New restaurants are popping up almost weekly in our area. We’ll soon have some well-recognized Manhattan brands here -- while local eateries are expanding or opening additional sites.

On Garth Road, construction of the Asian Fusion restaurant Tengda seems to be moving slowly, but further down the street, Southeast Chinese has been converted to SEA Scarsdale, a sleek new Japanese and Thai, pan-Asian restaurant. They have built a beautiful sushi bar where two professional sushi chefs were producing creative special rolls including the volcano, dragon, dynamite and kiss of fire. We tried the Scarsdale roll, pictured here, and as you can see the dish was illuminated with a bright light perched artfully in a wine glass. The tuna and salmon were fresh and tasty.  We also ordered the mu shu pork, a large portion that was served with four pancakes and was enough for dinner for several evenings.  At a neighboring table, a diner was sipping from a family-size bowl of wonton soup with chicken and shrimp.  The menu appears to span the entire Asian continent and also includes shumai, dumplings, and a long list of hot curries, chicken and fish dishes and noodles. With Kirari, SEA and Tengda there will be three Asian options on Garth Raod. SEA Scarsdale is open seven days a week and they will deliver for free. Check them out at 72 Garth Road or call 914-723-8898/8895 to order in.

Serafina, a favorite pizza and pasta chain in the city will be taking over the location of Via Quadronno at 199 Main Street in White Plains. They are slated to open in November and will serve thin crust pizza, fresh pastas, grilled fish and meats. Watch for their bright yellow awning.

Another New York City star, Benjamin Steakhouse is scheduled to open this month in the former location of Mighty Joe Young’s on Hartsdale Avenue. The chef hails from Peter Lugar’s so the steak ought to be first rate.

Eclisse has opened on East Post Road in White Plains in the former home of Laguna. Many assume that Eclisse is a sister of the restaurant with the same name in Rye Brooke, but it is actually unrelated and serves Mediterranean and Persian cuisine. On the menu are a full range of appetizers including rice meatballs, spicy octopus and calamari and baked spinach with onion, garlic, herbs and yogurt. There are pastas, kabobs, and stews including lamb osso bucco and veal stew with parsley, scallions, dried lemon and herbs. Check out their website and whet your appetite at: http://www.eclissewp.com/

Pizzaria Frankie and Fanucci’s in Hartsdale is expanding into the space next door, formerly occupied by the bakery Enricos, that is now in larger quarters down the street. They are also building a new Fand F in Mamaroneck where they’ll compete with the famous Sal’s pizzaria. The new restaurant is currently under construction at 301 Mamaroneck Avenue, near the movie theatre and CVS.

Even though Indian favorite Bengal Tiger burned to the ground this summer, Ambadi, their takeout establishment across the street at 141 East Post Road in White Plains is still open for business. They have expanded their menu, accept credit cards and have added a few tables so you can eat in, pick up your dinner or call for delivery with a minimum order of $25. There are samosas chicken tikka masala, chicken tandoori, saag paneer and they even threw in some hot Naan, even though it's not shown on the menu.  The only thing missing is the gentleman with the red turban who always greeted us with a chilled glass of King Fisher beer.  Find the menu at www.ambadi-usa.com or call 914-686-2014 or 914-686-1746 to order.

Last Ban Zai Hibachi is looming large on Central Avenue on the building site where Carvel once stood. The new restaurant has been in the works for many months and we’re eager to learn more about it.

Now that Vega has had a few months to settle in and we’ve had the chance to have lunch and dinner there several more times, we have to say we love it. The waterwall, bare tree branches, funky chandeliers and bright orange and purple décor make us feel like we’ve left Hartsdale -- and the drinks, the food and the reasonable prices are all reasons to visit often.

Though there’s usually a crowd inside, we have always gotten a warm greeting and waited no more than five minutes to be seated. Following in the footsteps of Rui from Oporto, Vega offers delicious white wine sangria, a sweet fruity and powerful mix. For appetizers I recently ordered the chicken tortilla soup which was a flavorful tomato-based soup chock full of chicken, avocado and crisp tortillas. We also tried the hot and spicy Shrimp Al Ajillo, which were jumbo shrimp sautéed in garlic olive oil and crushed red peppers. All I can say about the shrimp, is that if you share the dish, you’ll probably start to fight over it.

The guacamole, produced at a cart at your table is also a good bet and will fill you up before your main course arrives. The tortilla chips are made on the premises and they are crisp, slightly salty and fairly addictive.

For entrees, Vega offers traditional Mexican fare such as tacos, fajitas, enchiladas, quesadillas and burritos as well as a full menu of more sophisticated plates. Choose from lemon chipotle chicken, chile rellenos, steak tequilla, chili rubbed pork chops or shrimp veracruz, to name a few. I ordered the steak quesadilla with onions, tomatoes and chihuahua cheese and my companion tried the burrito shown here which was tasty but too much to finish. On another night we had the tinga de pollo, a tasty plate of shredded chicken, chipolte peppers and salsa rojo. Portions are all very generous and it’s good to go with a group so you can sample several items.

Vega is also open for a very-reasonably priced lunch. There are burgers, veggie burgers, a steak sandwich, a Cuban pressed sandwich, chicken fajita sandwich, a taco salad, quesadillas and more, all priced from $8-$11. The flexible kitchen also permitted us to order from the dinner menu so you can have it your way. For kids there’s Mexican pizza, chicken fingers, and French fries.

Vega has hit its stride and now it’s up to us to support them and eat local. If you don’t want to go to them, they’ll even deliver to you.

Vega Mexican Cuisine
187-189 Hartsdale Avenue
Hartsdale, New York
914-723-0010
vegamexican.com

Signs have been posted on the Tavern Building at the Heathcote Five Corners announcing the opening of an Italian restaurant in the late Fall. Though the lease for the driveway to the parking lot has not yet been signed, it appears that owners Fish and Oder have leased the space and are confident that the village will agree to a lease renewal. A resolution to lease the driveway and a portion of the parking lot to the tavern owners was on the agenda for the September 14 Scarsdale Board of Trustees meeting but was held over pending an environmental impact study.

The web page for the new restaurant is up and here is what it says:

Masseria (pronounced Mas sir e a) will be a 200 seat restaurant and wine bar located at 2 Weaver Street in the Village of Scarsdale, New York featuring coastal Italian cuisine influenced by the region of Puglia, Italy. The restaurant will be overseen by Francesco and Pasquale Coli, an experienced father/son team currently operating the highly rated La Villetta, an Italian restaurant located at 7 Madison Avenue in Larchmont, New York since 2000.

A masseria is a farm house on a country estate found in the region of Puglia where Francesco and Pasquale are from. The design and atmosphere will be inspired by the many masserie that are found near the coast between Bari and Brindisi in what is often times referred to as the masseria coast. Masserie date back to the 16th century and now are bed and breakfasts with restaurants serving typical dishes of Puglia.

Local gardens are thriving and so is the Scarsdale Farmer’s Market where you can feast your eyes and stomachs on the bounties of the season. This past Saturday we found a full complement of farmers, bakers, butchers, picklers, cheese makers and vintners selling their products.

Susan Froelich of the Next Generation Farm in Montgomery, New York had colorful tomatoes, tomatillos and peppers available and provided some tempting recipes to utilize them.

Here is her recipe for Mango and Tomatillo Salsa:

2 mangos, peeled and diced
10 tomatillos, husked and sliced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced
¼ cup limejuice
¼ cup diced onion
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup diced tomatoes

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and let sit for at least 2 hours before serving.

Russell and Melissa Greenleaf, of Greenleaf Gardens were also at the market this week, selling a colorful assortment of organic produce including bright purple eggplants, red and green peppers and tomatoes that were pretty enough to paint.

The Greenleaf’s run a sustainable garden education program in the Scarsdale Schools and have planted successful gardens in all five of our elementary schools as well as the Scarsdale Middle School and High School. Community volunteers and their children tend these gardens and the results are impressive. Stop by the High School or Fox Meadow School to take a look. Also check out a recent article in the Journal News picturing Greenleaf’s work in Scarsdale.

While you’re doing your shopping at the Scarsdale Farmer’s Market, every Saturday from 9 am – 1:30 pm, you can also meet your neighbors and sometimes your Mayor or members of the school board. It’s a good opportunity to get a sense of what’s going on in town as well as at the table. Carol Delisa runs the Scarsdale Market as well as another market in North Caste/Armonk on Thursdays from 3-7 pm. Read more about local markets on her Market Lady website.