Summer is just around the corner. The longer days. The sunshine. The juicy watermelon, the melting ice swirl and the ice cold beer (or in my case a sweet rosé) mixed with the aromas of a backyard barbecue.
Granted, summer doesn’t officially start until June 20, but with Memorial Day in the rearview mirror, it’s time to celebrate the season. What follows is a look at some of my favorite bucket list food experiences to do before September.
Waterfront dining in Westchester and Rockland
This is basically a no-brainer, right? We have the waterfront. We have great restaurants. Why not combine them with a sunset, a glass of Pinot Grigio and a nice piece of grilled salmon (my go-to summer dish)? Westchester and Rockland have a multitude of places, along the Hudson or near other bodies of water, where you can enjoy the view, while away the time and enjoy a place worthy of a postcard view.
One of my top picks for that holiday feeling: Harvest on Hudson in Hastings; Crescent in Dobbs Ferry; The Sailhouse and Barley on Hudson in Tarrytown; Red Hat on the River in Irvington (you have to have a drink on their roof!); The Boat House and 3 Westerly in Ossining; bar taco in Port Chester; Fin & Brew in Peekskill; Hudson Farmer and the Fish in Sleepy Hollow; Patsy’s Pizzeria in New Rochelle; Tiki Beach Bar and Barley Beach House in Rye; Don Coqui On The Hudson in Haverstraw and Hudson Water Club in West Haverstraw.
It’s (unofficially) summer here: Where to get ice cream in Westchester, Rockland, Putnam
Plus exciting news: Trata on the River is coming to Piermont to the old Pier 701 space. The new Greek-Mediterranean restaurant should open sometime in July, just in time for the outdoor dining season.
For the past three years, 107.1 The Peak Radio Station, based in Port Chester, has used The Barley Beach House in Rye as a summer home. That means free concerts by famous musicians on the beach, where you can dip your toes in the sand, hang out and enjoy the music and a cocktail. There is always plenty of seating on the restaurant’s beach terrace, but you can also bring your own chair for a more beachy feel. Dates are being added all the time, but for now expect Pete Yorn with Lauren Minear on June 6, Los Lonely Boys with Alex Cano on June 25 and Better than Ezra on July 12.
Don’t be surprised if you see me here because I love the beach and I love the music selected by the DJs at The Peak (shout out to Coach aka Chris Rodriguez who puts this sound together!). If you see me, stop by and say hello. Learn more at 1071thepeak.com/beach-house. The Barley Beach House is located on Dearborn Ave. 95 in Rye; thebarleybeachhouse.com.
Take a boat trip!
The wind in your hair. The view of the river. Make the most of the season from a water spot along the Hudson. PaddlePub Lower Hudson, which started last year with Piermont as its base, has expanded to include pickups in Piermont and Tarrytown, most notably at The Sailhouse. The waterfront restaurant, with one of the best views of the bridge, also has buckets of drinks and a range of food items that you can take straight onto the boat. You can even get a free appetizer or dessert at The Sailhouse with proof of purchase of two more Paddle Pub tickets (dine-in only). Details at thesailhousetarrytown.com and/or paddlepub.com/lowerhudson.
Peekskill-based New York Boat Co. is another boat enthusiast’s dream with its variety of sights, history, sunsets and private charters for families and corporate events. And yes, they too offer drinks, in their case craft cocktails, beers and wines from makers in the Hudson Valley and the region. More info at nyboatco.com.
Lobstah!
To me this means the perfection of the Queen of Summer. Whether it’s on a toasted bun, presented in a layered raw bar or served with a bib and a side of warm butter, enjoying lobster is worth every dollar you spend. I’m a big fan of the offerings at Dive Oyster House in Briarcliff Manor, where the raw bar tower easily feeds two (or more!). I also can’t resist the lobster roll at The Boathouse in Ossining where you can enjoy the waterfront views while also enjoying a drink at their boat bar (the bar is a real sailboat if you’ve never been there!) from The Burger Loft in New City is also a winner and a surprisingly good place for a great lobster roll. (I also love their backyard patio.)
It’s beautiful outside: Here’s where you can eat outside in Westchester, Rockland, Putnam
For fresh off the boat – literally – head to Dobbs Ferry Lobster Guys in Dobbs Ferry, where owner/fisherman Anthony DiMeglio spends part of his week on the water. Not only can you get fresh live lobsters (along with other fish and seafood), but I’m hooked on their lobster roll, served Connecticut (hot) or Maine style (cold).
The lobster at Saltaire Oyster Bar and Fish House in Port Chester is another winner, especially if you go to “Saltaire Supper” on Tuesday and Wednesday nights, where you can enjoy a $40 three-course meal ($9 supplement for lobster). Another favorite is KEE Oyster House in White Plains, where you can’t go wrong with a sandwich or the full-on lobster dish. Their sandwich was a “Best Thing I Ate” last year and my “go to” happy meal.
Eat from a food truck
Granted, many cater to private events, but you can still find a variety of local food trucks at area festivals and farmers markets. Along with old favorites like Walter’s (at DeCicco & Sons in Somers select Wednesdays and select days at Rye Playland); Put some meat on your bones (always at the Jefferson Valley Mall in Yorktown Heights); Gracie’s Bulldog Grille (on Route 303 in Blauvelt); and Latusion (select days at Crystal Run Healthcare in West Nyack), there are several new ones hitting the road this season including TriBoro Vegan at the Nyack Farmer’s Market on Thursdays, Il Cornetto in Mamaroneck Harbor and once a month at Harpoon Hanna’s in New Rochelle and Scotty’s Eggrolls at the Chappaqua Farmers Market.
Stay tuned for a more detailed story on lohudfood. For now, get started (food truck pun intended!) and hit the road.
What’s summer without a scoop (or two) of ice cream dripping off your hand as you try to beat the heat and catch it in the cone before it melts away? Our area is full of great ice cream shops with everything from soft serve to gourmet flavors – it’s too many to name – but summer bucket list spots for me include King Kone in Somers, Red Rooster in Brewster, Blue Pig in Croton- on-Hudson , Penny Lick with its nut-free offerings (and new spot in Ossining!) and Bona Bona with its torched meringue and recently opened second location in Baldwin Place.
New this season are Froze in Peekskill, Pros and Cones in Mamaroneck, Robin’s Creamery in Nanuet (try the soft serve matcha, taro and ube ice cream!) and taiyaki (also called Japanese ice cream) at Mama Mia in Rye Ridge. Additionally, Longford’s, another Westchester ice cream shop, will open in Armonk on June 1. Learn more about where to get your ice cream fix HERE.
Cold beer in a Lower Hudson Valley beer garden
Fresh brews and fresh air are one of the best combinations of the season – and even better if you can bring your best (four-legged!) friend along. A few I recommend: Round Table Brewery, which opened last November in Garnerville, Broken Bow Brewery in Tuckahoe, Marlowe Ales in Mamaroneck (which recently rebranded and lost the New York Craft Coalition name), and the granddaddy of them all , Captain Lawrence at Elmsford and Mount Kisco.
Also high on the list of must visit places is Nadine’s in Yorktown Heights, a German themed restaurant with a great outdoor space they call their beer garden, the Biergarten at Rye Playland, where you can enjoy a drink with a view of the water and Birdsall House in Peekskill, a gastropub that, while it has more garden than beer hall vibes, is still delightful with its list of 20 concepts and great food (so great TV personality Bethenny Frankel recently talked about it posted on her TikTok!)
There’s also, for the first time, a Westchester Craft Beverage Trail, an online passport (no app downloads required!) listing more than 23 distilleries, craft breweries and cideries in the Hudson Valley that you can go to while getting discounts and earn rewards. Not all of them have a beer garden, but they do have great beers.
Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest food adventures on Instagram @jeannemuchnick or via the lohudfood newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Westchester, Rockland NY places to eat, play this summer
