Local Treat: The Boathouse Restaurant

On Father's Day I was just recovering from a three and a half day bout of food poisoning so when it came time for dinner I was absolutely famished but in no condition to cook. So my husband took a look around local places and came across this gem.



Located directly on the Hudson River, with beautiful Hudson views in Ossining, NY, the Boathouse feels like a treasure tucked away and hidden from the more mainstream restaurants. The ambiance is lovely, with a bar and tables both in and outside. A family restaurant, they also offer a child's menu but many of the adult items kids will love too. We were surprised to find that they had been open for two years, and somehow escaped our radar!

Since it was Father's Day the restaurant was packed. A short wait at the bar, and we were seated inside. A nice sized loaf of freshly baked rustic bread was placed on our table to keep us busy while our food was being prepared. Crunchy crust, soft inside and still warm, just the way I love my bread!

One of my favourite warm weather meals to eat is lobster rolls. I don't recall the first time I had one up in New England, but I fell immediately in love. I love lobster but hate having to work for my meal, so the lobster roll is the perfect compromise. I find that here in NY its not uncommon to find shredded lobster with no chunks of the tender crustacean in sight. Not the case here! Huge chunks of lobster filled this lightly toasted roll, with the addition of a little mayo, small amounts of celery and onion for crunch. It was so overstuffed that there was no way I'd finish the entire thing, so I shared with my Punk Glam King. Homemade coleslaw and crispy sweet potato fries rounded out my meal (all came with.) PGK had another one of their specialties, the Seafood Pot Pie which he enjoyed, and the Punk Glam Princess had homemade mac n' cheese and she cleaned her plate, then grabbing some of my sweet potato fries!

My enormous lobster roll. I can't seem to make out the chunks of lobster, but trust me, they were abundant! I must say that outside of New England, this lobster roll had the most chunks of lobster I've come across thus far.

Other items that looked great were the Crabmeat Avocado Salad served over a bed a Mesclun greens with balsamic vinaigrette. Again, love crab, hate having to work for my meal, so anything that entails having the meat already out of the shell is perfect for lazy me! Portobello Burger with roasted red peppers and mozzarella sounds great, as does the Chicken Capistrano -- cutlet sauteed in light lemon, tarragon, and artichoke sauce. For dessert, had I had room, I would have had the Chocolate Crepes -- crepes filled with chocolate ganache and drizzled with raspberry sauce or the Apple Raspberry Pie -- French crumb topping served with a dollop of whipped cream. If you're a shrimp lover (I'm allergic, boo!) there are loads of choices as well as burgers, steaks, and all kinds of fish and seafood. Lots of wraps, salads and pasta rounds out a very nice menu with something for everyone -- even vegetarians and vegans! (Vegetable Nori Crisp -- julienne vegetables wrapped in seaweed dipped in tempura batter and fried, or ask for one of the great salads or Portobello burger minus the cheese.) If you're a martini lover, they have a whole page of specialties -- how great would it be to be sitting outside overlooking the Hudson and sipping a martini? Summertime at its best!

A thoroughly enjoyable meal for Father's Day, and the perks include being next door to the Marina we may be joining (we're not boaters -- too much work, ugh, have you guessed yet that when I like to relax it entails NO working whatsoever? -- we'll be joining for the pool overlooking the Hudson, just lovely!) this summer. We've been told they give Marina members a discount, so that's another reason not to make dinner in the sweltering NY heat!

A very fuzzy iPhone pic of the Marina's pool overlooking the Hudson.

The Boathouse is easily accessible to those of you in the city who feel like taking a short jaunt into the 'burbs for some beautiful riverside seafood/ fish dining (burgers, chicken, steak as well as wraps and salads available as well), as its just below the Ossining train station, directly on the Hudson (simply walk to the riverside of the train tracks, and head north -- to your right -- to find it tucked away along the river.) Jump on a Metro North train at Grand Central Station and in under an hour you're inside the restaurant!

Beautiful sunset over the Hudson.

The Boathouse is located at 800 Westerly Road, Ossining, NY. Phone: 914.923.6466. They accept reservations, so if you're planning ahead best to call. They don't have a website, but here is their information on the Guide to Ossining, which also lists their business hours: http://www.guidetoossining.com/business/listing/business/20825386/The-Boathouse

Here's to a summer filled with lobster rolls, crab salads, and beautiful views!
Cheers!