Outdoor Dining Guide to Dobbs Ferry

In Dobbs Ferry, you can take your choice of alfresco dining on a charming and secluded back patio at Harper's or close to the Hudson River at Half Moon with an extraordinary view of the majestic Palisades.

Harper's has six outside tables; each can seat four to five people. It's proprietor and general manager Justin Montgomery said that at this time of year, his restaurant's summer salad is a best seller; it comes with organic lettuces, local wax beans, roasted sweet corn, heirloom tomato, croutons, and buttermilk dressing.

Another dish ranking high on the popularity list, Montgomery said, is Harper's market fish, served with arugula, tomato, capers, breadcrumbs, and lemon."Our market fish changes daily," he noted, "and it is hand picked by Chef Chris Vergara at the Fulton Fish Market. We focus on local and sustainable fish, as fresh as can be."

Half Moon has immense outside dining capability — approximately 55 tables on two attractive patios. 

It buys much of its seafood on the dock at Montauk, Long Island where it has three sister restaurants (Harvest on Fort Pond, Stone Lion Inn and East by Northeast) and where twice during the previous decade, monsters were sighted. A sea serpent was seen in 2003 and a few years later local residents discovered a strange creature, part turtle and part animal, that was named the "Montauk Monster" by the media.  

So when Half Moon replaced the Chart House in Dobbs Ferry in the spring of 2008, perhaps it was not surprising that it introduced a monster-size Montauk Clam Bake. Still on the menu, this dish combines a steamed lobster, chicken, Little Neck clams, Italian sausage, mussels, roast corn, Shishito peppers and potatoes. Another choice bound to appeal to hungry seafood lovers is Chef Bob Galuzzi's two-pound lobster accompanied by ten shrimp, ten oysters and ten clams. 

Where to eat lighter fare outside

For light meals or snacks, the following Dobbs Ferry eateries have limited outdoor seating:

• Ferryman's Cafe. Owner Hermelo Ponce offers sandwiches, burgers, wraps, gyros and fruit smoothies. Two tables with two seats each.
• J.J. Beans. Coffee shop. Serves soup, panini's, salads, gelato and pastries. Three tables with two seats each.
• Lemon Tree. Asian/fusion food including sushi, sashimi, bento box, cooked Chinese-American dishes such as General Tso's chicken and crispy jumbo shrimp with honey walnut, Thai dishes and hot or cold sake. Two tables with two seats each.
• Orissa. Indian bistro owned by Niall Cain and wife Cynthia Caracta. Try the paella for two. Comes with chicken, mussels, shrimp, calamari, basmati rice and saffron. Allow 20 minutes for preparation. Also recommended: Chef Hari Nayak's masala steamed fish in banana leaf. Three tables with two seats each.
• Pablo's Deli. A Chilean-American delicatessen offering Chilean-style empanadas and Churrasco, a Chilean-style steak sandwich. Two tables with two seats each.
• Sam's Italian Restaurant. A favorite is their Margherita pizza made with fresh mozzarella, basil and fresh tomatoes. Two tables with two seats each.
• Sushi Mike's. Japanese. Mike Suzuki, owner and chef, offers a large selection of sushi rolls and hot entrees. Three tables with two seats each.
• The New Scarmella's Pizzeria. Two tables with two seats each.
• The New York Bagel Authority. Owner Alfred Posada recommends the Everything Bagel with cream cheese, Nova Scotia lox, onions and capers. Five tables with two seats each.
• Tomatillo. Mexican. Favorites at this David Starkey eatery include "Green Machine" (spinach tortilla, fresh baby spinach, rice, black beans, guacamole and tomatillo sauce) and "Iron Man" (grilled skirt steak, red peppers, rice, pinto beans and chipotle barbecue sauce). Three tables with two seats each.

Limited outside seating is also available at (frozen yogurt) and Frankie's Homemade Ice Cream.