Page 27 - Westchester Relocation Guide 2021

Rivermarket Bar & Kitchen, Tarrytown
The Roundhouse, Beacon
Saltaire, Port Chester
avaialability of “to-go” options hasn’t been typical for higher-end restaurants. Perennial Westchester favorites like Crabtree’s Kittle House, X20 (10% off for take-out orders!), Sam’s of Gedney Way, Rivermarket Bar & Kitchen, Saltaire, and Trattoria 632 all embraced the takeout model as a way to stay viable during the pandemic.
But restaurateurs have had to work a little harder to make indoor dining thrive. Rafael Palomino, owner and chef at modern Latin cuisine star Sonora in Port Chester has installed plexiglass shields at every table to separate servers from patrons and their paella. “It’s not the food; it’s not the ambience,” he says, “it’s the safety factor.” And for bar seating, Palomino engineered plexiglass compartments for intimate drinking
buddies to belly up to.
In addition, all doors now have kick
openers, and restrooms have been upgraded with touchless toilets, urinals,
and faucets. It cost Palomino about $10,000 to create a new normal at Sonora, but as he points out: “It’s an investment and an effort to save your business while making your customers feel taken care of.”
Agreeing that patrons need to feel comfortable when they walk in, Maurizio Belli, owner of Italian favorite Sette e Vente Cucina & Bar in Bedford Hills does whatever it takes to give diners whatever they need for safety’s sake. “If someone wants disposable cutlery, cups, or dishes, all they have to do is ask,” he says. Otherwise, silverware is now being wrapped in cloth napkins, and sanitizing wipe packs are on every table.
At The Greekish in Harrison, Chef Constantine Kalandranis added hand sanitizers at tables and stickers with QR codes for contactless menu viewing. Kalandranis purchased new chairs that are “more wipeable,” and while dishes continue to be sterilized in the high-temp
dishwasher, cutlery and drinkware are disposable. Plus, each cook now has his or her own hand sink, as well as personal, isolated bathrooms. “These are things
The Greekish, Harrison
LIVING IN WESTCHESTER AND THE HUDSON VALLEY | RELOCATION & MOVING GUIDE 25
© TOM MCGOVERN
© JULIE STAPEN PHOTOGRAPHY © MARJORIE TARTER © COURTESY OF RIVERMARKET