Fresh seafood prepared with unique flavor combinations and artfully presented. This is what you will find at Brothers Fish & Chips in Ossining. If you haven’t dined here yet, please add it to your list. You may have driven past the restaurant, which is located in a small strip mall on North Highland Avenue (Route 9), next to Mavis Tire. But don’t be fooled by the façade. The restaurant is actually made up of two separate spaces; the right-hand door offering takeout only and the left side a fine dining restaurant.
The Name
The name, Brothers Fish & Chips, pays homage to the brothers who own and run it. Elmer Oliveros and his brother Kevin opened Brothers Fish & Chips in 2010 as just a takeout restaurant. Six years later, they bought the space next door and turned it into a sit down dining space. Kevin now runs the successful restaurant Risotto, in Thornwood, most notable for its flaming cheese wheel. Although Elmer and Kevin no longer work together at Brothers, they still collaborate on recipe development and wine acquisitions.
The Chef
Elmer is the oldest of three boys. He grew up on a farm in Guatemala where he assisted his mother in cooking for family and neighbors. The family truly lived off the land, growing their own vegetables and using the milk from their cows. His childhood upbringing has given Elmer respect for produce and animals and has had a major influence on his cooking. At the age of eleven, Elmer started helping out at his aunt’s restaurant. Although he has been around food preparation all his life, Elmer has had no formal culinary education. This makes his skills even more impressive!
When he left Guatemala, Elmer also wanted to leave Guatemalan food behind, so he began specializing in seafood. However, influences of his cultural background have recently started to appear on the menu at Brothers. Homemade tortillas, ceviche and flan are just a few of the dishes that often make appearances on the tasting menu. Elmer isn’t afraid to experiment and diners may enjoy dishes garnished with edible flowers or gold leaf, beer ice cream or smoked desserts!
The Food
I was first introduced to Brothers Fish & Chips several years ago by my friend and food blogger, Ashley from Big Flavors From a Tiny Kitchen. She recommended that our local supper club pay a visit during Hudson Valley Restaurant Week. Ever since that dinner, whenever my husband and I have a special occasion to celebrate, Brothers Fish & Chips has become our go-to restaurant.
The seafood from Brothers Fish & Chips is procured from multiple sources. Three times a week, Elmer or his staff make an early morning trip down to Hunt’s Point in the Bronx. He uses other distributors to provide fish that can’t be found at those local vendors.
Many of the fresh herbs and garnishes used in the dishes come from the hydroponic tower garden that is situated in the dining room.
While I prefer to dine in the sit down restaurant, I have enjoyed takeout from Brothers Fish & Seafood. The fried shrimp and French fries that I ordered for lunch were hot, crispy and delicious.
The Tasting Menu
The unquestionable highlight of Brothers Fish & Chips is the tasting menu. We have celebrated many special occasions at the restaurant. Every time we visit we opt for the tasting menu and it never disappoints.
The tasting menu is Chef Elmer’s time to shine. He adapts the tasting menu to the diners and no two tasting menus are the same, even for two different tables dining on the same evening. He may change the order of the dishes that are served or he may send out totally different dishes. If you make multiple visits to the restaurant, you will likely never have the same dish twice. Be sure to come hungry! While there’s no set number of courses to the tasting menu, from personal experience, dinners have typically ranged from 10-12 courses.
Every dish is well thought out with unique flavor combinations and cooking techniques. Careful consideration is made, even with the plating. From the placement of sauces and garnish on the plate to the serving vessels themselves, many of which are made by local artist Connor McGinn Studios, each course is its own mini piece of art. You can tell that Elmer is passionate about what he does and he takes pride in his craft.
Our most recent dinner included nine savory courses and three desserts. The meal had a satisfying progression, starting with lighter dishes and moving on to more heavier mains. Our first course was a duo of Canadian Oysters served in a box atop coffee beans.
We then had a 24-hour cured salmon tostada on a pea purée. This salmon was “chef’s kiss!”
The next course was a fluke ceviche served in a ring of Japanese and Peruvian sweet potatoes.
“Fish bites” were the next course which included flounder and onion rolled inside a tortilla and topped with a tomatillo sauce and aged pecorino.
Then we were served a crab cake on a homemade mole sauce.
Next was grilled octopus served with mushrooms and onions. Tableside, a port wine reduction sauce was poured over the dish. Octopus, regardless of how it is prepared is one of my favorite dishes at the restaurant.
The octopus was followed by wild salmon atop a pepper sauce with a Chimichurri and a lemon foam.
Next was a wild shrimp taco with Oaxaca cheese, pico de gallo and mango, served in a homemade tortilla created with three different types of corn.
Our last savory dish was a bacalao croquette. As you can see from the savory dishes, Elmer is beginning to incorporate his Guatemalan roots into his cooking.
Before our first dessert course was served, pour over coffee was delivered to the table. Elmer is passionate about coffee and loves the ambiance and aroma that it offers. The restaurant serves single-origin coffee from Central America.
Our first dessert course was a duo of smoked mango and salted vanilla ice cream.
The next course was a coconut flan topped with a blueberry confit and served with a salted plantain.
The last course was an orange lemon olive oil cake topped with Italian meringue that was torched at the table. As you can see, they remembered we were celebrating our anniversary!
Are you drooling yet?! Needless to say, it was an amazing meal. As always, we left stuffed. I couldn’t even pick a favorite dish since they were all so good!
The Cocktails
I’d be remiss if I failed to mention the cocktail selection at Brothers Fish & Chips. Juan is not only the restaurant’s bartender, but he also seats guests, takes orders and brings out dishes. He’s literally a jack-of-all-trades.
He also crafts the cocktail menu, which he changes seasonally. On our most recent visit, my husband enjoyed the Mexicano (Mezcal, orange spritz, lime juice) and the Peach Cobbler (peach brandy, vodka, lemon juice, almond syrup).
For those who prefer not to partake in the tasting menu, Brothers has a limited dinner menu that typically includes ceviche, fish and chips and more. Plus, there are often daily specials. The menu changes seasonally. However, I highly recommend the tasting menu and can’t say enough good things about it!
Brothers Fish & Chips is small and only seats 24 guests. Reservations are highly recommended, especially on the weekends. Check out the restaurant’s Instagram account to see more pictures of the beautiful dishes that Elmer creates and for updates on special events. He often hosts special wine and cocktail pairing dinners. The restaurant also have an upcoming cooking demo class with Taste of Westchester.
The restaurant offers catering and has a new food truck, which debuted in 2021, that is available to rent for parties.
The Details:
Brothers Fish & Chips
172 North Highland Avenue
Ossining, NY 10562
(914) 488-5141
website
Parking: Free parking in lot outside restaurant.
Restaurant Hours:
Closed Mondays
Tuesday: 5 PM – 9 PM
Wednesday – Saturday: 4 PM – 10 PM
Sunday: 4 PM – 9 PM
Takeout Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 11 AM – 9 PM
Friday & Saturday: 11 AM – 11:00 PM
Sunday: 12 PM – 9 PM
Current Tasting Menu Price: $100/person
