Last Chance for Alfresco Dining in Tarrytown and Sleepy Hollow

Hard to believe, but summer is quickly coming to an end, which means there's very little time left to enjoy some alfresco dining before the fall chill sets in.

There are plenty of places to dine out in the summer air, and it's a great time to get in on summer specials that use locally-sourced ingredients. 

Summer dishes introduced by Tarry Tavern include chilled Bluepoint oysters on the half shell, chilled fresh English pea soup, and lobster salad made with green asparagus, corn and artichoke and dressed with passion fruit vinaigrette. For a refreshing summer drink, owner Henry Cabral recommends a Tarrojito (a Mojito made with Tarragon instead of mint).

On Thursday evenings, Bistro Z at the DoubleTree barbecues on the patio. The main attraction is grilled rib eye steak topped with fresh pico de gallo.

"The grill adds a smokey flavor and the local ingredients in the pico de gallo provide a perfect balance," says newly arrived Chef de Cuisine Steve McCarthy. "Our coleslaw is made from locally grown ingredients including apples from the Hudson Valley."

The cost is $20 for adults and $10 for children under 12. For an accompanying summer drink, McCarthy recommends a peach margarita (lime juice, fresh frozen peaches, Herradura tequila, and peach schnapps).

For a tempting seasonal dish, Chef David Haviland at Equus in Castle on the Hudson recommends sea scallops with Hudson Valley foie gras, corn pudding and huckleberry marmalade.

Owner Bob Ronan says the most popular Moon River Grill dishes for outside eating have been the lobster cobb salad and fresh Maine lobster. The two best selling new beverages, he reveals, are a made-from-scratch sangria garnished with fresh fruit and the Sunsetter margarita made with fresh-squeezed lime juice.

At Bridge View Tavern, Chris Maceyak says Begian style wheat beers and American ales pair up well with fresh fish and specialty salads.

For a hamburger, one of the very best in town is the Demeter Burger at Demeter's Tavern & Sports Bar – a half-pound of beef with bacon, cheese, onions, lettuce, tomato, coleslaw, pickle, and French fries for $10.50. 

Seating capability for local eateries with outside service and other pertinent information follows:

Tarrytown

Bistro Z. (Doubletree Hotel). The Thursday night barbecue includes rib eye steak, Jack Daniels barbecue chicken, swordfish kabobs, hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, cheddar cornbread and desserts. The restaurant can seat 40 people on its secluded patio.

Caravela. In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Fernando Cabral's restaurant, the first Portuguese and Brazilian restaurant in Westchester County, serves a $25 three-course, prix-fixe dinner on Sunday through Friday evenings and for lunch on Saturdays from noon to 3 p.m. Truly great food. Has eight or nine outside tables. Can seat about 25 people outside.

Chiboust. French. Specialties at this charming bistro include boulliabase –  a seafood broth of mussels, shrimp, clams, squid, fish and tomato, with sauce rouille ($28) and Waygu burger on toasted sourdough ($14). Wednesday offer: half-price off on first bottle of any wine on list with purchase of two dinner or more entrées (one per guest). Limit one per table. Two sidewalk tables; each seats two people.

Demeter's Tavern & Sports Bar. Pub food. Serves a sensational burger and incredible thin-sliced, piled high roast beef on a Kaiser roll, with lots of cheese, onions and sweet or hot peppers (chose one of the peppers) at $10.50. Two outside tables seat two people each.

Equus (The Castle). Has the most elegant outside table service to be found in this area and a new dish introduced in August: with homemade summer marmalade, gooseberries and other fruit. Mangalitsa is a breed of pig that grows hair – sometimes referred to as a "wooly pig." 

Horsefeathers. Contemporary American. Burgers. Extensive menu and long martini list including Its Espresso Martini – Stoli vanilla, frangelico, coffee liqueur and espresso, shaken, not stirred. Large redesigned patio area in front.

Lefteris Gyro. Greek. Extensive inexpensively priced menu. A landmark Tarrytown attraction. Worth waiting for a table. Corner location. Has outside seating on Main Street and along Broadway.

Mr. Nick's Brick Oven Pizza. Italian. A specialty is the Mimosa, a 10-inch, personal pizza made with mozzarella, extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, fresh basil and tomato sauce, priced at $7.50. This inexpensive eatery was opened recently by Nick Krasniqi. It's three outside tables can seat about 10 people.

Santa Fe. Has only one seat outside and that's permanently taken by the costumed life-size Mexicano.

SB&G (Sheraton Hotel). Contemporary American which replaced the Rioja restaurant. It has a large, secluded patio behind the main dining area.

Sol Mar. Portuguese and Brazilian. Feijoada Completa, a Brazilian dish, is served with black bean pork and sausage stew. The restaurant has two sidewalk tables that can accommodate six people.

Striped Bass. Seafood. Has a large outdoor dining area and the adjacent "Cabana & Grill," a cash-only, seat-and-serve-yourself (no wait staff service), after-work gathering place that provides hamburgers, hot dogs and other snacks, served on paper or plastic. Spectacular views of the Hudson River, the Palisades and the Tappan Zee Bridge.

Sunset Cove. Seafood.  Located at the . Has a large outside patio dining and the tiki bar and outdoor grill for more casual eating. Spectacular views of the Hudson River, the Palisades and the Tappan Zee Bridge.  

Sweet Grass Grill. Contemporary American. The menu changes weekly but always offered are seasonal soups, salads, baby roast chicken and fresh sustainably raised fish. The bar is carved out of a single fallen oak tree from the Rockefeller Preserves. Has about ten tables outside.

Tarry Tavern. Contemporary American and innovative pub food including Maine sea scallops with butternut squash risotto and Brussels sprouts and warm Portuguese octopus with potatoes. Seats at least 12 people outside and alongside the herb garden.

Taste of China. Chinese. Extensive menu including luncheon specials beginning at $6.50. Has four sidewalk tables that can seat about 14 people.

Sleepy Hollow

Bridge View Tavern. Contemporary American and pub food. Best sellers include beef brisket, smoked for eight hours and served on a brioche roll with fries and pickled jalapenos ($12), and fish and chips – fresh codfish soaked in beer batter, fried and served with homemade tartar sauce and crisp fries ($18). Seats up to 16 people outside.

Italian. A favorite dish here is pappardelle al forestale (homemade pasta with wild boar, grape tomato and blueberry grappa sauce). This restaurant, owned by Daniel Damiano Jr., has a small outside dining area.

Moon River Grill. Contemporary American. A seafood combination main course includes shrimp, scallops and fish ($24).The second-floor, open-air deck can seat up to 28 people and it provides a splendid Hudson River view. Because of zoning restrictions, deck service ends at 9:30 p.m. on weekdays and 10 p.m. on weekends. 

J.P. Doyle's. Pub "grub" is served including garlic-bread, beer battered shrimp, fish and chips and mac and cheese. Has a secluded beer garden for barbecue with an outside bar, both located behind the restaurant. The casual beer garden has heat lamps in the advent of cool temperatures.

Que Chula es Pueblo. Mexican. Opened by Pablo Ilagorre and his brother Santiago in 2007; this outstanding restaurant serves the authentic food of Puebla, Mexico, a renown dining destination. Has sidewalk seating for about 14 people.

Santorini. Greek. Dishes served here include sounlaki, bifteki (ground steak), moussaka, pastitsio, makaronada, and kalamarakia (fried calamari). Has a small sidewalk seating area.