More restaurants in Westchester, Rockland announce closures
A Westchester restaurant in business a little over a year and a Rockland one open since August 2020 have closed, each with varying reasons. That's on top of eight other dining establishments including a 70-year-old Ardsley bakery and a Suffern coffee shop. Details follow.
Alondra's Larchmont
Alondra's, which won my heart with its gluten-free (and regular) Neapolitan pizza and was recently a "Best Thing I Ate," abruptly closed Feb. 10, due to a rent issue.
The Italian restaurant, which originally opened as Gusto Pizza before Chef Erwen Perez took over, re-opened it with a new menu a little over a year ago, naming it after his youngest daughter Alondra, who was diagnosed with leukemia at age four (she's now nine and in remission).
The restaurant also offered weekend brunch, complete with pineapple and mango mimosas, French toast, waffles, avocado toast, lamb meatballs and farm pizza. Said Perez: "I'm very sad to close my dream."
More: Dining deals: Restaurant Week starts soon in Suffern, Yonkers
The Henry, Nyack
Good news and bad news here. The restaurant, which opened in August 2020, had its last day of service on Feb. 17. The announcement was made on Instagram Feb. 16, with the restaurant posting: "Due to the shift in conditions to our industry and market we have decided to make a change."
On the flip side, a new project from the same ownership is coming to Nyack. "Thanks for all the love and support over the years," read the post. "It's a sad day but we have something new up our sleeves. Stay tuned."
So far that's eight closings
They're not the only dining establishments who have called it quits so early in the year. Oscar's, which had been in Blauvelt since 2012, closed Jan. 7. Chef/Owner Oscar Romano cited numerous factors saying he was unable to fully recover from the pandemic. "We weren't able to renegotiate our lease agreement, and we couldn't keep up with the ever increasing supply costs," he said.
Similar views were held by Java Love Owners Jodie Dawson and Kristine-Ellis Petrik who closed their Suffern coffee shop Jan. 25, after five years in business.
Meanwhile, in Westchester, Mohegan Lake's Dog Haus, in business for two years, closed Jan. 14; Meso Mediterranean in Rye closed after three years; and River City Grille, in Irvington for 25 years, closed Feb. 10. In that case Owner Bobby Manzi said: "It was just time."
Last but not least: Riviera Bakehouse, a staple in Ardsley for more than 70 years, closed the end of January, though its smaller spot, at Tarrytown's Metro North station, remains open.
For owner Liv Hansen, who's owned the bakery since 2011 (she bought it from her mother Kaye Hansen and stepfather Peter Simon), the reason why was a confluence of big and small factors. "Let’s just say the last few years have been a doozy," she said. "So many changes and so many adaptations."
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Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @lohud_food or via the lohudfood newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Alondra's in Westchester and Two Henrys in Rockland set to close
