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Last week, I did two important things: I got a digital camera with which to capture my eating adventures and I visited my mother. She moved to the middle of nowhere in Connecticut two years ago and ever since then, trips to her neck of the woods have turned into mini culinary tours of towns I’d most likely never have cause to visit. This past Saturday, my mother, my camera, and I spent the day wandering around a small hamlet several miles across the Connecticut border. Katonah, New York is one of those places evenly divided between curmudgeonly locals and disturbingly wealthy people with opulent summer houses. As such, the restaurant scene is pretty excellent and not as pricey as one might imagine, given the fact that Katonah successfully managed to keep the behemoth that is Martha Stewart from trademarking its name.
We ate lunch at the Blue Dolphin (175 Katonah Avenue, 914-232-4791), which was reviewed by the New York Times back in May. The ambiance was terrific–the place is situated in what looks like a converted caravan with wood-paneled ceilings and bouquets of dried peppers. The Blue Dolphin takes its cues from the cuisine of Capri and was surprisingly affordable. Never having been to Capri, I can’t vouch for the authenticity of the cooking, but the orecchiette with pesto and marinara was at once comforting and refreshing.
I also managed to have the best donut of my life at The Katonah Restaurant (63 Katonah Avenue, 914-232-9241). This cruller, with its crumbly, cakey flesh encased in a thin layer of cinnamon, barely managed to survive the time it took to take its photo. I think I devoured the entire thing in 5 seconds flat.
