Alvin and Friends in New Rochelle

It’s hard to know what to look at first when you enter Alvin and Friends, a new southern and Caribbean restaurant in New Rochelle. There’s Alvin Clayton himself, a former GQ model with a dazzling smile and warm handshake, his wife Gwen who was recently named one of Westchester’s most beautiful people, the elegant, softly-lit setting or the colorful paintings that line the walls of both dining rooms.

Whatever you see or eat is sure to delight you.

We reserved a table on a recent Saturday night and were impressed with the ambiance, the food and everyone we met at Alvin and Friends. Alvin explained that he had been waiting for the right site to be available for his restaurant. An 11-year resident of New Rochelle, he wanted to pick a location where “your Grandmother from Wykagyl would feel safe.” When downtown New Rochelle was rebuilt and Villa Rina vacated the space on Lawton Street across from the New Rochelle Public Library, Clayton knew he had found the right spot. The area is safe and parking is available on the street and in a lot a few steps away.

As Alvin was a partner in two restaurants in Los Angeles, he was not new to the food business and had a vision for the concept for Alvin and Friends. The space has an elegant feel complemented by the display of Alvin’s colorful oil paintings. A talented artist, Alvin’s works depict life in his native Trinidad and here in the United States, using bright hues with influences of Gaughin and Matisse.

We were promptly seated and offered a tempting array of tropical drinks from the bar including Rum Punch, flavored Mojitos, a pomegranate and blueberry martini and Red Stripe beer. We perused the menu that offers both southern specialties like fried oysters, smoky chicken wings and broiled catfish as well as Caribbean dishes such as curry mussel bisque, jerk rubbed duck breast, and lechon frito (pulled pork, black beans, yuca fries and citrus mojo.) Chef Raymond Jackson, who was trained at the Culinary Institute and worked under Emeril Lagasse in New Orleans, has designed an original menu that combines spices and ingredients from several regions.

Eating with a large group we were able to sample many items on the menu and everyone cleaned their plates. The mussel bisque was packed with fresh mussels, cilantro, corn and potatoes in a tasty seafood broth. Tamarind shrimp arrived with fried sweet plantains and celery apple slaw and the Asian-influenced jerk-seared Ahi tuna was accompanied by sliced avocado, wanton noodles and tamari aioli.

For the main course, adventurous eaters went for the spicy broiled catfish with braised greens and cornbread while others tried the crispy striped bass that was served with coconut rice and peas, under a vanilla-ginger butter sauce. Also on the menu was sea scallop fricassee, with olives, capers and tomato broth served over fettuccini, crispy fried chicken with macaroni and cheese and grilled lamb loin with grits and black eyed pea salad.

I’m embarrassed to admit we had dessert too, and shared the white chocolate red velvet bread pudding with

amaretto whipped cream and blueberry compote as well as the bittersweet chocolate cake.

And if the food, the artwork and the good service were not enough, as we left the restaurant a saxophone player had begun to circulate the tables and we would have liked to stay to enjoy a set.

Our meal came to $130 per couple, with entrees priced from $16 for spicy rubbed and seared tofu to $29 for a nine-ounce rib eye steak. A late night cocktail and bar menu is served from 10 pm to 12:30 pm. With everything it has going for it, it might be tough to stop by Alvin’s and expect to get a table, so reservations are recommended.

Alvin and Friends
49 Lawton Street
New Rochelle, NY 10801
914-654-6549
www.alvinandfriendsrestaurant.com

Open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday, 5:30 – 11:00 pm
Sunday: 5:00 – 9:00 pm
Sunday brunch: 11 am to 3:00 pm