Local eateries provide viable alternatives to the city

by Hilary Hughes & Hannah Kinney

Monday November 14, 2005

Il Baccio
1 Park Place, Bronxville
11 a.m.- 10 p.m.
(914) 337-4100

Delightfully Italian it is delicious pizza and gelato. Il Baccio in Bronxville is a cutesy place with a garden terrace atmosphere, even in the winter.

Decorated with faux-fresco and a variety of potted plants, the small tables at this small restaurant can make a meal feel like a big family dinner or like sharing a pizza with the pimple-faced teens next door— even if you didn’t invite the.

The pizza is delicious and can be bought by the slice or by the pie. Crispy thin crust and yummy seemingly homemade sauce is always covered by a great assortment of toppings, of which you can create your own or choose from the house list.

The menu expands beyond the pie, however, and includes exquisite pastas plus other entrees. Our favorites are the gnocchi (a heavy potato pasta in a meat, tomato and cream sauce) or the classic spaghetti and meatballs, which are a guaranteed crowd pleaser (and are especially helpful if you’ve got a little brother or sister visiting in addition to your parents).
For dessert, there is a wide assortment ranging from rich gelato, authentic Venetian tiramisu and decadent ricotta pie. The prices are moderate to moderate-expensive.

But it’s Family Weekend, so let them treat.

Scarborough Fair
65 Pondfield Rd., Bronxville (*The entrance is actually on Garden Ave.)
Lunch: Tues.-Sat. 11:45 a.m.-3 p.m.
Dinner: 5 p.m.-10 p.m.
Brunch: Sun 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
(914) 337-2735

If you want to wow your parents with some fancy-schmancy dining and you’d like an excuse to dress up, be sure to steer them towards Scarborough Fair. When you walk inside, you’re greeted immediately by its intimate and warm surroundings: the booths are plushly upholstered and the lighting is soft, complimented by candles on the tables.

The actual size of the restaurant is a huge plus, too. At full capacity it seats forty, so even on a busy night you won’t have to scream over your appetizers in order to reach your parents across the table.

Scarborough Fair is popular with the Westchester set for two specific things: renowned service and cuisine. The staff is extremely attentive and does everything possible to insure you have a wonderful dining experience.

The food is what I’d call “creative gourmet” for several tasty reasons:
Scarborough Fair’s executive chef concocts new twists on old classics, like the Kobe steak burger with gruyere cheese and Portobello mushrooms or the lamb shank with orange cauliflower.

Don’t worry if you’re entertaining the younger set as well; a children’s menu includes plain pasta and chicken fingers.
My favorite parts of the restaurant are the bar and the dessert menu. Scarborough specializes in fine wines and martinis, and the Vahlrona molten chocolate cake is worth all those hours you’ve been clocking in at the gym. The prices are rather steep (for the burger mentioned above it’s $21, but then again the meat is imported from Japan and it’ll even tempt a vegetarian).

But if you’re parents are coming to town, I’m sure they’d be willing to bend a buck (or quite a few) on a delectable dining experience.

Be sure to make a reservation, though—the restaurant is busiest on weekends and you don’t want to be turned away.

Haiku
56 Pondfield Rd., Bronxville
Sun.-Thur. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri. and Sat. 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.
(914) 337-5601

For fantastic Asian-Fusion cuisine, head to Haiku, right on Bronxville’s main drag (Palmer Ave).

The hip and comfortable atmosphere, with its tables made out of Chinese checkerboards and abaci, is a wonderful foil to the elegantly presented cuisine.

The sushi bar is particularly popular with Sarah Lawrence students, so if your parents dig raw fish, be sure to check Haiku out. Some cooked dishes make the menu complete.

If you’d like to spice up your weekend and can’t get to China town, Haiku is a worthy substitute.