New in Westchester: Burgers, tacos, Italian and Indian food with more eateries to come
This year's Westchester dining scene is off to a solid start. As mentioned earlier in The Journal News/lohud, 11 new spots opened in the early days of January — and now there are five more, with 16 more opening soon, some of which have previously been reported on (read on for details).
From burgers to tacos, authentic Italian to modern Indian, prepare to get hungry — and to make plans (and/or a reservation) for a new kind of food experience.
Urge Burger, Yonkers
Longtime restaurateur Jimmy Rugova, who owns Yonkers-based Dolphin seafood restaurant and TaqueRio Taco Bar, is now in the burger business.
His fast casual Urge Burger, a play on words from the "urge" in the word burger, opened Jan. 22 adjacent to Dolphin. In fact, he sectioned off a corner of Dolphin to create this new eight-seat space, complete with a colorful barnyard mural by local artist Giselle Maria Restrepo.
On the menu: A variety of house specialty burgers such as the classic "Urge" Burger with lettuce, tomato, pickles, chopped onions, American cheese and urge sauce; the mushroom burger with caramelized onions and Gruyere cheese; a BBQ cheeseburger with crispy onions and pepper jack and a Southwest Veggie Burger with black bean chipotle, lettuce, tomato, avocado, smoked jalape?o and aioli.
There's also a build your own burger option along with a chicken sandwich, crabby patty and lobster roll. Diners will also find chicken tenders and a variety of fries (think parmesean truffle, shoestring, waffle, and sweet potato) as well as a host of add-ons (i.e. spicy jam, chili, pineapple, bacon, egg and more) and sauces (truffle aioli, horseradish aioli, honey mustard, spicy gremolata).
"I love burgers so this made sense," said Rugova.
All burgers are made with high quality Pat LaFrieda meat. Plus ice cream and milkshakes are to come along with, come spring, outdoor seating. 1 Van der Donck St., 914-457-0117, theurgeburger.com
More: We've already seen 14 new Westchester, Rockland restaurants in 2024. Here's the rundown
Marigold Indian Restaurant, Eastchester
The award-winning Michelin chef Hemant Mathur, who has more than three decades of experience in the culinary world, and co-owner Ravinda Bisht, who used to work at Chutney Masala in Irvington, are behind this new 55-seat Indian spot, which is also owned by Chander Mohan.
The restaurant opened Jan. 19 where Tapas & Cucina used to be. There's no liquor license yet; that should be coming in the next two weeks. For now you can bring your own wine while you enjoy dishes like the samosa trio, Balgan Burrata (smoked eggplant), Chettinad Chicken Curry and Chef Hermant's special lamb chops served with masala potato and pineapple chutney.
The restaurant, said Bisht, is meant to be a tribute to the rich tapestry of Indian flavors and timeless traditions using fresh, high-quality ingredients and imaginative flair. That means lots of vegetarian, seafood, and meat dishes in addition to classic Indian favorites. 434 White Plains Road, 914-202-9455, marigold.restaurant
Mambo Italiano, Irvington
What had been That Family Feeling Shop & Grill is now Mambo Italianio, an authentic Italian restaurant meant to evoke the warm feeling of eating in someone's Italian home.
Both the owners — Danielle Berarducci (who's also the chef) and Ana Rusche — have Italian roots (Berarducci from Naples and Abruzzo; Rusche from Sicily) and wanted to create something that's a little different ("Mambo" is Berarducci's nickname).
That means you won't find chicken parm on the menu but you will find stewed chicken, homemade lasagna and pastas that are either made in house or come direct from Italy.
There's no liquor license at the moment; wine and beer are to come. The 27-seat space is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Friday; and dinner only Saturday and Sunday, though hours are subject to change. 100 Main St., 914-231-5437.
The Tortilla Project, Baldwin Place
Authentic Spanish food focused around the tortilla is the mission of this airy new spot, in the space where Unwined Winebar & Kitchen, had been.
Open since Jan. 23, diners can expect a variety of small plates and tacos such as octopus ceviche, grilled lamb chops, corn empanada, pork belly tacos, duck tacos and more.
The 40-seat restaurant, which sports a sizeable bar and lush greenery which hangs from the ceiling, is owned by first-time restaurant owner Mitch Lanyi who's worked in the restaurant business for more than a decade. He said he landed on the taco concept mostly because of the versatility and potential for creativity.
"I think of a sandwich as anything you can imagine between two pieces of bread. I think of tacos the same way. You can put anything on a tortilla and call it a taco. This gives Chef David [Fierstein] and I the ability to combine our culinary knowledge to create dishes that may seem crazy in theory but end up like nothing we’ve had before," he said. "We are by no means attempting to be an authentic taqueria, but more so a place where we can 'bend the rules'”' of what a taco should be in the pursuit of finding out what a taco could be."
The name "Tortilla Project" ties directly to the concept of bending those "taco rules." Said Lanyi: "We’ve tasked ourselves with the ongoing project of constantly trying different variations of our current menu, as well as introducing new and seasonal ingredients that we can incorporate into our dishes." 80 US Route 6, 914-205-3152, thetortillaproject.com
More: We can't wait for these Westchester, Rockland restaurants to open in 2024
Crossings Bar & Lounge, Tarrytown
The Westchester Marriott Hotel has a new restaurant, as of Jan. 24. What had been Cooper's Mill, a rustic farm to table concept, is now Crossings Bar & Lounge, a 150-seat space devoted to American cuisine with occassional live music. Enhancements to the property include a great room concept to this space, the final phase of which will include an M Club Lounge and outdoor patio to integrate the indoor dining experience with the ambiance of an outdoor conservatory. 670 White Plains Road, marriott.com
Plus, guess what's coming next for Westchester?
Bagels by Sofia, Mamaroneck: The second location for this bagel shop (the first is in Larchmont) is scheduled for Feb. 1 at 7 a.m. 414 Mamaroneck Ave., 914-341-1698
Taco District, Peekskill: After a long wait for a liquor licence, Dina and Hever Palacios, who own Peekskill's Iron Vine Tapas Bar And Restaurant, are hoping to open their new two-story space in the next few weeks. The restaurant, complete with a rooftop, will feature an array of inventive cocktails along with tacos, quesadillas and salads. 20 N. Division St.
140 Kitchen, Peekskill: More exciting news in Peekskill! The owners behind 140 Grand in Croton-on-Hudson are opening a more upscale spot in what had been Gleason's original location with a focus on barbecue, sometime in the next two to three weeks. 911 South St., 914-257-4000
Sunshine Coffee Roasters, Rye: This coffee roaster, in Larchmont since 2016, is opening a larger space in Rye on Feb. 5. Coffee lovers can expect a more extensive food menu in addition to a host of coffee drinks. 12 Purdy St., sunshineroaster.com
North Pelham, Pelham: Brothers Nick and Eddie Doda, who own Marcella's Wood-Fired Pizza & Restaurant down the street, plan to open their new bar and grill, with Italian American food, on Feb. 10. 156 Fifth Ave.
Sushi Umi, Tuckahoe: Look for a mid to late February or March opening of this new 40-seat sushi spot by Chef/Owner Wenjie Jiang, who previously worked as a sushi chef in Manhattan. On the menu: lots of sushi, with some teriyaka, tempura and hibatchi entrees. 28 Columbus Ave.
Trio Pizza and Bona Bona, Baldwin Place: The owners of Traditions 118 in Somers, along with their management team, are opening a new spot (with a few seats!) in the old Grand Market Deli space. Separate to that: Bona Bona will be moving in as well serving its 24 ice creams, which include vegan options. Trio Pizza, according to Owner Michael Lubic, will serve authentic, quality Italian food with a focus on elevated sandwiches (incuding gluten-free options!) and authentic Italian pizza. An opening is planned for March. 71 Route 6
How Ya Brewing, Tuckahoe: A series of delays has stalled the opening of this coffee shop which hopes to open soon. Coffee lovers can expect 14 flavors of iced coffee in addition to nitro cold brew coffee, tea and other goodies. 5 Fisher Ave.
Blue Heron Coffee, Mount Kisco: This coffee and tea spot, across from the Mount Kisco train station, has also had unforseen delays. Look for an opening in the next month or so. 9 Kirby Plaza
Hypnosis, Port Chester: Look for a new place to party. This nightclub, which will feature finger food, and cocktails (along with a DJ, pool table, darts, karoke and more), should open sometime in late February or March. Edwin Montoya, who owns Appetit Bistro in Norwalk as well as El Callejón in Port Chester, is behind the new venture. 107 Adee St.
Thai Cookery, Larchmont: Southern Westchester is getting more Thai food with the addition of this 30-seat eatery, set to open in the next month (ish) where Palmer Grill had been. The owners have a similar spot (takeout only) in Hawthorne, N.J. but you can get a sense of the menu by clicking on their website. 1995 Palmer Ave., thaicookerynj.com.
Juice Bowl Universe, Mount Vernon: An assortment of juices, acai bowls, smoothies and ginger shots are menu options at this new spot, opening (hopefully) in the next few months. 581 Gramatan Ave.
Pizza Bar, White Plains: Pizza, salads and sandwiches will be the main focus at this restaurant, opening sometime in April(ish) where King Crab had been (above the Cambria Hotel). 250 Main St.
Taco Loco, White Plains: This takeout taco spot should open in the next month(ish). 10 Cross St.
Liebman's Deli, Ardsley: It's still happening; there's just no exact date as of yet. Owners Yuval Dekel and Craig Weitz have been asked so much they recently posted a photo on Instagram wearing T-shirts saying "No firm date." 472 Ashford Ave., liebmansdeli.com/westchester
Saigon Table, Rye: This Vietnamese noodle bar is another eagerly anticipated opening that should open in mid-March. As always, stay tuned to lohud for details and updates. 12 Purdy Ave.
Miles the Prince closed while adding brewery
Miles the Prince in North White Plains has temporarily closed in order to complete the construction of its downstairs brewery. Owner Zach Goldstein expects the dining room to be up and running on March 1 complete with a fully functional brewery, which is a significant part of the restaurant and the owners' overall vision.
Goldstein said there will also be new menus and styles of service. The farmhouse focused restaurant, covered earlier in The Journal News/lohud, opened Nov. 18, 2023. 873 N Broadway, White Plains, 914-358-1015, milestheprince.com
Have a food lead?
Got news about a new restaurant opening — or closing? Send to [email protected].
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 Westchester restaurants: Burgers, tacos, Italian and Indian food
