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estaurants & reviews<br />
Hit tHe Spot:<br />
Story & Photos by Nicole Gallagher<br />
If a quaint bistro and wine bar<br />
that uses the freshest local ingredients<br />
to prepare mouth-watering<br />
foods is your idea of a fine dining experience,<br />
then Dish Bistro should definitely<br />
be on your radar.<br />
New owners Eileen and Georges Zidi have<br />
taken over the helm of this 4-year-old bistro<br />
from its creator Hanna Hopkins, who leaves<br />
big shoes to fill. The Zidis certainly have the<br />
qualifications; they have worked at every<br />
level of bringing wonderful food to your table.<br />
From Georges’ classic French training<br />
and work as an executive chef at fine hotels<br />
and country clubs, to Eileen’s organic farming<br />
and 20 years at Peter Pratt’s Inn, the Zidis<br />
have you covered.<br />
This hidden gem is located in the Mahopac<br />
Plaza on Route 6N behind TD Bank. Small<br />
and intimate, Dish seats about 20 at tables and<br />
an additional eight at the<br />
bar, which is well stocked<br />
and offers a large selection<br />
of international beer and<br />
wines. The small sidewalk<br />
and stairway leading to the<br />
front door are dotted with<br />
planters brimming with<br />
herbs. It whets the appetite<br />
upon approach. The décor<br />
is warm and unassuming.<br />
Local artwork adorns the<br />
wall, creating a great conversion<br />
piece over the dinner<br />
table.<br />
Don’t expect a six-page<br />
menu, but don’t worry; the<br />
items they do prepare are<br />
perfectly arranged. The<br />
fixed dinner menu contains<br />
about eight starters,<br />
three salads and four or<br />
five entrées. There is also<br />
a special menu that adds<br />
a few more offerings using<br />
local ingredients that<br />
are at their seasonal best. The farm-to-table<br />
philosophy is apparent at Dish and your taste<br />
buds will know it.<br />
Our choices for this dinner started with<br />
the Meadow Farm Corn Chowder with pesto<br />
sour cream. The corn used started the day on<br />
the farm and ended in my bowl. If you uttered<br />
the words “sweet corn,” you’d have to be<br />
talking about this soup. It was truly delicious.<br />
Our next choice was the Bistro Burger,<br />
with<br />
Hudson Valley Cheddar,<br />
chipotle aioli, red<br />
onion, and fries or market<br />
greens. This dish not<br />
only satisfies the burger<br />
yearning, but brings<br />
“burger night” to a new place. The perfectly<br />
grilled burger smothered in toppings, including<br />
the tiny cornichon atop the tasty<br />
bun, is exactly what you wish every burger<br />
could be.<br />
We also chose the Aromatic Marinated<br />
Grilled Skirt Steak with truffle roasted potatoes<br />
and arugula salad. The skirt steak was<br />
very tender and tasty, the potatoes crisp on<br />
the outside and creamy inside. The arugula<br />
salad, paired with cherry tomatoes bursting<br />
with flavor, was simply dressed with lemon<br />
and a little olive oil. The pure, fresh flavors<br />
were a perfect combination. The meals were<br />
seasoned perfectly — all excellent choices.<br />
For dessert, we tasted the crème brûlée<br />
and the chocolate mousse, both prepared<br />
fresh and flawlessly. The mousse was topped<br />
with freshly made whipped cream and newly<br />
picked raspberries. One of, if not the best,<br />
desserts we have sampled in a long time. As<br />
an accompaniment to our dessert we ordered<br />
Old Speckled Hen Linemans Frambroise, a<br />
robust raspberry beer, which complimented<br />
the mousse perfectly while tingling our taste<br />
buds.<br />
This meal was delectable from start to<br />
finish. The staff was<br />
friendly and helpful<br />
and took time to answer<br />
questions and<br />
make suggestions.<br />
Dish can go from<br />
empty to packed<br />
with a few swings of<br />
the door, so if you<br />
want to go for dinner,<br />
make a reservation<br />
just to be sure.<br />
For those of you who<br />
appreciate an abundance<br />
of organic<br />
ingredients used to<br />
prepare fabulously<br />
fresh food, your Dish<br />
is waiting for you.<br />
Details: Call 845-<br />
621-DISH to make a<br />
reservation. Closed<br />
Sunday. Open Monday,<br />
4:30 p.m. to 9:30<br />
p.m.; Tuesday, noon<br />
to 9 p.m.; Friday and<br />
Saturday, noon to 10 p.m. Price Range: lunch,<br />
$9–$16; dinner, starters to entrees depending<br />
on specials, $6–$28. Children’s menu<br />
available. Attire is casual. Visit www.dish<br />
mahopac.com for more information.<br />
We encourage <strong>Eventful</strong> readers to keep<br />
submitting restaurant suggestions. Share<br />
your favorite local eatery with Nicole at<br />
gallagher@eventfulmagazine.com.<br />
4 <strong>Eventful</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> - <strong>September</strong> <strong>2011</strong>
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