per person) that was exciting, innovative, and incredible.
{Warning: #FoodPorn ahead}
Foie with Pop Rocks and Raspberry Sauce.
Rainbow Carrots and Tops with Orange Vin and Hazelnuts.
Lobster Chowder.
Mushroom Salad with Lemon Vin, Croutons, Shaved Piave, Herbs and Quail Egg.
Beef Cheek Ravioli with Smoky Ricotta and Chervil.
Fried Chicken with Preserved Lemon and Basil.
Coconut Cheesecake with Salted Caramel
{Wolfert’s Roost: 100 Main St., Irvington, 914-231-7576, wolfertsroostirv.com}
Speaking of hot drinks, did you hear about the new cup of joe at Starbucks? It’s called the Flat White. It’s an expresso beverage with an “intense coffee flavor.” It includes steamed whole milk and is finished with a latte art dot. Apparently, it is quite popular in Australia and the UK. Now those of you who are counting calories for the new year may want to opt for a regular coffee, because this weighs in at 220 calories, 11 grams of total fat and 17 grams of sugar.
The Girl Scouts are adding a few new cookies to their roster that will hopefully satisfy those gluten free sweet tooths out there. The Toffee-tastic and the Trios are both gluten free—Toffee-tastic is a butter cookie with pieces of toffee and the trios is a peanut butter, chocolate chip and oat combo. They are also introducing the Rah-Rah Raisin, which is their version of an oatmeal cookie with yogurt-flavored chunks. (That one is NOT gluten free). I’m not sure if these options can stray me from my Thin Mint and Tagalong habit, but I’ll give them a try.
• We can start with Irvington hot-spot Wolfert’s Roost, which is a collaboration between Eric Korn of Good-Life Gourmet catering company and Chef Jennie Werts. They have some of the best fried chicken I’ve ever had, as well as a Pho, a Vietnamese-style noodle soup. They are located right on Main Street.
• Iron Vine is new on the Peekskill scene on Main Street. They are serving tapas, but also look for their artisan cocktail menu and brunch on weekends.
• Bonnie Saran, who owns a trio of littles on Mount Kisco (Little Spice Bazaar, Little Crepe Street and Little Kebab Station) just open the Little Mumbai Market on Bedford Road in Pleasantville. Serving street food like Bombay Frankie rolls, which are flatbreads stuffed with spiced meat or vegetables.
• And I’m super excited to visit the Yonkers Brewing Company’s tasting room that opens January 17th at 1 p.m. The new tasting room is located at 92 Main Street in Yonkers, adding another exciting lineup of options for the Yonkers area.
Flat White coffee photo courtesy of Starbucks.
Shortly after launching IntoxiKate, restaurants approached me to start hosting events for my followers, who I lovingly call the Westchester #FoodieNation. We’ve sipped cocktails together at The Castle in Tarrytown, we’ve dined on steak at Benjamin Steakhouse in White Plains, and we kicked off the holidays in the VIP Lounge and Alley 810 at the Empire City Casino in Yonkers. And that’s just to name a few.
So how can you stay in the loop on the next IntoxiKate event AND reviews, news and more? Well, you can obviously tune in to my new show, Fork This with IntoxiKate, every Friday from 2 to 3 p.m. or download the AM 1230 WFAS app for iPhone and Andriod. But you can also visit IntoxiKate.com to sign up to be on the #FoodieNation email list.
If you missed the first show (original air date: Jan 9th), or if you caught the show are are looking for additional info, check out the info below!
Dips in the temperature like the ones we’ve been experiencing lately make me do one thing—break out my crock pot to whip up some homemade soups and stews. I’ll be sharing some of my own recipes soon, but take a look at this amazing recipe from the pastry folks over at City Limits Diner in White Plains. If you haven’t been to City Limits, they are located across the street from the Westchester County Center, and have an amazing menu. I happen to love having breakfast there and recommend their Orange Lemon Waffle which is topped with seasonal fruit. They also have a Crab and Lobster Eggs Benedict if you prefer to have savory options in the AM. But Chef Tracy shared her special Valhrona hot chocolate recipe with me for the IntoxiKate Holiday Guide (which is my seasonal online magazine). Now, Valhrona chocolate is a high-grade luxury chocolate so you just know that’s going to be good…
I also mentioned that Elizabeth Mascali from Party BluPrints shared her Chicken Chipotle Chili recipe on my Facebook page. If you’re looking for a savory option, you can check out that recipe here.
Friday, I had owner Jeff Rosen and Chef Enzo De Raco (pictured with me above) from MTK Tavern (30 E. Main St., Mount Kisco, 914-218-3334) on to discuss their new menu and slew of music events at the eatery. Check out two of their featured dishes below, and for more information on their upcoming events, visit www.mtktavern.com or their official Facebook page.
Pickled onions atop the coconut curry chicken nachos. They had a nice heat, but weren’t too spicy.
The duck confit tacos housed in a soft pork bun “shell.”
Happy New Year!
Today was a pretty amazing day. While an email of the news was hitting Westchester foodies’ inboxes, I was at the WFAS studio, recording the promo for my new radio show. Fork This! with IntoxiKate is on air every Friday from 2-3 p.m. on AM 1230 WFAS. Won’t you join me for chat over a late lunch?
IntoxiKate.com started as a vehicle to connect diners and chefs in new ways, and since then, it’s evolved into a pretty exciting (and enticing) medium. Through events, blog posts, videos (and now radio), I’ve been eating like a gluttonous fool to bring you the best food news and reviews. Tough job, I know! 😉
It’s amazing to see this community of strangers and food lovers, meet new people and enjoy conversation over a great meal. Every time I leave an IntoxiKate event, I have the chills. I am humbled by the amount of support I’ve received from restaurant industry professionals, and I am encouraged just thinking of future ventures.
If you know me by now, you know that I love to make things interactive (I hate dining solo)! Here are just a few ways you can get involved and be a part of Fork This:
• Not near a radio? Listen online via this handy dandy link.
• Download the AM 1203 WFAS app for iPhone or Andriod.
• Calling in! I’d love to hear about your recent dining experiences. Feel free to show some love: 914-693-5700.
• Tweet your questions at @KatieSchlientz. I’ll be answering them on air.
Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the love and support!
#IntoxiKate
“Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat…”
When I think of holiday dining, I can’t help but think of the old nursery rhyme/Christmas carol my grandfather would sing every year. If your goose isn’t getting fat {or, you’ve decided to forgo cooking altogether this year}, you may want to swing by these Westchester restaurants for a meal and a little holiday cheer.
{IntoxiKate Tip! Make sure to make reservations ahead of time!}
Open: 5 – 9 p.m.
The Deal: Four-Course Prix Fixe Dinner for $89
Tasting Notes: It may not be billed as the ‘Feast of the Seven Fishes,” but the seafood is certainly the main event on Christmas Eve. The first course is served family style—hot antipasti with grilled shrimp, crab stuffed littlenecks, smoked mussels, and then a little of the farm comes through with a Caesar salad. Second course options include Portuguese octopus with warm potato and pickled shallots or Nantucket Bay scallops with risotto and white truffle. There are great fish options in course four—Artic char with sunchokes, chanterelles and garden leeks or halibut with artichokes and oyster mushrooms. Dessert has a few options including sticky toffee pudding or Meyer lemon tart (um, yum!)
Book Now: 100 Titicus Rd., North Salem, 914-617-8380, www.farmerandthefish.com
Open: For lunch (11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.) and dinner (5-10 p.m.)
The Deal: Select great dishes off of Mambo’s a la carte menu; paella specials are available.
Tasting Notes: Chef Arlen Gargagliano cooks a variety of traditional Latin American with her little twists—it’s hard to choose between dishes like chimichurri-marinated hanger steak or pernil. My recommendation? Order a few dishes to share for the tables. P.S. Don’t miss the caipirinha. Just make sure to have a DD on hand—Brazil’s national cocktail can leave you real jolly!
Book Now: 64 Main St., Tuckahoe, 914-222-9964, www.mambo64.com
Looking for something to do post-dinner? Check out The Tapp’s Christmas Eve Cookie Swap. From 7 – 11 p.m. the bar will be bar service only, so make sure to bring cookies and the accompanying recipe to share (although it’s not mandatory). Need some “milk” with those cookies? Try the Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout. The Tapp: 17 N. Broadway, Tarrytown, 914-703-6022, www.thetappny.com
Open: Starting at 12 p.m.
The Deal: Three-Course Prix Fixe Dinner for $59.95
Tasting Notes: The meal starts off this a little holiday eggnog (the bartenders are more than willing to spike it for you!) and appetizers like lobster bisque or their delicious crab cakes. More your main course, you of course have a prime rib eye steak, but the grilled Chilean sea bass is also available. Benjamin’s traditional desserts round out the evening. I happen to love their apple strudel, but seasonal favorites like pecan pie and cheesecake are also available.
Book Now: 610 W. Hartsdale Rd., White Plains, 914-428-6868, www.benjaminsteakhouse.com
Open: 4 – 9 p.m.
The Deal: Specially designed Three-Course Prix Fixe Menu for $45
Tasting Notes: Although the regular menu is also available, don’t miss Chef Rafael Palomino’s Chino-Latino holiday menu. Fusion dishes like brasied chicken wonton and scallion Soup and ceviche with yellowfun tuna, ginger, lemongrass and coconut milk offer a break from the traditional turkey and stuffing of the holiday season. Entrees include soy citrus caramelized salmon with arugula enoki and mushrooms in a ginger sauce and sauteed shrimp with black forbidden rice in a mango lemongrass sauce. Leave room for dessert—although it will be hard to choose between churros and flan!
Book Now: 179 Rectory St., Port Chester, 914-933-0200, www.sonorarestaurant.net
Open: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. (for dinner) and 9:30 p.m. to 1 a.m. (cocktail party)
The Deal: Omakase dinner $85; Cocktail Party $65
Tasting Notes: The Irvington hot spot, by Chef Eric Korn of Good-Life Gourmet and Chef Jennie Werts, is delivering not one, but TWO options for New Year’s Eve—score a tasting dinner early in the evening featuring the chef’s selection of their favorite dishes (like wild mushroom bruschetta and fried chicken) or enjoy the cocktail party set later in the evening. Heads up—The Roost has no liquor license, so make sure to BYOB.
Book Now: 100 Main St., Ivington, 914-231-7576, www.wofertsroostirv.com
Open: 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
The Deal: $125 per person
Tasting Notes: Party in Greenwich! The evening starts off with a four-course dinner including options dishes like duck confit, pan roasted chicken, and mini spiced cupcakes. A four-hour open bar with a DJ, dance floor (shake those calories off), and champagne toast at midnight fills the rest of the evening.
Book Now: 2 Water St., Greenwich, CT, 203-900-1100, www.charct.com
Open: Party starts at 7:30
The Deal: Four Course Menu for $60 (+ a la carte beverages)
Tasting Notes: Chef Vincenzo DeRaco, formerly of X20, has been shaking things up in the kitchen at MTK, and the New Year’s Eve menu is no different. Enjoy goodies like homemade guacamole, pork shank osso bucco, and bread pudding. The tunes of local band ChopHaus will help you dance your way into the new year!
Book Now: 30 E. Main St., Mount Kisco, 914-218-3334, www.mtktavern.com
‘Tis the season of giving, and the City of Yonkers has once again rounded up their restaurants, offering holiday cocktail recipes and a chance to eat, drink and be merry… {Someone must be on the ‘nice” list because here’s your chance to win dinner for two!}
Check out the full list of holiday cocktail recipes here (or better yet, visit the eatery to have one shaken up for you), but in the meantime, tempt those taste buds with the Candy Mint Crush, courtesy of Dolphin Restaurant, Bar & Lounge:
Candy Mint Crush
3 oz 3 Olives Vanilla Vodka
1.5 oz Godiva White Chocolate Liquer
2 oz Creme de Menthe
Served up with candy cane garnish.
After battling the chilly temperatures for those outdoor tasks—shoveling the walk, battling for a parking spot at the mall, stringing up those holiday lights—we tend to crave something hot. Feed your soul with something on the sweeter side, like a generous cup of hot cocoa. City Limits has the perfect concoction ($5.95), crafted with Valrhona chocolate and Pastry Chef Tracy Kamperdyk Assue’s homemade marshmallows. If the weather outside is truly frightful and you can’t make it to the White Plains diner, try making their delicious version at home (click on the magazine to read the hot chocolate recipe full screen).
Looking for the perfect cookie to dip in your cocoa? Check out Assue’s recipe for Chocolate Fondue and Sable Cookies below!
City Limits Diner Pastry Chef Tracy Kamperdyk Assue
Yields approximately 50 cookies
Chocolate Fondue
Ingredients:
12oz. Heavy cream
1/2 Vanilla bean (seeded)
10 oz. Chocolate (Tracy prefers bittersweet Valrhona)
1oz. Butter
Directions:
1. Bring heavy cream and vanilla bean seeds to a boil
2. Pour over chopped chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes
3. Mix gently with a whip starting in the center and circling out to emulsify the mixture
4. Add butter and stir until it’s well combined
5. Serve with fresh berries, pound cake, and sable cookies (recipe to follow)
Sable Cookies
Ingredients:
9 oz. Sweet unsalted butter, slightly soft
1/2 Vanilla bean (seeded)
3 Egg yolks
4 1/2 oz. Granulated sugar
1 1/2 oz. Brown sugar
1/8 tsp. Fine salt
15 oz. All-purpose flour (sifted)
1/2 Cup Turbinado sugar
Directions:
1. Combine butter, sugar and vanilla bean seeds with a paddle until light and fluffy
2. Add yolks, one at a time mixing well before adding each one
3. Scrape bowl with spatula
4. Add flour all at once turning mixer on for a second then off for a second
5. Repeat until mixture comes together.
6. Scrape dough onto a sheet of parchment paper or plastic wrap and roll into a log
7. Sprinkle the outside of the log (or roll in) turbinado sugar
8. Refrigerate or freeze until firm
9. Take out and slice in 1/4 inch slices and bake on 325 degrees for 17-20 minutes or until golden brown
10. Enjoy with Chocolate Fondue
The 12 days of Christmas are quickly counting down, and Hanukkah kicked off yesterday… Is it just me or is this month flying by?!? With the IntoxiKate Holiday Guide, I’ve saved you some time, selecting the best places to shop {check out Social Love} and scouring the county for great gift ideas in the IntoxiKate Gift Guide.
Hosting the holiday? I’ve got a great hot chocolate recipe for the kiddos thanks to City Limits Diner, as well as some more adult beverages and cocktail recipes for you.
Last but not least, check out the “Cold as Ice Cream” cover story featuring IntoxiKate favorite Penny Lick Ice Cream Company.
Live life deliciously and happy holidays!
#IntoxiKate
Big things come in small packages.
It sounds cliché, but time and time again, I’ve found amazing dishes created in the smallest of spaces—a tiny kitchen in Tarrytown (ahem, The Tapp) to a gem of a spot to sip a great glass of wine (Ernie’s Wine Bar + Eats in Bronxville).
I thought of this cliché often as I sat in the back dining room at L’inizio while scraping what’s left of the rabbit ragu off the side of the ceramic dish in front of me. The restaurant is small, broken into two dining areas separated by a small serving bar, compartmentalizing the space even more.
Restaurant team (and husband and wife) Scott and Heather Fratangelo gave the space a comfortable, almost European feel. I can imagine finding a place like this off a cobblestone street in Italy. The quaint space, may be a bit loud at dinnertime, but the entire village (in the case, Ardsley) knows it’s a great spot for an authentic meal with fresh ingredients.
I’ve already given a nod to my entrée, but I’m going to do something that’s a bit rare for me and talk dessert. And I’m not going to start with the dessert I ordered (although that was quite good). Instead, I’m going to dive into the dessert sitting across from me—the one my dining partner ordered. The one I had one single bite of and have thought of quite often since.
The one, the only, pumpkin cheesecake.
You may have seen or heard about this dessert already. It graced the pages of the last IntoxiKate guide as one of my favorite fall dishes in the county. This cheesecake is one of the best desserts I’ve had lately—a creamy (traditional!) cheesecake consistency with a lot of nutmeg and pumpkin flavor. But I also loved the prosecco caramel and pumpkin seed brittle (amazing!) that topped the dish.
But there’s so much more to L’inizio than dessert. Let’s start with their “Barrels & Bites” menu, a one-two punch that offers small bites paired with some of the eatery’s signature cocktails using specially infused liquors created onsite. I started out the meal with the delicious octopus salad ($7) and the spicy basil margarita ($5). Other food options include a trio of crostinis ($9), arancini ($6) and buratta ($8).
While I try to order dinners on the menu so I can offer insight and advice on what to order, I couldn’t resist ordering one of the specials of the evening—the aforementioned rabbit ragu. A dish not found on many menus in the area, I was pleasantly surprised by both the presentation and flavor. (Kudos to Chef Scott who definitely got that one right!)
There were options on the dinner menu I definitely wanted to try—ricotta cavatelli with fennel sausage bolognese, the fettuccine with wild mushrooms, and the free range chicken scarpariello topped the list. Pastas are available in half orders (take advantage and order the small size for more sampling) and entrées run a reasonable $22 to $29.
{L’inizio: 698 Saw Mill River Rd., Ardsley, 914-693-5400, www.liniziony.com}