So. Westchester

The Smokehouse of NY – Mamaroneck, NY

adminsowestch — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 16:22:05 +0000

In case you hadn’t noticed, Southern Westchester’s Mamaroneck, NY is becoming quite a hot spot for foodies. If you enjoy preparing feasts centered around fresh seafood, you will be very happy to discover The Smokehouse. Unlike most of the foodie destinations in Mamaroneck, this gem is a bit off the beaten path, but absolutely worth the journey by GPS.

This upscale smokehouse specializes in fresh fish, smoked fish, pate, and a variety of caviar. If you like lox with your weekend bagels, stop here for the best.

You will find superlative quality, outstanding freshness , and an extensive variety of fish. Offerings include Caspian sea caviar, charcuterie cuts. and even vegetable terrine.

The Smokehouse of NY, 434 Waverly Ave., Mamaroneck, NY – 914.630.4788

www.thesmokehouseny.com

Books of Wonder – NYC / Chelsea

adminsowestch — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:31:11 +0000

I love to hear about the unique and special places that bring utmost joy to the collective soul of an entire family. Perhaps it is a restaurant, where you celebrate life’s milestones. Perhaps it is a vacation spot where you have spent carefree time together every year.

My immediate little family unit share a love of books and book stores, and, I am sure you would agree, that some book stores are much more special than others, almost magical.

While wandering the streets of Chelsea, to find a sofa we could both live with, my husband, our first newborn and I, discovered Books of Wonder over twelve years ago. Since then, we make a point to go back several times a year, and it has become quite a ritual. As the years have passed, we have brought friends and family, from out of town, to visit. And it has impacted their families as much as ours.

At Books of Wonder, you will certainly find the classics, as well as the best-selling kids’ books you might expect from any formidable kids’ book store. Additionally, however, with the help of the enthusiastic and knowledgable staff, you will be introduced to books that you might never have learned about elsewhere, books that will create the fondest of memories of reading together, as a family.

Books of Wonder 18 West 18th St., New York, NY – 212-989-3270

http://www.booksofwonder.com/

Cinega Restaurant – New Rochelle, NY

adminsowestch — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 15:07:02 +0000

While the city has no shortage of outstanding Latin cuisine (Rayuela, on the Lower East Side, is my favorite!), we have discovered an unsuspecting local alternative, right here in SoWestchester.

Don’t let the less-than-glamorous address deceive you. Street Parking is easy to find and , once inside, Cinega Restaurant is surprisingly sleek, stylish and surprisingly urban. Although the atmosphere is polished and sophisticated, the friendly and attentive service will leave you feeling pampered and relaxed.

Cinega’s menu is a colorful and vast range of all kinds of Latin cuisine. Every dish, from the ceviche and small plates, to the entrees and even the desserts, are most artfully presented, with lots of attention to detail.

Although everything we eat at Cinega is delicious, the mojitos and the seafood are not to be missed. The freshness of the ingredients will blissfully transport you to Cuba, Peru, Columbia, Brazil, Mexico and beyond.

Cinega Restaurant 179 Main St., New Rochelle, NY – 914-632-4000

http://www.cienegarestaurant.com/

TransFORM Custom Storage Solutions – New Rochelle, NY

adminsowestch — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 19:57:35 +0000

If you are contemplating a renovation of any sort, or just looking to organize your storage space, you will be tremendously inspired by the countless sleek and practical solutions you will find at TransForm in New Rochelle.

Check out their fabulous website at the below link. Better yet, call Nancy Silvestri to start your custom storage solutions and visit their inspiring showroom and gallery.

TransForm , 20 Jones Street, New Rochelle, NY – 914,500.1000

http://www.transformhome.com

Oliver Kita Fine Confections – Rhinebeck, NY

adminsowestch — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:03:46 +0000

On a recent day trip to Rhinebeck (more to come on that in a future feature), my family and I discovered a place genuinely like no other, a store so utterly unique and impressive, I find it challenging to describe.

To call Oliver Kita Fine Chocolates “a store” feels sorely inadequate. I would not even label it “a boutique.” Perhaps “salon” or “gallery” would be more fitting. Suffice to say that none of us wanted to leave . . . ever!

Not even in Paris, have we seen such painstaking detail and divine design of chocolate. Every delicious piece is truly a work of art. And, as if the caliber of fine chocolate is not enough, the artful, graceful packaging is enough to make any wildly fortunate recipient (or Valentine!) feel completely adored and indulged.

Oliver Kita Fine Chocolates will be a favorite destination of ours for years to come.

Oliver Kita Fina Confections, 18 West Market St., Rhinebeck, NY – 845.876.2665

http://www.oliverkita.com/

Dobbs & Bishop Fine Cheese – Bronxville, NY

adminsowestch — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 17:09:54 +0000

Did someone say “daily cheese tasting?”. That is exactly what is going on, in Bronxville’s, Dobbs and Bishop Fine Cheeses. Decadent? Yes! Life changing too.

I love cheese. . . crumbly Stiltons, creamy cheddars filled with cranberries, onions or chives. Who doesn’t love cheese? But I find I typically stick to only the cheeses I know well. Most of us are not exposed to a wide variety of cheeses.

Dobbs and Bishop, in Bronxville, is changing that. Any time I walk into their beautiful, bright sunny store, they welcome me to try whatever cheeses are out for tasting. They also offer irresistible morning pastry, fresh little sandwiches and homemade soups daily.

Make a point to stop in to visit Dobbs and Bishop and broaden your horizons. My new favorite? Manchego from Spain with a dallop of fig jam! Nirvana!

Dobbs & Bishop Fine Cheese, 107 Pondfield Rd., Bronxville, NY – 914. 361-1770

http://www.dobbsandbishop.com/

A&S Fine Foods – Mamaroneck, NY

adminsowestch — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:56:13 +0000

If you are like me, during the winter months, you may find yourself more focused on food, the kind of food that feeds your soul during the bleak and cold days of January and February. Winter is also a perfect time to entertain friends, with either your favorite homemade comfort food or with a low-key meal that is already made for you.

A&S Fine Foods, in Mamaroneck, NY is like a heavenly slice of the Bronx’s Arthur Avenue, right here in Southern Westchester.

We visit regularly for the smoked mozzarella, fresh pasta, and wide selection of olives. And it is impossible to leave without one or two loaves of fresh bread. In addition to the olive bar, the most addictive offering at A&S is their own fig and balsamic vinegar dressing. A bottle does not last one week in our house. This alone makes it worth the trip.

A & S features traditional Italian dishes, made to pick up and take home for no-fuss entertaining. Additionally, daily, they make fresh cusotm platters, “footers,” meats and pastas for any occasion.

A & S Fine Foods, 354 Mamaroneck Ave, Mamaroneck, NY – 914.381.0348

Snooks and Winnie Handcrafted Modern Heirlooms – Larchmont, NY

adminsowestch — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 01:33:19 +0000

Have you ever longed to give a perfectly spot-on, genuinely personal gift to someone very special to you?

If so, I have found a truly extraordinary website for just such an occasion. “Mixing contemporary and vintage objects and textiles,” renown fine artist, Cynthia Newman, of Larchmont, creates poignantly personalized heirlooms for life’s most significant milestones.Browsing her website, the design of which is artful in itself, the depth of emotion these gifts elicit might surprise you.

As Cynthia explains, “My Southern upbringing was filled with storytelling and lead to my passion in creating hand-crafted art that honors individual histories. I’m inspired by the stories that are evoked by a grandma’s favorite apron, cherished baby clothes and well used toys. These personal treasures can be transformed into one-of-a-kind mementos and gifts.“

The gift on the Snooks and Winnie website, which most moved me, was a gorgeous handcrafted pillow, given as a memorial to honor a beloved dad, who was an avid outdoorsman. Cynthia crafted this very special keepsake, for his daughter, using his favorite shirts and neckties, along with beautifully crafted trout and deer and a state map of North Carolina, where the dad and daughter had shared many happy times together.

These are handmade one-of-a kind gifts, not to be missed!

Snooks and Winnie (Only Available Online) - Larchmont, NY

www.snooksandwinnie.com

DeCicco’s Beer Selection – Pelham, NY

adminsowestch — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 02:52:55 +0000

I am a what you might call a regular at DeCicco’s in Pelham and in Chester Heights. Among their many specialties, they have outstanding produce, for which I shop daily.

In addition to the impressive cheese selection, surprisingly fresh sushi (Pelham), great bread and outstanding take-home fare, the Pelham location offers a bewilderingly vast and sophisticated beer selection, from exotic imports to top notch US micro brews, including some terrific locals. Among our favorites are the Maudite Ale & Dogfish Brewery’s IPA 90. Esquire Magazine recently called the IPA 90 “perhaps the best I.P.A. in America.”

Most of their tasty offerings are refrigerated, but there is a limited selection nearby that is not in the beer cooler. You will find the pricing reasonable, for the most part, too.

The next time you are looking for that hard-to-find, favorite brew or wishing to try something new, visit DeCicco’s in Pelham. I dare you, however, to get out of there without picking up a few other delicious temptations.

DeCicco Family Markets Pelham - 43 Fifth Ave., Pelham, NY 10803 - 914.738.1377

DeCicco Family Markets Eastchester Heights - 505 New Rochelle Rd, Bronxville, NY 10708 – 914.668.3149

http://deciccos.com/

No Stone Unturned Jewelry & Beading Boutique – Bronxville, NY

adminsowestch — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 21:46:53 +0000

Though I am not a hard-core shopper, I have been known to enjoy window shopping here and there. That is exactly how No Stone Unturned caught my eye. Walking briskly by one day, on the way to my office, a simple small faux sapling, in a store window, caught my eye. From this delicate baby tree hung the most beautiful sparkly delicious treats! I was mesmerized. Much to my surprise, I walked right in! And I am so glad I did.

Inside, I found a refreshingly varied assortment of earrings, bracelets and necklaces, all at astoundingly reasonable prices. But that is not all. No Stone Unturned is also a beading boutique. The centerpiece of this comfortable, intimate boutique is an enticing seemingly endless spread of exquisite beads, charms and gems, with which you may design and create your own jewelry! They warmly welcome beading parties for all ages.

Since discovering No Stone Unturned, I have enjoyed going back many times. Yes, me, who does not shop! I have found perfect, unique and affordable gifts for friends and family on several occasions. Proprietor, Lisa Bellacero, could not be more helpful, in a very low-key and relaxed way. She is even happy to beautifully gift wrap your treats at no extra charge.

My favorite visit to No Stone Unturned was when I brought my daughter and enjoyed the fun she had, creating her very own necklace. We had our own little beading party. Next, I plan to go back with some girlfriends for a grown-up beading party. How is that for embracing frivolity? I may become a shopper yet!

No Stone Unturned Jewelry – 96 Kraft Ave, Bronxville, NY – 914.779.0109

http://www.no-stone-unturned.com/