Tarrytown’s RiverMarket Bar & Kitchen

A small, circular white plate sits in front of me. Sliced radishes, a handful of fava beans, and tomatoes sit atop a bed of bib lettuce. Small, homemade potato “chips” add crunch, offsetting the perfectly placed mound of burrata—the piece de résistance! One slice in, and the creamy cheese spills out it’s gooey center. While we’re just on the cusp of spring, the tomatoes taste like summer sun. More, please!

The open of RiverMarket’s Bar & Kitchen was long awaited, but well worth the wait. The Tarrytown eatery is housed in the ever-growing Hudson Harbor complex, sandwiched between the train station and the Hudson River. Created by restauranteur duo John Crabtree (Crabtree’s Kittle House) and Glenn Vogt, the concept behind the restaurant focuses on flavors from the Hudson Valley, offering seasonal dishes on rolling menus, like the Maple Brook Farms Burrata salad mentioned above (lunch menu, $16).

While dishes like Country Style Chicken Liver Pate ($7) and Hudson Valley Foie Gras paired with Rabbit Terrine ($22) scream “fancy” on the plate, the restaurant has a much more casual atmosphere. Perfect for lunch, dinner, or drinks, upscale menu items sit next to pastas, burgers ($16), and wood-fired pizzas (to come!) for mass appeal. The emphasis is here using local, seasonal ingredients, and showcasing those flavors in innovative ways. While paying $38 for a grilled New York Strip may make some gawk, understanding the investment you’re making in yourself—making a conscious effort to put good, sustainable food in your diet—combined with the incredible taste of 100% grass-fed beef will have most coming back for more.

{IntoxiKate Tip}

Stock up on farm favorites! The front of the restaurant is home to the “market” portion of the name—pick up seasonal ingredients sourced from the Hudson Valley, including dairy, produce, beer and more.

 

Chef Alex Ghee showcases dishes beautifully; while fresh produce, meat and dairy–from farms like Hemlock Hill, Sugar Hill Farm, and Stone Brook Farms just to name a few—have a definite appeal, he pairs ingredients in a very complimentary way. The Montauk Point Lobster “Paealla,”($38) for instance, combines the saltiness of Little Neck clams with the smokiness of chorizo, all balanced out by a beautiful lobster. While you won’t find the traditional heap of rice—Ghee offers the perfect amount of saffron carnaroli rice—the lobster bisque underneath it all is the savory surprise.

{IntoxiKate Tip}

While you may not find your favorite bottle of red—RiverMarket’s wine list features wineries practicing natural and sustainable viticulture—consult Vogt’s expertise for a recommendation that will pair perfectly with your meal (and please your taste buds)!

The handmade pasta dishes are also worth trying. Potato gnocchi is plated with beef bolognese, while the ricotta gnudi—seriously, unreal!—offers boss pear, fresh pecorino and candied lemon peel, all in a light brown butter sage sauce ($12 half, $22 full).

Dessert is no different—if it doesn’t feature amazing local products, RiverMarket is creating them in the kitchen. While warm apple skillet pie with homemade fennel ice cream ($12) is hard to compete with, try the “milk + honey” panna cotta—you can’t find the honey gelee and bee pollen brittle anywhere else, and it’s well worth the trip ($12).

At RiverMarket, sourcing locally is a way of life. While it’s clear on the dishes in front of you, it comes full circle within the herringbone wood on the floor, the restored barn wood framing the doors, and the mushroom wood planks delicately suspended from the ceiling, all sourced from local vendors. Ask Vogt (or watch the video below) and you’ll see the spirit behind a concept that was really well thought out. One visit, and you’re reaping the benefits.

Check out RiverMarket Bar & Kitchen at the Books & Cooks event, a fundraiser for the Greenburgh Public Library, May 19th at 6 p.m. Glenn Vogt is the honorary restaurant chair of the event. To learn more about Books & Cooks, click here. Below, he speaks about the restaurant, as well as his involvement in the event.

Books & Cooks Honorary Restaurant Chair Glenn Vogt

{IntoxiKate Tip}

Coming soon at RiverMarket Bar & Kitchen: The “rolling” spring menu offers some favorite flavors of the season (see the video below for more information). The brick pizza oven will be up and running soon—the restaurant and complex are still working out some logistics on ventilation!

 

RiverMarket Bar & Kitchen’s Spring Menu

{RiverMarket Bar & Kitchen: 127 West Main St., Tarrytown, 914-631-3100, rivermarketbarandkitchen.com}