OMG an Iron Chef in PO CHO!?

Yes... Mario Batali's long awaited Tarry Lodge has opened! It is impossible to get a decent reservation! I actually made reservations 2.5 weeks in advance for last night's dinner and the only time they had was 5:30! But the early time was not a problem because my family and I got to have a nice, long, leisurely dinner :-)

The atmosphere was really cool... very casual, but still had the upscale feel. We were seated upstairs where it was much more quiet and calm compared to the downstairs bar area.

And the atmosphere of the restaurant goes perfectly with the food... food is very casual italian, as in pizzas, pastas, salads, but it wasn't sloppy. All our dishes were very well and very beautifully prepared which gave the food that upscale feel.

Onto the good stuff... FOOOOOOOD!
We started off by sharing the Insalata Loggia (basically a Caesar Salad, but the dressing was nice, creamy, and tangy) and the Spinach with Gorgonzola (with apple slices, and the most simple but awesome Olive Oil, Lemon, and Salt dressing!!).


Then we got 2 Pizzas to share as an appetizer.
The first one: Prosciutto, Mozarella, Tomatoes, and Arugula

The creamy mozzarella was perfect with the salty prosciutto!
The second one: Clams

This one was great also. It was simply clams, garlic, oregano, a little bit of red pepper flakes and olive oil! I don't know if there was like a parmesan cheese on this or not! I remember thinking when I took my first bite, "OMG this is too salty." But then with all the other herbs and spices, it agreed with my mouth!

Not to mention a very nice THIN crust!

For entrees, we all got something different and I tasted each and every one of them!
1. Black Fettucine with Lobster and Chiles


I think everyone would agree that this was the best dish of the night! The pasta was delish and cooked perfectly. There were generous amounts of lobster accompanied by sweet corn and tomatoes. It was a combination of very simple flavors and it was perfect!

2. Eggplant Parmigiana

This one wins for the most beautiful presentation! It was a very simple non-breaded/non-fried eggplant slices layered with mozzarella and parmesan cheese. It was a little too salty for my taste.

3. Lamb Chops with Shiitake Mushrooms

My second favorite! The meat was nice and tender and the raisin/pine nut/carrot stuff on the bottom was so good with the herb-y lamb!!

4. Grilled Ribeye (for two)

HUGE! It was cooked perfectly medium-rare. I wasn't too impressed with this steak. I mean, it was cooked perfectly and it had a nice fatty flavor, but I got a veiny piece which turned me off. My mother and brother were quite happy with their selection though.

5. Artichokes with Mint

OMG! This was so good! It was fun to find the crispy parts of the artichoke! And I was surprised that I liked it because I don't usually like "mint" things that aren't gum! But the mint flavor was very subtle and it gave the rich oilyness a nice little lift!


And then to Dessert!!! The table shared the Black Mission Figs (with a cream i don't remember the name of... it reminded me of Mascarpone) and the Panna Cotta with Grapefruit Sorbet.


The figs were of course delicious but really nothing special. But the Panna Cotta?! OMG!!!!! The panna cotta was rich, vanilla-y, and so delicate! And the B-E-S-T part was the bitter grapefruit sorbet. It was such a great... wait no, the best combination of flavors!

I loved my experience here. Not expensive at all, something even me and Ed could do as a special dinner! The food was really solid and our waiter, although he didn't know what a lot of the dishes were, was helpful and attentive!

Tarry Lodge
18 Mill Street
Port Chester, NY 10573
Phone: 914-939-3111
Fax: 914-939-0444