Restaurant Roundup
Taste
After having heard so many positive things about this restaurant, I was anxious to try it. We started with the artisanal cheese board. The presentation was very well done- four selections of cheese, grapes, breadsticks and the most amazing blueberry honey on a wood cutting board covered with a cheese paper.
My entree choice was salmon that had a nice sear on it, accompanied by a field greens and spinach salad with a warm gorgonzola dressing. (yum!)
My husband, the carnivore, had the berkshire pork roulade. He gave it thumbs up. Besides the fact that the food was delicious, I was delighted that the portion size was spot on. Too many restaurants overfeed their patrons. I don’t blame them- they are putting the amount of food on the plate that our increasingly overweight society has come to expect. I feel that as Chefs we have a responsibility to offer our diners delicious foods that won’t make them suffer an obesity related illness down the road. That being said, of course I had to order dessert! I had the brownie trifle, which was almost chocolate overload even for a cocoa-fiend like me.
The love and passion that Chef Campanaro has for local, fresh cooking definitely shows on his plates. Taste adds the extra touches above and beyond what’s expected. Cheers!
Taste Restaurant is at 265 Tate Avenue, Buchanan, NY 10511-1210
(914) 930-7866
Olives
Formerly named O’Barril, Olives offers a nicely balanced selection of dishes on their menu. Since my husband was away on business, my handsome sons served as my dining companions for the evening.
We started with the mussels in white wine (big hit with the boys), and the sampler plate. Devon pretty much hogged all the hummus from the platter of dips/spreads and breads brought out for the table, while Kyan was busy tasting the different kinds of olives. He was on his best behavior and didn’t spit a single pit!
For dinner they shared the whole BBQ chicken with salad and fries. Despite their very healthy appetites, the chicken got the best of them and we brought some of it home. I had the prawns in garlic cognac sauce, with what the Chef calls “Mozambique style potatoes”. I call them delicious and Devon called them “gone”! Maybe that’s why he couldn’t finish his chicken… 
The prawns were presented with heads on, which I love, and the sauce had just the right amount of heat. The greens were a good choice to balance the plate. No doggie bag from this entree!
We all agreed that we would be visiting again soon. Maybe we’ll even bring my husband!
Olives Restaurant is at 551 Route 6, Mahopac, NY 10541-4744
(845) 628-6070
Eat Westchester! (and Putnam!)
Adam has worked in the local news industry for the past two decades in Westchester County and the broader Hudson Valley. Read more from Adam’s author bio here.