Movie news in Yonkers, Dobbs Ferry and 38 new restaurant openings
“Stop worrying about the potholes in the road and enjoy the journey.” — Babs Hoffman
I know I'm supposed to talk food here — and I will in a minute — but as a certified movie and TV buff, I've gotta say how exciting it is that Lionsgate is finally here — and in Yonkers!!
The film studio — dubbed Hollywood on the Hudson — is already geared up to house production for season two of the Starz show "Run the World." And, though I know they have their own on-site kitchen complete with an acre of green space on the building's roof, including a garden area that will help supply food for the facility, I'm hoping some folks will get to venture out and check out the local dining scene. There's so many diverse offerings in Yonkers including the new Off the Hook, which many Rocklanders know from its years in Haverstraw.
Breaking news: Off the Hook, popular for its Southern-influenced fish and chips and also for its food truck, will be opening a new location in Nyack in the spring. More on that, plus the deets on 13 other Rockland places are in my new in 2022 story. A Westchester version lists 25 new places including a Piermont favorite that's opening a second location across the river. (I have to be mum for now on what town but trust me, it's a great location.)
You might have to wait to see a movie filmed at Lionsgate, at least locally. I also wrote about the anticipated December opening of the LOOK Dine-In Theater, which was replacing the former Ipic in Dobbs Ferry, but the company announced that its opening has been delayed to later in 2022.
One of the most exciting openings (at least in my humble opinion) is La Crémaillère, the iconic French restaurant in Bedford, which had been closed for much of the last two years.
What I love about it — and please read my story for more info — is that it's a virtual time capsule back to the '60s complete with a coat check room, a hostess stand with a book filled with handwritten reservations (in pencil!) and a dining room that looks exactly like it did the last time I ate there, more than a decade ago.
Maybe it's the nostalgia and our pandemic life, but I honestly can't wait to book my dinner reservation and revel in the past. The menu transports you to France, a place I yearn to go to. (I pretty much yearn to go anywhere ✈️)
That said, it's a weird time for the restaurant industry. On one hand, there are a lot of openings — and excitement about those openings, especially as many were pushed back due to delays caused by the pandemic. But on the other hand, it's winter, the heart of what's traditionally a slow time for restaurants. And Omicron isn't helping.
In other words, restaurants are slow and doing all they can to hold on, It's why, at the risk of sounding like a broken record, they need your support more than ever. So, order takeout. Plan for Valentine's Day. Buy a gift certificate. This pandemic continues to affect restaurants hard. And if we want them to still be there when this is all over, we need to be there for them.
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: Where I'm hoping to dine next, including a blast from the past
