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Written by Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 15 May 2025

Created: 15 May 2025

Last Updated: 15 May 2025

Hits: 1791

We were thrilled to hear that our favorite Mexican restaurant in Bronxville has opened a second location in Purchase and made a reservation for dinner a few weekends ago. We’re pleased to report that the menu is similar, the setting is warm and spacious and we had a delightful dinner.

Casa Purchase is located on Anderson Hill Road in Purchase in a smartly designed, two-story clapboard building with ample space, high ceilings and bars on both the first and second floors. Valets are available to park your car and we were greeted by enthusiastic staff.

Only recently opened, the restaurant was buzzing with positive vibes and we quickly scanned the drinks menu to find a long list of margarita options along with cocktails such as the Palma, Negroni, Pina Tropical, Oaxaca Mule, Mojito and more.

Even though the place was crowded our drinks arrived quickly and our server led us through his favorites on the menu. There were lots of appealing appetizers, tacos, quesadillas and entrees and it was hard to pare them down.

With so many good options we decided to share some guacamole and enjoyed the Tartar de Atun appetizer which is sushi grade blue fin tuna, marinated with soy, cilantro and ginger sauce and accompanied by avocado, cucumber, serrano pepper, radish and plantain chips. Yum!

We also order the Tostada de Jaiba, crabmeat, avocado, tomato, cilantro, and lime juice and the Tacos Al Pastor, marinated grilled pork, pineapple, onion and cilantro.Street Corn

We couldn’t pass on the entrees, though we were pretty full by then. The Enchiladas Verdes are chicken in tortillas with green sauce, cheese cream and avocado, which I found to be tasty but not too spicy. The Carne Asada, skirt steak with chimichurri sauce, plantains, black beans and rice was also a hit as well as the Blackened Mahi Mahi with jicama slaw, plantains, rice and beans.

The restaurant also has a full Vegan menu with some imaginative choices for those who want to avoid meat. Check it out here:

Reservations are available and in addition to dinner they are also serving Sunday brunch.

We spoke to owner Spencer Pingel about the new location and here is what he told us:

What attracted to the new location?

MargaritaThe Purchase location was very appealing to us for a number of reasons. It’s extremely convenient to so many towns with people who love to eat out: obviously Scarsdale, but also Rye, Greenwich, White Plains, Hartsdale. It’s close to many corporate headquarters which will be great when we start to open for lunch (soon). Plus, the layout of the space is flexible since we’ve got seating in a lively bar area downstairs and a quieter dining space upstairs. The second floor also works well for hosting private parties or get togethers.

How extensive was the renovation of the building?

Happily, we were able to use the existing layout and didn’t need to renovate extensively.

How did you find a chef for the new location?

Our Executive Chef is Erick Lopez and he’s really talented. He oversees the kitchen at both of our restaurants and came to us after 9 years at Casa Enrique, a Michelin-starred Mexican Restaurant in Long Island City. Erick grew up watching his mother, grandmother and aunts prepare traditional Mexican family recipes but he has a modern take on many classics and infuses local ingredients as well.

What has been the reaction from customers?Tostada de Jaiba

We’ve heard from customers that they’re thrilled to have an elevated version of Mexican in their neck of the woods. They’ve also really embraced some of the traditions we started at La Casa Bronxville, like our popular steak nights. We started offering these in Purchase when customers asked us to. It’s something we know offer once a month: a prix fixe menu for $67 per person that includes multiple courses: Caesar salad, street corn, different choices of sides, even a bottle of wine for the table. And of course, the steak entree which is a perfectly marinated and grilled ribeye that’s served family-style with chimichurri sauce. People really love it!

Anything else?

We have a great Sunday brunch and are starting soon to offer brunch on Saturdays. Also we want people to know that we are friendly to different diets. We have a separate and very large vegan menu. And we also have a separate gluten free menu and separate fryers, etc. in the kitchen to try to avoid cross contamination.

La Casa Purchase
578 Anderson Hill Road
Purchase, NY
914-222-9016
Reserve here:

Tuesday, Wednesday 4:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Thursday 4:00 pm -10:00 pm
Friday 4:00 pm -10:30 pm
Saturday 4:00 pm -10:30 pm
Sunday brunch 11:30 am - 4:00 pm
Sunday dinner 4:00 pm - 9:00 pm

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Written by Dave Taber

Published: 29 May 2025

Created: 29 May 2025

Last Updated: 29 May 2025

Hits: 357

Junior Matthew Zoland (#3) is congratulated at the dugout after scoring a run.The Raiders kept their playoff hopes alive with a gritty 2-1 win over Arlington on Tuesday, May 27. The game was a hard-fought Section 1 Class AAA matchup and the victory extended Scarsdale’s run in the double-elimination tournament.

Noah Zoland (#1) applies the tag to catch an Arlington runner trying to steal.
Scarsdale’s strong season came to a close the following day with a loss to Mamaroneck on Wednesday, May 28 — just one game short of the championship round.

Junior and Captain Gil Krausz (#0) fires in a pitch to the plate.

Junior Aidan Dunsky (#34) tracks down a deep fly ball in left.

Kojiro Hirata (#6) make a great sliding catch in the 7th inning.

Photos by Dave Taber of Shots of the Game
To see more game photos and/or download photos, please visit https://www.shotsofthegame.com/

Junior Kojiro Hirata (#6) bunts at the ball during a squeeze attempt.

Junior Max Gasthalter (#10), scoops up a grounder near third base.

Gil Krausz (#0) hits a line drive.Senior Noah Zoland (#1) slams a hard-hit ball.Senior and captain Michael Vibbert (#17) runs down a fly ball in center.

Kojiro Hirata (#6) and Michael Vibbert (#17) celebrate after clinching the win.

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Written by Joanne Wallenstein

Published: 08 May 2025

Created: 08 May 2025

Last Updated: 29 May 2025

Hits: 1952

(This is the opinion of Scarsdale10583 Publisher Joanne Wallenstein)
Sometimes the sight of a police car makes you feel secure – but in today’s charged environment, the presence of police is eliciting the opposite reaction: fear.

The President has ordered ICE agents to round up and deport immigrants and residents, foregoing the right to due process guaranteed in the constitution. In the past few months the news has reported planeloads of people being deported to the jungles of Panama and a notorious prison in El Salvador and there is more news of similar arrangements in the works with Libya and Rwanda to house those that authorities deem to be “undesirable.” Every day brings another harrowing story of imprisonment and deportations, with some being captured from police stations and courthouses. I don’t need to tell you that it’s terrifying.

In this disturbing environment I took solace in the fact that I lived in a well-run, democratic and free town, where my rights would be respected and safeguarded. I told myself, “It can’t happen here.” I thought our police force, our non-partisan government and our school administrators would do everything in their power to keep the unlawful practices of the federal government away from our special Village in a Park.

However, a month ago, at what appeared to be a routine meeting of the Scarsdale Village Board, I realized I was living in a fantasy world. Sitting in the audience with one or two others, I heard the Board approve a spending resolution I could not find on the agenda – and only grew curious when one of the trustees vociferously objected to it, due to “privacy concerns.” Privacy? What had just been passed?

At the conclusion of the meeting I pulled aside the Village Manager and she said she would send me a copy of the resolution the next day. When I received it I found that it committed the Village to spend $300,000 a year for seven years, or $1.8mm for a contract with a national security firm to supply cameras, license plate readers and a drone to increase surveillance of Scarsdale.

Few details were offered and it wasn’t until the Mayor signed the contract on April 29, 2025 that the full breadth of the plan was revealed.

And sadly, what I read made me feel anything but safe.

Without any public discussion, or prior notice, the Village signed a seven year contract with a company that will install equipment, train police and then facilitate the sharing of data about the comings and goings in Scarsdale. The cameras and drone can collect a wealth of information beyond the vehicle license plate number. Capabilities include tracking the car color along with any identifying bumps, scratches, decals and roof racks. It can “detect suspect vehicles that frequently travel together,” and link to the personal data of individuals inside the locations where the cars are sighted.

In a recent lawsuit filed against the vendor, Flock Safety, in Norfolk, Virginia, the Institute for Justice argues that “Norfolk has created a dragnet that allows the government to monitor everyone’s day-to-day movements without a warrant or probable cause.” The lawsuit also cited an example of abuse of the technology when a Kansas City police chief used Flock to track his ex-girlfriend. Scarsdale’s data will soon be a part of this web.

The thought of all this equipment monitoring the Village raises so many issues. Do we want our activities tracked? What about the housekeepers, gardeners, babysitters, painters and roofers who work in Scarsdale and do so much to keep all of us going? Though many have tried for years to gain citizenship, the process is expensive and long and sometimes unattainable. Would they be rounded up for arriving in a suspect vehicle?

And what of the many foreign-born residents who now call Scarsdale home? Some left their countries to escape authoritarian regimes. How would this new program make them feel?

A memo from the Mayor sought to calm these concerns. The Village claims that they will maintain control over our data, but the system works by comparing data collected from license plate readers, cameras and a drone in Scarsdale to a national database. That’s how suspects are flagged. Scarsdale’s data is supposed to be purged from the cloud every thirty days, but everyone knows it takes just a minute to steal and upload information to unauthorized servers. What if Flock Safety is sold? Will the new owners respect our agreement? Plus, if the federal government wants to subpoena the data, Scarsdale will need to take legal action to prevent data sharing.

The Mayor pointed out that Scarsdale has been using LPR’s and cameras for years, so I wondered, why not just buy a few more rather than sign up with a national firm? And to the claim that surrounding communities are using these devices, are they using drones as well?

Will using this equipment require an increase in staff? The drone contract appears to require the Village to hire drone pilot(s) who are licensed by the FAA. A quick google search says that FAA licensed drone pilots are paid $143,000 a year on average, and we assume the Village would require at least two to man the drone day and night. How much will this increase the budget of the Police Department? We questioned the Village Manager and the Mayor for details on staffing for this new program, but we did not receive a response.

The Mayor originally announced that the Village had applied for a federal grant to fund the program, and if the funding does not come through, we would not move forward. However, this year’s Village budget includes $200,000 for safety technology enhancements and now he says that perhaps these funds will be used for new technology.

At a work session on Village priorities on May 6, the item was discussed after a long list of other Village initiatives. The Village Manager introduced it saying, “The Village is working with Flock Safety to protect the community. It’s a priority of the manager’s office. We heard about evolving technology that criminals are using and we want to be able to keep up.”

A discussion ensued, with Trustee Jeremy Gans saying, “If this moves forward, pending the receipt of this grant. I think there needs to be a lot of work done. I voted against this at the time. My fears have escalated, not subsided. I was doing a lot of research at the time. That’s why I voted “no.” The notion that this will make our community feel safer depends who you are. Given the times that we’re in, if you’re here legally, but look a certain way, law enforcement makes you feel less safe. More surveillance in 2025 in America does not make me feel more safe -- and I know that there are plenty of residents who feel that way. We need to be absolutely sure, given threats from the national government that are not complying with things that they want, we are able to protect our data. It has to be first and foremost.”

He later said, “Flock is a venture-backed company building a nationwide surveillance system. And they say we can control our data? These statements are at odds.”

When the Mayor and several trustees spoke up in defense of the program, Gans responded, “the road to hell is paved with good intentions.”

During the public comments that followed the session, it was clear that others were alarmed as well. 242 people have signed a petition objecting to the implementation of the program without further analysis. I decided to speak up and ask some questions as well.

But there was no response to the comments from the Board members, who quickly closed the meeting to go into executive session.

Where does this stand now? Is the Village awaiting the grant funding or are they installing the equipment? Are they hiring drone pilots? I don’t have answers to my requests for information, but with each passing day I grow more concerned about why we don’t have the total picture and what our own elected officers are not revealing.

In my view, this initiative should be put on hold until the Village supplies all the details and the community has ample opportunity to weigh in. Before making this significant change in policy, a transparent board owes the residents a chance to be heard. And in these very unsettling times, I am asking our Village government to do what’s in their control to restore our peace of mind.

Michael Otten of Stonehouse Road commented: "I appreciate that there is still journalistic representation of the Fourth Estate in Scarsdale. I hope that our Trustees, Administration and Police Department all recognize that the questions raised, and criticism, should be treated as constructive consideration of issues that might need more attention. I appreciate that the Village Manager, Police Chief and Trustees have all explained their views, but I also expect them to adjust their actions as they learn more about the risk/reward balance.

I highly recommend that the Community and its leadership watch the CNN live broadcast on Saturday evening, June 7, of "Good Night, Good Luck," with George Clooney playing Edward M. Murrow. Those over 85 years old will recall the reality of the McCarthy 'Red Scare" and that abuse of federal government power does occasionally occur. Others active in the 1970s may know individuals on the Nixon Enemies list (undoubtedly some from Scarsdale) who experienced questionable IRS audits.

I was chilled to hear from a Scarsdale Schools graduate that he was unwilling to attend a recent rally at Chase Park for fear that he would be identified from a photo or video to have been there to listen to our Democratic Party federal and state legislative representatives and therefore have his federal government contracts canceled.

I am proud to live in a community where 242 people are willing to sign a petition on a somewhat controversial issue and where journalism is still alive. Let's at least ban government live cameras from Chase Park, an unlikely venue for criminal suspects in transit! Scarsdale deserves a "Speakers Corner," where free speech is still clearly protected from some of the vagaries of modern technology. For the rest, there is a need for public discourse on what was not as obviously an issue in recent years.

I have no doubt that our Police and Village leadership are acting in good faith. I only ask that they consider potential unintended consequences as they refine their recommendations for optimum protection of our community, both for safety and free speech."