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23 Cedar St Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522 (Map) (914) 674-0706 http://www.cedarstreetgrillny.com/
In the space that was once a Greek restaurant now resides Cedar Street Grill on (where else) Cedar Street in Dobbs Ferry. We settled in for a warm, inviting meal on a frigid Sunday.
Attendees: :jump_to_Reid:, :jump_to_Shelley:, :jump_to_Sylvia:
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The Case: Cedar Street Grill v. The Westchester Breakfast Club
The Venue: Dobbs Ferry, near the Stop and Shop
The Facts: I’ve already mentioned, in a previous review, the risk/reward calculus that I go through when deciding whether to order deep-fried pickles. This time, the decision was more or less made for me when our fearless leader (that would be Sylvia, for those who are reading this blog for the first time) made the executive decision to order Cedar Street Grill’s deep-fried pickles as our appetizer. Though I was somewhat torn between the chicken and waffles and the brioche French toast (more so after seeing the brioche French toast being delivered to another table), I was in more of a savory mood, so I went with the former. In addition, I decided on a side of mac and cheese.
My only regret was that I had but one stomach to give to this meal, and between the three of us, our group could only eat one of the two mac and cheese sides we ordered. Though the pickles were a bit saltier than I find ideal, they were still quite tasty, with the batter crunchy and the pickles easily bitable without pulling the entire pickle out of the remaining batter casing.
The chicken and waffles were even better. Though the berry compote that came on the side was tasty, it didn’t mesh terribly well with the chicken. Thoughtfully, Cedar Street provides maple syrup as well, which I drizzled judiciously over the dish. The chicken itself was spectacular; thick but moist all the way through, with a thin but flavorful coating that stayed firmly attached to the chicken as I cut it into waffle-section sized pieces. It was alot to eat, but I couldn’t stop myself.
The mac and cheese was also good, though nothing spectacular. Had I known how full I would be from the pickles and the chicken, I would have passed. That being said, it was still pretty good, though I’d recommend eating it quickly, as the cheese congealed rather quickly, making it much less pleasant texturally.
The Verdict: I may have to revise my rule that non-breakfast places inevitably suck at breakfast. Granted, I didn’t have the “breakfastiest” meal in the world. That being said, all you can ask is that a restaurant do a good job making what it puts on its menu, and Cedar Street Grill passed that test with flying colors.
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I like Dobbs Ferry, not just because it’s one of this county’s beautiful river towns, but because I have yet to be disappointed by a meal in that town. Tomatillo: yum. Half Moon: yum. And now Cedar Street Grill: yum.
I’ll get my only complaint out right off the bat. While the full length windows that span the front of the restaurant let in a delicious amount of daylight, they also let in draftiness, which was particularly noticeable on this frosty January morning. This would have been remedied, I’m sure, if we had a table further in. Just keep this in mind in winter and wear a chunky sweater. I’m sure in the summer, though, it’s delightful.
But that aside, the ambiance at Cedar Street Grill is very pleasant. Looking around, I saw a wide mix of diners, from young families to some older patrons. Always a good sign if a restaurant attracts a cross section of a community. The interior decor is cozy rustic.
Scanning the brunch menu, I couldn’t decide between a burger or the Hungry Man’s omelette. The only thing I knew for certain was that I wanted fried pickle chips. In the end I wound up going with the omelette. It comes with onions, peppers, mushrooms, bacon, and cheddar cheese. I asked for mine without the mushrooms (not a fan). You get a choice of potato hash or sausage; since the omelette already had bacon, I went with the potatoes.
First came the pickle chips. And lo, they were good. What I appreciated most was the fact that there were substantial slices of pickle encased within the crispy outer shell. It was a nice contrast to bite through the crunchy batter and get to the thick pickle slice inside. Dipped in the remoulade sauce, it was perfection. I was let down when I reached for another chip and found that we had already eaten them all.
Next the omelette. It is indeed sized for a hungry man or woman. The omelette was brimming with the ingredients, but the egg portion of the omelette was a bit flat. I would have preferred an omelette with fluffier eggs. I couldn’t really detect the bacon or onioins in the omelette, noticing mainly the peppers and cheddar cheese. It was tasty nonetheless; it just would have been enhanced by fluffier eggs. The potatoes were interesting. First of all, they were plentiful (but what else would you expect–this is a meal for a hungry person). For me, though, they were too salty. It was like eating cut up French fries. Not bad, but just not my preference. I would go easier on the salt in the kitchen and let patrons add more should they desire.
The forkfuls of mac and cheese that I sneaked away from Reid and Sylvia’s sides were yummy. I think if you weren’t starving, you could easily make a meal of that side of mac and cheese, perhaps paired with some fried pickle chips.
Overall, I’d say that Cedar Street Grill is a nice addition to the Dobbs Ferry dining scene. I’d be interested in returning for lunch or dinner, and definitely in warmer weather when I could fully enjoy the beautiful window-front.
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I love chocolate covered pretzels. I love mixing sweet and savory, which is probably why the Sausage and Grits at Cedar Street Grill worked well for me.
The Brunch menu at Cedar Street Grill was succinct. I’m not sure how else to describe it. There weren’t a lot of choices, but the options presented appealed to whatever you could be in the mood for. The options were also creative without having to be deciphered further (no fancy pants ingredients to translate and wonder about). It was a tough decision.
To start, we all unanimously chose the beer battered pickle chips. Given success at The Bayou, we figured it wouldn’t hurt to see what Cedar Street can do with pickle chips. They did good. The chips were served piping hot, straight out of the fryer, and they were delicious. They were still crisp, well coated, and just greasy enough.
I ordered the Sausage and Grits (served with a poached egg and maple syrup) with a side of mac & cheese (I really debated between mac & cheese or string beans….evil won that one). The portion presented to me was much larger than I anticipated. The grits were thick with a hint of cheesiness. The poached egg looked tiny, and was well poached. The sausage was cut into pieces and mixed in with the grits, and to top everything off, maple syrup was already poured on top. It was good….if you like your savory mixed with your sweet (otherwise see if you can ask for the maple syrup on the side). It really did work, but there was just a lot of it.
The mac and cheese as a side was also very large. I think one serving can feed two people comfortably as a side. It was good nonetheless. Good ratio of cheese to macaroni.
Coffee was good, although it took till the end of the meal before I was asked if I wanted some more. During our visit there were a couple of tables with very small children (some near us, which I forgot about most of the time), so I’d say they were child friendly (and those children were incredibly well behaved).
The czar says: A very nice find in Dobbs Ferry. Service was friendly and prompt (it wouldn’t have been difficult to flag someone down for a coffee refill if I wanted it). I heard they have only been there for about a year now. I’d be curious to see what they can do for lunch and dinner.
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