New beginnings mean it's time to party

“But I always say, one's company, two's a crowd, and three's a party” — Andy Warhol

Who's ready to party? It's September, peeps. A time of new beginnings. And there are a LOT of new dining establishments to celebrate in Westchester, Rockland and Putnam. Thirty-three of them, in fact, in Westchester, 16 in Rockland and two in Putnam. No sooner did I publish my story that I heard of more.

The dining scene is exploding! (And, so frankly, is my brain a bit with all this "new" to write about!). So, ones I missed (that will be in another article down the road): Lost Borough Ice Cream opened a second location at 1 Larkin Plaza in Yonkers. Also new (and opening Friday at 4 p.m.) is Brooklyn-based 18th Ward Brewing, a taproom at 40 Division Street in New Rochelle featuring light bites and a host of IPAs, Golden, Lager, and barley wine on tap. Those who like fried chicken will be happy to know about Sticky’s Finger Joint which opened at the Cross County Center and, for those who like halal chicken (among other dishes), the impending arrival of Shah's Halal Food which should open on Mamaroneck Ave. in White Plains in the next week (ish) or more (mid-September is the target date).

Plus, Duck Donuts will open Friday at 9 a.m. at the Crossroads Shopping Center (at 393 Tarrytown Road) in White Plains.

Soon after that — Sept. 13 is the target date — Harbour Fish & Company will open in Mamaroneck (you know me and my lobster rolls!). And, since I also love coffee, a new coffee house (hello Roast’d Coffee) is coming soon to The Shops at Nanuet. Sombrero Tacoria is also planning an opening sometime this fall, giving Rocklanders two more places to look forward to. Plus, a new Buffalo Wild Wings opened Sept. 8.

The sweet life

Rockland is def rocking with food options including at Nyack's Dolce Vita. The new restaurant, offering a range of Italian fusion and seafood (and which translates to "the sweet life,") is located in the former O'Donoghue's space, putting pressure on Chef/Owner Sadik Demir to deliver. So far, I was impressed. The space is airy and light (he had the ceilings lifted) and the food (a cowboy steak and pan seared shrimp and scallop) were delish. The Piermont resident truly cares about the community and is dedicated to bringing high quality as well as a new place for people to gather.

“We've all been through a lot these past couple of years," he told me. "It's important now to pause, breathe, and enjoy life again by spending time with family and friends, listening to great music, enjoying delicious food, celebrating with good people, and having some fun again."

Amen to that. Read my story on the year anniversary of Hurricane Ida to appreciate what so many restaurant owners have been going through.

Women rule

Switching gears, Baked in Color in Larchmont, also known as "Happiness Headquarters" (it says that on its door) has, as of Sept. 7, expanded its current assortment of cookies and brownies beyond its brand to include treats from other female dessert chefs, specifically rainbow cake slabs and rainbow cake pops from Sully and Vanilla, rainbow cake donuts from Chana’s Bakery and rainbow sprinkled chocolate covered pretzels from Tarrytown-based Posh Pretzels. Other collaborations are in the works.

I'm all about partnerships and supporting other women so look for some Instagram posts about this this week. Also worth noting: Owner Julie Waxman plans to add hot chocolate with colorful marshmallows and other toppings later this Fall. And, though I hate to say the word (how is Fall getting so busy so fast?) she's planning monster brookie squares and other goodies (and is already gearing up) for Halloween.

Go orange

Halloween always gets me thinking orange. But it also gets me thinking Feeding Westchester (as it's their color!) For the fifth year in a row, Kate Schlientz of IntoxiKate, a social media company, has teamed with the nonprofit as well as area restaurants to "Go Orange" for Hunger Action Month in September. The goal? Raising awareness about food insecurity in Westchester County and educate the community about ways they can help.

More than 30 restaurants from Yonkers to Chappaqua are participating with a range of orange-colored dishes, everything from seasonal staples to gluten-free and vegetarian options, in both sweet and savory categories. For every post tagged, Schlientz will donate $1 to the organization, up to $500. This year, diners who participate will also be entered to win gift certificates from participating restaurants.

Join me on Sept. 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. when Kate and I "Scoop for a Cause" at Penny Lick Ice Cream in Hastings. A portion of sales will be donated to Feeding Westchester. (I scooped ice cream way back in high school so I'm excited to show off my talents!). To learn more, go to feedingwestchester.org.

Best Bites

(Things I ate - and loved -- this week)

• Brisket and beer at Gentle Giant Brewing in Pearl River. They smoke their own meats here and the smell alone, which wafts through the air, is enough to get you salivating before you sit down and read the menu.

• Peach salad and steak with chimmichuri sauce (it was a special) at Meritage in Scarsdale. The salad is part of the Eating Orange campaign. I also LOVE LOVE a salad with fruit in it.

• Strawberry salad at Sweet Grass Grill in Tarrytown. That shouldn't be a surprise as I just said how much I love fruit in my salad. I'm also holding onto summer as long as I can with these seasonal salads. Being in a meat mood, I ordered the grass-fed cheeseburger with my fave sweet potato fries. And, I indulged in the panna cotta and lemon tart desserts (the diet starts next week!). Everything here is always top-notch; I particularly like the restaurant's wide variety of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes making it an easy spot to meet friends with different dietary requirements. Plus, as I said earlier, the food isn't just good: It's stellar.

• Pizza, salmon, shrimp salad, chicken salad, minestrone soup, linguine with clam sauce and a calzone at Sette E Venti in Bedford Hills. The restaurant had a misleading Facebook post saying it was closed. It's not. Instead, the former owner sold it and it's now under new ownership, specifically Mentor Krasniqi and Blerim and Arlind Sylmetaj. Under their direction, the Italian restaurant will most likely undergo a name change and slight menu alteration (though all the kitchen staff is the same) in mid-Oct. Look, too, for a new bar with new cocktails. Stay tuned as I enjoyed this food so much I will definitely be back. (And no, I didn't eat it all though I did taste it all! I shared...)

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Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @lohud_food or via the lohudfood newsletter. 

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Celebrating September and new beginnings