NY Foodie Family

Dog Haus Biergarten Mohegan Lake Now Open

Posted on December 28, 2021 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Dog Haus Biergarten Mohegan Lake is the newest addition to the Cortlandt Town Center. Dog Haus has locations throughout the country, with the Mohegan Lake franchise being the most recent and only the second New York location. Housed in the former Payless Shoe Store, Dog Haus Biergarten is franchised by Andrew Hamerling and Dave Orth and managed by Steve LaBarbera. The restaurant had its official ribbon cutting ceremony on December 14th and was warmly welcomed by the Town of Cortlandt.

Dog Haus dubs themselves a “craft casual” restaurant. They pride themselves on using quality ingredients and offering a welcoming environment where guest will want to stay and hang out. Wooden tables and booths fill the Mohegan Lake restaurant. Wire caged lights and black pipes and accents give the space an industrial feel.

A large bar area takes up the center of the restaurant and offers over 20 different beers on tap as well as a special craft cocktail menu currently featuring 12 different drinks. HD televisions line the walls and the back of the restaurant has two dart boards and a shuffleboard. In warmer months, expect outdoor seating to be available.

But the most important question to ask is, how is the food? We recently ordered takeout from Dog Haus Mohegan Lake to see how their food measured up. All items are made to order, so expect a small wait time. I like how each carton is labeled with what is inside, so you know you got exactly what you ordered.

With a name like Dog Haus, you know the hot dogs will be good. The restaurant offers 6 different specialty Hausdogs ($7.99 each) and 4 specialty Haussausages ($8.99) all with fun names (e.g. Chili Idol and Reservoir Hog). All of the meat that Dog Haus uses is 100% antibiotic- and hormone-free. They also serve a variety of burgers ($10.99) and chicken (sandwiches, wings and tenders).

My son ordered the Cowboy, a smoked bacon wrapped hot dog topped with cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce and crispy onions. This hotdog was devoured in minutes with rave reviews from the teen.

But what does a family of 3 vegetarians order from a restaurant called the Dog Haus? We were pleasantly surprised to discover that the restaurant has a variety of vegetarian and vegan options. They offer Beyond Meat versions of their chicken sandwiches, so we enjoyed a Beyond Bad Mutha Clucka. The sandwich is made of crispy Beyond Meat “chicken” tenders topped with lettuce, pickles and a miso ranch sauce. The Beyond chicken sandwich costs $11.99, while the regular Bad Mutha Clucka sandwich costs $10.99. Please note that this sandwich is not listed on their in-store menu board or in their paper menu. However, I saw it on the online menu and inquired about it when ordering.

We also had the Sooo Veggie Haussausage. This is a Hot Italian Beyond Sausage topped with wild arugula, avocado, tomato, crispy onions and a spicy basil aioli. This is one of their two Beyond Sausage options, which at $8.99 are priced the same as their other Haussausages.

Finally, we tried one of their 5 specialty Hausburgers ($10.99). For an additional $2.49, any of the Hausburgers can be made vegetarian with an Impossible patty substitution. We ordered the Little Mule since besides, the cheeseburger, was the only other burger that had no additional meat ingredients (bacon, chili, etc.). It had an Impossible patty topped with white american cheese, avocado, pickled jalapenos, cotjia cheese, a fried egg and a chipotle aioli. It was bursting with flavor and was our family’s favorite of the three vegetarian options that we tried.

We did not try any of the Dog Haus “On the Side” menu, which includes fries or tots, with the option of adding cheese and or chili cheese. They also offer sweet potato fries, onion rings, chili, slaw or The Love Boat: fries or tater tots topped with Haus chili and Haus slaw!

The Dog Haus is a great new addition to the Mohegan Lake area. It offers family-friendly dining while also serving the bar crowd with its later hours and its large beer and cocktail menu.

The Details:

Dog Haus Biergarten Mohegan Lake
3137 East Main Street
Mohegan Lake, NY 10547
(845) 915-HAUS
website

Hours: Monday – Thursday 4 PM – 11 PM
Friday – 4 PM – 12 AM
Saturday 11 AM- 12 AM
Sunday 11 AM – 11 PM

*Online ordering coming soon

*Breakfast menu coming soon

You may enjoy reading:

Winter Outdoor Dining in Westchester County

Dinner Deals in Westchester County

Five on Friday {12-17-21}

Posted on December 17, 2021 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

*This post contains affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for additional info.*

Happy Friday! I cannot believe that Christmas Eve is a week away! Fortunately, I think we are almost ready for the holidays. Our Christmas shopping is almost done and I think multiple packages were delivered almost every day this week! It was a busy week that included holiday parties and a band concert. Here are five from this week:

1.Girls Night – Last Friday I went out to dinner with some girlfriends. It was a much needed night out! I didn’t take any pictures but it was a lot of fun catching up.

2. Reading – This week I completed my Goodreads challenge of 75 books read for the year! I read One More for Christmas by Sarah Morgan. This was a feel-good holiday read. I’ve read other books by this author and have enjoyed them all.

3. Cooking – This week some of our favorite dinners included this Vegan Meatball Soup with Pasta & Kale (it would taste good with regular meatballs using ground beef!) and Vegan Taco Pasta (which I’ve made many times. I do use regular cheese though).

4. Watching – My husband and I watched Free Guy. I had no idea what the movie was about before we watched it. Both my kids had seen it in the movie theater and had enjoyed it so my husband and I decided to watch it. It ended up being a fun movie that even had me tearing up at the end.

5. Eating – Last Friday a bunch of us from work ordered takeout from Brothers Fish & Chips. While I’ve had the tasting menu at the sit down restaurant, this was my first time having takeout. This fried shrimp and fries was so good!

6. Band Concert – My son had his middle school band concert this week. They did a good job of social distancing the kids and parents and it was nice to finally see/hear the kids play in person again.

ICYMI this week on the blog:

Tuesday I shared my November Reads.

Sharing with Friday Favorites! Have a great weekend!

November Reads {2021}

Posted on December 14, 2021 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

*This post contains affiliate links. Please read our Disclosure Policy for more info.*

The year is almost over and I’m so close to my Goodreads goal of 75 books. My November reads included a lot of holiday reads, a classic and some suspense books. There were even 2 Netgalley ARC reads. I read a total of seven books this month which I’m sharing with Steph and Jana’s monthly Show Us Your Books linkup.

3 stars:

The Lifeguards by Amanda Eyre Ward (Fiction, April 2022) (c/o Netgalley) Three teenage boys are best friends and so are their moms. They are spending a summer as lifeguards. But when they end up finding a dead body, it’s every family for themselves. I found the ending of this book to be very unsatisfying. It felt disjointed and I felt like things went unanswered.

The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer (Holiday, 2021) A Jewish girl secretly is a famous Christmas romance novelist. When tasked with writing a Hanukkah romance, she decides she must attend The Matzah Ball. This is the sold out, biggest Hanukkah celebration in the city and she will do anything she needs to, to attend. Even though it’s run by her summer camp archenemy. I think this may be the first Hanukkah holiday fiction book that I’ve read. I felt the author made every Jewish food and culture reference possible, which was over the top. But I did like how the book shed light on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, something I was not very familiar with.

Passing by Nella Larsen (Classic/Historical Fiction, April 2003) The edition of the book I read was published in April 2003, however, the book was originally published in 1929. Passing tells the story of an African American woman “passing” for a white woman. But when a friendship with a childhood friend is reignited, the woman realizes that she wants to be part of her old community. I read this book because it was the first pick of the Netflix Book Club. I can’t say that I loved it but I thought the storyline was progressive for the time.

4 stars:

Always in December by Emily Stone (Holiday, October 2021) Girl meets boy in a literal collision. Neither are looking forward to Christmas and they end up spending the holiday together. But then he leaves for New York and she doesn’t see him again…..until she does several times over the next year. It seems they are destined to be together……While this book looks like a light, romance read, it is not! It’s a well-written, enjoyable but. But beware that it’s a heavier read that had me in tears at the end.

In a New York Minute by Kate Spencer (Romance, 2022) (c/o Netgalley) On the day she’s laid off a young woman is saved from potential embarrassment, due to a subway mishap, by a handsome young man. The two end up becoming a meet-cute internet sensation. Although they never exchange contact info, the two keep running into each other and become friends that may lead to more. I listen to Kate Spencer’s podcast, Forever35, and enjoyed this book a lot.

The Mothers by Genevieve Gannon (Fiction, May 2021) Two women are trying to conceive. One woman ends up getting implanted with the other woman’s embryo, which has tragic consequences. This was a heartbreaking story as I imagined how difficult the situation was for both women involved.

Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney (Mystery/Thriller, September 2021) A husband and wife are spending a weekend in Scotland, hoping this time away will help their marriage. I didn’t know anything about this book before reading which I recommend. It’s filled with so many twists and I found it to be a great read. The husband has prosopagnosia (facial blindness), which before reading this, I had never even heard of. I also really enjoyed Sometimes I Lie by this author.

Hersheypark Christmas Candylane

Posted on December 10, 2021 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Christmas Candylane is back at Hersheypark for another season of holiday festivities! Our family has never visited an amusement park during the December holidays, so I thought it would be fun for us to head to Hersheypark during Christmas Candylane.

We arrived at the park at 1 PM and headed for Hershey’s Chocolate World. You can spend an entire day here with the free chocolate tour ride, the 4D Chocolate Mystery Show, Hershey’s Unwrapped Chocolate Tasting Journey, Create Your Own Candy Bar and Hershey Trolley Works. Please note that everything but the chocolate tour ride has an additional cost. It was very crowded and we waited 45 minutes on line for the Chocolate Factory tour.

Hersheypark opens at 2 PM. We exited our factory tour about five minutes before the park opened and there was a huge line of people waiting to get in at the main park gates. We were fairly surprised of the popularity of the park on a chilly day. You should know that not all of the rides are open during Christmas Candylane. Although the website shows 46 rides operating, not all of them were open during our visit. A majority of the rides were for younger kids. Because there are a limited number of rides open, the lines for everything were super long!

My husband and daughter rode Candymonium. This is one of the newer rides at Hersheypark and is also the tallest, longest and fastest roller coaster in the park. They got on line as soon as we entered the park and still waited almost an hour. But they both said it was a great ride.

While they were on line, my son and I rode The Howler and Wild Mouse. Then we all rode The Whip.

We waited on line for almost 90 minutes to ride Laff Trakk and almost came within sight of getting on the ride. Then the news circulated that the ride was broken and they didn’t know when it would be open again. Cutting our losses, we moved off the line to other areas of the park. By that time, it had gotten dark and every ride had over an hour wait time.

We grabbed pizza at Dispatch Pizzeria. Dining options are limited in the park, so again, there was a bit of a wait for food. If you want a sit down meal, visit the newly opened The Chocolatier restaurant.

In my opinion, one of the biggest draws of Christmas Candylane is the lights and holiday decorations. And Hersheypark goes all out! There are over 5 million lights throughout the park which is so beautiful to see once it gets dark.

Some of the rides even have themed holiday lights.

As you walk along the path connecting Pioneer Frontier to Midway America you will see the 12 Days of Christmas in lights!

A stop at TREEville at the Boardwalk is a must. There are more than a dozen decorated trees to view and several pretty photo ops. While we were walking around we noticed a cocoa and cookie crawl taking place. We learned that you could buy tickets at the park entrance for $20. There were several booths set up around the Boardwalk serving cocoa and different cookies. You could visit each booth and they’d punch your card.

Little kids will want to visit Santa at his workshop. They have a socially distant couch set up for pictures and he is there through December 24th. You can stop at Santa’s Reindeer Stables to visit his reindeer.

Due to our poor planning and a lack of time we missed the Noel light show. The show, presented by UGI, features more than 250,000 flashing lights synchronized to music. The show plays every half hour starting at 5 PM.

Hersheypark Christmas Candylane is a sight to see for the holidays! Experiences may vary based on the day you visit. However, I recommend that you be prepared for large crowds and long waits. You can make a weekend out of your visit by staying at a Hershey resort or one of the many nearby hotels.

Hersheypark Christmas Candylane
100 W. Hersheypark Drive
Hershey, PA 17033

Open: now through January 2, 2022

Weekdays: 5 PM – 9 PM
Weekends: 2 PM – 9 PM

Tickets: $47.95/person (age 3+) when purchased online

Parking: Free during our visit

Hershey Sweet Lights: $22.15/car in advance, $39.15/car at the gate

Tips:

*Download the Hershey app. This will be your guide for your visit. It has a map and shows you the open rides and wait times.

*Arrive earlier than the opening. You’ll have to wait on line but you’ll be near the front. Then head to the ride that you REALLY want to go on for the shortest wait time.

*Don’t plan on being able to do everything in one day. It’s very crowded and the lines are long for EVERYTHING!

*If you really want to try to do all the rides and attractions I recommend adding Fast Track to your ticket. Fast Track allows visitors to skip the regular line once on featured rides. With Fast Track Unlimited guests can skip the regular lines on the featured rides all day long. Prices fluctuate by day.

Five on Friday {12-10-21}

Posted on December 10, 2021 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Hello Friday! I know I say it every week, but I’m so ready for the weekend. I’m exhausted! I blame it partly on it getting dark earlier. I just want to come home from work and put my pajamas on. But it was also just a long week. This weekend is being spent Christmas shopping and being a chauffeur to the kids, who both have a bunch of things planned. Here are five from this week:

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A post shared by Nancy | Food & Travel Blogger (@nyfoodiefamily)

Hersheypark – Last Saturday we took a drive to Hersheypark for Christmas Candylane. We had never been to a theme park at Christmas before and thought it would be fun. The park was decorated beautifully for the holiday but it was really crowded. Fortunately, it wasn’t super cold. Check out the reel above to see some of the holiday lights!

2. Reading – This week I finished reading Such a Good Wife by Seraphina Nova Glass. This was an okay suspense book.

3. Cooking – This week’s menu included Mediterranean Veggie Wraps, Crispy Gnocchi with Roasted Honeynut Squash, Cherry Tomatoes and Ricotta and Sheet Pan Cauliflower Fajitas. Sadly, there are no pictures this week.

4. Sugar Wish Select – My received a holiday gift from Sugar Wish Select. He was able to choose a candy, cookie, popcorn, snack or coffee/tea box. He knows how much I love popcorn so opted for the popcorn box. There were over 50 flavors to choose from and he was able to select three. We chose pizza, peppermint bark and wing night (buffalo and blue cheese mix). The popcorn is really tasty and it was packaged so nicely.

5. Baking – Thursday we had a birthday celebration at work for a colleague and I made these Italian Ricotta cookies. I like that the recipe makes a lot and the ricotta makes them so moist.

Sharing with Friday Favorites. Have a great weekend!

Five on Friday {12-3-21}

Posted on December 3, 2021 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Happy Friday! I hope everyone had a very happy Thanksgiving! We spent the holiday at my sister’s in Maryland. My parents and brother were there and it was so nice to have the family together again! We have a fun weekend planned and are taking a little road trip. Catching up on two weeks so here are more than five from this week:

1.Birthday weekend – To celebrate my husband’s birthday we stayed at the Truman Gillett House Bed & Breakfast in Granby, CT. This is a historic home built in 1805 and was conveniently located to everything we wanted to do.

We had an amazing dinner at Present Company. Each dish was seriously delicious and so picturesque! This was black cod in sweet miso crust with seaweed succotash and a yuzu béarnaise!

And then Saturday we visited the New England Air Museum. My husband really wanted to visit here (he’s a huge history fan and enjoys building model airplanes). So we built his birthday trip around visiting the museum. It was neat that you were able to sit in some of the planes and helicopters.

2. Reading – This week, just in time for Hanukkah, I finished reading The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer. It seemed like she made reference to every single bit of Jewish food and culture which was pretty annoying. However, there are not many, if any other Jewish holiday books that I am aware of. I also read Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney which was a good suspense read!

3. Cooking – This week some of our favorite dinners included these Swedish Meatballs which I served with mashed potatoes and gravy and roasted green beans. We made them vegetarian by using Impossible grounds. I also made Thai-Inspired Tofu Rama in Peanut Curry Sauce and Slow Cooker Creamy Tortellini Vegetable Soup (but not in the slow cooker – she gives stovetop directions).

4. Watching – I watched Love Hard on Netflix this week. This romcom about catfishing was, eh. However, I did like that an Asian male was one of the main leads.

5. Dining Out – On our way home from Maryland we enjoyed lunch at Veganized in New Brunswick, NJ. This is an all vegan restaurant. This Mash-n-Gravy, made with crusted tempeh was tasty!

When we arrived in Maryland we made our annual Thanksgiving Eve visit to Aberdeen Korean Restaurant. I had my usual tofu bibimbap.

6. Hanukkah – we celebrated the first night of Hanukkah with homemade latkes and lighting the menorah.

7. Family Game Night – While we were in Maryland we played a bunch of games. I played Picwits with my nieces. We have this game too and it’s always fun to play. We also played Lord of the Rings Monopoly. As someone who has never read the books or seen the movies I didn’t really understand the details. We actually finished playing a game though, which rarely happens! My nieces had previously taken the playing tokens out to play with and couldn’t find them. So one of my nieces gathered up different toy figures for us to use (including that blue figure with the troll like hair on the board in the picture!). We also played Liver Pool Rummy. This was a card game that I played with my grandparents so it’s fun that my kids are learning to play. Card games are great multi-generational family games.

8. Maryland Hike and Waterfall – My husband and I did an early morning hike the day after Thanksgiving to Kilgore Falls. This is one of the highest waterfalls in Maryland. While it was pretty, it sadly doesn’t compare to all of New York’s beautiful and tall waterfalls!

ICYMI this week on the blog:

TuesdayI shared my updated Winter Outdoor Dining in Westchester County Post.

Sharing with Friday Favorites! Have a great weekend!

Winter Outdoor Dining in Westchester County

Posted on November 30, 2021 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

I know that many people are still not comfortable with indoor dining. However, since the cold weather has arrived, that’s left many with the option of doing takeout only. Fortunately, from igloos to outdoor tents with heaters, there are several restaurants offering outdoor dining options. Check out our guide to winter outdoor dining in Westchester County. Please be mindful that you are dining outdoors, so it is recommended that you do dress warmly.

**As always, please check directly with the restaurant for the most up-to-date information. I also recommend prior to your visit that you call and confirm that the heaters are set up and working!

Please let me know of any other restaurants that can be added to this list! (email: NYFoodieFamily@gmail.com)

Heaters Only:

3 Westerly: (Ossining) This restaurant serves modern American cuisine. They are open daily from 12 PM – 10 PM with outdoor dining. They have a 7 foot wind barrier around the perimeter of the patio and another 6 feet of clearance for natural air flow. Each table has its own heater and they provide blankets for guests as well.

25 North: (Mamaroneck) The outdoor dining patio at this Italian restaurant is open until December 24th.

105 Twenty Bar & Grill: (Croton on Hudson) 105 Twenty Bar & Grill has heaters for outdoor dining.

Bar Taco: (Port Chester) This taco restaurant offers outdoor dining with heaters and has fleece blankets for guests.

Bridgeview Tavern: (Sleepy Hollow) Bridgeview Tavern serves microbrews and American cuisine. They have a heated beer garden for outdoor dining.

Cantina Lobos: (Pelham) This Mexican restaurant has outdoor dining with heaters.

The Dog Den: (White Plains) This hot dog joint has both outdoor heaters and a fire pit to keep you warm while you eat outside. If you want to eat in your car, they also have drive-in dining. Place your order from your car and they will bring your food out to you.

Fortina: (Rye Brook) Fortina is an Italian restaurant with three locations in Westchester County. The Rye Brook restaurant has an outdoor dining patio with heat lamps.

Fortina: (Yonkers) Fortina’s Yonkers location has an outdoor patio with heaters as well as garden dining with heat lamps.

Hudson Social (Dobbs Ferry) Hudson Social has heaters and firepits for outdoor dining.

L’inizio (Ardsley) This Italian restaurant has an outdoor eating area with heated lamps.

Lusardi’s: (Larchmont) This upscale Mediterranean restaurant has several tables outside with lots of heaters.

Nadine’s (Yorktown Heights) This Austrian/French/German restaurant has a heated outdoor beer garden. Reservations are highly recommended.

North Street Tavern: (White Plains) The North Street Tavern has an outdoor dining area with lots of heaters.

Peekskill Brewery: (Peekskill) The Peekskill Brewery has heaters in its outdoor dining space. They have several new menu items including vegan options.

Sam’s of Gedney Way: (White Plains) Sam’s of Gedney Way has a covered, heated patio available for outdoor dining. They socially distance parties and limit outdoor dining to approximately 24 guests.

The Tap House: (Tuckahoe) The Tap House is a gastro-pub that serves modern American fare. They have 10 tables outside with heat lamps.

Igloos & Greenhouses:

Augie’s Italian Restaurant: (Larchmont) Augie’s has, “private enchanted moonlight villas.” Each heated villa holds up to six guests and visits are limited to 90 minutes. Reservations are highly recommended, as they are very popular. The villas are aired and sanitized between parties.

Photo c/o Billy & Pete’s Social

Billy & Pete’s Social: (Larchmont) Billy & Pete’s has four outdoor igloos. After every use, their igloos are sanitized with a medical-grade sanitizer. Each igloo has four points of airflow for a cross ventilation system.

La La Taqueria: (Larchmont) This Mexican restaurant has five heated igloos that seat six. Each igloo is disinfected between guests and there is a 30 minute wait time between seatings to allow the structures to air out. Doors and vents of the igloo are kept open to allow for air flow.

Salsa Picante: (White Plains) This Mexican restaurant has several private igloos located on their rooftop. Each igloo seats a maximum of 8 guests. Reservations are required and have a maximum time limit of 2 hours. There is also a $50 minimum (food and drink) per person. Cancellations require 24 hour notice or a $50 no-show or same day cancellation fee is charged.

Tequila Sunrise: (Larchmont) This Mexican restaurant has 6 private igloos that can seat up to a party of 7. Each igloo is heated and has air vents to keep fresh air flowing. The igloos are completely sanitized between parties.

Tipsy Taco Bar: (Mount Kisco) This Mexican restaurant has five outdoor heated igloos.

Vela Kitchen: (Pleasantville) Vela Kitchen in Pleasantville has a couple of greenhouses for outdoor dining. They seat up to four guests and have a 90 minute dining limit.

Vintage 1891 Kitchen: (Larchmont) This restaurant serves contemporary American cuisine. They have greenhouses that can seat a party of up to 6 guests.

Heated Tents and/or Heated Enclosed Patios:

Argana Restaurant & Bar: (Port Chester) This Moroccan restaurant has an outdoor heated Sultan Tent.

Augie’s Prime Cut: (Mohegan Lake) This steakhouse has a large heated tent on its outdoor patio. Check their Instagram page, as they frequently announce 50% off menu items for outdoor tent dining only.

Benjamin Steakhouse: (White Plains) This steakhouse has a covered, heated patio that has windows and openings for ventilation.

The Brazen Fox: (White Plains) The Brazen Fox has an outdoor heated tent that is open every day.

Buon Amici: (White Plains) This Italian restaurant has an enclosed heated tent in their rear lot. The tent can accommodate approximately 65 guests and tables are socially distant apart.

Chat: (Scarsdale) Chat American Grill has an enclosed heated patio for outdoor dining.

Divino Cucina Italiana (Hastings-on-Hudson) This Italian restaurant has a heated covered patio. They leave one side of the tent open to allow air flow.

Donjito: (Mamaroneck) This Latin restaurant has a heated, covered outdoor patio.

Dubrovnik Restaurant: (New Rochelle) This Croatian restaurant has a heated enclosed patio with a retractable awning and sides.

Fortina: (Armonk) Fortina’s Armonk location has an outdoor heated tent as well as a patio with heat lamps.

Gigante: (Eastchester) This Italian restaurant has two heated outdoor patios, one which is tented.

Goosefeather: (Tarrytown) Dale Talde’s modern Chinese restaurant has a partially enclosed tent on their back patio. Two sides of the tent are kept semi-open to allow for air flow. There are eleven tables in the 20×30 foot space with 9 heaters.

Magno’s Grill: (New Rochelle) This Argentinian and Italian restaurant has a heated, ventilated tent for outdoor dining.

Moderne Barn: (Armonk) Moderne Barn has a large heated tent available for both lunch and dinner service. They also have 3 outdoor tables with heaters. Guests must call to reserve one of these tables.

Pasquale Restaurant: (Port Chester) This Italian restaurant has a large heated tent for outdoor dining.

Purdy’s Farmer and the Fish: (North Salem) This seafood restaurant has heated outdoor tents for dining as well as fire pits.

Quenas Restaurant: (Harrison) This Peruvian restaurant has a large heated tent for outdoor dining with plenty of space between tables. They also offer ponchos for guests to use if chilly.

Rye Roadhouse: (Rye) Rye Roadhouse serves Cajun and Creole cuisine. They currently have an outdoor heated tent. Once the weather gets a little warmer, they will expand their outdoor dining with pyramid heaters.

Tredici North: (Purchase) This Italian restaurant has a heated tent that is partially open for ventilation.

Underhills Crossing: (Bronxville) This French restaurant has a large outdoor heated tent for dining.

You may also enjoy reading:

December Events in Westchester County.

Hudson Valley Holiday Events Guide.

December Events in Westchester County

Posted on November 23, 2021 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Here is your December Events in Westchester County (and the surrounding area). Hope you enjoy a month filled with fun! Check back as we continue to update this post. Looking for holiday events? Check out our Hudson Valley Holiday Events Guide!

Comedy:

Levity Live (Palisade Center – West Nyack) Enjoy a comedy show at Levity Live in December. Upcoming shows include Craig Shoemaker (Dec. 2-4), Steve-O: The Bucket List Tour (Dec. 6), Corey Holcomb (Dec. 9-11) and more. Check the site for the full line up!

Date Night/Girls Night Out:

Bedford Playhouse Christmas Vacation Movie Viewing and Ugly Sweater Sing Along (Bedford) December 4: 7:30 PM, watch a screening of Christmas Vacation on the big screen. Then enjoy a cocktail and an ugly sweater contest and sing along.

Holiday Paint & Sip (Larchmont) December 7: 6-9 PM, MADE art studio and Vintage 1891 Kitchen are hosting a holiday paint and sip event. Enjoy an evening of food and drinks while painting from a selection of ornaments, holiday gifts and more.

Ring in the Holidays Adult Night at Croton Corners (Croton on Hudson) December 9: 8 PM, $30/person includes a glass of wine, 2 drinks of choice from the soda bar, hors d’oeurves and unlimited arcade access at Croton Corners.

Wood & Fire Get Ugly Party (Pleasantville) December 16: Put on your ugliest sweater for Wood & Fire’s Ugly Sweater party. $500 cash prize for the ugliest sweater! Music starts at 9 PM.

Imagine VR Studios Karaoke Night (Yorktown Heights) December 18: free entry, 8-11 PM, enjoy a night of karaoke at Imagine VR Studios inside the Jefferson Valley mall

Eat & Drink:

Taste of Westchester Cooking Demo Classes (restaurants throughout Westchester County) enjoy cooking demos from local chefs and then sample their creations. November classes include: Wood & Fire (Dec. 1), Zwilling J.A. Henckels Cooking Studio (Dec. 7), Sawmill Tavern (Dec. 8).

Clock Tower Grill Big Game Dinner (Brewster) December 8: 7 PM, enjoy a five-course exotic dinner for $65

Fairs & Festivals:

Westchester’s Winter Wonderland (Valhalla) November 26, 2021 – January 2, 2022: Experience this 1.2 mile drive-thru light extravaganza. Tickets: $25/off peak, $35/peak (per vehicle)

Kids:

Virtual Reality Teen Night (Yorktown Heights) December 10: 6 PM – 8 PM, ages 9-15, teens enjoy unlimited play and access to all standard and premium VR experiences on the VR stations and VR Simulators. Ticket price includes a voucher for pizza and water. $30/ticket

Live Music & Performances:

Concerts at Bethel Woods (Bethel) A little further to travel but some great musicians worth checking out play here. In December you can see: Eileen Ivers: A Joyful Christmas (Dec. 2) Young People’s Chorus of New York (Dec. 5) Gordon Lightfoot (Dec. 11 & 12), The Klezmatics (Dec. 19)

Capitol Theatre (Port Chester) December’s lineup includes: Chris Isaak (Dec. 1), Hot Tuna Acoustic and Electric (Dec. 4), moe (Dec. 10 & 11) *Check the site for the full lineup.

Emelin Theatre (Mamaroneck) December’s lineup includes Liberty Comedy (Dec. 3) and The Gibson Brothers (Dec. 10) *Check the site for the full lineup

Paramount Hudson Valley (Peekskill) Music is back at the Paramount. December’s lineup includes: Yellow Brick Road : A Tribute to Elton John (Dec. 3) and Beatles v. Stones: A Musical Showdown (Dec. 4) *Check the site for the full lineup

Tarrytown Music Hall (Tarrytown) December’s lineup includes: Richard Thompson (Dec. 3)and Martin Sexton and KT Tunstall (Dec. 11) *Check the site for the full lineup

Shopping:

6th Annual the TASH Holiday Market (Patriots Park – Tarrytown) December 4: 2 PM – 5:30 PM. Stay to view the Village of Tarrytown Tree Lighting Ceremony

White Plains Holiday Market: (White Plains) December 5 – December 19: This holiday market will be held on Court Street between Martine Ave. and Main Street. Over 55 vendors and artisans will be selling their wares in individual walled sheds.

Holiday Pop Up Shop at the Jefferson Valley Mall (Yorktown Heights) December 11: The Jefferson Valley Mall and Westchester Blogger present over 20 holiday vendors for you to shop at. 12 PM – 6 PM.

You may also enjoy:

Hudson Valley Holiday Events Guide

5 Family-Friendly Hudson Valley Loop Hikes

Winter Outdoor Dining in Westchester County

Five on Friday {11-19-21}

Posted on November 19, 2021 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Hello Friday! Today is a special one because it’s my husband’s birthday! We have a fun and busy weekend planned! Here are five from this week:

1.Fall Hike – Saturday my husband and I visited Nyack Beach State Park, a new to us state park. Fall was in full effect!

2. Reading – This week I finished Always in December. This was my first holidayish read. It was a good book, but not a light and fluffy holiday read.

3. Cooking – This week some of our favorite dinners included this Apple Cider Caramelized Onion and Brie Grilled Cheese.

And this Creamed Spinach Gnocchi Bake. I omitted the toasted pine nuts and it was still delicious!

Alexia Landeau, Elisabeth Shue, Sarah Jones, Julie Delpy in 'On The Verge' — *Photo Credit: NETFLIX / CANAL*

4. Watching – I finally finished watching Maid on Netflix. And I’ve started watching On the Verge, also on Netflix.

5. Dining Out – My husband and I had lunch at The Greekish Nyack after our hike. This Spanish Octopus was tasty!

6. Christmas Cards –last weekend we took our Christmas card pictures! I even ordered them last night. This is the earliest that I can remember having them ready!

Sharing with Friday Favorites! Have a great weekend!

Five on Friday {11-12-21}

Posted on November 12, 2021 by nyfoodiefamily@gmail.com

Happy weekend! The days are just flying by. It was nice to have the day off yesterday for Veteran’s Day and I’m ready for the weekend! Here are five from this week:

1. Kids Update – The kids have been busy! Last weekend my son was in Saratoga with his Boy Scout troop. Yesterday he attended our town’s Veteran’s Day ceremony and then did road clean up. He also has stage crew and jazz band.

Tuesday night our daughter went to a special performance of The Radio City Holiday Spectacular with her boyfriend and his family. She also finished up a Red Cross babysitting class and babysat for the first time yesterday. She’s super excited to start working and earning her own money.

Sadly, most of my husband’s and my time is spent planning our schedules around chauffeuring our kids to and from their activities!

2. Reading – This week I finished reading a Netgalley ARC of The Lifeguards by Amanda Eyre Ward. It will be published in April 2022. I didn’t really enjoy it and I’m not sure if my ARC wasn’t complete, but I found the ending to be very abrupt.

3. Cooking – This week I made Instant Pot Broccoli Cheddar Zucchini Soup with No-Knead Bread.

I also made Nourish Bowls that my husband claimed could rival any restaurant bowl.

Margaret Qualley and Rylea Nevaeh Whittet in Maid — *Photo Credit: Ricardo Hubbs/Netflix*

4. Watching – I’m almost done watching Maid on Netflix, which is based on a non-fiction book. The show is good….just very depressing.

I also watched Passing yesterday on Netflix. I read the book last week, which is the first of the Netflix book club. The show followed the book fairly closely.

5. Baking – Besides the no-knead bread we had with dinner this week, I also made blueberry muffins. I just left off the crumb topping that the original recipe called for.

6. Eating – We love The Hummus and Pita Company in Brookfield, CT. We stopped for lunch after shopping last weekend. We shared this bowl, a falafel laffa (that was humongous, but not photogenic!) and fries.

We also got lunch from Brooklyn Organic Kitchen for Hudson Valley Restaurant Week. They are a restaurant in Mahopac that makes all their dishes either vegan OR traditional. This is a picture of their take on a short rib dip.

7. Drinking – STASH kindly sent me a variety of teas to try. So far, I’ve made a big pitcher of cranberry pomegranate iced tea. I have a bunch of other tea drinks that I’m looking forward to making.

ICYMI this week on the blog:

Tuesday I shared my October Reads.

Thursday I shared an updated post on Hudson Valley Holiday Events.

Sharing with Friday Favorites! Have a great weekend!