Hearty Fare Nearby

I don't know about you, but when I see Christmas lights ablaze at a restaurant in February, I wonder ... were they simply too lazy to take them down or is the food so mediocre that the chef hopes to attract diners with kitsch?

So when friends suggested we meet for dinner on a recent Friday night at the Italian place with the lights near Lord and Taylor on the White Plains Post Road I had several reasons to be skeptical. In addition to the holiday adornments I remembered eating at that same location years ago and shivering over my meal in a glassed-in porch that ran along the Post Road side of the restaurant. And though I frequent Lord and Taylor far too often, I couldn't even remember the name of the restaurant– was it Valbella, Malfetano or what?

I kept my doubts to myself and told my husband we were headed to Tutta Bella and was surprised to find the parking lot so packed that a valet was on duty. Inside the place was abuzz – or should I say loud – with a lively crowd of folks who had somehow discovered the place before it was on our radar. Plus, the glassed in porch had now been converted to a room and the temp was toasty.

We were warmly greeted by the maître d' who quickly offered us a glass of wine from their extensive list. While I sipped my Pinot Grigio and perused the menu, I couldn't help munching on too many bread sticks from the ample basket. Since the acoustics prevented me from hearing too much of the conversation at our big round table I gave the menu a good read and was happy to find Italian classics like chicken parmigiana, chicken scarpariello, vitello martini and shrimp scampi to please my husband as well as linguine in clam sauce, vitello saltimbocca (veal scaloppini with prosciutto on a bed of spinach sautéed with white wine and herbs) as well as several cuts of steak, rack of lamb and even lobster to please everyone else. There were also quite a few specials, among them a branzino with clams served in a light tomato sauce, that proved to be fresh and delicious.

To start most of us opted for a salad – mista, endive (with radicchio, walnuts and gorgonzola) red and golden beet, cesare and the Tutta Bella with mixed greens, pear, blue cheese in walnut vinaigrette.) There was a caprese with fresh mozzarella as well as an extensive list of hot and cold antipasto.

While we waited to be served the waiters poured and poured far too much wine, so much so that the end of dinner is not too clear in my memory. I will however recommend the Sicilian red to you – hard to resist even for someone who says she doesn't drink red wine!

All six of us were pleased with our entrees and enjoyed the ambiance and the service. If you're looking for solid cooking near home I recommend that you brave the lights and give Tutta Bella a try. I'll look for you there.

Tutta Bella
754 White Plains Road
Scarsdale NY 10583
914-725-0566
http://tuttabellatrattoria.com/

On another chilly Saturday night we did a last minute search on Open Table for a table for four. We felt fortunate to find availability at An American Bistro, now in Tuckahoe across from the Crestwood Train Station. We had been to their original location years ago but somehow forgotten about it. Turns out, many of you had not! Though we were late, the hostess was very accommodating and sat us at a nice table in their busy front room. The menu was extensive and ranged from fish, chicken, and duck to pasta and even spanakopita for the vegetarians in the party. At our table we started with the butternut squash soup – which was thick and flavorful. For my entrée, I tried the rigatoni with sausage, shrimp, and beans and had a hard time leaving some of the very large portion on the plate. Others had the herb roasted chicken with garlic clover, black beans, new potatoes in red wine sauce, the steak sandwich on garlic break with caramelized onions and shoestring potatoes, and the veal and shitake mushroom meatloaf with mashed potatoes. The grilled salmon with three-grain pilaf, roasted mushrooms, grilled asparagus, and a compote of roasted eggplant, peppers, and pine nuts is also highly recommended.

Everyone left happy. Prices were reasonable – with main courses, including a salad around $20.00. All round it was better than home-cooked fare at an accessible nearby location.

An American Bistro
296 Columbus Avenue
Tuckahoe, NY 10707
914-793-0807
http://www.anamericanbistro.com