Dining preview: Casual, neighborhood restaurants are on tap this fall(3)
Don Tommaso's Bistro Italiano: A tribute to old-school Italian dining — which explains the charming checkered tablecloths. Oh, and the Italian music playing softly in the background, and, yes, the authentic Italian dishes on the menu. Don Tommaso's is named after owner Tom Cuomo's father, Tommaso Cuomo, who owns the restaurants Pizza Beat in Yonkers and Grappolo Locanda in Chappaqua. Cuomo, the younger, says the new restaurant blends the casual vibe of Pizza Beat and the high-end service and atmosphere of Grappolo Locanda. There's a bar area that seats 20, a main dining area that seats 75 and an outdoor dining area that seats 24. Menu items, which start at $9, are all priced below $30 — except for the "Don Luigi" (a Fiorentina-style grilled 32-ounce porterhouse steak, with a choice of potato and vegetable), which costs $79. The restaurant also pours 17 Italian wines by the glass. $$$. Italian. 334 Underhill Ave., Yorktown Heights. 914-302-7900, www.dontommasos.com.
Impulse Hibachi: The latest creation of Andy Lin of Asian Temptation (and other restaurants), is across from the City Center, and is offering communal dining at mod tables, while a chef prepares your meal tableside. The Japanese menu allows you to pick a meat — or mix and match if you like — and everything comes with salad, miso soup, a shrimp appetizer, vegetable, rice and noodles. Prices range from $13.95 for the vegetarian selection to $37.95 for the filet mignon, lobster tail and shrimp combo. There is a long red granite bar and leather couches if you want to start the evening with cocktails or appetizers, like the Thai Crab Cakes, Mini Spring Rolls, or Fried Calamari. $$$. Asian. 32 Mamaroneck Ave., White Plains. 914-285-1888.
JP's Lounge at Le Chateau: The restaurant, with its French-inspired cuisine, is housed at a classically styled, historical manor that boasts formal gardens and sunset views. But with the recent opening of JP's Lounge on the second floor, now you can add casual to describe the vibe, too. JP's Lounge serves smaller plates — from minute steak with french fries to sautéed frog legs. Items on the menu cost from $6 to $22. There's also a wine and cocktail bar in the lounge, which has dark wood floors , a fireplace and a cozy feel, more rustic than elegant. The room is decorated with caricature artwork of financial baron J.P. Morgan, who first built the estate in 1907. $$$. French. 1410 Route 35, South Salem, 914-533-6631, lechateauny.com.
