Cedar Street Grill, a Comfort Food Restaurant, Opens in Dobbs Ferry

Cedar Street Grill opened in Dobbs Ferry this week in the location formerly occupied by the Greek restaurant Mykynos. Although open only for dinner at this time, luncheon service is expected to start in a week or two.

Executive chef Matt Kay, 25, has created a comfort-food menu for the new eatery that focuses on popular and traditional tavern and barbecue dishes. "I have been preparing for this for a long time," he said, pointing out that he had previously cooked most of the dishes on the menu at one time or another during his career. 

Matt is joined by his brother Joe, 23, who will manage the front-of the-house and occasionally tend bar.

Highlights of the menu

Entrees include:

• Smoked baby back ribs with rice, beans, corn on cob and house-made barbecue sauce ($18)
• A signature burger with Wisconsin white cheddar cheese, Applewood smoked bacon, caramelized onions and horseradish aioli, served with garlic and herb steak fries ($14)
• Southern fried chicken with cheddar biscuits, corn succotash and house-made gravy ($17)
• Charcoal-grilled ribeye steak with a loaded baked potato, roasted baby root vegetables and frizzled shallots ($27)

Appetizers include fried green tomatoes that come with arugula, bacon cracklings, Meyer lemon oil and tomatoes; rock shrimp with corn fritters; chicken wings; Maryland lump crab cake; and mac and cheese.

Smores Napoleon, the signature dessert, is prepared by melting marshmallows and Hershey bar milk chocolate on graham crackers and topping them with a scoop of vanilla ice cream ($7). A root beer float with vanilla ice cream and cinnamon costs $7. All of the wine, beer and cocktail alcohol served is made in America.

Meals for children include chicken fingers, grilled cheese, beef sliders and pasta with butter.

Venison and elk burgers will be offered in the near future.

Matt and Joe were both double-letter varsity athletes at Dobbs Ferry High School where Matt was a member of the football and wrestling teams and Joe played football and basketball. Both were also members of a teenage rock and roll band with Matt on percussion and drums and Joe playing guitar. Both also worked at Sam's Italian Restaurant in Dobbs Ferry early in their careers.

Matt majored in culinary arts at the Art Institute of New York in Manhattan and cooked under chef Vince Barcelona at Harvest on Hudson in Hastings-on-Hudson and at the Castle on the Hudson (Equus) in Tarrytown under chef David Haviland. He was the Executive Chef at Blue White Plains for 1-1/2 years.

Cedar Street Grill is owned by Cathy Kay who is the Associate Director of the Saturday edition of the CBS News "The Early Show" and Deputy Mayor of Dobbs Ferry. Cathy is Matt and Joe's mother.

"We had looked at possible restaurants for two years," Cathy said."One night after dining at Mykynos I told my sons that this place would be right for us. About a month later, the owner called Matt."

In the fall, a soup of the day and a fresh market fish will be introduced and the menu will be augmented during Saturday collegiate and Sunday NFL football games with light bite and beverage specials.

The restaurant can seat 68 at its dining-room tables; it has 12 stools at a U-shaped bar and 12 sidewalk seats are available, weather permitting.

Cedar Street Grill, 23 Cedar Street, Dobbs Ferry, NY. 914-674-0706. email address: trueamerican@cedarstreetgrillny.com