Some restaurants become traditions without you even realizing it: Taqueria La Picardia

 

Taqueria La Picardia | Port Chester, NY

Some restaurants become traditions without you even realizing it.

Every family has “their place.”

You know the one. It’s where you end up after camp drop-off, where you sneak away for an unexpected lunch date, or where you celebrate having a few kid-free hours.

For us, that place is Taqueria La Picardia in Port Chester.

Over the years, it’s quietly become one of our favorite traditions. In fact, it’s become our go-to restaurant after camp drop-off. This weekend, while our son was at a birthday party, we found ourselves with a couple of unexpected free hours. We looked at each other and immediately knew where we wanted to go.

No debating.

No searching for somewhere new.

Just straight to Taqueria La Picardia.

🍹 The Drinks

We started with their Skinny Margaritas, and after the first sip, we already knew there would be a second round.

Fresh lime, perfectly balanced, not overly sweet, and incredibly refreshing. Exactly what a skinny margarita should taste like.

🍹 Second Margarita Worthy?

ABSOLUTELY. ✔️🍹🍹

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🍽️ What Hit Our Table

🥩 Steak Nachos Supreme

If you know me, you know nachos are my favorite food in the world.

Seriously.

So when I tell you these are a must-order, I don’t say that lightly.

The chips were perfectly crisp and piled high with seasoned steak, fresh pico de gallo, guacamole, crema, cotija cheese, and all the toppings you could want.

But here’s what really impressed me…

🌮

Carlen’s Nacho Test™

As someone who takes nachos very seriously, I have one simple rule:

The toppings should last as long as the chips…or even better, outlast them.

Nothing disappoints me more than finishing the toppings and being left with a basket of plain chips.

That definitely wasn’t the case here.

These nachos were piled so high that we actually finished the chips before the toppings. We had a few delicious bites of steak, guacamole, crema, pico, and cheese left on the plate after the last chip was gone.

That is a perfect nacho ratio.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Carlen’s Nacho Test™: PASSED

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🌮 Carnitas Gringa

My husband never comes here without ordering the Carnitas Gringa.

At this point, it’s become tradition.

The steak is incredibly tender with just the right amount of crispy edges from the melted cheese, packed with flavor from the fresh pineapple, onions, and cilantro, and every time he orders it, he reminds us why it’s his favorite.

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🍤 Shrimp Taco

I’ve loved the Shrimp Taco since our very first visit, and this time was no different.

Perfectly cooked shrimp, fresh toppings, simple ingredients, and incredible flavor.

It’s still my favorite thing on the menu.

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🌮 Taco Árabe

This visit, we finally decided to try something new.

The Taco Árabe.

I can’t believe we waited this long.

It was packed with flavor and has officially earned a permanent spot in our future orders. The chipotle cream sauce, onions, and cilantro gave it a really fresh flavor! 

Trying something new and immediately knowing you’ll order it again is always a win.

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❤️ Tastefully Delicious Takeaways

❤️ Return Staple

Some restaurants are worth trying.

Others become part of your life.

Taqueria La Picardia has become one of our family’s traditions, and we know it won’t be long before we’re back again.

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🍹 Second Margarita Worthy?

YES.

One margarita wasn’t enough.

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🌮 Carlen’s Nacho Test™

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Perfect Nacho Ratio

The toppings outlasted the chips.

Need I say more?

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❤️ Our Favorites

👩 Carlen’s Pick
🍤 Shrimp Taco

👨 Husband’s Pick
🌮 Carnitas Gringa

🏆 Must Order
🥩 Steak Nachos Supreme

⭐ Biggest Surprise
🌮 Taco Árabe

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💡 Tastefully Delicious Tip

Come hungry.

Order the nachos.

And don’t be surprised if you end up ordering a second skinny margarita.

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🍴 Final Bite

Some restaurants become traditions without you even realizing it.

Taqueria La Picardia isn’t just one of our favorite Mexican restaurants—it’s become our camp drop-off lunch spot, our spontaneous date spot, and one of those places that always leaves us talking about what we’ll order next time.

Those are the restaurants worth sharing.

❤️ Tastefully Delicious Verdict: RETURN STAPLE

Famous Greek: Really Delicious Greek

After hearing great things about Famous Greek Kitchen (10 North Water St., Greenwich, CT 06830),  I thought it was worth a try! (We had ordered in from there several times, but had never set food inside the restaurant) I am so glad that I did. We went on a Saturday night with another couple, and it was very crowded and exciting. It felt like a place you wanted to be seen at, while at the same time a place you can bring your family. The service was great, especially considering how crowded it was. Parking was the least desirable part of our evening there. The parking lot nearby was full, so we had to park down the street and walk, and of course it was raining! All worth it for this fabulous meal.

Luckily, our friends also like to share food, so we got to try a little bit of everything! My favorite way to eat! We ordered a bunch of dishes that were easy to share.

Spiced Lamb Sausage

The spiced lamb sausage was topped with halloumi cheese and sweet onion and served in a cast iron skillet. There was plenty of sausage to go around, what a good portion! It was full of flavor and the sweet onions contrasted the spicy and savory flavor of the sausage.

Truffle Saganaki

The truffle saganaki was quite unique and something that I haven't seen at any Greek restaurants before. It was a blend of manchego, asiago, imported black truffle, and shishitto peppers. The cheese was ooey and gooey and really soaked in the strong and rich truffle flavor. The shishitto peppers helped in soften the rich flavor by adding textural interest as well as a subtle spice to the whole ensemble.

Shrimp Saganaki

The Shrimp Saganaki was baked with tomato, feta, and fresh herbs and served straight out of the oven. I do love that the first 3 dishes, including this one, were served in the dishes they were cooked in, so the flavors all remained and they were piping hot. The shrimp saganaki was amazing in every way. So flavorful, colorful, and rich. The feta really soaked up the tomato sauce and added just the right amount of salt to each bite.

3 Dip Sampler (Tzatziki, Black Bean Jalapeno Hummus, Caramelized Onion Hummus)

The dip sampler was a fun dish, because you get to choose 3 dips out of 10 choices (plus they had a special option), so you really can come up with quite the selection. We went with the tzatziki, black bean jalapeno hummus, and the special of the night caramelized onion hummus. All the dips were so different from each other and made dipping fun! My favorite was the caramelized onion hummus because of the savory aspect of it from the onions. The black bean jalapeno hummus has a subtle spice to it, since the black beans muted the jalapenos. In my opinion, you can't go wrong with tzatziki anywhere, one of my favorite must haves when having Greek. It was so fresh and creamy.

Oktapodi

The Octopus was cooked perfectly with great flavor. It was charred and service with sweet onion and a red wine marinade. So delicious!

Lamb Chops

The lamb chops were cooked perfectly. Pink in the center just the way we like it and served with an amazing Mediterranean chimichurri sauce. The meat was so juicy that it didn't really need the sauce, but it was a nice light compliment to each bite because very little was needed.

Gyro Platter 

The Gyro platter was the perfect sharing dish! I am a sucker for a good Gyro platter; I could eat one every day. There was plenty meat to go around, and extra pita was brought to the table as well. The meat was crispy on the edges and full of flavor. It was not the best gyro meat I have ever had (hard to be Athens street food!), but definitely tasty. A nice salad was served alongside the meat that I used to make a gyro sandwich. Yum!

Lemon Potatoes 

The menu had a few sides as options, and even though we ordered enough food that we didn't really need a side as well, who can resist lemon potatoes?! The potatoes were the perfect mix of oily, buttery, lemony, and topped with mediterranean spices. So good!
I would definitely return to this restaurant to dine, and have already ordered in from there several times since! Def one of our go-to's! Enjoy! 

Capers: Tasty Mediterranean in Port Chester

For a recent date night, my husband and I wanted to explore a new-ish restaurant close to us in Port Chester. Capers (531 N. Main St., Port Chester, NY 10573) has the same Owner and Chef as Appetite Bistro, a wonderful French restaurant, also in Port Chester. Since we loved our previous experience at Appetit Bistro, we definitely wanted to check out Capers. 

Upon arriving to this restaurant, we were greeted at the front by a very nice hostess/bartender. The restaurant was sooooo crowded and we feared that they would not honor our reservation. While waiting to be sat, we ordered a drink at the bar area in the front. They had a nice selection of choices at the bar. Somehow they did seat us pretty much on time for our reservation even though it was so crowded! There was not an empty table in the restaurant and there was a large party waiting at the entrance to be seated. 

The decor was nice and simple and the perfect spot for a date night or a night with friends! It wasn't too loud even with the full restaurant. 

Bread with Hummus Dip

The bread that was served when we sat down was crunchy and delicious and was served with a special hummus that had to be home-made. The red pepper flavored hummus had a nice spicy kick! A very good start to the evening. 

After the bread was when things started to slow down. We waited for about a half hour  to 40 minutes to actually place our order, and by then I was starving! This was surprising because the service at Appetit Bistro was impeccable. It definitely seemed as though they did not have enough people staffed to handle the crowded restaurant. 

When we finally got to order, they were out of the Lamb Shank, which was pretty disappointing because that was of course what you want to order when you go to a Mediterranean restaurant. Once we did finally order and receive our food, we did love it! 

Foie Gras Dumplings 

The Foie Gras Dumplings were creamy, buttery, and truffly! Very delicious! When Foie Gras is served this way, it seems you never get to experience the creamy and richness of the Foie Gras itself, because it kind of gets hidden. Either way, I enjoyed every bite of this dish. The presentation was also great!

Seafood Paella

The Seafood Paella was amazing! Paella to me is very hit or miss, and it really has to be spot on to have my approval since I tend to think Paella is often dry and not saucy enough. This Paella I enjoyed very much and had the perfect amount of sauce and flavors. The seafood was cooked perfectly and there was a generous amount of it in the dish. The Chorizo added a lot of savoriness to the dish and just blended all the flavors together so nicely!

Scallops from the Specials Menu

The Scallops were one of the special dishes of the evening. They were definitely my favorite dish of the night. I also kind of have an obsession with scallops. The sauce was a light butter and cream sauce with capers that added just enough salt and flavor without being too overbearing. The mashed potatoes were creamy and devine and the asparagus a nice tough to get my veggies in!
I would definitely return to Capers, especially now that the weather is getting warmer and they just built a covered porch area. I just hope the service has improved since we last went (perhaps just an unlucky very crowded night). The bus boy was exceptional with his service and kept asking us how everything was and if we needed anything, just wished we had gotten to order sooner and had our food come out earlier in the night.

A Few Local Family-Friendly Favorites on the Sound Shore

As a parent of a toddler, it's hard to get out of the house for date nights so often, and sometimes you just want to stay close. Living in Rye Brook, we naturally gravitate to dining in Rye Brook, Port Chester, Rye, Harrison, and Greenwich. 

Here are a few of our favorites ranging from a great happy hour, great family outing, super casual, or ultra romantic date night! 

Westchester Burger Company (275 S Ridge St., Rye Brook, NY 10573) is one of our go-to places. It's perfect for happy hour, a quick drink and an appetizer, or even a full outing with friends. We generally only go to the bar area for happy hour, even if we're ordering off of the full menu. They are extremely welcoming to children and very accomodating. 

Our last outing happened to be a grownup week night out, and we enjoyed the following! 

Manhattan in Westchester & Coconut Margarita

Their drinks are always great. My husband and I like the Manhattan in Westchester the most because who can a resist a Manhattan! I ventured out of the box the last time we were there and got the Coconut Margarita and it was definitely very coconut-ty and much more on the sweeter side, but very enjoyable.  The bartender who was there the last few times we went was extremely friendly and full of conversation! Hope to see him every time we go! 

Brussel Sprouts -
cashews, mint, sweet thai chili, sesame sriracha aioli

The Brussel Sprouts were amazing! They were spicy, crunchy, sweet, salty, and also minty! All the necessary flavors packed into once dish! The cashews provided that nuttyness and the sweet thai chili added the sweet, but spicy flavor, along with the sriracha aioli. They also were cooked to perfection with some burnt edges, which is always necessary when it comes to brussel sprouts. 

Since we normally go for happy hour and order sliders off the happy hour menu, we decided to actually order a burger this time. So glad we did! The burger menu is extensive and it was quite difficult to make a decision. The bartender helped us decide between a few of our choices since indecisiveness may be one of my most prominent traits!

 

The Balboa Burger-
swiss cheese, bacon, frizzled onions, garlic brioche 

The Balboa burger is what we finally settled on. Unfortunately I didn't get the best photo of it, since it is quite hard to get a photo of a burger, and I also just couldn't wait to dive right in! It was cooked to order and arrived to the bar rare as requested. It was generously covered in swiss cheese, bacon and frizzled onions on a garlic brioche. Each bite was super juicy and oozing with flavor! We will definitely be ordering a burger everytime we go in the future, even though we do still love the happy hour appetizer menu! (Monday-Friday 4-7pm, $4 house wine & beer, $5 well drinks, $5 appetizers, $2 sliders). 

The burger came with a side of french fries, which we upgraded to the truffle parmesan fries. So worth the upgrade! 

If you are looking for a night out with friends, family, or children, Westchester Burger Company is your place. They have a great happy hour. They are family run, and have a few locations in Westchester. They are also known to run a great catering business onsite or delivered to a location. I foresee many Westchester Burger Company evenings in our future. 

Dimitris Gyro Grill  (267 Halstead Ave, Harrison, NY 10528) opened in June 2018 and is a family run business by Peter and Kelly Thomas. They know Greek cooking better than anyone I have ever met in my life. The restaurant has gorgeous murals of scenes of all over Greece decorating the walls. You will be booking your flights to Greece while you are eating your Gyros. It is a casual lunch counter style restaurant that is great for lunch, quick easy dinner, or take out. They also have an amazing catering menu!

Peter the owner in front of Dimitris 

Halloumi Cheese and Pita 

We started with the Halloumi cheese and pita. It was super crispy and gooey! It was a perfect pairing with the pita. Husband's words "Freakin' phenomenal!"

Orzo with Feta

The Orzo was delicious! It was topped with a lot of feta and was super garlic-y! Was very happy it was such a large portion because we ended up taking half of it home to enjoy for lunch the next day! 

Yum! Spencer also gave it 2 thumbs up!

So excited to devour the gyro! 

Loaded gyro with their special sauce!

And of course I ordered a gyro! Gyros happen to be one of my favorite foods. The gyros at Dimitris are fully loaded with all the fixins'. They have their own special sauce that is very different than any sauce I have ever had on a gyro before. It has mustard in it and adds such a delicious flavor to the whole sandwich.
The meat was heaping with onions, tomatoes, french fries, and of course tzatziki. The tzatziki was really fresh, and I am sure it is homemade.

Lamb with Lemon Potatoes

The lamb was full of flavor and had so many spices on it. It was very tender and so easy to eat. I had the option of having the souvlaki style lamb or the lamb chop (which they do not always have) so OF COURSE I had to get the chop and I am so glad I did!!!

The lemon potatoes were SUPER lemony, buttery and soft! I could have had a whole plate of those.

Children's Pork Kebab with French Fries 

The kids menu was pretty awesome because it was still very greek, just on a smaller scale. Spencer enjoyed the pork kebab with all the greek spices. It was a perfect meal for him because the meat was very tender and easy to chew. And of course he loved the french fries!

Karidopita (Greek Walnut Cake)

The Karidopita was a spur of the moment decision. We had no intention of getting dessert since we were so full, but this looked too good to pass up. It happened to taste way better than it looked! Very unexpected flavor. The cake was so moist, spongy, and full of honey oozing from every pore. The walnuts added a crunch and textural difference to the cake. We ended up enjoying this for days because of how big it was!

Coals (35 N. Main St., Port Chester, NY 10573) has been one of my family's favorite go to pizza places since we discovered it. It is a very casual, low key, no frills type of place with top notch service! On our most recent experience, I was extremely impressed with the service from the second we arrived until the time we paid the check. Our server seemed to be working the whole restaurant the night we were there, and I never felt like we were waiting. He knew the beer menu inside out and could make suggestions based on our preferences. 

The beer menu was quite extensive with a lot of craft beers and kinds I had never heard of, which always makes for some fun sampling. The Juice Bomb Beer came highly recommended from the server and he was right, it was amazing and paired perfectly with the food! It was citrusy and juicy. 

Coals Spicy Grilled Wings - 1/2 order of  Classic Buffalo & 1/2 order of Maple Rosemary

I recently had heard that Coals has some of the best wings in Westchester. Since my husband is from Scarsdale, he swears by Candlelight's wings, but even he agreed that these were excellent. There were two flavors on the menu and of course we wanted to try both of them. They gave us the option to have half orders of each so we could sample both kinds which made me so happy! The presentation of both sets of wings turned a casual bar food item into a little bit fancier of a dish with each one of them being topped with a garnish. 

The Classic Buffalo was so full of flavor and had the perfect amount of spicy without being over the top. My husband and I preferred this flavor over the Maple Rosemary, but you couldn't really lose by having either. The Maple Rosemary flavor was extremely unique and something I had not seen anywhere else before. It was on the sweeter side, with only a touch of spice, with the rosemary giving it such a depth of unexpected flavor for wings. Very delicious!

Dean Martin Grilled Pizza - fontinella, fresh mozzarella, tomato, pepperoni, pecorino 

The pizzas are grilled here, which is very different than any other pizza places I have ever visited. One of my favorite things about the pizzas at Coals are how they are served. They are not served on a pizza pan like any other pizza place. They come out on a ceramic platter. It seems so homey this way! The shape of each pie is never the same as the last. The pizzas are paper thin, crispy and easy for anyone to eat, even our toddler! 

The Dean Martin pizza was creamy, savory, and just delicious. It was topped with fontinella, mozzarella, and pecorino to make it creamy and delightful. The pepperoni didn't taste just like any pepperoni from a pizza place, it was real authentic pepperoni at the highest quality. The red sauce that was sprinkled on was delicious!

"Must Have" Pizza - fresh mozzarella, ricotta, grana padano, vincotto

The Must Have pizza was a white pizza, which normally aren't always my favorite style to order, since I am a sucker for a red pizza. This white pizza won me over with the cheesy, oozy, gooey, creamy, but yet light and fluffy textures all at once.  The balsamic glaze cut the creamy flavor just perfectly. Definitely a must have. Over the times we have been to Coals, we have tried almost all of the pizzas on the menu and sampled a lot of their massive beer selection. Coals is consistently wonderful.

Bona Bona Ice Cream (10 Westchester Ave., Port Chester, NY 10573) was a must visit right after dining at Coals. Since both are right in the heart of Port Chester, it was a no brainer to continue our evening of unhealthy eating and go all out!

The store was extremely spacious and clean with a few different areas. They have a party room called the Sprinkle Room and also a milk shake bar, along with the ice cream serving area with a chocolate fountain constantly flowing! 

Spencer dancing because Yay for ice cream! 

My son immediately started dancing around in the entrance area because it was a huge open space perfect for children. And I think he also got a sense that we were somewhere special and about to enjoy something amazing!

We have our ice cream and we are ready to dive in!

My husband with his ice cream

Left: Crazy Joe topped with Meringue & Right: Chocolate Peanut topped with Meringue 

My husband loves coffee ice cream, and when he saw the flavor Crazy Joe, he knew it was meant to be. Crazy Joe is coffee ice cream with chocolate fudge, chocolate covered pretzels, heath bar, and peanut butter balls. Basically, heaven in a bowl. Everything about this flavor was amazing. I wish I had ordered it because it had peanut butter in it too, which is my obsession. I also love toppings and mix-ins so this was perfect because of all that it had in it. The crunchy of the pretzel, the richness of the fudge & heath bar, and the nuttyness of the peanut butter made every texture and flavor blend together into heavenly bliss. 

The chocolate peanut butter flavor was also delicious and definitely lived up to my expectations, but when compared to the Crazy Joe flavor it just wasn't as exciting. Never thought I would ever say that about chocolate peanut butter ice cream! The chocolate ice cream to peanut butter chunk ratio was definitely perfect, because I hate when you order this flavor elsewhere and you don't get enough peanut butter! 

The meringue was warm and melty on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Added a nice marshmallowy sweet flavor to the top that you can mix into each bite of ice cream. Honestly it is also just very exciting to watch them torch up your ice cream before serving it to you. Dessert and a show in one!

La Panetiere : Date Night Success...Prepare to Salivate!

La Panetiere (530 Milton Rd., Rye, NY 10580) is definitely one of those restaurants you go to for a date night, special occasion, or to enjoy a quiet, amazing meal with a fellow foodie. Last Saturday, I got to experience all 3 in one since it was a (belated) Valentine's date dinner out with my foodie husband :)

Beautiful Ambiance at La Panetiere

The ambiance at La Panetiere was beautiful and formal feeling without feeling pretentious. We decided to go there after we saw that it was rated on "Open Table" as one of the 50 most romantic restaurants in the country and we definitely agree! It was also very quiet and slow paced, but not too slow. We didn't feel like we were being ignored, but also didn't feel rushed. It was perfect, especially for our once in a blue moon date night out!
Our server was very helpful when we ordered and gave us guidance based on our choices to make sure we were getting a variety of items. We almost ordered the cheese souffle, but based on his suggestion we changed our order, and so glad we did! "You don't seem like you like to eat safe, so I would say the mosaic instead of the cheese souffle." I was very impressed that the server noticed very quickly that we were not picky and were adventurous eaters.

Homemade bread sticks 

After we were given bread that was delicious and soft, we were also given homemade bread sticks that were quite surprising. They were the texture of a croissant but more of the flavor of a bread stick. Delicious!

My handsome husband 

Also, can't forget to mention the wine was amazing. The wine list was very extensive, but not intimidating. The wines ranged in price from the $50s to 5 figures and was not so long as to overwhelm the diners. We had a Bordeaux that was perfect for our meal!

Additionally, all our dishes were split in half ahead of time, so we had our own portions, which was nice. The duck was the only dish that was not split due to the portion and presentation (this was all at the recommendation of our server).

Amuse Bouche- Crab

They gave us an amuse bouche to get our palates going, and it was refreshing! It definitely set the tone for the evening. It was crab meat with cocktail sauce, celery, and basil. It reminded me of coleslaw-like consistency with crab on top. The presentation was beautiful as well. 

Hudson Valley Foie Gras Confit and Warm Flan 

Foie gras is one of my husband and my favorite French dishes. We have had so many different kinds over the years, and this one definitely ranked high up on our list. It was served to us in such a beautiful presentation with so many different flavors and ways to combine each bite. There were 4 different sections on our plates. One being candied fruit brioche, then the foie gras warm flan, thirdly was the foie gras confit, and finally the black mission fig chutney and orange aspic. The foie gras confit was so creamy and rich in flavor. It was almost like dessert it was so good! The flan was equally as delicious, but definitely a little lighter and airier. The fig chutney, orange aspic, and fruit brioche added a sweet and fruit contrast to the rich flavors of the foie gras which complimented each bite so perfectly. Each bite we mixed and matched flavors and textures. It was a delicious as it was almost fun to eat! Definitely a must have dish! 

Baked Escargots in Garlic Custard

The escargot dish was probably the most unique escargot dish that my husband and I have ever seen or had. It was just as beautiful as it was in flavor. The menu made it sound so much less exciting than it really was and apparently this dish has been on the menu for 35 years, when it seems so modern! It seemed to have somewhat of a Spanish influence to it. It was baked with bread crumbs and nuts, and sitting in tomato fondue and garlic custard. It was nutty and garlicky and just oozing with flavor. Not your typical garlic and butter escargot. So much more than that!

Mosaic of Carpaccio "Surf and Turf"

The Mosaic of Carpaccio was probably one of the prettiest and most colorful dishes of all time. It was refreshing and savory all at once. Also, I have never had carpaccio that was both seafood and meat! Normally you get raw seafood or raw meat, but never both in one dish! Raw seafood including tuna and salmon surrounded raw beef in the center. It all sat in a light ginger mayonnaise and basil oil. The whole dish was lightly peppered and left to enjoy the natural flavors. Yum!

Seared Long Island Breast of Duck, Cauliflower, Grapes, Brussel Sprouts 

The seared Long Island breast of duck was rare as requested and so tender and juicy. It was thinly sliced and beautifully plated over creamy polenta, cauliflower, grapes, brussel sprouts, and topped with a light juniper berry jus. The duck was seasoned to perfection and each bite melted in our mouths.

Complimentary Dessert Confections

Even though we ordered dessert, they gave us a complimentary plate of mini desserts. It had mini chocolate cake which was super fudgy and rich! Yum! The other item reminded me a little of rugelach in texture and sweetness, but sliced thin. It had a light sprinkling of sugar on it. Very delicious!

Chocolate Souffle

For our main dessert we ordered the chocolate souffle. It came with a little pitcher of chocolate sauce to pour over it. It was very fluffy, creamy, airy, and rich! It was served piping hot and steamed up when broken up to add the sauce. We could not wait to dig in! I almost felt that it didn't "need" the chocolate sauce because of how chocolatey it already was, but I can always layer chocolate onto chocolate and be very happy! Who can complain about that? Not me! It was perfect for sharing and we licked the plate clean!

Chocolate Truffles Treat on the House 

When we were paying the bill they gave us a little bag of chocolate truffles to take home with us. These were just like the chocolate truffles my parents brought home from France when I was younger, that I still think about to this day. They were powdered with a chocolate cocoa like coating, and were fudgy and rich in the center. Very soft and melt in your mouth type of treat! Give me more! Luckily Spencer didn't want them when we got home, because I wasn't really going to share! All in all, this may be the best French restaurant in Westchester and one of the best I have ever been to. It was comparable to Paris and the French Caribbean. An absolute MUST try restaurant. I may have to invent a special occasion just to go back!

Milk N Cookies - Cookie Cafe & Cereal Bar: A little overhyped..

After following Milk N Cookies (270 Mamaroneck Ave, Mamaroneck, NY 10543) on Instagram and seeing all the photos of the ooey gooey centers of cookies, I had to go see for myself how delicious these concoctions actually were.
Sadly, they were a little overhyped and not so gooey! But probably will give it another try since it is new and probably working out the kinks!

Outside of Milk N Cookies, Mamaroneck

The location of Milk N Cookies is great! Located right in the village of Mamaroneck, it's a very easy place to get to and a great place for an after dinner dessert. The style of the place is modern and on trend with black and white. It felt very clean, but almost too spacious! It would have been nice if there were a few tables and chairs for people to sit at. After I ordered, I saw the girls who ordered before me eating their cookies all standing in a circle, with nowhere to sit and enjoy. I got my cookies to go, so I didn't have that issue, but these cookies are definitely meant to eat immediately on site so they stay warm, so chairs would be nice.

The Cookie Menu

There were two types of cookies on the menu, non-stuffed and stuffed. Although, the non-stuffed were just as huge and thick as the stuffed which surprised me, since I figured without stuffing they may be a little less large. Some of the flavors I feel like could have had descriptions on the menu, since without asking, I would have no clue what was in the Unicorn, and still no idea what the Galaxy or Chip MYB cookie is. 

They also offered ice cream, milkshakes, a cereal bar, and toppings as part of their menu, but obviously I was here for the cookies! 

The Cookie Display

The cookie display was pretty big, and I wish I had looked at it more, and even the menu more before ordering. I stupidly followed what I saw on Instagram as the "cookies to order" instead of going with what sounded and looked good according to the menu and the display! After looking at the Duchess Cookie site, my next one to try is definitely the Chip MYB!

The Cookie Display

The Cookie Monster, S'mores, Unicorn, and Chocolate Peanut Butter Chip Cookies

I ordered the Cookie Monster and the Unicorn because they were marketed really well and the colors kind of drew me in, but I must say, these were the worst of the four I sampled. I chose the S'mores because it was essentially a traditional chocolate chip cookie but with marshmallow, that way I got traditional, chocolatey, and also something unique to this place. I picked the chocolate peanut butter chip because who can resist peanut butter and chocolate?!

All the cookies cut in half to see the centers 

Disclaimer: I did eat the cookies 2 hours after purchasing them, so they weren't as warm and fresh as they probably were in the store.
The first thing I noticed about all four cookies is that they were hard on the outside and not gooey at all in the center.  2 hours should not have caused this level of hardness. They also were too dense and cakey. The cookie monster had no flavor except for the cookie dough center, which wasn't really that amazing either. I definitely will not be ordering the cookie monster again even though the concept is so cute and my son loves cookie monster! Despite the unicorn being very pretty and exciting on the outside, the cookie portion of the cookie was pretty flavorless, dry, and too cakey, but luckily had a  strawberry cheesecake center which was pretty delicious and was definitely a highlight. The S'more was my favorite, as it still was a little melty, and a little more rich than the others, but unfortunately not the best chocolate chip cookie I have ever had! Definitely had the richness of chocolate that I needed. I think perhaps fresh off the baking pan that it could be more amazing. The chocolate peanut butter chip was my other favorite, but definitely the hardest in texture.

Since, clearly these cookies are huge, 4 were definitely too many for my husband, son, and I to split and finish in one evening! I figured if they were already hard after 2 hours, how were we going to enjoy these the next day? I did some research online and found from Levain Bakery in Manhattan the following suggestion, and it worked!
"Did you know our cookies freeze beautifully? In the off chance you have leftover cookies or buy a few extra, we recommend freezing them right away. When you're ready to enjoy them, take the cookies out of the freezer and place them directly on a sheet pan in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes or until warmed through. They'll be gooey and delicious!"
I tried the above directions, and I must say, the cookies were actually ooey-gooey and delicious! Because of this, I plan to give Milk N Cookies another try when I have more people with me so that I can sample more than one at time, but also eat them fresh at the store! I also plan to stick to more chocolatey and rich flavors rather than the flavors that were made specifically for marketing, since I think the super colored cookies seemed just flavorless, but very pretty.