Your Local Guide to Hudson Valley Restaurant Week

Have you ever wanted to eat out at the hippest and most mouth-watering restaurants in Westchester, but gawked at the costs? Well, here's your chance!  Hudson Valley Restaurant Week runs from March 15 through March 28, and you can enjoy a three-course prix-fixe lunch for $20 and dinner for $28.  Below are a selection of participating restaurants in Mamaroneck, Rye and Port Chester where you can dine on Westchester's best cuisine without breaking the bank.

Mamaroneck

Established almost twenty-years ago, Enzo's Restaurant offers classic Italian cuisine in a traditional setting.  Popular entrées such as veal emiliano, salmon romagnola, chicken breast michelangelo and loin of pork al pepe usually range from $16.95 to $29.95, but are included as part of the restaurant week dinner specials.  Enzo's homemade tiramisu promises to be a "little taste of Italy"! (Click here to read more about Enzo's food and expansion plans.)

For those seeking foreign flavors, look no further than the Mexican-influenced Roasted Peppers and the Moroccan-infused Zitoune Restaurant.  Roasted Peppers puts a twist on the now-trendy fish tacos with its lime chili grilled red snapper tacos served with avocado, lettuce and pico de gallo, with roasted jalapeño drizzle in soft corn tortillas, crock baked rice and red beans (originally $16).  For dessert, the signature jalapeño brownie with coconut ice cream is included in both special dinner and lunch menus. (To read Patch's review of Roasted Peppers, click here.)

One of the few Middle Eastern restaurants in Westchester, Zitoune Restaurant features authentic Moroccan cuisine.  Pretend you're in the Kasbah while dining on Harira soup, a festive Moroccan beef soup (normally $14), and classic lemon chicken tagine (typically $20).  For dessert, the Briwat M'Rakchia–crisp filo pockets filled with almond and honey–sounds particularly oasis worthy. (We've also reviewed Zitoune! Click here to read.)

Le Provençal Bistro merges contemporary Mediterranean fare with traditional French sensibilities.  A dinner of homemade foie gras, sautéed John Dory and Grand Marnier crème brulée would on average cost over fifty-dollars (excluding drinks, tax, and tip).  Fortunately, all of these Provençal delicacies are included on the restaurant week prix fix dinner menu for under thirty-dollars.  Bon appétit! 

Rye

La Panetière serves contemporary French cuisine with seasonal produce and products from local fishermen and free-range poultry farmers. This upscale restaurant offers a taste of Provence for a pretty penny–an appetizer of duck terrine is $19 and the main course of a rack-saddle of lamb with polenta galette, portobello persille, roasted shallot in a mint jus is a whopping $41. However, those with a penchant for the South of France's gourmet provisions need not despair.  You can save over half the cost by dining at La Panetère during restaurant week.

Two seafood restaurants in Rye, Morgan's Fish House and Ruby's Oyster Bar & Bistro, have also jumped on the restaurant week bandwagon. Stop by Morgan's for dinner (and read Satta Sarmah's review), and try the New England seafood chowder, sole francese with sweet potato fries, and bittersweet chocolate marquis with fresh whipped cream. Just under thirty dollars for a three-course meal, the sole entrée alone on any other night would cost you twenty-three dollars. Ruby's is also offering a stellar deal.  I recommend the fresh and fabulous New England Bouillabaisse with shrimp, clams, mussels, and fish of the day (take a gander at my review), usually priced at $29, but generously included in the prix-fixe dinner menu. 

The newly redesigned Rye Grill & Bar is a local favorite and the perfect family restaurant.  In addition to restaurant week lunch and dinner menus, a $20 three-course brunch from 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. will also be offered on March 20, 21, 27, and 28.  Specials include eggs benedict, steak & eggs, chicken francaise, and seafood salad.  Treat the kids to a brownie sundae or banana roulade!

Port Chester

Latin-influenced cuisine has found its niche at Sonora, Port Chester's South American-fusion restaurant.  Chef Rafael Palomino cooks-up a combination of the traditional and exotic.  His signature seafood paella with lobster, shrimp, clams, mussels, and chorizo (normally $29.95) is now offered as one of the platos principales on the restaurant week menu.  After sampling one (or two!) of the over twenty different brands of tequila from south-of-the-border, try Sonora's Colombian-style pollo relleno con chorizo y plátano–seared free-range chicken stuffed with chorizo, goat cheese, and sweet plantain served over sautéed spinach in a sherry wine sauce (a dish typically valued at $23.95).

For more information on Hudson Valley Restaurant Week visit http://www.hudsonvalleyrestaurantweek.com/.  Reservations are highly recommended and often required by select restaurants.