Tag: white plains ny

Lombardo’s Pizzaria in White Plains, NY- A Pizzette Deliciously Enough for A Day

I like pizza. There are many places that are supposed to have the best authentic pizza in Westchester, such as Sal’s on Mamaroneck Ave and Roma’s in Eastchester. There are places that serve gourmet pizza such as Fortina’s. Best of both worlds, there are places that straddle the line between the traditional and the gourmet like Lombardo’s Pizza Bar & Restaurant on Mamaroneck Ave in white Plains.I was at Lombardo’s many times before but never ordered the pizza. This is the Fra Diavolo: fresh tomato basil sauce, homemade mozzarella, crumbled Italian style sausage and sliced hot cherry peppers.

It was perfection at $12.50. Loved the spicy, the dried sausage, the soft cherry peppers and the mozzarella and the tomato sauce that tied the pie together. The curst was just right. I had the pizzette for lunch, dinner and breakfast the next day. That was how much I loved it. Highly recommended it to people who like traditional pizza with a flair.

This experience took place at

Lombardo’s Pizza Bar & Restaurant
1203 Mamaroneck Ave,
White Plains, NY 10605
Phone:(914) 615-9090

City Limits Diner in White Plains, NY- Last Post for the December Writing Chanllege

I have never considered City Limits Diner in White Plains as a valid option for food given the variety of restaurants in White Plains. But I was happy to find that City Limits Diner is an excellent option if one wants the semi-traditional diner menu with a pleasant decor. With the Christmas decorations up and the lights dimmed, it was warm and pleasant. My friend mentioned that she uses the diner for business breakfasts – that’s an idea. It is affordable, comfortable, modern and convenient.

That is also the conclusion I have come to at the end of the meal.My goto in a diner, traditional burger and French fries
Curried egg salad on multi-grain, potato salad

The food was decent to good. My burger was slightly over done but very good for a diner. Definitely a viable choice for a casual business breakfast and a friendly informal gathering.

This is my last post for the December writing challenge, where I write a post a day until I go on vacation on the 21st. I cheated… or should I say, I changed the rules? I sometimes wrote a couple of posts a day, like today, to catch up on the prior days – the upside of creating your own challenge. I am proud that I wrote 17 posts in the past 17 days even if some of them were written in the middle of the night!

This experience took place at

City Limits Diner

200 Central Ave,
White Plains, NY 10606
Phone:(914) 686-9000

The Lounge at the Ritz in White Plains, NY- Surprisingly Good

I am not usually a fan of the Ritz; see my experience at The Ritz in Amelia Island, Florida. However, I was pleasantly surprised by The Lounge at the Ritz in White Plains. The food was excellent despite slow and inattentive service. The lounge area is comfortable enough and cozy enough for a long conversation.PROSCUITTO FIG FLATBREAD: Spiced orange marmalade, arugula, prosciutto, goat cheese. This was great. The orange marmalade and fig on the flatbread made me feel like I was eating something from my grandma’s house (if I had an Italian grandma.) It was chewy when you hit those sweet pieces. The prosciutto did not come through but also didn’t distract. The arugula, although pretty, distracted. Thanks to the goat cheese that tied all ingredients together.
WARM APPLE SALAD: Seasonal Brine apples, toasted pecans, cranberries, Bibb lettuce, goat cheese, citrus vinaigrette. The salad was not warm but other than the temperature everything else was perfect. I learned that I love Bibb lettuce and I can love a salad. There was the crunch from the pecans, the sweetness from the cranberries and the apples, the punch from the goat cheese and the lettuce to bridge the gaps. It was a beautiful culinary symphony.  ASIAN MIXED RICE BOWL: Vegetable medley, marinated beef, egg, sesame oil. This is Ritz’s version of a Bibimbap – surprisingly excellent. I was more surprised that it was very spicy. The Ritz honored how Bibimbap should be eaten and did not bow down to the pop culture to satisfy. Kudos to the Ritz in White Plains.

Highly recommended for people who are not in a rush and have patience. Will definitely return.

This experience took place at

The Lounge at
The Ritz-Carlton, Westchester

3 Renaissance Square
White Plains, NY 10601
Phone:(914) 946-5500

Lilly’s in White Plains, NY- We Eat Because We Love

Lily’s is a new restaurant (tapas, small plates, new American) in White Plains, NY. I was there with a new work friend who enjoys food, especially oysters, as much as I do. Food is such an important part of our lives. We use food to bond with people and to love.

Every time I think of the meals I had, the sensations of a particular meal and of the companion(s) come flooding back almost as fresh as it had just happened. I associate food with emotions, colors, and the sensory experience it delivers through the texture and taste. In this particular case, I remember Harrison’s sunny demeanor, his optimism, sincerity and commitment to the business; I also remember the joy of sharing oysters and our critiques of each dish.OCTOPUS bean salad, red pepper coulis, orange-saffron reduction, and pepperoncini. Harrison had never had octopus before. He was an octopus virgin before that day. I was honored to introduce. On the evaluation scale, this dish was between a 6 and 7 on a scale of 10. KALE SALAD: cider vinaigrette, apples, endive, grapes, strawberries, parmesan, bacon, almonds. This was well executed and fresh with the late Summer ingredients. This was a 7. MARINATED BEETS SALAD: frisee, mache, fresh ricotta, citrus, almonds. This was a 7.TUNA TARTARE: cilantro, lime, guacamole, crispy wonton. This dish bombed big time. The tartare smothered or choked in sauce was not a pretty sight. The wontons were not crispy and tasted like pointlessness against the tartare swimming in the orange sauce. This was a 3.OYSTERS: east and west coast oysters, cocktail sauce, tabasco, lemon, & mignonette. Now the oysters took the crown. This was the best of the entire meal. Blue Point oysters won over the west coast ones. Decent in comparison to the other oysters I had. Read about the best oyster experience I had, click here. This was an 8.

Lily’s is not bad for the White Plains’ location (a suburban population with a somewhat homogeneous food preference and is not social-economically diverse; sadly this describes most of the tri-state suburban areas). Lily’s is excellent for business lunches and probably also excellent for casual dinners. Is it highly memorable, other than the oysters? No. But again, we eat because we love so they get a pass for today. Over all, the food experience is a 7 and the dinning experience is a 10.

This experience took place at

Lily’s

169 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains NY 10601
914.997.5600
info@lillyswp .com.

Mulino’s in White Plains NY- Usually Exceptional Pasta and Meat Ragu

I was at Mulino’s a long time ago and recently had the opportunity to return with the Principal of Chinese School of Southern Westchester, where I taught for the past four years. Mulino’s is a well-known Italian restaurant in the area and gets superb reviews. It was no different today.


Special of the Day, Portbello with Four Cheeses on top of a bed of arugala and cheery tomatoes, drizzled with balsamic vinegar. Almost perfect other than the fact that the four cheeses made the dish just a tad too salty.

Tagliatelle alla Bolognese: Long flat ribbons of pasta tossed in a meat ragu (1/2 portion). This was pasta made and cooked to perfection. Love the meat ragu, making me want to learn how to make it. Loved. Loved. Loved.

Garganelli alla Carbonara: Garganelli pasta tossed with pancetta, eggs, and parmiggiano reggiano.

Sicilian Style Homemade Canoli: almost perfect other than the fact that it had cinnamon/cinnamon oil. The waiter did not believe me when I offered him a piece to try. He politely declined leaving me not able to successfuly argue my case. Would have been fine if I liked cinnamon but I did not.

It was an exceptional meal: the wait staff was attentive and knowledgable; the ingredients were fresh; the execution was close to perfect. The pasta was simply really really good. Highly recommend it.

This experience took place at

Mulino’s of Westchester
99 Court St
White Plains, NY 10601
914-761-1818

Lombardo’s Restaurant in White Plains, NY- A Friendly and Quality Food Joint

Lombardo’s in White Plains is a friendly and quality food joint that is a favorite of my work friends. I was here for a birthday lunch- happy birthday, Kathryn! I listened to Molly and ordered a salad… imagine eating only a salad for lunch. So not me. But the salad was fresh, tasty and fulfilling. Definitely a worthy place for my lunch money. Much better than the work cafeteria.


Farmer’s Market Salad with Grilled Shrimps: mesclun greens, dried cranberries, honey roasted pecans, red onions,crumbled goat cheese in a raspberry infused vinaigrette.

For a work lunch, absolutely! Next time, I will try the pizza.

Lombardo’s Pizza & Bar Restaurant
1203 Mamaroneck Ave
White Plains, NY 10605
(914) 615-9090

The Brazen Fox in White Plains, NY – Cheap Happy Friday Cocktail with Mediocre Bar Food, Said with Kindness

I will be pissing off a lot of people with this post. The Brazen Fox in White Plains, NY is a favorite go-to for Happy Hours at work. For socialization, it is a fine choice since The Brazen Fox is popular due to cheap prices for drinks. For bar food: I believe they use Costco frozen dumplings and Costco chips and salsa. I unfortunately did not know that until I went with a friend recently.

GUACAMOLE & CHIPS: with tortilla chips. Costco! Costco! Costco!

ASIAN DUMPLINGS: with soy-scallion dipping sauce. Costco! Costco! Costco!

Lychee Martini: Smirnoff vodka, lychee liqueur, lychee juice. Five bucks! This is why the restaurant was filled on a Friday night. It was elbow to elbow.

Mango Martini: Absolut Mango vodka, mango nectar, sours, Sprite. Five bucks!

Should I say never again to the Brazen Fox or should I stick to being a kind but unauthentic self? If I want to eat Costco food or bad bar food, I can think of many other locations that have better atmosphere than The Brazen Fox. Thank goodness my friend picked up the tab, otherwise I would truly feel like an idiot for choosing the place.

This experience took place at

The Brazen Fox
175 Mamaroneck Ave
White Plains, NY 10601
(914) 358-5911

Lola’s Mexican Kitchen in White Plains, NY – Take Two. Stick to the House Specialties

Since the Tacos were not too hot the last time I was at Lola’s Mexican Kitchen (click here to see the last post), I decided to return and try something else.  Unfortunately, Lola’s did not make my heart sing.  Again.


Brisket Burrito: sweet plantains, queso fresco, peppers, onions, refried beans, ancho bbq sauce. I just realized what a dumb mistake I made. I essentially ordered the same food as the last time, just wrapped in a different packaging. Last time, it was wrapped in a taco and this time in a burrito. Guess what? My experience and comments are the same. Too much sauce and the brisket is dry. The rice and beans was decent.


Slow Braised Short Rib: tequila-beer marinade, peppers, onions, smoked chipotle sauce, fried plantains. The moral of the story here is that when going to Lola’s Mexican Kitchen, stick to house specialties on the menu. The meat was tender and fell off easily when cut in and in the mouth. The marinade and the smoked sauce worked well together. This was a tasty dish.

This experience took place at

Lola’s Mexican Kitchen

169 E Post Rd
White Plains, NY
(914) 358-4939

Lola’s Mexican Kitchen in White Plains NY – Contemporary Mexican Cuisine. Wish It Had Made My Heart Sing

Lola’s Mexican Kitchen in White Plains, NY is right off Mamaroneck Ave and next to Brother Jimmy’s BBQ (a popular location for the bar hopping crowd). Lola’s is an upgraded version (more sophisticated and upscale) of Brother Jimmy’s. The horseshoe bar in the middle of the restaurant is the focus. The moments from the bartenders, the dark wood furniture, and the dim but somewhat neon lighting were inviting. The contemporary Mexican food served here is above average – I would go back but it’s not something that makes my heart sing. On the scale of 1 to 10, the food is a 7, a couple points above average.

Slightly off topic, it has been a while since I had food that made my heart sing. I cannot wait for my trip back to Taiwan this Summer. I look forward to the shock that a foreign country would deliver to my system. I look forward to the warm weather (translation – the unbearable humidity) and the bizarre food ingredients (translation – the stinky, the fermented, and the gelatinous things) .

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House guacamole: traditional. Chunky. No complaints.

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Salsa and chips which come standard to the table

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Tacos three ways: shrimp (roasted veggies, Chipotle glaze, mango salsa), steak (chopped cilantro, onion, salsa verde) and brisket (sweet plantains, quest fresco, ancho bbq sauce). This was my entrée. Not so thrilled. The mango salsa was an overkill to the taste buds. The steak was tough. The brisket was the best but there was too much sauce for it to be refined enough for my taste.

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Chimichurri skirt steak with roasted vegetables & potatoes, chimichurri sauce. This dish in comparison to mine was much better. I guess it’s hard to go wrong when it’s just a big piece of steak. The chimichurri sauce was a tasty addition if you smother it evenly across the steak.

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Oh, what can I say?  They were out of my favorite Mexican dessert – flan! I tried for chocolate…  Also didn’t have it.  What’s going on guys?  Don’t you know dessert is the most important part of a meal?  Had to settled for this red velvet cake.  Not impressed.

This experience took place at

Lola’s Mexican Kitchen
169 East Post Road
White Plains, NY 10601
914.358.4939
info@lolaswhiteplains.com

Sofrito in White Plains, NY – Latin Boullabaise with Saffron Essence

A fellow blogger and I met at Sofrito, a Puerto Rican restaurant, to discuss our common interest and love for food. I chose Sofrito because I had always wanted to try this seemingly colorful and vibrant restaurant when looking in from the outside. When I arrived, I knew I would not to be disappointed. The decor of the restaurant was hip and slick with a bar dominating the entrance. Hopefully they would show us what #PuertoRicanFood was all about.

We quickly got seated. The waitress was very eager and moved us right along from drinks to ordering our entrée.

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The plantain chips were paired with hummus. We asked and was told that it was indeed white bean hummus with garlic. It was very good. I could not stop dipping the chips into the hummus.

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My friend ordered MAR Y TIERRA: grilled churrasco & shrimp scampi with fried green plantains & spinach. Since she could not decide whether to only have the churrasco or have the shrimp scampi, the combo was perfect. She loved it.

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LATIN BOULLABAISE: Clams, mussels, shrimp, octopus, and calamari with brandy, saffron essence and lobster sofrito broth. This dish outperformed expectations. I ordered it because I love boullabaise but had low expectations. Did not think the Latin could do better than the French when it came to boullabaise. I was happy that the saffron essence and the lobster broth really made the dish shine. I thoroughly enjoyed it and polished the entire bowl off. I think my new friend was amazed at how much I ate that night.

Needless to say, I highly recommend Sofrito in White Plains.

This experience took place at

Sofrito White Plains

175 Main Street
White Plains, NY 10601
phone: 914.428.5500
fax: 914.428.4740
info@sofritowhiteplains.com