Vega Hits The Spot
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Now that Vega has had a few months to settle in and we’ve had the chance to have lunch and dinner there several more times, we have to say we love it. The waterwall, bare tree branches, funky chandeliers and bright orange and purple décor make us feel like we’ve left Hartsdale -- and the drinks, the food and the reasonable prices are all reasons to visit often.
Though there’s usually a crowd inside, we have always gotten a warm greeting and waited no more than five minutes to be seated. Following in the footsteps of Rui from Oporto, Vega offers delicious white wine sangria, a sweet fruity and powerful mix. For 
appetizers I recently ordered the chicken tortilla soup which was a flavorful tomato-based soup chock full of chicken, avocado and crisp tortillas. We also tried the hot and spicy Shrimp Al Ajillo, which were jumbo shrimp sautéed in garlic olive oil and crushed red peppers. All I can say about the shrimp, is that if you share the dish, you’ll probably start to fight over it.
The guacamole, produced at a cart at your table is also a good bet and will fill you up before your main course arrives. The tortilla chips are made on the premises and they are crisp, slightly salty and fairly addictive.
For entrees, Vega offers traditional Mexican fare such as tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, 
quesadillas and burritos as well as a full menu of more sophisticated plates. Choose from lemon chipotle chicken, chile rellenos, steak tequilla, chili rubbed pork chops or shrimp veracruz, to name a few. I ordered the steak quesadilla with onions, tomatoes and chihuahua cheese and my companion tried the burrito shown here which was tasty but too much to finish. On another night we had the tinga de pollo, a tasty plate of shredded chicken, chipolte peppers and salsa rojo. Portions are all very generous and it’s good to go with a group so you can sample several items.
Vega is also open for a very-reasonably priced lunch. There are burgers, veggie burgers, a steak sandwich, a Cuban pressed sandwich, chicken fajita sandwich, a taco salad, quesadillas and more, all priced from $8-$11. The flexible kitchen also permitted us to order from the dinner menu so you can have it your way. For kids there’s Mexican pizza, chicken fingers, and French fries.
Vega has hit its stride and now it’s up to us to support them and eat local. If you don’t want to go to them, they’ll even deliver to you.
Vega Mexican Cuisine
187-189 Hartsdale Avenue
Hartsdale, New York
914-723-0010
vegamexican.com
Masseria to Open at the Heathcote Five Corners
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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Signs have been posted on the Tavern Building at the Heathcote Five Corners announcing the opening of an Italian restaurant in the late Fall. Though the lease for the driveway to the parking lot has not yet been signed, it appears that owners Fish and Oder have leased the space and are confident that the village will agree to a lease renewal. A resolution to lease the driveway and a portion of the parking lot to the tavern owners was on the agenda for the September 14 Scarsdale Board of Trustees meeting but was held over pending an environmental impact study.
The web page for the new restaurant is up and here is what it says:
Masseria (pronounced Mas sir e a) will be a 200 seat restaurant and wine bar located at 2 Weaver Street in the Village of Scarsdale, New York featuring coastal Italian cuisine influenced by the region of Puglia, Italy. The restaurant will be overseen by Francesco and Pasquale Coli, an experienced father/son team currently operating the highly rated La Villetta, an Italian restaurant located at 7 Madison Avenue in Larchmont, New York since 2000.
A masseria is a farm house on a country estate found in the region of Puglia where Francesco and Pasquale are from. The design and atmosphere will be inspired by the many masserie that are found near the coast between Bari and Brindisi in what is often times referred to as the masseria coast. Masserie date back to the 16th century and now are bed and breakfasts with restaurants serving typical dishes of Puglia.
The Farmers Market is Thriving in Scarsdale
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- Written by: Joanne Wallenstein
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Local gardens are thriving and so is the Scarsdale Farmer’s Market where you can feast your eyes and stomachs on the bounties of the season. This past Saturday we found a full complement of farmers, bakers, butchers, picklers, cheese makers and vintners selling their products.
Susan Froelich of the Next Generation Farm in Montgomery, New York had colorful tomatoes, tomatillos and peppers available and provided some tempting recipes to utilize them.
Here is her recipe for Mango and Tomatillo Salsa:
2 mangos, peeled and diced
10 tomatillos, husked and sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced
¼ cup limejuice
¼ cup diced onion
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup diced tomatoes
Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and let sit for at least 2 hours before serving.
Russell and Melissa Greenleaf, of Greenleaf Gardens were also at the market this week, selling a colorful assortment of organic produce including bright purple eggplants, red and green peppers and tomatoes that were pretty enough to paint.
The Greenleaf’s run a sustainable garden education program in the Scarsdale Schools and have planted successful gardens in all five of our elementary schools as well as the Scarsdale Middle School and High School. Community volunteers and their children tend these gardens and the results are impressive. Stop by the High School or Fox Meadow School to take a look. Also check out a recent article in the Journal News picturing Greenleaf’s work in Scarsdale.
While you’re doing your shopping at the Scarsdale Farmer’s Market, every Saturday from 9 am – 1:30 pm, you can also meet your neighbors and sometimes your Mayor or members of the school board. It’s a good opportunity to get a sense of what’s going on in town as well as at the table. Carol Delisa runs the Scarsdale Market as well as another market in North Caste/Armonk on Thursdays from 3-7 pm. Read more about local markets on her Market Lady website.
ZaZa's Opens on Central Avenue
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In another sign that the economy is on an upswing, new restaurants are opening every week in our area. This week we noticed bright yellow awnings on Central Avenue, where Rustico closed earlier this summer. We stopped in to investigate and were pleasantly surprised to see that the interior has undergone a total transformation and is now open for business.
Rustico has now been renamed Za’Za’ and will be managed by Alessandro Calemme, an Italian native and former music producer whose family has been in the restaurant business in Naples and Milan for two generations. He is partnering with Nello Tizzano who ran Rustico for 17 years. Calemme brings both his musical and culinary skills to the enterprise –and has come up with an innovative menu and invited musicians to play acoustic guitar, jazz, blues and pop on Wednesday through Friday nights.
The restaurant now houses a floor to ceiling wood burning pizza oven and the menu lists seventeen variations of pizza and calzone including a seafood pizza with mussels, clams and shrimp, the “Donna Regina” with tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil, artichoke hears, mushrooms, olives and parma prosciutto, and an original margherita. The crusts are made with Caputo Pizza Flour from Italy and Calemme is importing his mozzarella and San Marzano tomatoes as well.
The menu features a wide array of antipasti, salads and pastas. Entrees will change daily and be shown on the restaurant blackboard. On the day we visited, specials included pasta with eggplant and mozzarella, Tagliata Di Manzo, branzino and thinly sliced filet mignon. From Sunday through Wednesday, Za’Za’ is offering their special tasting menu, “L’abbuffata" which includes unlimited servings of antipasti, pizza and main courses for just $30 per person.
The restaurant is also open for lunch and panini and wraps will be served.
If you try Za’Za’, please tell us how it was in the comments sections below:
Za’Za’
751 Central Park Avenue
Scarsdale, New York 10583
(914) 472-4005
Open Seven Days a Week for Lunch and Dinner
Good Life Makes a New Life in Scarsdale
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Scarsdale residents cheered when they saw Michaels reopen last week, and many marched in expecting to once again order their favorite mozzarella (mozzi) or turkey sandwich. But they were surprised to find much more than a sandwich and cheese shop. Greeted with a free sample of fresh watermelon-strawberry juice, customers quickly realized new tastes were in store.
Renamed, Good-life Gourmet, Spencer Place is now home to a three-meal-a-day operation. Headed up by chef Eric Korn who trained at the Culinary Arts Institute and served under a celebrity chef, Good Life Gourmet offers breakfast and lunch on site, prepared dinners to go and a full scale catering operation.
The shop has been redesigned and is an inviting environment where you can begin your day with Illy coffee fresh-squeezed juice and pastries, muffins and croissants baked by Martines in Tuckahoe. For lunch, Korn offers a changing menu of innovative sandwiches, salads and soups utilizing seasonal ingredients. The sandwiches are served on breads brought in daily from some of New York's finest bakeries. On a recent visit, the sandwich menu included a lemon roasted asparagus panini with basil goat cheese, brisket with caramelized onion and gouda and a five cheese sandwich with short ribs. On the lighter side, the salad menu featured roasted beet with goat cheese, heirloom tomato with roasted cipolliini onions and an herbed grilled chicken with carrots and apples in a tarragon vinaigrette.
And if you're impressed with lunch, wait until you see what Korn has in mind for dinner. Every day Good-life will prepare fresh, "homemade" dinners, that you can pick up, heat up and serve. According to Korn, "these will look like real meals on your dinner table, not fussy food on a plate you'd find at a restaurant." His menu shows French roasted chicken in a red wine sauce, pan roasted halibut, and wild mushroom lasagna to name a few. However, the menu will change everyday and dinners are reasonably priced from $12-$16, which is far less than you would spend on a take-out meal. Good-life is offering a mobile program to make ordering easy from your phone. If you text "goodlife" to 51684, you will be sent a text message every morning letting you know what's for dinner. From your phone you can order and pay for your meal and pick it up when you get off the train in Scarsdale.
With the Jewish holidays upon us, Korn will be offering catered Rosh Hashonah and Yom Kippur selections, so stop by the store to see what's available. And when you do, you'll be happy to see that Michael and Jason Cairo are still on the scene, helping Good-life make a new life in Scarsdale.
Good-life Gourmet
13 Spencer Place
Scarsdale, New York 10583
914-723-3024
www.good-lifegourmet.com
Open 7 am - 8 pm Monday through Friday
Saturdays - hours TBD
