Page 107 - Westchester Magazine - January 2011

PELHAM’S PARISIAN BISTRO COMFORT AND GREAT FOOD
EVERYTHING HOMEMADE
EXCELLENT SIMPLE INGREDIENTS-PREPARED PERFECTLY FOOD BETTER THAN YOU EVER EXPECTED
“a warm and welcoming neighborhood place...exactly what
a bistro should be”—Westchester Magazine, ★★★ (Feb 2010)
“Manny Lozano’s roasted half chicken grand-mère...was the chicken I only wish my grandmother had had the wherewithal to make.” “Waiters are precise and attentive.” “the sort of simple repast that can turn accidental diners into local regulars.”—New York Times, “Worth It” ★★★ (Nov 2009)
OpenTable Diner’s Choice Award 2010 -- “Neighborhood Gem.”
Register to win our Dream Dinner for 10 at www.westchestermagazine.com/bistrorollin
Open for Lunch: Tuesday - Saturday; Sunday Brunch Dinner: Tuesday - Sunday
Check our Website for New Prix-Fixe Menus
The bistro is a few blocks off the Hutchinson River Parkway,
or a short walk from the Pelham Metro-North station. Municipal Street Level Parking One-half block North on Fifth Avenue
142 FIFTH AVENUE PELHAM, NY 914.633.0780 WWW.BISTROROLLIN.COM
plenty of clams and mussels languished in a muddy-tasting tomato sauce served on near- ly crunchy pasta shells.
We were impressed when asked how we would like our pork cooked, and thrilled with the char on the outside of the tender- loin and the deep, layered flavor of the sherry sauce with porcini, shiitake, and portabella (also a special). But why were we asked how we wanted it cooked, if it wasn’t going to be served that way? The dish was too good to part with, said our dining com- panion, as she ate around the more-red- than-pink pieces. We agreed, and also couldn’t keep our forks away from the per- fectly cooked red potatoes and sautéed, lightly garlicky escarole on her plate.
Escarole and potatoes re-appeared in equally tasty form under light, flaky rock scorpion fish smothered in a lusty combina- tion of tomatoes, olives, capers, anchovies, and wine. We’d return for this dish, and also for pappardelle with wild boar, tomato, and blueberry (yes, blueberry) grappa. Happily, the pappardelle was cooked to perfection, and the flavors and textures in the light to- mato sauce—sweet grappa, deeply flavorful and rich boar, and salty bits of prosciutto— were beautifully balanced.
But no dish we had could possibly live up to the ricotta cheesecake. This ethereal ver- sion of the Italian classic was among the best we’ve ever had. Anywhere.
Other desserts were well worth eating, although they couldn’t possibly live up to the ricotta cheesecake. The lovely panna cotta was creamy and delicate with plenty of vanilla bean flavor, a zabaglione had exactly the right amount of Marsala, and the layered cappuccino cake was a harmony of crunchy and fluffy, bitter and sweet.
We ended our meals at Finalmente warmed by the blush of sweet satisfaction, but it was a journey of highs and lows to get there. W
Finalmente Trattoria ★★★★ 31 Beekman Ave, Sleepy Hollow
(914) 909-4787
Hours: lunch, Tues to Fri noon-3 pm; dinner, Tues to Thurs 5-10 pm, Fri and Sat, 5-11 pm, Sun, 5-9:30 pm
Appetizers: $8 and$12; entrées: $16-$21 ($52-$57 with white truffles); pasta: $13-$17; desserts: $7-$9
★★★★—Outstanding ★★★—Very Good ★★—Good ★—Fair
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