Restaurant Row in Mamaroneck

Scarsdale’s Comprehensive Village Plan calls for a “restaurant row” along Scarsdale Avenue – a concept that has been elusive to date. Despite a lot of talk, Scarsdale has not been able to attract many new restaurants in the past few years. A combination of the lack of parking, high rents and restrictive Village code are said to make it difficult for restauranteurs to open in town. As a result, when Scarsdalians want to eat out, we often drive north to White Plains, south to Eastchester and more frequently west to Mamaroneck where restaurants appear to be thriving. With ample parking, a long, wide strip of sidewalks on both sides of the avenue and presumably affordable rents, Mamaroneck has attracted a host of eateries, adding the tastes of Asia, Peru, Turkey and India to traditional Italian fare.

With sushi in mind we drove to Mamaroneck the other night and were pleasantly surprised by the wide range of choices.

We passed Haiku, also open in Bronxville, Eastchester and White Plains. Known for their innovative sushi and sashimi, the also offer a full selection of hot entrees. Sleek and sophisticated the Haiku chain has made its mark in Westchester.

Haiku, 265 Mamaroneck Avenue, Mamaroneck (914) 381-3200

A few doors down is Toyo Sushi, also known for their fresh and novel sushi and sashimi combinations. A good place for a quick bite or takeout, Toyo was one of the first new sushi spots to open on the avenue and remains a favorite.

Toyo Sushi, 253 Mamaroneck Avenue, (914) 777-8696

Buoyed by the success of Toyo, owners Peter Chen, and master chefs Toyomoto Kenji and Oyama Katuya opened the Red Plum next door at 251 Mamaroneck Avenue. The Red Plum serves sushi as well as a Pan-Asian items like Siamese crispy red snapper and char-grilled Chilean sea bass. We ate there on a warm September night and enjoyed “sushi pizza.” With the restaurants front windows opened onto a sidewalk patio, al fresco dining was very pleasant.

Red Plum, 251 Mamaroneck Avenue, Mamaroneck (914) 777-6888

As if these four were not enough, we noted newcomer Kashiwa across the street at 328 Mamaroneck Avenue. We stopped by and spoke to the owners who said they had just opened a few weeks ago and offer an extensive menu of sushi, Chinese, Thai and Asian fusion selections. The restaurant is beautifully designed and has a full bar and sushi bar and prices look very reasonable. At lunch time, an entrée, salad and rice is offered at just $8-$12. Check them out and let us know what you think.

Kashiwa, 328 Mamaroneck Avenue, Mamaroneck, (914) 381-0888

And if you’re in the mood for something else, a few of our other Mamaroneck Avenue picks are Piri-Q for grilled chicken, Roasted Peppers for Latin American and Rani Mahal for Indian.

Better yet … save room for dessert and go to Paleteria Fernandez for ice pops in 30 flavors that can be dipped in chocolate and coated with coconut. Yum.