What is it about North Broadway in Tarrytown? All of a sudden, three new businesses are opening, two within the next few weeks with the other most likely in late fall/early winter. While each will have some overlap (think coffee and baked goods at all three; sandwiches and breakfast items at two), they’re each bringing […]
What is it about North Broadway in Tarrytown? All of a sudden, three new businesses are opening, two within the next few weeks with the other most likely in late fall/early winter. While each will have some overlap (think coffee and baked goods at all three; sandwiches and breakfast items at two), they’re each bringing their own personality, passion and approach to food.
They’re also spicing up this stretch of the neighborhood, which Tarrytown Mayor Karen Thomas has heard referred to as NoBo.
So what’s behind the wave of growth? Thomas credits Tarrytown’s emergence as a premier dining destination. “With Main Street now virtually fully occupied and demand from restaurateurs continuing to grow, North Broadway has become the community’s next frontier for investment and expansion,” she said.
Of course, there’s also “the significant increase in tourism” to Tarrytown over the past several years which, she said, has “strengthened the local economy, creating an environment in which restaurants and other small businesses can thrive.”
With offerings ranging from blooms to freshly milled bread to egg sandwiches and açai bowls, the following three businesses are worth putting on your radar.
Flowers will fill the space of Dahlia’s Song where there will also be a counter for coffee and baked goods as well as room for workshops and events. Owner/florist Linh Hoang has turned the long vacant Washington Irving Trust Co. into a nature-filled “jungle” with a focus on a variety of dahlias.
Her goal with the space, which will feature plenty of seating, is to offer a beautiful haven for customers. That means salvaging what she could from the bank’s previous décor and incorporating it into her design.
She’s also excited to feature Vietnamese coffee — she’s originally from Saigon — along with healthy foods like smoothies and cold pressed juices. Events are also part of her plan as is offering space for private parties.
As for why she picked this stretch of Tarrytown? For one, it was the high ceiling gorgeousness of the space. The other is the fact that she and her husband used to have their weekly date nights in Tarrytown, giving it a special place in her heart. She always loved the building, which she admired from afar, but never thought she could afford it. However, after a meeting where she “clicked” with the landlord, the rest is history. She’s now on target to open around June 19. 914-222-3132, dahliassong.com,
Sourcing locally is the crux of Tarrytown Local, a hybrid grocer/cafe/bakery set to open the end of June. Fox Schanzer, a 10-year veteran of cooking in farm-to-table restaurants and fine dining kitchens, and Steve Wazny, a former lawyer turned line cook, are the visionaries behind this new concept which will offer a wide variety of shopping and eating options.
Customers can expect a grocer in front complete with fresh produce, dairy, meats, cheeses, pantry staples, and dry goods, as well as a 25-seat full-service cafe serving breakfast and lunch (with dinner to come). There will also be a more casual seating area where folks can munch on pastries and freshly milled bread prepared by Katrina Poulin, who leads the store’s bakery portion. Everything will be hand-milled daily using locally-sourced grains and an Austrian mill.
Schanzer, who’s long been inspired by Trader Joe’s, is also jazzed about the shop’s frozen foods section, which will offer the store’s own handmade snacks along with his rendition of Trader Joe’s frozen latkes. There will also be a prepared foods section featuring everything from lasagnas to meat and chicken dishes to whatever Schanzer wants to cook as well as what people want him to cook (he’s taking requests). Menu items will be ever-changing depending on the seasons.
Beverages also get the local touch with all items sourced from the Hudson Valley. Eventually, once dinner starts, there will be wine and beer.
The broader mantra, the two emphasize, is to become a multifaceted hub connecting people with local producers, whether through raw ingredients in the grocery section, takeout offerings, or dining in the cafe. Their website lists their mission of “Local First,” meaning Hudson Valley and regional producers almost exclusively as well as vetting all producers to ensure regenerative agriculture, soil health, humane animal husbandry, and fair labor.
Market awareness, meaning a business that works to create better markets for local farmers, is another part of their mission as is low waste (i.e. composting, scrap utilization and reusables) and transparency. “We tell you where your food came from and how it got to your plate,” reads their website. “You deserve to know what goes in your body.”
As for the location, which has its own (free) parking lot in the back, Schanzer and Wazny said they like being close to the TaSH farmers market at Patriot’s Park, as well as in between the commercial districts of Main Street and Beekman Ave. “Those areas may get more tourists,” said Wazny, “But this U-shaped district between them seems to get more locals.” tarrytownlocal.com
Building more of a presence in Southern Westchester is one reason Craig and Glen Bernardi the owners of Bobo’s Cafe, chose to open in Tarrytown. The other was the fact that they’ve long loved the area. “It’s one of our favorite river towns,” said Craig. “We frequent it for the restaurants, live shows, and especially all the energy and activity around Halloween.”
So when a customer told them about the available space on North Broadway, they immediately looked into it. “The former Mrs. Green’s checked many of the boxes we look for in a location and it also gave us an opportunity to continue our expansion south, which has been a goal for some time,” said Craig.
Guests can expect the same Bobo’s they know and love — the brothers own locations in Chappaqua, Baldwin Place, Somers and Ridgefield, Conn. — but in a new space with a fresh buildout. Core favorites like acai bowls, coffee and egg sandwiches will be on the menu along with, according to Craig, “some thoughtful tweaks” that give the brothers “more room to expand our creativity and explore new offerings.”
Construction is planned to begin in the fall, following the opening of their Yorktown spot (their latest addition), meaning this new Bobo’s probably won’t open until late fall or early to mid-winter. Plus, did you know they have a new food truck? boboscafe.net.
Email JRMuchnick@gannett.com with details of food openings or closings near you. And, if you want more intel on Lower Hudson Valley dining and entertainment, sign up for my free weekly newsletter, which often includes behind-the-scenes info I don’t always share in my stories at profile.lohud.com/newsletters/manage.
Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @jeannemuchnick or via the lohudfood newsletter.…Read more by Jeanne Muchnick