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6-Year-Old Dobbs Ferry Restaurant Expands Team, Tweaks Menu

There's a new menu -- and a new concept at Cedar Street Grill in Dobbs Ferry.

Chicken pot pie at Cedar Street Grill in Dobbs Ferry.

Chicken pot pie at Cedar Street Grill in Dobbs Ferry.

Photo Credit: Submitted
Chef/Owner Matt Kay of Cedar Street Grill in Dobbs Ferry.

Chef/Owner Matt Kay of Cedar Street Grill in Dobbs Ferry.

Photo Credit: Submitted
Justin Ortiz, the new chef de cuisine at Cedar Street Grill in Dobbs Ferry.

Justin Ortiz, the new chef de cuisine at Cedar Street Grill in Dobbs Ferry.

Photo Credit: Submitted

The restaurant, which recently celebrated its sixth anniversary, still has the same commitment to flavor and local ingredients but now there's a new Chef de Cuisine.

Justin Ortiz, formerly of Wolf and Lamb and Michelin-rated The Breslin, has added elevated offerings for a more upscale presentation without losing the American grill appeal. Fan favorites like the chicken wings, fried chicken, and Brussels sprouts are still on the menu, however some dishes, like the Cedar Street burger received a slight “facelift” with the addition of in-house cured maple bacon.

But what packs the most punch are the newbies on the fall menu, showcasing the new techniques and detail Ortiz adds to the kitchen. 

Starters, for example, feature comfort-food items like tomato and carrot bisque with cheddar tuile, confit carrot, and micro basil, as well as chicken liver mousse served with crusty bread, pickled pearl onions, and spiced fig jam. Also a must? The warm popovers (made in-house) with gruyere, fennel seed, and honey butter.

The effort and benefit of “housemade” doesn’t end there, with an addition of made-in-house pasta dishes like ravioli with marscapone, cured egg yolk, sage, and parmigiano and the braised pork ragu cavatelli.

Chef/Owner Matt Kay Kay and Ortiz are also offering more sharable small plates and entrée offerings fall in line with the flavor bar they carefully cultivated. The chicken pot pie, with its flakey, puffed crust, is a clear fan-favorite standout. The dry aged ribeye—at a sharable 22 oz.—with bone marrow, roasted garlic, and rosemary butter, may be a close second.

“When I started to realize we were getting close to our sixth year, I started focusing on what’s next,” Kay said. 

“I knew I could naturally transition Cedar Street to be this great balance between family-friendly and first date spot. I just needed the right team in place. Justin was the key ingredient to be where I wanted to be.”

While Ortiz spends most of his time in the kitchen, the freed-up Kay makes the transition to running the restaurant in a front of house role.

Cedar Street Grill is at 23 Cedar St., 914-674-0706, www.cedarstreetgrillny.com.

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