NORTH TO WESTCHESTER COUNTY

Westchester County is just north of the Bronx here in New York City. I went online to see what I could do for a weekend. My friend Laurie loves to drive so off we went on Friday morning with the first destination being a nature center called Beczak Environmental Education Center in the city of Yonkers and located along the Hudson River.

They present exhibits and programs for all ages to raise environmental awareness and encourage informed stewardship of the Hudson River, the Saw Mill River and the Bronx River. It's mostly for kids. Learning programs includes hopping aboard a fishing boat and checking out the creatures that dwell in the rivers. I was busy checking out the turtles in the tanks.

Just outside in the back are these pieces of artwork sitting along a fence. Recycled and "framed". Two dimensional and depicting the history of the area.

Down the block, so to speak, is a place called The Barge, another environmental center run on solar panels. It's another thing for kids to learn about the cleaning up of the Hudson River. What's special about The Barge is that they grow hydroponic plants and vegetables.

A walk away is an area with some shops and restaurants. One restaurant that jets out over the Hudson is called X20 aka Peter Kelly's X20. That's where we had lunch.

Unfortunately they only serve sushi in the evening, but I did start the meal with some great Sake. Smoked Salmon Spring Roll with Goat Cheese & Mango was just a bit more than an amuse bouche sent out by the chef. It set me up for an expectation of how good the food would be.

Roasted Fennel Soup served with Pumpkin Seed Oil and Fennel Fronds sounded interesting and tasted great (I wonder if they stomp on pumpkin seeds to get the oil). It didn't have an overpowering licorice flavor and I happen to be Frond of fennel.

Salad is a must for me. This one had Heirloom Beets (not just the red ones) and Field Lettuce topped with crumbled goat cheese. Mmmmm...tasty.

Since I couldn't have sushi I ordered Soft Shell Crab Tempura. It was served over Mesclun & Heirloom Beets (beets are good for you) with Spring Ramps (a wild green veggie) and Jalapeno Aioli.

We then ordered our entrees. Pan Seared Montuak Skate Wing with Robuchon Potatoes & Asparagus topped with a balsamic brown butter and Lemon Crumbs. Robuchon potatoes are cooked in lightly salted water with skins on. After draining the potatoes are then peeled and put through a food mill. Then they are dried out over a low flame and emulsified with butter and milk. Now if that isn't enough to achieve a texture, they are passed through a fine sieve. It's almost like sipping mashed potatoes. Loved it and the rest of the dish.

The second entree was Ravioli with Short Ribs & Foie Gras in Truffle Butter with Broccoli Rabe and Grated Amoretti (I'll have to ask again as to what this is). Entree was sooooo delicious.

Got some samplings of dessert (Can you say, "doggie bag?"). House Made Grand Marnier Ice Cream. I can't resist tasting house made ice creams. Classic Carrot Cake made with Mascarpone Frosting and Rum Anglaise. Liked that it didn't have a "spice" taste. Warm Soft Chocolate Cake with Pistachio Ice Cream. Close to having one of those chocolate lava cakes...mmmmm....chocolate. Will have to return for dinner some time...after a few hours on the tread mill.

80 West at the Renaissance

Final destination was a restaurant called 80 West located at the Renaissance Hotel in White Plains. Executive Chef Jean-Claude Lanchais provided a tasting. Thank goodness they were small portions as there was much to savor. Smoked salmon on potato nachos with a tangy caper sauce. Baby arugula and frisee salad with seared peppered tuna, ginger dressing. Hey, just glance at the photos!

Greensburgh Nature Center

I love animals and have a habit of thinking that I can pet everyone of them. We're off to the Greenburgh Nature Center. Inside there are small caged animals. They will take out some of them to allow you to hold and pet. I held a ferret, chinchilla, hedgehog, and gekko. I wanted to pet the screech owl, but it wasn't too happy about my doing so. Outside there was this goat that they found roaming along Central Avenue. Cops picked it up. I imagined their saying, "Hey, kid, are you lost?"

LUNCH AT EQUUS

Castle on the Hudson is home to Equus. A tour of the castle is a must and probably best to do after you eat in order to walk off the calories. I began with an apple celery soup followed by Atlantic Char. Due to the busy day, dessert was skipped. Outside sits a large scale chess set and a few sculptures in the garden. Great for photos. There are accommodations here. Beautiful rooms. Even Esther checked out one of the beds.

Westchester County: the Second Day

Tour of Tarrytown brought me to view Washington Irving's Sunnyside, Philipsburg Manor In nearby Sleepy Hollow, Kykuit Visitor Center and Union Church of Pocantico Hills. Time permitted us to go inside the Church to view one Matisse window above the altar and Chagall windows taking up the front and sides.

It was then off to Stone Barns Center that was established by David Rockefeller as a memorial to his wife, Peggy. The center is all about promoting sustainable, community-based food production. There are times that you can take a cooking class but best to get a taste of the food in their restaurant, Blue Hill. About half the food that you eat is grown or raised on the premises. Lunch was somewhere else.

HOTEL AND DINNER THEATRE

Time to check in at the hotel. Staying at the Doubletree in Tarrytown. Large room with terrace to the courtyard. Not the right weather for its use, though. Internet access will get me doing my radio show the next night.

Off to the Westchester Dinner Theatre to see "Nine" a musical about Fellini. Had a shrimp cocktail appetizer, rib roast entree and peach melba for dessert. Last time I was there was when it was the Elmhurst Dinner Theatre and saw Wade. Check out article on www.americanchronicle.com entitled Fran Stiles Mean Green Machine for what also occurred this weekend. The performers were excellent! I just didn't care for the show itself.

Hudson River Museum and the Science Barge

Continued on to the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers. It's a complex of galleries for rotating art exhibits, houses the Andrus Planetarium (Westchester County's only public planetarium),has the Hudson Riverama (the museum's new environmental gallery, and has the Glenview Hudson River Home on their premises. One of their permanent artworks is called The Bookstore. You can go inside and look around. Esther insisted on checking out one of the books.

A barge sits along the Hudson River in Yonkers dedicated to the science of green energy and hydroponic and aquatic farming. There are two large solar panels providing the energy to grow plants without the need of soil. It grows an abundance of fresh produce including tomatoes, melons, greens, and lettuce with zero net carbon emissions, zero pesticides, and zero runoff. All of the energy needed to power the Barge is generated by these solar panels, wind turbines, and biofuels while the hydroponic greenhouse is irrigated solely by collected rainwater and purified river water, thus operating completely “off the grid.” It is the only fully functioning demonstration of renewable energy supporting sustainable food production in New York. It is now docked in downtown Yonkers just North of the Yonkers Pier.