Meet the Chef: James Mehne of the Tuscan Grille

James Mehne joined The Tuscan Grille on Sept. 9, 2011 after working as a Pavilion Club sous chef at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox.

He grew up in Buchanan and attended nearby Henrick Hudson High School in Montrose. At 13, Mehne was employed after school at a local restaurant as a dishwasher.

Fortunately, opportunities to learn to cook arose while he was working summers at the Paradise Bar & Grill in Verplanck and the Cortlandt Yacht Club and it didn't take long for him to decide on cooking as a profession. So, after finishing high school, he enrolled at and graduated from Johnson & Wales University, a prestigious culinary arts institution in Providence, RI.

At The Tuscan Grille, changes are scheduled for December. Mehne will introduce a new menu that combines existing bestsellers with time-tested dishes he has cooked in the past and new ones he will pretest as daily specials. Order a daily special during the next few weeks and the chef or the host may stop by to ask your opinion.

"Surveying our customers is helpful in two ways," Mehne said. "We can judge reaction to the specials and I'll hold a class for the wait staff to go over the feedback and comments that concern them." 

A few of Mehne's favorites have already been selected for the winter menu:

• Gnocchi. Made with sage brown butter sauce, candied walnuts, roasted butternut squash and balsamic vinegar
• Short braised ribs. Slow-cooked, with roasted Cipollini onions, baby carrots, parsnip and potato purée.

Many entrées on the present menu will also appear on the winter menu including:

• Chicken DiLuca. With sun dried tomatoes, capers and artichoke hearts in a buttery lemon and white wine sauce ($18.95)
• Salmon Adelmo. Accompanied by asparagus and artichokes in a white wine sauce ($19.95)
• Chicken Scarpariello. Boneless chicken with potatoes, sausage and hot or sweet peppers in a brown sauce ($18.95)

Popular appetizers being retained include baked chopped clams with seasoned breadcrumbs ($9.95) and Spedini–fresh mozzarella and bread, deep fried with homemade sauce ($8.95).

Best-selling desserts too will be on the winter menu including Italian cheesecake, tiramisu and rice pudding made with vanilla, cinnamon and sugar. 

At least a dozen pasta dishes will appear on the winter menu along with a variety of pizzas available in two sizes: personal (currently priced at $8 to $11.75) and large ($14 to $19).

Following graduation from high school, owner Tana McGuire enrolled at the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising in midtown Manhattan–a college that prepares students for careers in the fashion industry. After class, she worked part-time as a bartender; this led to full-time bar tending at a restaurant in Cold Spring owned by her family. 

With encouragement from family members, she and a partner bought The Tuscan Grille three years ago. This month, she became the sole owner of the restaurant when her business partner decided to leave to begin full-time studies for a career in the medical profession.

Coming special events

Free wine sampling is planned for Oct. 7 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the horseshoe-shaped bar.

The Tuscan Grille will introduce a prix-fixe, wine-coupled dinner program with the first dinner tentatively scheduled for mid-November. It will also test a "Chef’s Table" evening in the winter–only tables for two will be set and the courses will be selected by the chef. In addition, the restaurant conducts comedy and karaoke nights.

The Tuscan Grille is located at 518 North State Rd. in Briarcliff Manor. It has 180 seats, including the seats in a private room which can accommodate up to 80 people. 914-488-5618. www.thetuscangrillofbriarcliff.com