Open and Opening Soon in Scarsdale
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More good options for Scarsdale diners this week. We visited the new Haiku that opened today, St. Patrick’s Day in the Vernon Place Shopping Center in Scarsdale, directly across the street from the new Fig and Olive.
The restaurant is smaller than the Haiku in White Plains, but equally as attractive. We caught a glimpse of the metallic blue tile, attractive fixtures and neatly lit sushi bar. The drinking bar in the front also looks like it will be a fun place to hang out any night of the week and they have their liquor license.
On the menu are Haiku’s specialty rolls including the Out of Control Roll with spicy tuna, salmon and 
avocado on the inside surrounded by eel and scallions on the outside and the Thunder Roll with lobster salad and shrimp tempura wrapped in soybean seaweed. There’s also a complete menu of cooked appetizers and entrees plus a nice selection for soups and salads. Lunch specials served with an entrée, with soup, salad, and rice are offered for as little as $7.95. It’s a deal.
The restaurant is open from 11:30 am to 12 midnight seven days a week and also offers take out and delivery.
In the works, is a new Johnny Rockets, planned to open in May on the site of the former Friendly’s at 777 White Plains Road.
Johnny Rockets is an international chain that provides food, fun and friendliness reminiscent of feel-good Americana. The new Johnny Rockets will offer juicy hamburgers, classic sandwiches, healthy salads and hand-dipped shakes and malts. The all-American design will include jukeboxes and authentic décor and the restaurant will welcome families.
They plan to be open for breakfast, lunch and dinner and will also have a 20-seat private party room available.
The new owner, Daniel Weisse, grew up in Edgemont and heads a group who is responsible for bringing Johnny Rockets to Westchester. He is very excited to join the local business community.
Sushi As It Should Be
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Hajime has been serving authentic Japanese sushi in Harrison since 1996 but we just discovered this gem last weekend. Located on Halstead Avenue the façade has little to distinguish it from other Japanese restaurants in town. But once you take a seat at the long sushi bar you’ll quickly realize that their fresh, high quality sushi puts Hajime in a league of its own.
Chef Sam Takahashi has been serving sushi since he was a young boy. He hails from Osaka were his father had a sushi restaurant. After training there he moved to the United States in March, 1985 to work at Cho Cho Son in Thornwood. Now Sam can be found behind the sushi bar at Hajime serving sushi to local customers who appreciate the excellent Japanese fare. Sam estimates that 45% of his clients are Japanese -- a testament to the reliability of the cuisine.
When you visit Hajime you may want to order the “Omakase” or chef’s menu and let Sam design a meal for you. Just let him 
know your likes and dislikes and he’ll custom design a memorable meal for you.
He often begins with tuna tartare, black cod in miso paste or an asparagus salad. On the chilly night we visited, one of our appetizers was warm broiled eel. Takahashi has an eye for the best fish and serves tuna from as far away as Spain and Ecuador, yellow tail, mackerel, squid, octopus and scallops from Japan, and fluke, striped bass and tilefish from local sources in season. He boasts that he is the only restaurant in Westchester served by his very choosy supplier, assuring that you’ll be served tasty, fresh fish that is cut minutes before you eat it.
If you sit at the bar it’s highly entertaining to watch Sam and his sous chef craft dinner for up to 50 guests in a flash. We ordered cold beers and Saki and sat back and admired Sam’s quick hands. Moving rapidly between his knives, large hunks of fish and his rice warmer, he makes beautiful platters of colorful sushi and tamago appear like magic. The results are simply delectable.
Hajime also offers a full menu of hot dishes such as chicken or salmon teriyaki, shrimp and vegetable tempura and udon, though Sam reports that 85% of customers come in for the sushi.
Venture to Hajime in Harrison for lunch and dinner soon. Reservations are recommended for Friday and Saturday nights.
Hajime
267 Halstead Avenue
Harrison, New York 10538
(914) 777-1543
Lunch: Tuesday – Saturday 12-2:30
Dinner: Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday 5:30 – 10:00
Friday, Saturday 5:30 – 11:00
Coromandel; Fresh, Fragrant and Hot
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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We love good Indian food and in the years we have lived in Scarsdale we’ve seen many options come and go. Dawat, on the north end of the Post Road in White Plains with its Tandoori oven, gracious service and spacious dining room was a favorite for years. We were surprised when it suddenly vanished as the restaurant always appeared to be full. We also frequented Bengal Tiger and joked about what the man in the red turban hid under his hat. That went up in flames last summer in an epic blaze that sent acrid smoke billowing over White Plains well into the night.
As our options for book buying in this area diminished, so have our choices for Indian fare. That’s why we were so happy to rediscover Coromandel in New Rochelle last week. Though we’d eaten there before, it had fallen off our radar but has now returned to our A-list. Coromandel is located on Division Street that has become New Rochelle’s new restaurant row. If you set your nav for 30 Division Street, you’ll find that it’s a manageable drive from Scarsdale and with a municipal lot directly across the street, parking is easy.
The colorful dishes and décor, tasty menu and efficient staff make the experience delightful. On a recent weeknight it was easy to get in and we were swiftly served bottles of chilled Kingfisher beer, papadum (spicy flatbread) and dips as we perused the menu. As India is vast, Coromandel’s menu features recipes from all regions and therefore offers many unusual dishes you might not find elsewhere. Since we went with a large group, we sampled quite a few selections and for starters tried the Coromandel Shamm Savera, which are spinach and cottage cheese dumplings served with a sauce of curried tomato and honey. That dish was gone in a flash. We also ordered a Masala Dosa, which is a rice crepe stuffed with spiced potato and peas, accompanied by coconut chutney and sambhar, a spicy blend. The Kheema Samosa were pastries filled with ground lamb and peas and we also ordered Lasunki Gobi, which were hot cauliflower flowerets cooked with garlic, tomato and herbs. All the fresh and fragrant appetizers were quickly consumed.
For entrees, we went the more traditional route, though the menu includes a wide selection of dishes. The Chicken Tikka Masala is made in a clay oven and simmered in creamy tomato curry sauce. Lamb Pasanda with cashew and almond sauce was a hit as were the spicy shrimp served with crushed tomatoes, curry leaves and spices. From the vegetarian menu we selected the Sabji Bhaji, mixed vegetable with ginger, curry leaves, and mustard seeds in spiced curry sauce. The menu claims that the vegetable recipe is derived from Calcutta’s Jewish cooks. We asked for a few orders of Naan, which is Punjabi bread baked in the Tandoori oven -- plus rice -- and used both to soak up the novel sauces that are served with the entrees.
For dessert we couldn’t resist the Gulab Jamun, which are akin to warm donuts afloat in honey syrup. Yum!
Prices are reasonable with appetizers ranging from $7 - $12, and entrees at $18- $20. On weekdays there’s buffet lunch for $10.95, a Saturday brunch buffet for $12.95 and Sunday brunch for $13.95.
Coromandel
30 Division Street
New Rochelle, New York 10801
(914) 235-8390
http://coromandelcuisine.com/new-rochelle/
Pathmark and A&P to Close
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According to Greenburgh Town Supervisor Paul Feiner, the A&P, which filed for bankruptcy protection late last year, will close 32 stores, including four in the New York City area. Pathmark on Central Avenue in Hartsdale and the A&P on Tarrytown Road are among the casualties. Town officials will be working with the landlords of these large spaces to attract new tenants.
However, residents still have many good shopping options. In addition to the large ShopRite that recently opened south on Central Avenue, locals will soon have yet another market as Stop & Shop is planning to build a super store on Route 119 at the Tarrytown border. The Greenburgh Town Board approved their application on February 15. So even with the loss of Pathmark and the A&P on Route 119, price conscious food shoppers will have many options including ShopRite in Scarsdale and White Plains, Stop & Shop in White Plains and Tarrytown as well as the A&P on Central Avenue.
Five Places to Go for Valentine's Day
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Valentine’s Day is Monday the 14th, and we sent out a shout to area restaurants to see what’s on their menus. Here are the responses we received -- as well as suggestions for few places you can order your Valentine’s Day dinner to eat at home. If you have plans you want to share, let us know in the comments section below.
At Eastchester Fish Gourmet you can reserve for dinner for two on Sunday February 13 or on Valentines Day. On the menu is a full selection from the raw bar, including oysters, clams and wild shrimp cocktail. For lobster lovers, there’s steamed lobster, lobster bouillabaisse or a lobster Cobb salad. There’s also Dover sole, Long Island duck and whole grilled branzino. For dessert, don’t miss their chocolate soufflé or chocolate molten lava cake.
For those who prefer to eat in rather than out, you can order a $30 steamed lobster dinner to go.
Eastchester Fish Gourmet
837 White Plains Road
Scarsdale, New York 10583
Reservations:(914) 725-3450 ext. 4
Dinner to go (914) 725 -3450 ext. 3
http://www.eastchesterfish.com/
Eclisse in White Plains is featuring a special menu four-course menu that starts with a raw platter for two that includes oysters, little neck clams, and jumbo shrimp. Next up, there’s tagliatelle with lump crabmeat, with an entrée of cardamom-crusted yellow fin tuna, or a combination of broiled lobster tail and filet mignon. The dessert is a heart-shaped chocolate mousse cake with chocolate ganache and whipped cream.
Eclisse
189 East Post Road
White Plains, NY 10601
914-761-1111
www.eclissewp.com
Meritage on Weaver Street in Scarsdale is offering a special prix fixe dinner for Valentines Day that includes champagne and coffee. On the menu are foods for lovers: appetizers include a choice of oysters, arugula salad with truffle vinaigrette or butternut squash Agnolotti. For the main course, you’ll find filet mignon, braised lamb, sautéed sea bass or pan roasted chicken. And don’t forget dessert where you can top off your meal with flourless chocolate cake, crème brulee or sorbet. The price is $65 per person.
Meritage Restaurant
1505 Weaver Street
Scarsdale, New York 10583
(914) 472-8484
http://www.meritagerestaurant.net/
We chatted with Sal Cucullo at the 808 Bistro on Scarsdale Avenue who reports that the restaurant is doing well and will be open for Valentines Day dinners. In addition to their regular menu, the Bistro will be serving Chocolate Kiss Martinis at the bar and for dinner, there will be a Surf and Turf selection with filet mignon and a six-ounce lobster tail.
808 Bistro
808 Scarsdale Avenue
Scarsdale N.Y.914-722-0808
www.the808bistro.com
Balduccis on Palmer Avenue has an extensive Valentine’s Day menu for homebodies. Stop by the store or visit their website at http://www.balduccis.com/catering/valentines and you’ll find selections for your Valentine’s Day dinner. For starters there’s lobster bisque, mini Maryland crabcakes or stuffed mushrooms. Entrees include beef tenderloin, sesame crusted tuna and fettucini with a mushroom medley. For dessert there are chocolate dipped strawberries, chocolate truffle cake and red Valentine’s Day cupcakes.
Balduccis
15 Palmer Avenue
Scarsdale, New York 10583
(914) 722-0200
www.balduccis.com
