Gem Cuisines in Yonkers (former Hunan Village) got very good review in NYT, though some poor reviews on online sites, we decided to try. Nice decor, service, very good food (I’d recommend the clams in tangerine/bean, the snow pea leaves, Sichuan chicken pouches, and chicken with vinegar)from our limited experience. $10 corkage, with very good attitude, and surprisingly nice stems. Owner approved of Schafer Frolich Spat GK as food match. 
http://gemchineserestaurant.com/
Prices are high for Chinese in Westchester, but aiming for different audience.
Dale, how does it compare to Central Seafood?
We actually had Central Seafood here in the office yesterday. It was ok…duck was a tad overcooked.
Don Tommaso’s Bistro in Yorktown Heights - No corkage
The food is very good, but service is very slow, so be forewarned.
Not surprised; Chinese take out is always a let down. Next time, we do a banquet, I will let you know.
Based on one experience, different styles. I like CS for Cantonese dishes, mostly seafood. This is a bit more refined/cosmopolitan style. And the restaurant is much more “fine dining” than the bustling dim sum palace CS style.
The dishes we had:
very good spicy but not hot Sichuan chicken pouches
small clams in tangerine-accented bean sauce- clams were tasty and delicate, the sauce good enough that Betsy finished it like soup
red braised prawns. Surrounded by perfect teeny bok choy, this was the visually most appealing dish I’ve been served in 2012. But it was actually my least favorite- shrimp were fine, but sauce reminded me of takeout Chinese sweet and sour
Chicken shredded with 2 vinegars- delicious, and the most unusual dish.
Snow pea leaves with (I think tiny beech) mushrooms- good, but if we had realized how much bok choy with shrimp and spinach with chicken we could have skipped
But tab will definitely be higher than CS.
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Restaurant North in ‘downtown’ Armonk. No corkage charge. 1 bottle per reservation. NB, we did manage to talk them into not charging us for a second bottle.
Sit upstairs. It’s much quieter than downstairs.
I just called Bistro Rollin thinking about having dinner there tonight. They said their corkage policy is $25, but $-0- on Wednesdays …
Maybe a good place for an Westchester offline?
We went there for lunch and were completely underwhelmed by the food. It was salty and bland at the same time. Given the reviews, we expected a lot more.
Iron Horse in Pleasantville.$20 per bottle, and friendly about it. Food is excellent.
North in Armnonk recently amended their policy to one bottle at no charge and no other bottles brought in. For a time, it was ZERO for multiple bottles. Food has been consistently good.
Cookery in Dobbs Ferry is $20 per bottle (no limit) and the food is excellent.
Wow, I love that Bedford Post charges $50 a bottle. That fits with the rest of the place as being laughably not worth it.
MP Taverna in Irvington. Great food (best octopus I have ever had, although on another occasion it was toos salty) Corkage $25 I can’t remember.
Corkage was $20 on May 26, 2013. Pretty place by the Irvington train station on the Hudson River. Great food. Underpriced for Westchester. Where can you get entrees for $19.00 these days. The portions aren’t skimpy either. We went with another couple. Cost was $87 per couple all-in. ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
edit 2019 > the most uncomfortable chairs anywhere.
+1
The Farmer and the Fish in Purdys Homestead. Food is excellent. Wine list is very interesting. $20 per bottle corkage with no grief. They ask (rightly so) that you do not bring in what’s on the wine list.
St.George in Hastings (former buffet de la Gare location), $25 corkage, nice attitude.
Food was good- bistro food with a bit of flair. Nice oyster selection, I enjoyed a crab “tartinette” (good crab salad on thick grilled toast), Betsy a frisee salad with a panko-crusted egg. Mains were both good- a chicken in a mushroom cream sauce and skate. 6 oysters, 2 starters, 2 mains, one dessert, corkage- $130 before tip. Very reasonable for Westchester.
Attractive space, service more eager than polished, but they just opened.
06 Matrot Perrieres was good, but showing enough oxidation that I’m glad I opened now.
Chef is Chris Vergara (sp?) from Harpers and Meritage.
edited to add: Actually I could be ok with their wine list as well. No trophies, all French with some decent choices in $35-50 range. Things like Mas de Gourgonnier rouge for $40, L’Ecu Granite Muscadet for $45, Boulay Sancerre for $55. Sure, I’d rather bring my own, but I can live with any of those.
They extend this to any vintage. So, for example, if they only have a 2005 Bonneau du Martray Corton-Charlemagne and you bring a 1989, no go. This happened to me. So you should call first to see.
When did Buffet close. Liked that place, and would have gone there more often if it was closer
Early this summer. Gwenael (sp?) died about 2 years ago, and his son and widow kept it going for a while.