Vega Opens in Hartsdale

Add Vega Mexican Cuisine to the list of new, local restaurants. Vega opened its doors earlier this month on Hartsdale Avenue, in the site that once house Oporto, just down the street from the train station. Vega is impressive looking from both inside and out, with trendy decor in vibrant colors, rocks, plants, water and stone. With such a great atmosphere, it was hard not to set my expectations too high.

While the waiters and waitresses were exceptionally friendly, the service was not great. After ordering guacamole to be prepared at our table to start, we waited over 10 minutes and the man with the cart failed to arrive. Our waitress tried to hurry him over to our table but that night guacamole was in demand and there was only one man to make it. Our main courses ended up coming just as he arrived to prepare our guacamole, so we ended up canceling. Not the greatest start to the meal.

We ordered traditionally- chicken fajitas and chicken quesadillas. Both were fine. The fajitas came with several sides to go along with the meal, including rice and beans, a small amount of guacamole and sour cream. The food was somewhat bland and nothing special, but as is often the case with new restaurants it seems like it certainly has the potential to get better. If you happen to want to be more adventurous, Vega has a lot of options. The appetizers sounded impressive and include Tequila Scallops, Mexican Pizza, and Shrimp Ceviche. The entrees are divided into different options for beef, chicken, vegetables, pork, and seafood, in addition to traditional Mexican dishes. The restaurant certainly has enough options, even for picky eaters.

On a second visit at lunchtime, ordering guacamole at the table proved to be more successful. A cart heaped with avocados, tomatoes, and onions, and a great looking stone bowl and pestle was wheeled over to the table When asked how spicy we wanted the guacamole, we opted for "medium," in the hopes of being somewhat, but not too challenged by noontime spiciness. Although the ingredients appeared to be freshly chopped and the avocados were peeled and sliced in front of us, the dish itself ended up not at all spicy and not particularly flavorful. Next time, we will definitely choose the spicy version. For our main courses, we ordered taco salads that were also very fresh, but also a bit bland. The taco bowl was crisp, tasty, and large, and it had a generous portion of lettuce, topped with black beans, cucumbers, cheese, and tomatoes, accompanied by sides of guacamole, sour cream, and salad dressing.

One thing Vega did seriously right was to keep the prices down and both lunch and dinner were reasonably priced. With the amount of construction and decoration invested in Vega, it seemed inevitable that the prices would be outrageous, but we were pleased to find that his was not so.

For the first few months I would definitely recommend making a reservation at Vega. I went on a Wednesday night and the hostess was surprised we did not have a reservation. It was very crowded, which can be attributed to the excitement that always surrounds a new restaurant opening in town.

With so many empty storefronts in town, it's great to have a new dining option and Vega definitely has the potential to be one of Hartsdale’s new hot spots. The owners are the proprietors of many successful area restaurants, including Malabr Hill in Elmsford and they know what it takes to serve a flavorful meal. They will undoubtedly bring the same liveliness to the dishes that they have added to the decor.  Give it a try and share your experience in the comments section below.