Retro vibes give me comfort. As do burgers, salads and a birria quesadilla
“Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”– Babe Ruth
I lived in Larchmont for many years but, sadly, never went to Huber's Hofbrau in Mamaroneck. It's been closed for more than 20 years but you'd never know it from the way it looks inside. And believe me, I've peeked inside the stained glass windows and seen the frozen-in-time bar and the red and white checkered tablecloths, all of which are visible if you look in just the right spot.
Now you can see it up close and personal via the real estate photos in Bill Cary's story. With this whole nostalgia theme front and center — and our longing for simpler, easier (pre-COVID) times — it seems a perfect opportunity for someone to buy it. And, I hope, keep it exactly as it is. What I also loved (and never knew existed) is the second-floor apartment with vintage wallpaper and two retro side-by-side 1940s bathrooms complete with very retro pink and green tiles.
Oh, to go back in time. Do you ever wish, for a moment, you could step back inside an old photo?
If you agree, you'll definitely want to "step" into my burger photo of The Bobby-O from Brookside Tavern. The Valley Cottage restaurant won Rockland's best burger with The Burger Loft in New City a close second.
Tom Zorn and Paul Carlucci, who run the Brookside kitchen, named the burger after their friend Bobby Lowrey of Stony Point Pizzarena. I love that 1) they have gluten-free buns (not every burger place on our list did) and 2) they use a lot of sauces. The Bobby-O features a whiskey barbecue sauce I wish they'd bottle along with cheddar cheese and crispy onions.
Westchester is up next with that contest running next week so expect more burger photos.
Sweetgreen, new Latino market open
In other food news, Sweetgreen opened its first Westchester location this past Tuesday in Scarsdale (in the Mount Vernon Shopping Center) while Little Prince, a sibling to Mason Sandwich Co. in Eastchester, opened Wednesday. So many salads for this salad-gal! 🥗
And, I visited La Hacienda, a new Latino-focused grocery store and cafe in Yonkers where I had a to-die for quesabirria, basically a birria taco wrapped with lots of melted cheese into a warm tortilla. Naturally, it's part of my "Notable bites" list.
What I loved about this story, aside from finding fun, often hard-to-find Latin products, was that the two brothers that opened it are part of the "Great Resignation," the pandemic-induced push to leave the job you're doing to do something you love, or have always thought about. If not now, when?
Life's too short, right? And these days it's way too unpredictable. It's why I'm diving into dessert (and yes, red wine) a bit more than I usually do. And why I strongly believe in savoring every moment.
Notable bites 🍽️
(What I ate — and loved — this week)
Bobby-O burger at Brookside Tavern in Valley Cottage (Like I said, the whiskey barbecue sauce got me as I'm a "saucy" kind of gal)
Sweet potato fries at The Filling Station in West Haverstraw (sweet potato fries are my weakness and these were perfectly crisp and salty).
Poached pear salad with shaved beet, Ewe’s Blue, Rye crumble at Apropos Restaurant at The Abbey Inn in Peekskill (I also loved the roast chicken). (This is an elegant dining room in a restored convent; the restaurant also now requires proof of vaccination, something I reported on last week).
Quesabirria at La Hacienda Meat and Grocery Market in Yonkers (as mentioned above, this is unique and interesting and so full of flavor you almost don't need the consommé that comes with it).
53rd & 6th at Little Prince in Eastchester. This takeout spot just opened and is so delish I couldn't decide what to get. Plus, how can you not love a salad devoted to NYC? This one features Middle Eastern chicken shawarma, crispy pita, pickled red onion, cherry tomatoes, lettuce and harissa Greek yogurt. Next time, though, I'm going for the Chimichurri bowl, Argentinian grilled flank steak, cherry tomatoes, arugula, caramelized onions and salsa verde atop fluffy cauliflow.
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: An old bar stirs up melancholy feelings plus Rockland's best burger
