Zagats Picks for Westchester

Zagat Survey has released its 2010/11 Westchester and Hudson Valley Restaurants Survey covering restaurants in southern New York plus nearby Connecticut and the Berkshires. The updated guide is based on the experiences of 4,502 avid local diners and covers 961 restaurants, including 70 important additions.

"Westchester and the Hudson Valley are home to an impressive crop of affordable restaurants," said Tim Zagat, CEO of Zagat Survey. "With Zagat content available in print and our suite of mobile applications, diners north of New York City can access our reliable restaurant reviews wherever they go.”

This year, Westchester welcomed a surge of ultracasual eateries specializing in affordable fare. In Hartsdale, Frankie & Fanucci’s presents thin-crust pizza, while a new location of well-known Connecticut pizzeria Frank Pepe opened in Yonkers. Diners hungry for comfort food were met with newcomers Rainwater Grill in Hastings-on-Hudson and Mamaroneck’s Roasted Peppers. Consumers interested in something different were greeted by Barnacle BBQ and Fish Shack, also in Mamaroneck, with live music on weekends and a rear deck overlooking Mamaroneck Harbor.

Worldly cuisines with down-to-earth prices popped up all over Westchester. These newcomers include Sleepy Hollow’s Tyrynda Thai (Thai), Hartsdale’s Masala Kraft Café (vegetarian Indian) and New Rochelle’s Don Coqui (Puerto Rican). Asian arrivals play it safe with moderately priced menus, such as those at Lucky Buddha in Thornwood, which provides everything from hibachi to Indonesian dishes, Mt. Kisco’s Neo World Bistro and Sushi Bar and Haiku in White Plains.

Some of Westchester’s top restaurants have changed their tune to attract bargain-hunting diners. Dan Barber’s Blue Hill at Stone Barns in Pocantico Hills added less costly options to its tasting-menu format, while Port Chester’s Tarry Lodge now offers lunch and brunch specials. In Yonkers, X2O Xaviars on the Hudson (Most Popular in this Survey) regularly hosts value-oriented events including an unlimited champagne brunch on Sundays.

The 2010/11 Westchester and Hudson Valley Restaurants guide sells for $14.95 and was edited by Bill Corsello, Michelle Golden, John Bruno Turiano, Judith Hausman, Julia Sexton, Lynn Hazlewood and Lorriane Gengo. For information on Zagat’s mobile products, visit http://www.zagat.com/mobile.