Seriously Good Eating

From the moment you walk into Saint George, perched high above the Hudson River in Hastings, you can see you are in for authentic French fare. The blackboard is peppered with words like charcuterie, fromage and mouclade and the high, pressed tin ceiling, burnished woodwork and lanterns have an old-world, European flavor. Turns out the management are not strangers to quality food or Scarsdale, as this is the third venture for Executive Chef Chris Vergara of Scarsdale's Meritage and Harper's in Dobbs Ferry. This new addition to their enterprise is in the space formerly occupied by Buffet de la Gare, and is opposite the Hastings on Hudson train station.

Due to the popularity of Saint George, I am not sure you'll be able to walk in to this bistro on a weekend. Fortunately for us, a friend had booked a table a month before. We were greeted with a tempting cocktail menu and I ordered this very green "Chartreuse Swizzle" with green chartreuse, pineapple, lime, and nutmeg. It was a bit too sweet and the nutmeg made it taste like Christmas so next time I will order a glass of absinthe or choose from their extensive list of wines from all over France.

For appetizers, on the night we were there, they were offering a special salad of imported white asparagus topped with herbs and a sauce gribiche that was a standout. Also recommended is the frisee salad with crispy egg, jambon and mustard and the salade de marche with goat cheese – pictured here. A more daring member of our party went for the beef tartare tartinette and enjoyed it. Also featured is a raw bar with a variety of oysters and clams, as well as shrimp cocktail and a chilled half lobster.

Though you will find fish on the menu, it does lean heavily on the meat side. Our party of six ended up ordering the Hudson Valley duck breast and a chicken fricassee with chunks of house cured bacon, mushrooms, carrots, and cognac-cream. The piece de resistance was the massive boneless rib-eye steak for two, served in a black cast iron pan, accompanied by sides of roasted brussels sprouts and pureed potatoes. The steak was well charred on the outside and rare in the middle and proved to be enough for 3 or even 4! I went for the striped bass with braised artichokes and carrots in white wine and coriander. Pictured here it was moist and tasty. It was evident that all the entrees were freshly prepared by a skilled chef and all six of us were impressed with our dinners.

I am ashamed to admit we indulged in dessert as well. The profiteroles with ice cream and chocolate sauce were irresistible and the chocolate mousse with dark rum and espresso, topped with whipped cream was quickly gone as well.

Who is Saint George? Apparently the chef has a beloved rabbit called George who Vergara says is lucky to be the inspiration for the restaurant's name rather than the substance of a stew! So when you go, be sure to avoid the lapin.

Saint George
155 Southside Avenue
Hastings on Hudson, NY
914-478-1671
http://saintgeorgebistro.com/menus.html
Dinner nightly from 5 pm
Brunch Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 3 pm
Closed Monday