Massa' Opens at the Heathcote Five Corners
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We stopped by to chat with Francesco Coli proprietor of Massa’, before the much-anticipated opening of his restaurant at the Heathcote Five Corners this week. Coli and his father, Chef Pasquale Coli are no strangers to the restaurant business and their expertise is evident in their planning for the launch at their new locale.
For starters, the tavern interior and kitchen have been totally renovated. The new dining room centers on a three-story stone fireplace, with an antique wood ceiling and wainscoting taken from two barns in Vermont, and wrought iron lighting. The space has been transformed leaving no trace of the former tenants The kitchen was also completely re-outfitted as it had not been renovated in years. Even the famous Monkey Room mural is gone, and the third floor space will be used to host private parties in the future.
For the past 11 years, the father-son team has run La Villetta in Larchmont which has consistently been top rated in Westchester by Zagats. Since La Villetta needed a facelift, it has been temporarily closed and the restaurants “A” team of waiters and cooks has been brought over to Massa to manage the opening.
Francesco Coli has been well-trained in restaurant management and has an undergraduate degree in business and attended the French Culinary Institute in Manhattan. He also managed the Ocean Grill for BR Guest Hospitality and opened La Villetta when he was only 24 years old. The family hails from Italy where Pasquale Coli worked as a first class chef on Italian ocean liners. Once in America, he served as the chef at the Captain’s Table in Manhattan where Gourmet Magazine called him “the finest, most versatile fish cook in New York City.”
Massa’ will serve a classic Italian menu featuring the cuisine of Puglia. A selection of fresh fish will be offered daily, including Branzino, Orata and John Dory. On the regular menu are Primi Pastas including Linguine Vongole, Bucatini all’Amatriciana, Orechiette with broccoli rabe and sausage and a Rollatta Massa which is baked fresh pasta, rolled with Bolognese and fresh ricotta topped with mozzarella. Pastas can be ordered in half or full portions.
For “Secondi” there’s veal, chicken, steak and lamb. Among the offerings are Vitello Carciofi e Funghi, which is veal scallopini with artichokes, mushrooms and white wine, Vitello alla Melanzanna (eggplant) and a Veal Martini . For chicken, there’s Pollo Scarpariello; chicken on the bone with sausage, garlic and rosemary and Pollo Gorgonzola. You’ll also find Angus sirloin and rack of lamb with garlic and rosemary. Entrees range from $20 - $30.
Each day there’s a Piatti del Giorno, with Maine lobster available on Mondays, braised lamb shanks on Tuesdays, crostacei marinara on Wednesday, osso buco on Thursday, roast suckling pig on Friday, duck on Saturday and pappardelle ragu on Sunday. There’s a reason to try Massa every day of the week.
At the bar you can enjoy Assagini, or “little tastes” while you drink or wait for your table. The bar menu lists olives, chunks of grana padano cheese, bruschetta, meatballs and fried zucchini. There’s also a selection of salumi with mortadella, prosciutto de parma, house made dried sausage, porchetta and speck. The full bar includes mixed drinks, a wide selection of wines by the glass and an impressive array of artisanal beers on tap.
And Massa’ is not just for the adults, Coli encourages diners to bring their children to order the kid’s menu which offers an entrée, soda, and gelato for just $12.
Massa’ opens Wednesday night January 26 and is already taking reservations for the coming month. To reserve your table, go to www.massascarsdale.com and use the link to reserve on Open Table. Or if you don’t want to plan ahead, stop by the bar for a drink and try your luck for a table. Valet parking is available and Massa is open seven nights a week.
Massa’
2 Weaver Street
Scarsdale, New York
914-472-4600
Open for Dinner:
Monday – Thursday 5:30 – 10:00 pm
Friday and Saturday 5:30 – 10:30 pm
Sunday 5:30 – 10:00
The bar will be open until midnight Monday-Thursday and Sunday, and until 1 am on Friday and Saturday.
Hibachi on Central Avenue
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Intrigued by the imposing square new building on Central Avenue, we stopped by Banzai Steak House to explore what was inside. This new hibachi venture was constructed on the site previously occupied by Carvel and is at least five times the size of the former ice cream shop.
We went on a Saturday night, and once through the heavy glass entrance doors, we found a crowd in the front, awaiting seats at hibachi tables. The three-story high ceilings and interesting décor had me suddenly disoriented and I wasn’t sure whether to stay or to go; but the hostess explained that though the large hibachi tables were already booked, we could sit in the adjacent bar area where the same menu was available.
From the bar area we were able to see the hibachi chefs performing their magic, tossing salt and pepper shakers in the air and flashing their knives. Though the noise decibel was on the loud side, on a chilly night it was nice to be in a bustling, lively place. Many of the groups of diners included children who were having fun watching the chefs’ tricks and seeing dinner cooked at the table. Lucky for us, Banzai did not have their liquor license yet, and that meant free glasses of wine for us.
The friendly waitress brought over menus which featured both hibachi style meals and a full sushi selection.
From the hibachi menu, you could choose filet mignon, steak, shrimp, salmon ,scallops or chicken, - or a combination of any three. The hibachi dinners were accompanied by miso or onion soup, stir fried vegetables, brown or white rice and desert. From the sushi bar, there were a variety of rolls, and sashimi and the menu included Japanese selections including tempura, teriyaki, and shumai.
We opted for a hibachi meal and a couple of rolls and everything arrived quickly. Portions were large and dinner was hot and tasty. When the meal ended, our waitress “Ivy” offered us some saki on the house, and returned with three glasses. She poured one for each of us and poured herself a glass too. We all had a laugh as we toasted to the success of Banzai and downed our warm shots.
Banzai
95 South Central Park Avenue
Hartsdale, NY 10530-2315
Phone: (914) 997-7888
Monday – Friday 4:30 pm – 11 pm
Saturday and Sunday: 1 pm – 11 pm
Fig and Olive To Open this Week
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Westchester residents are in for a treat. Fig and Olive restaurant, featuring cuisine from the South of France, Italy and Spain is opening this week in the Lord and Taylor Shopping Center on White Plains Road. The 4,000 square foot space will accommodate 180 guests, who can enjoy a Mediterranean menu focused on olive oil along with a diverse selection of regional wines.
The opening culminates over a year of planning. The large venue and central location are designed to draw diners from a wide swath of Westchester. Those who are already familiar with Fig and Olive’s restaurants in Manhattan will greet this newcomer like an old friend. Fresh ingredients, an innovative menu and Mediterranean flavors have proven to be crowd pleasers in Fig and Olive’s other locations and should have the same effect here.
Seating at the restaurant is designed to accommodate everyone – whether you come alone or with a large party you’ll find a place at a private table or at the 60-foot marble tasting bar and communal table.
You can start out your meal with tasting dishes to share such as zucchini carpaccio, fig gorgonzola tartlet, crostini, and imported charcuterie and cheese platters. The lunch menu includes soups, salads, Panini and entrees. Among the selections are a shrimp and salmon salad with marinated shrimp, shaved fennel, avocado, and marinated raw salmon in a citrus and cilantro olive oil dressing and a French Riviera rotisserie chicken marinated in Herbs de Provence, lemon and garlic and served with chive mashed potatoes and haricots verts.
On the dinner menu are seared sea scallops, ravioli stuffed with porcini and gorgonzola topped with Jamon Iberico (Iberian ham), grilled Branzino glazed with fig and vinegar, and rosemary grilled lamb chops served with gnocchi and roasted eggplant.
Desserts are crafted by pastry chef Andrew LeStourgen and include warm caramelized apple tart, chocolate pot de crème and warm marzipan cake
At the bar you can try tasting dishes, olives and appetizers while you sip your wine or cocktail.
The restaurant’s proprietors are Scarsdale residents Yoram Shemesh and Ed Somekh who look forward to adding this new location to the Fig and Olive list of sites in New York’s meatpacking district, on Fifth Avenue at 52nd street, on Lexington Avenue at 62nd Street and on Melrose Place in West Hollywood, California.
Fig and Olive is taking reservations for dinner beginning on Monday January 24 and for lunch and dinner starting Wednesday January 26. To enjoy a taste of the Mediterranean in Scarsdale, call the number below or go to OpenTable:
Fig and Olive
Vernon Hills Shopping Center
696 White Plains Road
Scarsdale, NY 10583
914 725 2900
http://www.figandolive.com
Hours of Operation:
Monday through Thursday: 11.30AM – 10PM
Friday: 11.30AM – Midnight
Saturday: 10.30AM – Midnight
Sunday: 10.30AM – 10PM
A Visit To The New ShopRite
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Curious about the hoopla and tempted by a coupon for a dozen free eggs, I braved rush hour traffic on Central Avenue to check out the new ShopRite in the Midway Shopping Center in Scarsdale. I arrived at dusk and was greeted with pandemonium in the parking lot with parking attendants swirling flashlights in an attempt to direct the traffic.
Perhaps it was just the perils of opening week, but the traffic situation wasn’t much better inside the store where meandering shoppers jammed the aisles with their carts, making it difficult to navigate this massive space. In fact, the store is so large that customers are handed a store map at the entrance to help them find what they’re seeking in Shop Rite’s 19 aisles.
The store rivals Stew Leonard’s in size and has many intriguing features. Similar to the new Fairway, ShopRite includes a café at the 
entrance where you can enjoy a deli sandwich or store-made sushi while watching TV on a large flat screen monitor. Other special features include a fresh bakery counter, a florist, a fresh seafood counter, impressive gourmet cheeses and butchers who promise to cut custom meat orders. They also offer custom catering where you can order platters of appetizers, entrees, sushi, deli, fruit, cheese, desserts and more. There’s so much to see that you could easily get dazzled and forget why you came in the first place.
The produce department is large and well stocked. While turning the corner from the veggies I ran into the store’s nutritionist, Jessica Lee Atland who is available for free individual and family nutritional counseling. Atland is a registered dietician and was handing out a monthly schedule of nutritional classes, cooking demos and events, including a presentation to the Woodlands Middle School, a workshop on Body Mass Index (BMI), a session on vitamins and a fruit and vegetable scavenger hunt for the kids.
In the aisles beyond there were groceries, paper goods, supplies, dairy, cosmetics and you-name-it, all
in plentiful supply. Scores of store employees were also blocking traffic, continually stocking the shelves as throngs of customers emptied them. There were towers of specials and discounted items, and sign-up tables where you could instantaneously enroll for the ShopRite Price Plus club. For those looking for organic products, I noted that organic milk was stocked at a very competitive price.
If you don’t care to brave the store at all, you can shop online at home at www.shoprite.com and have your groceries delivered for $6.95. If you spend, $10 or more, the shopping is free, and for orders under $100, a $10 fee applies.
The new ShopRite will undoubtedly have an impact on business in our area. A&P stores filed for bankruptcy in White Plains in December and though the A&P on Central Avenue remains open, it will clearly face a challenge from ShopRite which is a mere two minute drive south. Stew Leonard’s, Morton Williams and Pathmark may also feel the impact of this new giant entry to the local market. ShopRite also opened another 59,000 square foot market in City Center in White Plains this month, and their two new locations bring more choices for area shoppers and more jobs to Westchester.
Visit the two new stores and let us know what you think in the comments sections below.
ShopRite
955 Central Avenue
Scarsdale, New York 10583
(914) 874 2973
www.shoprite.com
Open seven days a week: 6 am to 2 am
Two New Places to Try in 2011
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The menu has some wonderful and unusual options. We had a table of four good sharers so we sampled a plethora of terrific choices: For appetizers we tried Strozzapreti, a great pasta dish with parsnips, pancetta, poached egg and pecorino, in addition to a delicious house-made terrine plus a radicchio salad with olive-ricotta crostini, Marcona almonds, currants and parmesan. Starters ran from $8-$12 and were followed by well-prepared main dishes including a beautifully grilled Dorade, a crispy duck, a tasty diver scallop special and a hanger steak. Even the sides were special including celery root, roasted bone marrow (with the steak) and roasted cauliflower.
Prices for the entrees were reasonable ($15-$25), as was the total tab, since it’s a “bring your own wine” policy with a minimal $5 corkage charge. We topped off dinner by sharing some wonderful cookies for dessert (chocolate chip, peanut butter and oatmeal raisin). You can’t go wrong with that and we can’t wait to come back for more.
Juniper
575 Warburton Avenue
Hastings-on–Hudson,
New York 10706
914-478-2542
JuniperHastings@gmail.com
Hours:
Sunday: Brunch 10 am – 3 pm
Monday: Closed
Tuesday Lunch: 10 am – 3 pm
Wednesday – Friday: Lunch: 10 am – 3 pm, Dinner: 5:30 pm – 9 pm
Saturday: Brunch: 10 am – 3 pm. Dinner 5:30 pm – 9 pm
If you’re looking for a light snack or dinner after a movie at City Center in White Plains we also can recommend an unassuming White Plains spot. Though it’s another franchise, you might enjoy Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza on Main Street, heading toward North Broadway. The atmosphere is very casual and while the pizza is nothing special (I prefer the thinner crust variety), the fantastic wings are the reason to go! They are cooked in the pizza oven (so you feel a little less guilty since they’re not fried) and they are smothered with grilled onions. After eating them there one night, we also got them for take-out and they were equally delicious. Not your typical wings, but worth a try! Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza
264 Main Street
White Plains, New York 10601
914-358-9702
http://anthonyscoalfiredpizza.com/
