The Iron Tomato in White Plains

One of the things I missed most about moving out of the city was the lack of gourmet food shops like Citarella and Zabars.  However, almost overnight, White Plains has turned into NYC’s “Mini Me,” with tons of great dining, entertainment, shopping and yes, our very own gourmet food mecca. The Iron Tomato Market and Café opened in May 2008 and has been winning customers over ever since with their freshly prepared foods, expansive selection of cheeses (including mozzarella that they make on premise every day), a well-stocked fish counter, quality butcher and a bakery/gelato bar. There is even a small grocery section with hard-to-find imported items.

I went for lunch the other day and was somewhat overwhelmed by all the choices. A huge display of wraps and paninis caught my eye, but then I saw the thin crust, brick oven pizzas, on the other hand the roasted vegetables looked pretty amazing. This is not a place for the indecisive. I settled on a made-to-order panini with a promise to myself to return again soon and try some of the other mouth watering offerings.

The space itself is beautiful, with warm wood tones and an airy 40-seat café, but the main attraction is the display cases, packed with anything and everything you could want to “fake” a home cooked meal or throw an elegant cocktail party.

I love that I can drop in and have a bite in their café for lunch and take out something delicious for dinner, like Chicken Sorrentino (chicken cutlet sautéed with sherry wine, layered with prosciutto, eggplant and mozzerella), with a side of vegetables and potatoes, and of course a few slices of chocolate cake.

Sure it’s more expensive than whipping up yet another batch of pasta and steamed string beans, but this is “eat out” food at “eat in” prices. And not having to clean up pots and pans afterwards, well that, as they say, is priceless.

The Iron Tomato
57 Mamaroneck Ave.
White Plains, NY
(914) 328-9400
www.theirontomato.com

The Dish:
Hours:
Monday-Wednesday: 8am-10pm
Thursday-Saturday: 8am-11pm
Sundays: 8am-6pm

Delivery and Catering is Available

There will be outdoor seating during the warmer months.