Great New Values Are Offered at J.P. Doyle's on Monday and Wednesday Evenings

A few weeks ago, J.P. Doyle's in Sleepy Hollow introduced two generously priced summer-long, weeknight food-and-drink specials: Build Your Own Pasta Night on Monday (a real deal at $14.95 per person) and a three-hour Barbeque Party in the Beer Garden ($25 per person) on Wednesday evening, weather permitting.

Brian Doyle and partner/proprietor Nicholas Bell opened J.P. Doyle's, a warm and comfortable sports bar and restaurant, in Sleepy Hollow in September of 1999. From the beginning, J.P. Doyle's attracted a family crowd early in the evening and as the night progressed, its mix of regulars gravitated gradually to couples and singles. The same is true of J.P. Doyle's today.

Business was thriving at the onset encouraging Doyle and Bell to introduce a similar sister establishment. Two and one-half years later, at the southwest corner of Chestnut and Main Streets in Dobbs Ferry, they created the Celtic Corner. 

Of course the passion (and the prices) are right here where it all started. 

There's plenty to eat during Monday's "Build Your Own Pasta" night at J.P. Doyle's. Patrons enjoy soup or salad, a glass of wine or a domestic brew and pasta with meatballs, hot or sweet Italian sausage, rock shrimp, chicken or chopped clams. Pasta obsessive types can choose from cavatelli, linguine, penne, rigatoni or tortellini. Entrees are topped with tasty sauces such as marinara, fra diablo, a la Vodka, Alfredo, scampi or Bolognese.

At the Barbeque Party in the Beer Garden on Wednesday evenings, an admission charge of $25 per person covers three hours of food, drink and frolic.

Hamburgers, hot dogs, jerk chicken, ribs, pulled pork, sweet corn on cob, baked beans, cornbread, house barbeque sauce and other delectable accompaniments are typically offered, but items change from week to week. Thirst quenchers include domestic beer and well drinks.

The tree-lined, backyard party will continue, from 6-9 p.m. every Wednesday, until early September, weather and temperature permitting. A DJ provides the entertainment.

"The beer garden has heat lamps in case of a chill in the air," Doyle noted. 

The regular dining-room menu is ambitious and ranges from familiar pub grub to filet mignon. Chef Bell's signature dish, a 12 to 14-ounce flavorful New York strip steak, is an incredibly wise main-course choice. Served on a sizzling platter, it's crowned with sautéed mushrooms and Vidalia onions and, if you like, crumbled bleu cheese. The steak is matched up nicely with garlic mashed potatoes.

Bell's succulent pork Osso Bucco shank, topped with a vegetable ragu, is delicious but on the menu only a few evenings a month. Check ahead for availability.

Many of the dishes are whooping, go-for-broke-sized platefuls including the yummy four-cheese macaroni and cheese, the chicken Scarpiello, and the shepherd's pie. 

Bell's take on chicken Scarpiello has long been a favorite of patrons here; the chicken is sautéed and combined with hot and sweet peppers, sausage and sliced potatoes in a garlic lemon, white-wine sauce.

Also very nice are the savory Prince Edward Island mussels in a winning white-wine broth harmonized with diced plum tomatoes, fresh herbs and a goodly amount of garlic. Garlic bread is also included. 

Love burgers? You won't go wrong ordering any one of the juicy eight-ounce hamburgers. But for a change of taste try the bacon-cheddar cheese burger smothered with chili. 

Doyle, a gregarious host, is co-president of the Sleepy Hollow Tarrytown Chamber of Commerce. His wife Jennifer is expecting; their daughter Calleigh, age two, will soon become a big sister. A firefighter, Doyle has served New York City for nine years. His Ladder 45 Company protects Harlem and Washington Heights.

Bell, while a student at Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, earned a bachelor's degree in business administration and played varsity soccer for four years. He set the Mavericks' goalkeeping record for consecutive minutes holding the opposition scoreless. He and lovely lass Adrienne Early will marry on July 3.

Manager Bridie Kennedy ensures that service is attentive. An employee for more than eight years, she knows and greets most return customers by first name. She is a member of the family that owns Kennedy Construction, a long-time river town home builder. Richard Kennedy, no relation to Bridie, has been the Wednesday night bartender for the past seven years and is a New York City fire department lieutenant. 

J.P. Doyle's is open from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. on Monday through Thursday (closed for lunch but available for catered events) and open for lunch and dinner on Friday through Sunday. Beer garden service is available daily from 4 p.m. to midnight unless threatening weather precludes going outdoors.  Complimentary parking is available after 5 p.m. in a lot diagonally across the street. 

J.P. Doyle's, 48 Beekman Avenue, Sleepy Hollow, www.jpdoylesrestaurant.com, 914-631-3015.